Season 2: Week 22 : October 28: Finally!

The last day of work was cold and raining. What a surprise.

The distribution share was very abundant:

Hot peppers

1 celeriac

1 cabbage

Choice of bunch of radishes or turnips

3 lbs. potatoes (blue, gold, red)

1 lb. spinach or lettuce

2 ½ lbs. of : swiss chard, kale (dinosaur, curly purple or curly green), or greens (mizuna, arugula, tat soi, red mustard, golden frill)

Choice of 8 lbs of root vegetables : rutabaga, celeriac, carrots, red orange or yellow, parsnips, turnips : also cauliflower,broccoli, leeks

1 winter squash : butternut or acorn or red

Plus up to 3 lbs of green tomatoes, with a disclaimer : "may or may not ripen"

Season 2: Week 21 : October 21: Rain again!

Cold and rainy.
Washed bins (again), harvested baby lettuce heads and celeriac, helped with set-up and monitored food levels at distribution

Took cellphone picture of food distribution list: to be posted soon.

Season 2: Week 20 : October 14: Rain!

Cold and rainy.

Washed bins in the cool water, which means my jeans got soaking wet as I was too lazy to put on the yellow rubber pants that makes you look like a clown. I also thinned spinach and helped set up distribution.

Season 2: Week 19 : October 7: Tomatoes...no more!

The tomatoes are gone. Most of the left over plants and stems in the fields have been turned in (that is "plowed under"). The soil is now ready for a cover crop.

We harvested peppers, and cut cilantro for the collective. The parking field was muddy, so I was assigned to "parking services". For their pickup, the members had to park on the road walk down a small hill to the distribution table and then walk back up with their share. I was available for assistance for any one needing help carrying their shares up the hill to the car.

We had carrots, various greens including chard, red peppers, hot peppers, lettuce, fennel, delicato squash (3), pumpkin. The choice table had potatoes, eggplants, small peppers, radishes

Season 2: Week 18 : September 30: Tomatoes Eggplants Squash Deja Vu (all over again)!

It is beginning to feel like Groundhog’s Day, the film where Bill Murray repeats the same day over and over again.

Well at Mud Creek Farms Thursday afternoons has become known as "tomato eggplant squash" harvest days, because that it what we have been doing for the past two months.

We harvested squash, then tomatoes and then eggplants, then after a break weeded the turnips or rutabaga or whatever. I have my eye on the delicato squash and Erin will start to distribute it soon (we only have 6 weeks or so left) or I will start to smuggle them home.

Season 2: Week 17 : September 23: Snozzberry? Who ever heard of a snozzberry?Tomatoes!

For over 15 weeks now we’ve been pretty lucky on Thursday afternoons, there has been some rain but nothing we couldn’t work through.

Well, this past week, we had some showers. And the ground was extremely muddy from the rainstorms in the morning. When the weather cleared up, we harvested mizuna and red mustard, and then harvested broccoli.

As I come off the fields, I am asked farming questions from those that are picking up their share (It must be my muddy appearance that attracts these people). "Where is the okra?" "I have never seen tomatoes like this? How do you do grow these so well?" "Can you pick me out a good watermelon" and so on...my God, I am such a poser.

So, there was a sample of ground cherries with sign indicating we have ground cherries available for pick-up in the filld,. A woman, new to the farm who was picking up for her friend, took branches and stems with the ground cheeries attached, ans asked me "did I pick them right?" Now I had just found out no less than five minutes earlier that ground cheeries are only ready when they fall off the stem onto the ground, (hence the name). I had told her that I have been working here 4 months and just today found that ground cheeries are picked of the ground. I also suggested we try a few so I reached into her bag and took out the small fruit, peeled off the brown paper-like wrapper, and popped a greenish pebble into my mouth. It was hard and sour. The one she tried was bigger but sour also. So I told her that we both know now why we should wait until they fall off the stem.

