Spring CSA Week 7 | Where the rain goes

Week 7: May 22 - 25

Serves me right for complaining about the heat last week! The weather must have taken it personally, dropping to near-frost temperatures before unleashing a whopping 3.5 inches of rain on us on Tuesday and Wednesday. It seemed to say: “You think early heat is bad? Try being soggy and cold!” So no more speaking ill of the weather from me. Whatever it will be, it will be!

Despite being a little more than we would like, the soaking was a welcome respite from the rain deficit we had been experiencing over the previous few weeks. With the aforementioned heat, we were doing some tightly-choreographed irrigation, watering one field after the other on a strict schedule to get enough water to the veggies. Without rainfall we can do a fine job of keeping crops happy, but there’s nothing quite like a good soil soaking to give the plants the deep drink they need to grow happily.

We’re lucky that we tend not to see some issues that plague other farms - water pooling and spreading disease or washing out nutrients. Our farm is located on sandy soils, which means water generally passes through very quickly (which consequently means we need more water as opposed to less). On top of that, early on in 10th Street Farm's history, the back fields were sculpted to allow excess rainwater and snow melt to flow around our growing fields in grassy swales, rather than rushing through the beds where we grow our vegetables. (As an added bonus, a small catchment pond in the northeast corner of the main fields collects that water, creating a habitat for frogs, birds, and some friendly wood ducks who stop by for a month or two each spring.)

This year we’re excited to be partnering with some researchers at the University of St. Thomas who are studying the dynamics of nutrients in the soil on small-scale farms. They’ll be installing something called a lysimeter in a couple of weeks, which tracks the movement and composition of water passing through a section of soil. Our hope is that they’ll see our nutrients staying put, even when large rain events hit the farm!

Have a nutrient-full week,

Chris, Ashley, Hallie, and the 10th Street Farm Crew

Reminder: Please bring back your purple bags each week - we reuse these bags throughout the season. Thank you!

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In Your Bag This Week

Flavor Mix microgreens: Mild and tasty, these make an easy salad on their own or can add some color to any other salad. Try them on eggs or sandwiches – or anything, really! Store in a bag in your fridge.

Farm Mix Salad Mix: A delicious blend of red and green lettuce, Farm Mix is our main season salad mix. Delicious with just olive oil and salt, or dress it up! Store in a bag in your fridge.

Tri-color or Green Curly Kale: Fresh bunches of our tender spring kale. Tasty in fresh salads, braised, or baked in your dish of choice. Store in a bag in your fridge.

Romaine Lettuce: Beautiful crisp lettuce heads. Great for everything from lettuce wraps to salads and sandwiches. Store in a bag in your fridge.

Chives or Scallions: A spring allium to add a punch of flavor to whatever you're cooking. Store in a bag in your fridge.

Radishes: Beautiful spring radishes have a mild heat and a great crunch. Add to salads or sandwiches for a little extra flavor. Store in a bag in your fridge.

Cilantro microgreens (half shares): Zippy micros to add a little flavor to whatever's on your plate! Store in your fridge.

Pea Shoots (full shares): Sweet and crisp, these make a great addition to sandwiches, wraps, salads or can be lightly sautéed as a side dish. Store in a bag in your fridge.

Arugula (full shares): Peppery greens that add zip to a salad. We love arugula dressed simply with oil and salt. Store in a bag in your fridge.

Salad Turnips (full shares): Also called Hakurei Turnips, these fresh-eating turnips are tasty and versatile. Slice them up with hummus, sauté them, roast them in the oven, or even try them on the grill. Store in a bag in your fridge.

What should I make with what’s in the bag?

These slightly colder days have had us in a kale salad mood - we love something simple like this kale salad with lemon balsamic or a kale salad with apples and cheddar. If you want something a little more hearty, give sauteed kale a try, or maybe this baked feta with kale? Yum.

The radishes are extra delicious this week - we grabbed them in the rain on Tuesday morning before they could soak up too much water. This radish flatbread with chive butter is calling our name at the moment. And everyone has romaine in the bag, so it could be a great time to try some grilled romaine with garlic butter breadcrumbs.

If you've found a recipe you're loving, please send it our way. We're always looking for new things to cook and share with other members!

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We wash everything in your bag but we wash them in bulk so some things may need an extra rinse at home. Thanks!