CSA SPRING SHARE WEEK #11 We harvested the first tomatoes this morning!

NOTES ON STORING THE HARVEST Please check out our Vegetable & Fruit page on the website to find tips on maximizing the life of your veggies. We envisage that many of the vegetables you are receiving this week will last for two weeks with careful attention to storing upon arrival. Although we do wash all the greens after harvest, we are washing to take the heat out of the plants and wash away some surface dirt, not to prepare them for consumption. We also spray a seaweed/herb brew about every ten days. While this will not harm you, it does have a taste. We do suggest washing your produce prior to eating.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX The following are the items harvested this week. Items and quantities in your box may vary depending on your harvest day and the total harvest of each crop. The boxes are completely governed by what is ripe and ready for harvest and how much of it there is. We endeavor to divide the harvest fairly. 1/4 share: 5-7 items 1/2 share: 8-10 items Full Share: 10-12 items

Broccoli Carrots Celery Chilies Garlic Lettuce Mesclun Spring Onions English Spinach Zucchini

Extras Basil Tops Romanesco Broccoli Cauliflower Cucumber Onions Squash Tomatoes

NOTES ON WHAT IS GROWING

We have harvested the first tomatoes from the poly tunnel with the cherry tomatoes in the field looking close. We have continued harvesting cucumbers but still not a huge production on the 200 feet of plants...we have only harvested just over 100 cucumbers thus far!

With these few weeks of rain and humidity at times, we made a fermented herbal tea to try and help the plants ward off fungal diseases. We also applied biodynamic 501 to help the plants use light better and to help them assimilate minerals. This also helps the plant pores to tighten.

There is lovely broccoli heads in all of the boxes this week. These were grown in one of the mandala circles which has more protection from wind and insects. They are beautiful!! The next pea planting is finally podding up! We hope to harvest sugar snaps for the Christmas boxes. I spied the first capsicum in the field. Our capsicum are a bit later this year as the whole first seeding died in the glasshouse. We make our own soil mix for the seedlings and the mix we used for the crop was too heavy. Such a disappointment watching them all die over a two week period. But we reseeded the crop and had a healthy batch to plant in the field. The plants look great and are filled with flowers. We are still protecting them almost every night from cold, wind and the possibility of hail.

We planted our second crop of sweet potatoes this week, our fourth planting of beans and corn, and our leek crop for Autumn. The pumpkins are starting to vine out and they look healthy. Early sunflowers are also about six feet high now all over the fields.

There are lots of flowers and herbs to pick during the farm collection times of Friday 2-5pm and Saturday 8-11am.

Please remember, next week the boxes will be delivered on TUESDAY 23 DECEMBER. Farm pick up is also on TUESDAY 23 DECEMBER from 9-5. The farm will then be closed for Christmas until Monday 29 December.

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Celery Gratin Thai salad Dressing - Great with the mesclun, spring onions and coriander. Pasta with Broccoli and Lemon Basil sauce Quinoa, Roasted Vegetables, Chickpeas and Feta Salad Spinach and Feta Triangles

You can search our recipes by looking for the key ingredients on our website recipe page.

Please note - Photo is a randomly selected full share box.