Share was : 2 lbs of carrots (orange purple or yellow); 1 broccoli; 4 red peppers; 1 summer squash; 2 lbs. Aronidack blue potatoes; Choice of 2 (1 eggplant, 1 green squash); 3 lbs. of tomatoes, (red, yellow, plum); 1 ¾ lbs of onions (yellow or red); ¾ lb. of greens (mizuna, red mustard, arugula, golden frill, tatsoi); up to 4 watermelons (size of volleyball) : Upick of herbs tomatillos,okra and groundcherries.

Season 2: Week 16: September 20 : Special Comment on Canteloupes

When is a cantaloupe ripe?
Everyone has told us that a cantelope is ripe when the stem just falls off.

last year we grew canelopes on our house and wainted and waited, and waited, and when the stem fell off, some time in late September, lo and behold, the cantelouopes were overripe inside. Mud Creek had cantelopes and there were many in the firld that had rotten stems and were overripe and there were a few that still had the stems secure. I muscled a stem off the fruit and was told that it wasn't ripe yet. But it looked yellow and smelled wonderful and guess what, it was still overripe with a *firm* stem. Cantelopes are not difficult to grow, just difficult to know when to harvest. We have about 8 cantelopues at home and we are watching tehm closely.

Season 2: Week 16 : September 16: Watermelon Toss

The farm was featured in the local newspaper and my back and right shoulder received some good press.

We harvested tomatoes again : we filled about 8 or 9 plastic bread crates of tomatoes, each approximately 25 lbs or more. We used bread crates, because tomatoes should not be piled and the crates are stackable (like you see in a supermarket the bread does not get damaged)

We harvested about 250 melons . Actually rather than test, break the stem, walk to the tractor, and then return, repeat, we had a firemen relay. It was set up like this: Beth or Erin tests melon, breaks stem, volley to worker Paul, who volleyed the melon to me. It was fun catching the melon and keeping the count. The three of us probably harvested 250 melons in 1.5 hours. A quick calculation : probably over a ton of melons.

To end the day, Paul and I picked up some tall weeds that were really ready to go to seed. Anytime I can prevent the proliferation of weeds by yanking them out or hackin gthem down, I’m on it… We had to tiptoe through the fall squash field to avoid damage to the squash vines.

PS. The delicato squash look very good this year.

The share was : Handful of hot peppers; 4 red peppers; 2 onions; 2 lettuces; ½ greens mizuna, red mustard, tat soi, escarole ; 2 lbs of tomatoes; 2 melons

Choice (3) of eggplant, 1 small carton of potatoes, swiss chard (1 lb), kale (1 lb), 3 “chocolate colored” sweet peppers,

Season 2: Week 15 : September 9: Tomatoes!

\

Today we harvested peppers, squash and tomatoes.

I have been wondering why these postings are being simpler and simpler. On reason is I have been doing the same thing, harvesting peppers and tomoatoes for a month now,

The share his week was

2 Choices of eggplant (1), corn (2), container of okra,

Broccoli shoots

2 lbs carrots

3 red peppers

2 chocolate peppers

2 heads of lettuce

½ lb greens mizuna, golden frill, red mustard, escarole

2 canteloupes or watermelons (red or yellow)

Season 2: Week 14 : September 2: Even More Tomatoes!

Today we harvested peppers, squash and tomatoes. We picked only the fully red peppers.

The temperature was about 90 degrees, and everyone worked slow.

After break we harvested dragon beans. I think that is what they were called. I was too hot and tired to care. I do not like bean picking. I think that is because I do not like beans. I do not like doing things that I do not like doing, especially when I am hot. The beans are way back in the corner of the farm near the bee hives. The bees didn’t bother us, but I still get nervous when I see a lot of then swarming around. I do not like bees either when I am hot.

Season 2: Week 13 : August 26: More Tomatoes!

We picked the last of the cucumbers in the far field. Then we picked tomatoes.

And finally beans (purple and yellow) Tomato picking was fun because of last year’s bust due to blight. Beans are boring.

