Farm News August 13, 2024
Our Farmstand is in full swing
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(PYO & Farmstand Hours):
Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday: 2 - 6:30 PM
Saturday: 8 am - 12:30 pm
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Last week’s soupy mix of rain, mist, and a hurricane remnant sure made for a slog on the farm. But slog we did, bringing in the first potatoes, some great corn, sweet melons and for this time of year, tons of tomatoes, and a still vibrant selection of lettuce, kale, herbs, and root vegetables. Our crew didn’t bat an eye, and got to work without complaint, maybe a little relieved that it was a week or rain rather than a week of scorching temperatures. Thanks to all of you who showed up at a market or the farm stand in the rain!
The early morning chard harvest is a group effort that takes a little longer these days with the storm-damaged leaves.
When we saw the forecast for this week, we all breathed a sigh of relief. Rainy weeks tend to be followed by periods of plant disease, for which organic growers do not have many good control options. So blue skies, cooler temperatures, and sunny days will help our crops dry out from the excessive rain. “California days,” as Rebecca calls them, also contrast with the many uncomfortable days we spend outdoors and help remind us that one of the joys of farming is being outside! It also doesn’t hurt that it’s melon season, with seconds crew melons, and those we crack open during harvest, available for snacking.
The process of steaming the high tunnel, bed by bed, is a time-consuming, but now necessary project.
Recently we’ve added a new pest to our lengthy list, the southern root knot nematode. The microscopic buggers live in the soil, and thanks to them last year we suffered high losses of greenhouse crops, including tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, and cucumbers. We noticed that other growers in the region have started to steam their soils before planting, but steam units are expensive and seemed out of reach. We were fortunate to receive a grant from Climate Smart Agriculture Grant through the Connecticut Resource Conservation & Development Area, Inc., a non-profit organization that supports farmers in the state. Except for an early carrot crop, we’ve been able to steam greenhouse soils before we plant. The high temps can knock out pathogens before we plant and have the added bonus of killing weed seeds to boot. We’re grateful for getting access to this equipment and are working now to get our greenhouses ready for fall planting.
We hope to see you at the farm or a farmers’ market soon,
Paul, Rebecca, and the Fort Hill Farm crew
When the harvest is done, someone must do the job(s) after the job – CJ takes it on here.
Featured veg:
Watermelons: Such a happy time of year, and quite a lift in the dog days of summer. The reds and yellow are each unique in their own way, offering us different carotenoids, and let’s face it, delightful opportunities to get messy like when we were kids. Sweet watermelons are a great reminder of the benevolence of nature. Best stored in your fridge (if you don’t eat them all at once!), but melons can be outside of the fridge for a spell.
Cantaloupes: Growing melons in the northeast is a dicey proposition, so we are always grateful for any good fruit we can get. This has been a great cantaloupe crop! Most are sweet and flavorful, but there are always a few duds in the mix. We do our best to avoid them, but without extras vision, don’t always succeed. Please ask for a replacement if you get one. Most are also ready to eat; if it’s a bit green with less scent, give it a few days at room temp to ripen. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Enjoy!
Satina Gold potatoes: this potato has wonderful yellow flesh and flavor, similar to Yukon Gold. We find them equally tasty, and unlike Yukon Gold, they don’t drop dead when the first leafhopper bug appears. They are now a resolute farm and customer favorite. We love them for their distinct satiny texture (note the name); they’ve become a farm staple, fair and square.
Also available:
Head lettuce; salad mix; arugula; pea shoots; curly and lacinato kale; rainbow chard (limited); purple, red (new patch starting) and French Breakfast radish; cilantro, parsley, dill, basil; red beets, chioggia beets and gold beets; Tendersweet and red cabbage; garlic scapes; zucchini, zephyr & patty pan summer squash; slicing cucumbers; heirloom and beefsteak tomatoes; sungold, artisanal, and red cherry tomatoes (ON SALE!); carrots; sprouting broccoli; German Extra Hardy garlic; Ailsa Craig and Red Torpedo onions; jalapeño and shishito peppers; Sweet Red Italian and orange snacking peppers; Classic Italian, Graffiti, and Rosa Bianca eggplant; baby bok choy; sweet corn; Gold potatoes; fresh ginger
Coming Soon:
Edamame
Pick Your Own:
Green beans: new patch is open, close to the barn
Sunflowers: on sale! 2 / $1
Sungold Cherry Tomatoes:
Open for PYO! Stop by the barn for containers and head to the high tunnel to pick.
Perennial Herbs:
There are HERB RINGS provided to establish the bunch size.
Chives and Oregano: trim long lengths from the base of the plant, leaving 1” behind
Sage: clip 4 - 6 inches from the largest stems
Thyme: clip 4-6 from the perimeter of the plant
Flowers:
Bouquets on SALE! There is a full selection of blossoms out there. Be sure to use the flower ring provided to establish the bunch size.
Recipes
Suggested by Rebecca Batchie
For more recipes, check out the Fort Hill Farm Recipe Database
Watermelon with Lime Syrup and Spiced Salt
Recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi
Ingredients
4.5 lbs Watermelon or about ½ large watermelon
2 tbsp picked mint or basil leaves, or a mixture, large leaves roughly torn
3 tbsp olive oil
FOR THE LIME SYRUP
2 limes zest of 1 finely grated, to get 1 tsp, then both juiced, to get 3 tsp
4 tbsp demerara sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
FOR THE SPICED SALT
3 tsp aleppo chilli
¾ tsp flaked sea salt
1 tsp sumac
1½ tsp demerara sugar
⅛ tsp cracked black pepper
Method
Using a sharp knife, carefully cut off and discard the skin and white pith from the watermelon, leaving you with about 1½kg flesh. Cut this into 2cm-thick wedges, arrange them on a large platter and refrigerate until ready to serve.
For the lime syrup, put the lime zest, sugar, vanilla bean paste and 50ml water in a small saucepan on a medium heat, bring to a simmer, then cook for five minutes, until bubbling and slightly syrupy. Take off the heat, leave to cool for 15 minutes, then stir in the lime juice.
Meanwhile, put all the ingredients for the spiced salt in a mortar and lightly grind until the salt is fine.
To assemble, drizzle half the syrup all over the watermelon, scatter over all of the herbs and spoon over the olive oil. Sprinkle a quarter of the spiced salt mix on top and serve with the remaining salt and syrup in two bowls on the side.
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