That time of year again

There’s a sad part about Fall when some vegetables are no longer producing and the leaves on the stems are crispy or fallen.  Every night might prove to be the last for many foods.  Every morning is a guess as to what survived any severe temperature drops.  On the other hand, as well as the beautiful colours and restful feeling of Fall, there’s the exciting part of foods, like some greens such as kale and many herbs, being moved from the gardens to the greenhouse to keep us eating for the next many weeks until new sprouts form from our own doing in early Spring.  There’s seeing the radishes and green onions we planted a few weeks ago growing and the sowing of new seeds in the greenhouses.  And the planning and thrill of deciding what will go where in the new year, what we should grow that we didn’t this year and what we shouldn’t try again. 

We are not objecting to being indoors the first part of these mornings making applesauce where it’s nice and warm and dry.  Then when it warms up a bit, we’re out there collecting seeds, cleaning rows in the garden, laying down straw and mulched leaves, rolling up soaker hoses, broadforking and weeding, generally putting the gardens to bed for the next several weeks.  We still pick exuberantly Thursdays and Fridays for Friday afternoon deliveries.  The weekends are saved for last minute orders and Ottawa/Merrickville deliveries.

Let me tell you what loves this weather: celery, cilantro, arugula, kale and chard.  If the cabbages we planted survive the next few weeks they will be beautiful now that the bugs have moved out of the area.  The kale is so clean we don’t feel a need to wash it for you, really.  We do wash the arugula so it’s ready for eating when you need it. 

The potatoes are done, we have some fingerlings but the reds didn’t come back after the first picking.  We’ll not plant and hill them in straw next year, which was a trial thing, but will get them in earlier and plant deep into the ground. 

We’re thinking of growing sweet potatoes next year as well as our own oat straw.  Definitely more onions are on the list.  Garlic gets planted this week.  The hot peppers we grow for Wilf & Ada’s are doing surprisingly well considering the extraordinary amount of slugs from all the rain.  We threw an astonishing number of hot and sweet peppers out due to slugs and a new kind of bug I don’t recognize in the peppers – arghhh. 

Succession planting was key to our steady supply of salad greens. 

Here’s something for you to know.  I really appreciate any jars you return to me and want to tell you that I cannot reuse the flat top seal part again so you can ditch it.  Sometimes I can reuse the ring but if it’s rusty or dented from tapping I can’t.  So I’ll ask you to return just the jar.  Thanks.

Five of the baby chicks are doing well growing wings and big feet with long legs attached.  One little one didn’t make it.  I think it got squished by the moms the first night but they are really good new moms teaching the babies to eat and drink like they do.  We created a larger space in the coop for them to hang out until everyone can live together without incident and the littles won’t go places unsafe for them until they can get around better.   It's hard to get a picture right now since they jump around so fast and they are under the dropping board in the coop where it's not too bright for picture taking.

Salad Greens are growing but not too quickly so they’ll sit out this week.  The beets are taking their time but we have hope for them.

This garden is ready for spring.  The soil will be so nice once
we pull back the straw.  

We have some hot pepper plants still producing
enthusiastically and new seedlings started.

The little greenhouse still keeps going with kale, chard,
zinnias, green onions, radishes, celery, and hot peppers.

The outdoor celery is absolutely wonderful.

Cabbages hoping to become larger for us.

This is how much celery you get for $2 !!!!  It's more
than my hand can hold.

Available for your dining pleasure this week are the following foods:

Apples, dehydrated  $2 snack bag
Applesauce  $4 500mL jar  sealed, can be stored for a year

Arugula Pesto $4.50 250mL jar 

Arugula  larger than baby arugula so more zip zip zippy flavour  $3 bag  washed and table-ready

Baby Arugula  $3 bag  washed and table-ready

Celery  $2 / bunch

Celery  $2 / bunch

Celery  $2 / bunch

We have Lots of Celery – the stalks are a good size now, remember you can freeze the tops and leaves for soups and stock.

Chard  $3 / bag

Garlic  $3, $2, or $1 each

Garlic  $12 / pound

Granola, with fruit  $8 /500mL jar  

Granola, with nuts and fruit  $10 /500mL jar  

Herbs, fresh:   cilantro, citrus thyme, dill, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme  $2 each  

Kale  $3 / bunch

Leeks  $3 / bunch

Potatoes, fingerlings  $2 / pound

Salsa, canned $8 500mL jar sealed, can be stored for a year

SPROUTS, Sandwich Booster (clover, alfalfa, radish & mustard)  $3 / bag

SPROUTS, Spring Salad Mix  (broccoli, radish, red clover & alfalfa)  $3 / bag

Tomatoes, dehydrated  $2 snack bag
Tomato Sauce  $6 500mL jar  sealed, can be stored for a year

Vegetable Stock, tomato based  $3 pint jar  I froze it right away

Day Brighteners is a non-certified organic farm, where we practice sustainability and environmentally-friendly farming.  We always use non-GMO and organic/heirloom seeds.  We use no “cides” of any kind.  You are very welcome to drop by most days, but if it’s picking/packing/delivery day (Friday) you take your chances on getting the tour.  Calling or emailing first is a good idea.  We do appreciate your business very much and would like to hear from you with any comments or questions you have.   

Please call or email me with amounts you’d like and any questions you may have.  Remember you can order any day.  Give us 24 hours to pick freshest for you.  I deliver to Ottawa and Merrickville either Saturday or Sunday each weekend. 

Thanks.

Until next post, have a great every day.