The share included:

Choice: eggplant, lettuce, cantelope, lettuce, cucumbers; 2 lbs. carrot (yellow purple or orange); 2 large leeks; 3 small leeks; 1 garlic; 2 onions; 1 lb purple or yellow wax beans; 2 lbs of potatoes; 4 lbs of tomatoes

Season 2: Week 12 : August 19: More Tomatoes!

We harvested squash and tomatoes and then hand-weeded some broccoli. We picked plum, heirloom and brandywine types .The farm has expanded to a field further down towards Mud Creek. The rows now are still 175 – 200 ft, but are not next to one another, as much as they continue lengthwise one after another. We got about 4 -5 bread trays of tomotoes.

The broccoli and cabbage area was 3 beds x 3 rows x 200 ft. It was somewhat boring but hopefully the large leaves of the cabbage will cover the ground and prevent the weeds from coming back.

The share this week was: 2 squash; 1 garlic; 2 or 3 peppers; 3 heads lettuce; Choice of 3 (corn, eggplant, 1 lb. beets, 2 small eggplants, fava beans); 2 ½ lbs. carrots; 1 lb. rainbow chard; 4 lbs. tomatoes

Upick now includes cherry tomatoes and scallions

Season 2: Week 11 : August 12: Peppers!

We mostly harvested tomatoes, peppers & eggplants. What was most exciting is the number...900 peppers with 4 people. Wow.

Distribution was:

2 lettuce, 2 squash, 5 leeks, 2 lbs carrots (Orange or purple), 2 lbs. tomatoes, 3 peppers (1 red, 2 green), 2 Choices of : 2 small eggplants or 1 big eggplant or rainbow swiss chard or quart of beets or fresh onions

In the Upick fields, catnip & scallions are available

Season 2: Week 10 (still): August 5: Tomatoes!

We harvested squash, eggplant and tomatoes. We weeded corn, potatoes and celeriac.

The Share was 3 lbs carrots, or golden beets; 2 lbs. tomatoes; 2 summer squash; 2 eggplants; 4 peppers; Choice of 3: artichokes, roma tomatoes in bin, eggplant, kale, swiss chard.

Upick is now a herb extravaganza: cilantro, oregano, thyme, garlic chives, summer savory; plus tomatillos

Season 2: Week 10: August 2: Morning Shift

This week was exchange week. I was off on June 17, 2010 so I had to fill in on a Monday morning shift. This means I worked from 7:30 am to noon.

The weather was a lot cooler and it was more comfortable working in the morning then after a half day of office work like I do on Thursdays.

The work was about the same: We harvested leeks, eggplants and squash.

Season 2: Week 9: July 29: Bins!

I am starting with share distribution this week:

2 fennel

2 summer squash (including "patty pan")

2 cucumbers

2 leeks

2 lbs. of carrots or beets

3 heads of lettuce (red leaf)

4 peppers

tomatoes

Choice of 2: small container of artichokes, plum tomatoes, beans : or eggplant or "monster" squash or 1 lb. of carrots

Upick fields: tomatillos, herbs, cilantro, summer savory, sage, basil, thyme and flowers

The details of distribution share is for one share, so if we do some math, we can see just how much produce is involved: 75 shares = total 150 fennel, 150 squash, 150 cucumbers, 150 leeks, 150 lbs+ carrots, 300 peppers, 225 heads of lettuce.

So how are these vegetables stored and how do they stay fresh? Well there is the cooler measuring about 8 ft by 8 ft by 10 ft high with an air conditioning unit, but the vegetables are harvested in plastic bins. And with double the amount of members this year, twice the number of bins were needed. Bins are brought by carts to the fields, used in the rows and then brought back in, quickly washed and then re-used. Sometimes there is a plastic bin shortage, and we need to find wood crates or plastic bakery bread flats to hold the harvest, anything to get the vegetables stored by bulk into the cooler. Today we recived an estimate of 96 bins. I "quickly" rinsed them, dryed them and stocked them . We should not be running out of plastic bins anytime soon.

