NEWSLETTER

Volume 4, Issue 15

Community Supported Garden at La Vista

August 22, 2006

Field Walk…
     If you want to know what ideal growing weather feels like, this past week was it.   Temperatures averaged between the mid -60's and upper 80's and it rained twice, giving us over an inch of rain for the week.  Moreover, the rain came at night, allowing full sun during the day.
     It's exciting to see moist soil again.   A few months ago I started farming as if it would never rain again. This is nice.  I'm seeing seeds germinate like they should. I'm seeing crops look fresh, alive and deep green.  Flowers are blooming in tomatoes and winter squash again. Rain works wonders. 
     Lightning is good, too.  You may not realize that lightning adds nutrients to the land.  It's true.  It adds nitrogen, primarily. Nitrogen is one the most important and most volatile elemental nutrients in any farm system.   It makes things green, lush and healthy.  I would equate it with protein for us. Unfortunately, nitrogen is very volatile. Exposed to air, it will drift back into atmosphere, back into its inert form.  The air we breathe is about 78% nitrogen, and it acts mostly as filler for oxygen and carbon dioxide, both of which are vital to life on this planet.  Nitrogen is inert and passes right through us unnoticed. And then, lightning! Lightning burns the atmosphere.  It fries the air. It scorches all those inert nitrogen molecules and binds them with whatever is around them, like oxygen, whereupon it falls to the earth in a usable form!  It's like magic.  In describing this I may have some details wrong, but nevertheless, lightning is very good for the soil. 
     If this weather could hold like this for another two months, I'd be a happy farmer. In reality, I will simply appreciate what we have now and keep going.  A fully moist soil still has its challenges. I have to make sure that plants have good air circulation to ward off molds, fungus and mildew.  I have to make sure that the soil surface isn't allowed to form a heavy crust in order to ensure adequate air in the soil so that roots don't suffocate. I have to time tilling just right so I don't ruin soil structure.
     All in all, we're heading into the last month of summer with a farm that's coming back to life after a hard, hot, and dry summer. We're seeing green again!

What's in Your Share

Radishes
Garlic
Potatoes
Fresh Onion
Salad Mix
Peppers
Scallions
Pick-your-own Cherry Tomatoes

What's For Dinner:

Sautèed Peppers
2-4 red peppers
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small red onion, quartered and thinly sliced crosswise
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. tomato paste, diluted w/ ¼ cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar, to taste
Basil leaves, chopped, to taste

1. Slice peppers into strips
2. Heat oil in skillet, add onion, sauté over high heat until translucent, 4-5 minutes
3. Add garlic and peppers and continue to cook, stirring every so often, until peppers are singed around edges, about 10 minutes.
4. Add diluted tomato paste, lower heat to medium, and continue until peppers are soft, about 10 minutes more.
5. Season with salt, pepper, vinegar and basil.