Lloyd Craft Farms Fresh Produce, Locally Grown

Today the sun shines!  The blessed rain, though bringing sustenance to the pepper and tomato plants, has also blessed the weeds!  We have hoed and hoed, and will continue to hoe and hoe, but we need to continue to transplant and thin, build Brittany’s shed, and hand weed the dill, kale, and carrots.  The large hoop house needs a clean-out in preparation for the new plantings in July…and the list goes on this time of year on The Farm. 

Anybody wanting a little exercise in the cool of the evening, feel free to join us on The Farm any evening next week–7:00 to 9:00 p.m.  We will be hoeing between the rows–they have already been cultivated, so its just a little human labor in getting the ones closest to the bed and the end pieces.  We have 6 hoes and nitril gloves for pulling weeds.  Closed toed shoes are a must, and a long sleeved light shirt for any evening breezes or to keep the bugs at bay. 

For any willing party we have a gallon bag of spinach–pick your own–a head of Salanova, and a bunch of Red Rover radishes.  🙂 

Hope to hear from a few brave souls!       The Farmer’s Wife 

Hey!  How did you like the surprise?–that little bag of herbs–What you got may have contained Sage, Hyssop, and three kinds of mints:  Lemon Mint, Peppermint, and Spearmint.   These are the herbs that are currently growing in our garden.  Wikipedia will enlighten you on their uses and history–most are medicinal and culinary, both.   We sell our herbs for $3.00 for 1/4#.  Hyssop is harvested in the Spring and Fall–We are almost done with the Spring Harvest.  The Mints grow like a weed–especially the lemon balm–and are available most of the summer.  Sage has one more week of harvest and then we’ll give it time to recover.  If you are interested in purchasing any of these items, send me an email.

We will also have Basil, Oregano, Parsley, Cilantro, Dill, and Fennel later in the season.  We use the Basil, Parsley, and Oregano in our Spaghetti Sauce kits for canners.  These are in their infancy stage right now– 

Remember to open your bags up.  Use your fresh herbs within a week–if you can’t get to them, then dehydrate them for use within the next two years.  Fresh herbs are the best, fresh dried are a good second best!

The Farmer’s Wife

This Wednesday, June 25th is the last Spring Share for the 2014 season–Wow, that was a fast 8 weeks!  Hoop house is looking pretty empty–Pick Up is 4:30 to 5:30 at the Museum Parking Lot—Gourmet Salad Mix, Salanova, and Bok Choi for all, Carrots and Kohlrabi for the Full Spectrum.  

Update on The Farm–things are still growing…including the weeds we keep hoeing out and pulling…what more can I say?  This week we hope to begin the construction on the delivery/processing shelter and fighting with the flea beetles and Lygus bug.  The potatoes are blooming and for the first time in my entire life I have seen a purple cabbage flower–What kinda fluke is that?! 

We hope to begin harvest for the 2014 Summer Season the first full week in July–8th to the 12th.  First Farmer’s Market is July 12th, 8:00 to 11:30 at Pioneer Park.  Look for your letter from The Farmer’s Wife in the mail next week.   🙂

The Farmer’s Wife

Just to clarify–The Fruit Share will start when we start the Veggie Shares.  No Fruit Share next week.

The Farmer’s Wife

Wow!  thanks folks for the rapid responses on the question regarding Organic or Non-Organic–really appreciate it!  You have made my job a lot easier–Here’s my game plan:

I reviewed the Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15-  These are lists posted by the Environmental Working Group based on their studies of the levels of pesticides in the fruits and veggies that we eat.  (I’ll be moving this information to the Fruit Share tab on http://www.lloydcraftfarms.com for future reference.) 

They recommend that those items listed on the Dirty Dozen (plus 2) should be bought organic:  Apples, Strawberries, Grapes, Celery, Peaches, Spinach, Bell Peppers, Nectarines (imported), Cucumbers, Cherry Tomatoes, Snap Peas (imported), and Potatoes.  Hot Peppers and Blueberries (domestic) may contain organophosphate insecticides which EWG considers ‘highly toxic’.   (Aren’t you glad Lloyd Craft Farms raises celery, spinach, peppers, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and potatoes!)

The following foods, considered the Clean 15, had the lowest pesticide load:  Avocados, Sweet Corn, Pineapples, Cabbage, Sweet Peas (frozen), Onions, Asparagus, Mangoes, Papayas, Kiwi, Eggplant, Grapefruits, Cantaloupe (domestic), Cauliflower, Sweet Potatoes.  (Hooray for us!–We have Sweet Corn, Cabbage, Onions, Eggplant, Cantaloupe (very domestic), Cauliflower, and Sweet Potatoes–)

Note that the Clean 15 does not mean they are pesticide free, but that their levels of pesticide contamination were lower.  At Lloyd Craft Farms we use pesticides that are OMRI approved for organic certification–and we try to use them in moderation.  For that reason you may get vegetables with some scar damage from thrips or worms–damage that is cosmetic and does not degrade the value of the veggie.  My biggest concern is aphids because an infestation can render the vegetables unappetizing, and green worms that can wipe out a head of lettuce before you even know they are there.  (Ask my kids about Cream of Broccoli soup…that moved!) 