I also harvested green pappers, and weeded the corn fields. I also hacked a plastic water drip hose that was underground by the corn. My bad. I think I wrote about this watering system last year. When rains are not abundant, drip hoses are run along side of the 2 or 3 rows of crops hooked up to a mainline plastic pipe running alongside the edge of the fields. These are not sprinklers but simply drip-hoses that are made of cheap plastic (and break easily under the hacking motion of a sharp farming tool in the hands of an over-excited and un-observant farmhand)

Season 2: Week 8: July 22: One Man's weed is another Man's friend

The weather was a little cooler as compared to the previous weeks but it was still a hot day.

We continued to harvest the summer squash. Farmer Erin probably planted many varieties but to my eye there are three; green, yellow striped and yellow ridged. Some of our shift harvested cucumbers. All total we harvested and washed over 500 cucumbers and summer squash. Then we hand-weeded the garlic chives.

We also removed the taller weeds and grasses that were growing intertwined in the carrot and onion beds.

Beth and Erin are quick to identify the weeds (*) by name; Burdock, Quickweed, Thistle weed, Nutsedge, Purslane, Lambs Ear. We wanted to remove all of the mature weeds before they go to seed. This is a delicate process especially if the weed is growing right within the plant roots. Sometimes the vegetable comes out when you pull on the weed, and you have both the weed and the vegetable in your hand. Onions can be placed back with your fingers crossed in hope for a recovery. Carrots, on the other hand, can't be put back, and are eaten or discarded. In my case, I had about 6 early carrots that were casualties of the weeding war which I brought home as treats to our rabbits.

This week's share was very bountiful: Beets (Bunch), Squash (1), Cabbage (large green or small red), Carrots (1 lb),

Tomatoes (2), Eggplant (2), Lettuce (2 heads), Scallions, Onions (early) and Choice of small artichokes, monster summer squash, patty pan squash, kale, or fennel. The U-Pick herbs available were also very abundant: cilantro, summer savory, dill, thyme, basil, and bronze fennel.

(*) Legal disclaimer : the word "weed" used in this blog entry is used in the most common understanding; that is, an unwanted plant which happens to be growing where it shouldn't be. There is no derogatory meaning nor judgement implied that the plant is not useful in some way. I admire people that can identify these plants but I really admire those can know their edible or practical properties. In the words of Henry David Thoreau, "a weed is a plant whose virtues we have yet to discover."

Season 2: Week 7: July 15, 2010: Squash and Squish

Our shift picked about 350 summer squash and found a few "monsters" (that is, the size of a little boys plastic bat). I have harvested summer squash at home, but on the farm the leaves are big and the vines prickly.(Sometimes the squash are hidden and missed during harvesting which allow them to grow even bigger)

We also picked eggplants. Much like last year there will be a good eggplant harvest.

We also hoed amd handed weeded a bed of parsley and dill. I preferred standing using a scuffle or stirrup hoe for the spaces in between the rows and walkways. It was a hot day and I didn't feel like getting too close to the dirt.

Then we went on a "search and destroy" mission for the Colorado potato bugs again. I thought I was being smart by using my shirt front to protect my hands as I squished the bugs. I found about 10 on a plant , small to large and started squishing away. My shirt had a red blotch the size of a grapefruit. It was quite a disgusting to have bug guts ground into shirt front. I asked if anyone knew if the red stuff would come out in the wash since it was an irreplaceable shirt ($3 from Goodwill). My colleague asked me if I knew that ground up bugs are used to make dyes. So I guess the red blotch is not coming out, I thought.

Besides a ruined shirt, I also suffered near exhaustion from the heat, nice sunburn around my neck, and skin irriation from the squash leaves (but no bee stings!)

We received 1 tomato (early/greenish), 1 cabbage, 2 squash, Kohlrabi or lettuce head (small), scallions, Kale, 2 Peppers and an Eggplant; herbs available: oregano, cilantro, thyme, basil, summer savory, sage, dill.

