July 4th Farm Update

 Around the farm….

We had been lucky this season by dodging all the severe weather that seems to come out of nowhere–up until a few weeks ago.  We withstood our first moderate hail storm on the afternoon of Sunday, June 22nd.  There was a total of 0.8 inches of rain on top of the hail which basically wiped out our leafy crops, especially the lettuce and spinach.  Other crops with established roots like the potatoes, beets and most of the transplants were hit hard but will easily make it and continue to grow.  Some of the seedlings were affected the most, mainly due to soil conditions after such a heavy rain/hail.  The ground literally tightens up and bakes in the sun after a downpour, which makes it tough for small seedlings (they break at the base of the stem) and for seeds that have not yet emerged to break through the newly formed “crust.”   The cucumbers, melons, and some squash seedlings will be replanted along with the second planting of carrots and beets.

With a little clean-up and TLC we nursed our greens back and thought we would be able to harvest.  Then the second round of hail came through 5 days later on the afternoon of Friday, June 27.  This time the hail was larger, some ping pong size but mainly marble sized, but not as intense.  The storm dumped 1.75 inches of rain in 20 minutes or so which caused some flooding in our yard.  Fortunately, we were on the edge of the major hail which hit really hard just a mile north of us.  Our greens were wiped out again but everything else looked pretty good for getting kicked around in the wind, hail and hard rain!

All in all, I would say not too bad, we have seen worse.  Every year, every farm in Colorado gets hailed whether it be a lot or a little.  We are just hoping that we have taken our turn and will be good to go the rest of the season.  This next month is going to be hot and everything will be growing fast!  Here’s to the sun shining and the skies staying blue!

——————————————————

Salad green prep

This week you will receive both spinach and lettuce in bunches.  The best way to take care of your greens is to start breaking them down and wash them as soon as possible.  You will need:  kitchen sheers/sharp knife, largest bowl in your kitchen, salad spinner, and cold water.  For the mixed lettuce greens, I use our kitchen sheers to cut the leaves about an inch above the base of the stem.  Let the loose leaves soak in really cold water for up to 20 minutes.  I usually drain and rinse several times throughout the soaking.  Soaking your greens is the best way to remove any dirt or bugs.  Spin dry and store in a plastic baggie in the crisper and your greens will last a really long time!   Do the same with your spinach, only be more careful when cutting the leaves as to not keep much stem.  We have been mixing the lettuce and spinach  together and eating it with a simple homemade Asian salad dressing.  Pretty amazing!

Homemade Asian Salad Dressing