Things are taking off like crazy in the fields.
There is nothing like above-normal temperatures to spark this kind of frenzy. Add to that substantial rainfall, and suddenly it’s a race to see what outgrows what.
While an excess of growth is heartwarming for this market gardener,
it might come at a high price because the weeds have joined the party too, and hard decisions will have to be made: Do I stake the tomatoes first or pull the galinsoga from the carrots? Do I deal with the Colorado potato beetle in the eggplants or weed the herb patch?
Everything demands our immediate attention,
but the farmer will have to triage, like the front-line nurse in a provincial emergency room… No matter — everything should get done in due course, and eventually all of our vegetables will be treated with the care and respect they deserve.
We seize this opportunity
to let you know that the market season
will begin on Friday, July 4,
and we want to welcome subscribers to the Atwater and Jean Talon markets, prepaid baskets and loyalty cards both. The pressure at the farm has gone up a notch because, in just two to three days, we have to set up our tents and stalls so we are ready to welcome subscribers and customers this weekend.
In the meantime, there are many vegetables to be harvested, and I expect your baskets will include the following:
fennel, lettuces, kale or Swiss chard, assorted herbs, garlic scapes, escarole or chicory, cabbage or Napa cabbage, snow peas, and more.
PS: see the Recipes section of our website where we offer a few general references, in addition to the links to the week’s vegetables above.
Looking forward to seeing you all again.