I am seeing a lot more tomatoes, peppers, eggplants on their way.

Season 2: Week 6: July 8, 2010: Lettuce Seed

This time only 1/3 of a bed with 2 rows needed to be harvested and with two other workers we finished in a 1 hour or so. We tied the garlic in bunches of ten to be hung for curing. Some of the garlic grown was for another CSA. Mud Creek Farms is also part of a larger food co-operative in Rochester called the Good Food Collective. This week Erin is providing garlic and herbs.

Then we harvested thyme with scissors. Thyme is a bushy plant that smells a lot better than garlic. We sat in the fields in the heat giving the thyme haircuts. We filled about 1½ Rubbermaid type containers of this herb.

Finally we seeded starter containers of lettuce. We picked the summer varieties – the ones that do not bolt (or flower and go to seed quickly) that can tolerate the hot weather. Normally lettuce and other greens are cool weather plants so special varieties needed to be chosen. The plastic seed beds were about 18 inches wide and 24 inches long, and have small 1” containers. There are about 128 spots for seeds. Lettuce seeds are small like caraway seeds. A cardboard paper holder is used to hold the seeds and its folded long opening is gently slanted to let out one seed, and gently pushed in with a paring knife. Sometimes two get into the spot and well two seeds are there for germination, especially if the seed is black and the soil is black. To finish the day we took the sprouted broccoli and kale (about 3 weeks old) and transplanted them in to larger intermediate size plastic beds. Ater this stage they will go directly into the ground.

It was about 95 degrees and I didn’t get any bee stings.

Season 2: Week 5: July 1, 2010: GarlicTime

Today’s shift was devoted to one task : harvesting garlic. The garlic beds consist of 4 beds of 3 rows of plants of about 200 feet long. We harvested 2 full beds (all 3 rows) Using a spading fork we drove the fork into the ground about 5"-6" from the garlic, loosening and lifting the soil around the plant, being careful not to fork the garlic. We gently lift the garlic out, examine for fungus, sort in appropriate pile and move on. Sorting consisted of examining the garlic bottom for yellow brown fungus as well as broken case. One pile was for immediate distribution since these garlic would no cure well, and another pile was for the curing so we would have garlic distruted throughtout the rest of the season. About 4 people rotated through these assorted tasks and according to my estimations we harvested about 1500 heads of garlic. The weather was cooler due to a summer breeze. An official dining place was established under a tarp by the greenhouse.

The share this week was 2 heads of lettuce, 1 summer squash, head of cabbage (green or purple), head of napa cabbage, Bok Choi, Choices of broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, greens, Garlic (uncured), or Kale. The herbs available for picking were oregano, basil, thyme and cilantro.

Season 2: Week 4: June 24, 2010: BeetleJuice and BeeStings

"First thing we’re going to do today is to remove the Colorado potato beetle larvae from the potato plants. When you find them, just squish them in between your fingers but be careful that they don’t pop their guts in your face."

I am not a bug person, so I am not a bug-squishing person neither. I didn't want to admit my squeamishness, so it was time to become an bug person. Deep inside, I was hoping not to find any, and I hoped that if I did, the larvae would be small (like a couscous grain) and not like the size of a elbow pasta. I found a few in between those sizes, and squeezed away. I did not get any bug guts splashed in my face but it still was a icky feeling, squeezing these fat wormy things. My fingers and thumb on my right hand was stained with the blood of these larvae. It was gross.

My next tasks were not very exciting. I gathered from the rocks from the beds to make rock bags and re-adjusted watering hoses tucking them within the edges of the beds and away from the grassy edges. (The small walking fields that separate the growing areas can now be mowed without the plastic irrigation pipes being shredded.)