So there you have it!  thanks for the input–  The Farmer’s Wife

2 MESSAGES:

More of that delicious spinach at Bee Healthy.  ONE POUND bag for $5.  This is not the baby spinach but the grown up stuff–actually more versatile than the salad spinach.  You can fry it, steam it, put it in your sandwiches in the place of lettuce, roast it with Bragg’s aminos in your oven, or ribbon-cut it for your salad.  You can also eat it boiled and served with vinegar–just like I picture Popeye did!

SPRING SHARE PICK UP TODAY — 4:30 to 5:30 at the Museum parking lot.  This is share number 7:  last of the CAULIFLOWER, first of the CARROTS, 2 heads of SALANOVA, and your choice of 1/2# Red Russian Kale or 1/4# baby leafed Rainbow Swiss Chard.

See you there!   The Farmer’s Wife

The Farmer sat The Farmer’s Wife down tonight and explained WHY the garden is not ready now and will not be ready next week.  There is a reason he is The Farmer and I am The Farmer’s Wife.  Forgive me for my eagerness–I love garden produce and wonderful food from the garden!  (The garden guides said it takes 50 days, darnit!– But they don’t take into account weather and are only averages–okay, I knew that, sorta…)   Stay tuned–  🙂

Update on The Farm, we have been weeding and thinning the hills of everything.  This week we will plant the last of the stagger planting of the melons and corn.  The hoophouse has about two more weeks of Spring Share harvesting and then it will be cleaned up and readied for the summer planting for Fall Harvests.  The red beets, Swiss chard, and spinach will be ready soon, but growth has slowed substantially this last week with the Fall-like weather–39 degrees at night is not conducive to steady growth! 

This week we will begin the construction on the processing space and delivery area, and clean out sheds (YUCK).  Tomorrow afternoon we will be setting out the fall cabbages, the second planting of Brussels sprouts, more cauliflower and broccoli, and another round of Salanova lettuce.  Things really are greening up around here!

The Farmer’s Wife

This is a shout out to the Fruit Share members– I need to hear from you before I order next Monday. 

Two questions:

–Are you firm on Organic only?  My preference is Organic only, but we are early in the season and I’m looking at the available organic fruit and not that many items are listed in the Organic section–imported Apples, Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Citrus and Peaches and Pears which are all out of season, and the tropicals (mango, pineapple, bananas, coconuts, kiwi).  If I were to order today the Fruit Share would be 4# imported Fuji apples and two 4.4 oz containers of Blueberries.  The new list doesn’t have organic Pink Lady, they did last week, but I can get Pink Lady apples (non-organic and waxed) for $1.50/lb.  Should I buy the non-organic until more of the organic comes into season and we have more choice?  OR should I stick with Organic, knowing the choices are narrower for the time being?

–We can get organic avocados and bananas at Blair’s.  The quality of the avocados has slid and the price is up to $2.  The bananas have been good and run 99 cents/lb.  I can get avocados for half the price (not sure on the quality without talking to the sales rep) and bananas for 68 cents/lb.  Do you want me to order them for the price savings, or skip them since we can get them locally?

Two things to keep in mind–

Even organic fruit is sprayed before it is brought to the packing facility to prevent the spread of fruit pests and diseases.  Organic means it is organically grown in the orchard or field–according to the guidelines of the USDA, but once out of the field it has to comply with conventional practices of packing, shipping, and distribution.  (Always wash your fruit!)

 

We can not be assured of the organic practices of countries outside the US.  I don’t believe we personally inspect their operations, but trust in their word.  Some say that the standards of other countries do not equal the standards in the US–I don’t have enough information.  I like to buy local when I can, but our southern neighbors can grow things when we can’t.  Do we eat what we have here and wait for the cycles of our region?–we know the best fruit is the fruit in season…and the best price, too.

 

Give me your thoughts–The Farmer’s Wife

Out of SPINACH–3 bags Gourmet Baby Leaf Lettuce left for $5 for 1/2#. More SPINACH at Bee Healthy Monday afternoon for the same great price: $5 for ONE POUND–Enjoy!

The Farmer’s Wife

Our target start up for the Summer Season is the fourth week in June (23rd to June 28th)–

• Membership is closed at 103 members for the Summer Season
• Pick Up Days in Worland will be Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.  Delivery Days will be Wednesday and Friday.  Still working out details.
• Looking for 15-25 people to volunteer to pick up on Saturday’s at Farmer’s Market from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.  Send me an email if this works for you. 

More info to follow as it comes together!  Stay tuned–thanks,

The Farmer’s Wife