Hey Farm Towners –

The early poppies are new to us here at the farm, and we've been loving them almost as much as the bees have. Hope all you shareholders admired them while you were here. Did you know that if you sear the stems before putting them in water, the flowers will actually hold up pretty well for a couple of days?

We've been enjoying the wild swings in the weather, and – for the most part – so have the vegetables. It's full summer mode around here, with cukes & squash in abundance, not to mention beets, carrots, sugarsnaps, high-tunnel tomatoes, and all those glorious greens. Oona made us a real farm meal of zucchini fritters, a grated apple & turnip salad, and yummy broccoli in lemon juice. Raspberries & whipped cream finished it off. If any of this whets your appetite, you can bring the goodness to your own home. Here's what's in the CSA share this week, and listed below is what we'll have at market on Tuesday.

RED RASPBERRIES! (I'm a fool for raspberry fool)

CUCUMBERS (crisp & juicy, from the field and in abundance)

YELLOW SQUASH, ZUCCHINI, PATTY PAN

BROCCOLI (a summer treat - just for a few weeks and then back in the fall)

SUGARSNAP PEAS! (By the pint! Crisp, delicious, perfect. Probably the last time this season)

RIPE, RED TOMATOES (From our high tunnel. Lots of them this week)

SUNGOLD CHERRY TOMATOES

FENNEL

CHINESE CABBAGE

GARLIC SCAPES

CILANTRO

DILL

PARSLEY

SALAD TURNIPS

HEAD LETTUCE

CARROTS (Here's how we got them)

BEETS (perfect, perfect beets)

KALE (here's a great recipe for Massaged Kale Salad)

SWISS CHARD

SCALLIONS

SHAVED ICE

Our new pond, which was dug in the fall, is coming to life! A couple different frog species have taken up residence, and dozens of tadpoles (not to mention two boys and a bunch of crew members) have been busily swimming about. The water-loving plants are getting established along the perimeter – their job will be to filter nutients from the pond and keep the water pristine. The pond is fed by rainwater from our roof, which flows from a sluice that confuses the hell out of almost anyone who looks at it. This the flow during this morning's wonderful storm.

That's it for now. We'll see you at the farm! We'll see you at market! If a giant bubble flies over your house, blame it on one of my boys!