I went to the far corner near the beehives for these jobs and normally the bees keep to their business and I keep to mine. Well, I was targeted by a small swarm of bees and felt them swirling my head. I was swatting them away with both arms flailing (breaking the first rule of how-to-prevent-bee-stings) and then I felt a pain in my temple. I swatted again, and my glasses went flying. I was too stressed to look for them, lifted my shirt over my head and face, and walked in the direction of the rest area. Luckily it was break-time, and I told my story. I was told that honey was taken from the bees yesterday. Yeah, well, thanks for telling me that now.

I went with Beth who kindly recovered my glasses and then briskly moved away. I got stung again, this time in the chest. It is not fun to be stung. I was given a tablet of Benadryl equivalent and continued making my rock bags, away from the bees, until my shift was over.

Distribution included: Garlic scapes (5), 2 heads of lettuce, kohlrabi, kale or swiss chard, greens (golden frill, aragula), head of napa cabbage, spinach, 1 summer squash, small broccoli, cauliflower, Garlic (uncured).

Season 2: Week 3: June 17, 2010: Tastes like...chicken

I went to California to visit family and missed my work time. I will make it up during the first week of August.

And the white rooster was eaten while I away. Can't say that I miss him.

Season 2: Week 2: June 10, 2010: Weeding

This is a missing week, since I am posting 8 weeks at once. I think it was hot, I weeded some plants, I sweated a lot, and forgot the details.

My guess at the share received was : spinach, greens (mizuna, golden frill aragula, tatsoi); lettuce, turnips, and radishes. Herbs were available for picking.

Season 2: Week 1: June 3, 2010: Hoeing the Garlic

After being given a small orientation on the location of the supplies and equipment, I spent the whole afternoon hoeing the garlic with others helping. This was the garlic that was planted in the fall. We weeded and turned the soil on about 1500 garlic plants: 4 beds of about 200 ft long rows with 3 rows of garlic planted 4 - 6 inches apart in each row. Not exciting but very necessary. A good weeding and solid turning of the soil early in the season will prevent weed growth and foster proper plant health.

Some things are a little different this year. First I am now working on a Thursday afternoon. I am fortunate to have a job where I can take 4 hours per week off and "play outside". Last year I worked alone on Saturday afternoon. This year I am working with a team of 2-3 others and we work well together. There is an farm intern, Beth, who helps with the task direction and training. And I picked my workday to coincide with a pick-up day so we only have to make one trip per week.

The share for first week was : 1 1/4 lbs spinach, 1 1/2 greens (mizuna, golden frill aragula, tatsoi); 3 small heads of lettuce, turnips, and radishes. Oregano and flowers were available for picking.

Season 2: Week 0 : May 27, 2010: WTC (...or What The Cluck?)

My first day back at Mud Creek Farms was a volunteer day. There were calls for work earlier in the spring for seed planting and greenhouse assembly, but I was busy working on my house. I volunteered my time this first date of May 30 in order to get myself back into the seasonal groove of taking tie out my day to know the farm and the layout. The farm is bigger now and more land is being tilled for use. My guess is 3 acres, but I don't know how to judge land measurements yet.

Though there was no food distribution, I helped lay out the skeleton frame for the new cleaning and distribution area. The food delivery is still twice a week, but this year the total membership including workers expanded to 150 participants, so each day 75 people will be picking up food over a 3 hour period (4-7 pm). Erin had purchased a used greenhouse frame and a used vinyl billboard for the covering.

When I initially arrived, the farm was empty. It was a strange feeling much like when I was a child used to visit my elementary school during the summer and enjoy the silence. There were two roosters roaming around, a red and a white rooster, occasionally sending out a cockle-doodle-doo. As I explored the new tool stations, the white rooster was following me around and oddly enough started to peck at my feet. What a ornery bird, I thought. And though I am writing about it here -- I am glad I was alone because he started to scare me. So I made some distance from him pretty fast but he continued to follow me. I decide to charge him in order to scare him. He wasn't scared at all; in fact, he started to approach me with his head lifted up and jerking around. I quickly thought about how Golaith must have felt when David started to charge at him. So I needed a new strategy ... so I just kicked him. That settled him down a bit.