Hey Folks:
A couple of updates.
I have located a source of organic Parsnip seed here in
Canada. I have to confirm a couple of
details but anticipate getting some seed for this year. This may be the culmination of a long
search.
The same farm produces seed for
another crop I have been looking for sometime – New Zealand Spinach.
New Zealand Spinach (not really a spinach but tastes
like it) grows on a trellised vine. It is
notoriously difficult to get started, as it naturally have a low germination
rate – typically, about 65 % of the seed is viable when planted. However, once established, it grows prolifically
and continues to provide a harvest of leaves until the first frost.
I have looked for it in particular as it satisfies
three criteria I have been searching for.
As a trellis plant, it will compliment my trellis crop
rotation (Vine Beans, followed by “a leaf crop”, followed by a Fruit crop
(tomatoes, cucumber, etc).
Another reason I have chosen NZ Spinach is that it is
very heat tolerant. It can provide an
additional leafy green to the mid-summer menu, providing a substitute for
Spinach should there be difficulties germinating the real Spinach in the
hottest part of the season.
The final reason is that, from what I have heard, it is
a very tasty.
I have come up with a means of responding to menu
requests for the season. I must emphasize
that it is not a foolproof system – field and weather conditions will dictate
what I can provide on a weekly basis.
However, I recognize that some way to tailor the menu to each customer
should be found (This has been discussed at length in other posts).
When you sign on for a seasons share (or shortly after),
I will ask you to fill out a form that grades your preferences for some
produce. I will use this as a guide when
filling your weekly baskets.
There will be a few other questions, such as if you
prefer your carrot or beet greens left on (some folks like these – I tend to
keep some carrot greens for stews), and your approximate quantity for some
crops such as carrots and beans (ie 1 Lb / basket, 1.5 Lb / basket, etc.).
For those of you who have already signed on, I will
follow up with this in the next week or so.
That’s all for now, I’m off to the farm now to do some
more temperature readings, wood working, and another round of flyer drop-offs. Talk to you soon…
Bob