On our way to Certification!

For the last three years we have been transitioning our farm from conventional fields that grew corn and soybeans with zero to little organic matter and no naturally found nutrients or soil life, to a thriving ecosystem of an organic farm. We've worked hard to reduce tillage, add organic matter and encourage natural relationships between soil, plants, and insects to create a living system that someday may sustain itself without inputs. After many hours of paperwork and waiting we finally had our organic certification inspection last week. The inspector was impressed by our systems and commitment to use techniques that go beyond the organic standards. Our good record keeping and sustainable methods have paid off and we expect to have our official certification in a few weeks time. Hooray!

Scenes from the farm: cukes and harvest gloves, garlic hanging in the barn, harvesting squash on a hot day (aren't they all?), eggplant and pepper beauty, Duma and celery

The Share:

head lettuce

salad mix

celery

spring onions

beets

carrots

hakurei turnips

summer squash

cucumbers

beans

cabbage

eggplant

swiss chard

green peppers

shishito peppers

cherry tomatoes!

parsley

How to eat shishito peppers:

Here's what you do. Heat a little olive oil in a wide sauté pan until it is good and hot but not smoking. Add the peppers and cook them over medium, tossing and turning them frequently until they blister. They shouldn't char except in places. Don't rush. It takes 10 to 15 minutes to cook a panful of peppers. When they're done, toss them with sea salt and add a squeeze of fresh lemon. Slide the peppers into a bowl and serve them hot. You pick them up by the stem end and eat the whole thing, minus the stem, that is.