Dear Farm Friends,
Welcome to full-on summer. The official start, the summer solstice and the longest day of the year slid by in a blink this week, one of many long and super-packed days. After the long slow spring, it’s almost as if summer surprised us by arriving after all—several times this week someone in the farmstore comments in amazement “wow, there is so much in here!” and then we all remember that it is after all late June and agree that it’s about time.
The market this week is going to be a little crazy. Noah will be there, with the largest trailer-load of produce yet this year: everything from all the baby greens, to big heads and bunches of greens, cabbages, lettuces, carrots, beets, radishes, to cucumbers, celery, and *strawberries* which I know from photo evidence that he and Sabrina were still harvesting at 10 pm last night—talk about taking advantage of the full long day of sunlight.
I managed to put together bucket-loads of flower bunches for market, but will not be there in person today, as I’m over 600 miles away in Oregon attending the first gathering of extended family since we lost my mom in late 2020, and am so grateful for the team back at the farm keeping the crazy SRF ship on track without me for a few days. It’s the first time one of us has left on a market-season weekend since my brother’s wedding 6 years ago, and there is a lot more going on at the farm now than there was then! I spoke to Noah just before posting this email, calling to make sure he was Ok setting up for market and all he had time to say was “I’m barely going to be ready….I’m running out of room for…everything! This is the craziest things I’ve ever done.” I can’t quite agree that a late June market solo tops the three flocks of laying hens (sometime soon we have to tell you all the story of how we ended up with a third flock a few weeks ago, the heritage breeds that are bringing you the new fun colors of egg shells), the innovative chicken barns on wheels, or many of the the other truly wild adventures in Noah’s arsenal, but it is quite a feat.
Please come to market today, bring your big baskets to fill and your patience, as Noah and Adrienne will also be training a new market helper in the thick of all this. (Also, someone please check that Noah ate something other than coffee; I’ll pay back any breakfast burrito deliveries with flowers and farm goods over the season.)
For you, farm supporters, the meal possibilities are endless with this summer varieties coming in—stir fries, veggie fajitas, salads with all the toppings. One of our staples last week were quinoa bowls combined with all manner of veggies on top: steamed beets, carrots, broccoli, and greens, tossed withs one dressing and smoked salmon was a fave . The radicchio love continues, and we heartily agree with all of you who have been combining those lightly-bitter greens with some local bacon or prosciutto and warm mustard dressings! It’s time to savor the first zucchini and summer squash, simply grilled or sautéed with a little salt. As the first of lots of things come in, we encourage you to keep the prep simple, just slice those cucumbers, and eat slowly, savoring the smell, the taste, of true summer. Our favorite recipe for the strawberries: pick up berry with your hand, put it in your mouth, bite. Really, local food is pretty simple.
We still have spaces in our weekly flower subscription program which will start this week on Tuesday. Subscription bouquets are about double the size of market bunches, picked up in a mason jar ready to go in your home, and feature all the best blooms of the week from the farm. You can sign up here to save your space!
Thanks for all of your support from near and far,
Mary and Noah, SweetRoot Farm
p.s. Last week we were spared any hail damage, but friends at Fern Co/ The Sour Doe Cafe, and Bleeding Heart Flower Farm, as well as several other Stevi farms and many home gardens, suffered heavily. We know from our own devastating hail smash in 2019, how it can feel like the end of the world. We also know that we recovered, our farm fought its way back out of that incredible amount of crop loss with new skills and strategies (hello, winter greens), and we trust they will too, in part because of the incredible community of local eaters. Please continue to support all of your local producers both financially and with kindness and appreciation for all the heart and soul they put into the work.