u-pick peas open

Hello Everyone,

The rest of the normal weekly email is at the bottom of the following information.

We are opening up the sugar snap peas for u-pick.  Please read the following, copied and pasted from our member handbook:

"U-PICK

U-pick crops are available throughout most of the season. Most of the u-pick crops are unlimited, meaning that you can pick as much of them and as frequently as you wish. Some u-pick crops are limited. We send out weekly emails stating which u-pick crops are available and what the limits are, if any. The crops are also listed on the u-pick board in the distribution shed, along with a map of the farm indicating where the crops are. In the field the crops are marked with signs. We do not provide containers for the u-pick crops – so if the pea limit is 2 quarts, please bring a container to measure with from home. U-pick crops may be picked any day, and any time during daylight hours. We do have to turn on the electric fences at dusk, so please respect our chores (and bedtime!) and finish picking before dusk.

Cumulative Season Limit 
The limited u-pick crops are quantified using the concept of a cumulative season limit.For example, the first time that peas are opened for u-pick we will post the season limit, lets say a quart. You may pick this quart any time you wish. Then, in a week, or in a couple of days, depending on how the crop looks, we will establish a new season limit, say 2 quarts. At this point you may pick a total of 2 quarts to-date for the season. And etc. By the end of the pea season the limit may be up to 8 quarts. This means that you could pick all 8 quarts at the end of the season; however, it is best to pick each time the limit increases because this helps us assess the crop more accurately, and also ensures that you get your limit.

We manage the u-pick crops for a little waste. This is necessary because we need to ensure that there is always enough for every member to pick. If we tried to account for every berry we would surely run out, and some members would have nothing to pick. The amount in the patch can change very quickly – it may look like there are bazillions of berries that are going to go unpicked – but by the next morning the patch is well picked. It is hard, as a member, to asses the patch using just the snapshot of time that you are picking and get an accurate assessment of what is going on. Take heart that we carefully assess the fruit patches daily."

Sugar Snap Pea season limit: 5 quarts

• Pick only in the 6 beds closest to the Route 96, the five beds closest to the distribution shed are not quite ready. 
• The biggest fattest peas are the sweetest. Snap off the top and pull the string that comes off with the top, and then eat the entire thing, pod and all.

Normal email:

Well, sort of normal. As normal as it gets anyway. What a great first week we had! We enjoyed seeing all of your familiar faces, as well as meeting the new members. Welcome! I hope all kinds of eating is going on. I've been just eating lettuce and arugula salad with blue cheese, walnuts, almonds, cranberries, and Crooked Carrot's delicious herb salad dressing all week. It's a meal in its self. 

Veggies: This coming week will hold more of the same:

Chard

Kale

mustard (red and green) - try some in the barn if you've never had it. Its HOT and SPICY!

Hakurei turnips - these are sublime. same as above, try one in the shed if you've never had one. We eat them like apples. I think Saul (our son) eats about 10 a day.

radishes - will be around for a couple of weeks

spinach - will be around for a good while

basil - absurdly luxurious from the greenhouses - just use as perfume

baby bok choi - the bread and butter of a good portion of the world. They're onto something.

head lettuce - super tender and springy

arugula - a couple more weeks of smokey wonderfulness

komatsuna

baby kale

mizuna

beets

celeriac

rutabagas

watermelon radishes

We still have shares available, and we pro-rate, let your tentative friends and neighbors know!

See you soon,

Evangeline