Summer CSA Week 4 | Weeding (With Fire)

Week 4: July 10 - July 13

Chris using the flame weeder on recently seeded carrot beds.

We blinked again and we’re already a third of the way through July – the summer is speeding along at a blinding pace. Everywhere we’ve turned on the farm in the past two weeks we’ve been greeted by new arrivals: the first eggplants, ripe slicer tomatoes, perfect green beans, and hefty cabbages all seemed to show up at the same time. And there are more crops on the way. Out in the fields, we’ve got baby melons starting to pop up, sweet potato plants putting out vines, and the first tiny winter squash forming. These are the days we dream about in January!

Of course, everywhere we turn we’re also greeted by a less exciting sight: weeds. The mixture of heat and rain we’ve had over the past few weeks have given weeds the exact conditions they thrive in, and they’ve taken full advantage. Couple that with a rare day off for July 4^th, and we’ve been playing catch-up this week to get some beds (and fields) a little more under control.

Unlike a garden, we simply don’t have enough time to weed everything by hand. So we rely on a number of different methods and tools to manage weeds on the farm, each tailored to the state of the soil and size of the weed.

Prior to planting, we use repurposed silage tarps to cover beds; under those tarps, weeds germinate and then get smothered, leaving us with less weedy beds to plant into. Then, once we’ve transplanted crops into the beds, we use different styles of hoe (stirrup, collinear, wheel) to move quickly through beds and walking rows to efficiently disrupt weed roots before they can take hold. Only when we fall behind (or the soil is too wet to hoe) do we resort to getting on our hands and knees to pull larger weeds.

Perhaps the most interesting type of weeding we do, though, happens in our carrot beds. Carrots take a long time to germinate after being seeded – and they’re a pain in the neck to weed – so we turn to an unexpected method to knock back weeds: fire. Using a modified propane blowtorch called a flame weeder, we shock emerging weeds with a blast of heat before the carrot seeds have germinated. Safely tucked below the soil, the carrots are then able to grow in a significantly less weedy bed, saving us time and effort. It’s pretty cool, and an example of the innovation that makes farming efficiently at a small-scale possible!

Have a fiery week,

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

We're holding our Saturday Patisserie this weekend from 8:30-11:30. Swing by for some fresh-baked sweet and savory pastries and locally roasted coffee!

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In Your Bag This Week

Farm Mix Salad Mix: A mix of red and green lettuce with just a splash of mustard greens. Delicious with just olive oil and salt, or dress it up! Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.

Garlic Scapes: This loopy fella is the flowering part of a garlic plant - chop it up and use it just like garlic. Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.

Green Beans: The classic taste of summer - these green beans are flavorful and ready to rock. Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.

Carrots: These carrots are sweet, crunchy, and oh so addicting! Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.

Cucumbers: Crunchy and refreshing, chop up for a salad, add to sandwiches or just eat raw! Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.

Zucchini: A summer staple that’s delicious sautéed, grilled, or baked. Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.

Tomatoes (slicer or cherry): Tomatoes are starting to ripen in full force! Don’t forget to grab these from the CSA-only table! Store on the counter - never in the fridge.

Beets (half shares): These earthy beauties are good in sweet and savory roles alike. Boil, roast, or grate into baked goods! Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.

Flavor Mix microgreens (full shares): 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 an airtight bag or container in your fridge.

Cipollini Onions (full shares): These fresh white onions are perfect in any recipe that calls for an onion! Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.

Eggplant (full shares): An often-overlooked and versatile vegetable. This year we’re growing a long, thin-skinned Asian eggplant, a classic Italian, and a purple-and-white variety sometimes called “graffiti eggplant.” Beautiful! Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.

Swiss Chard (full shares): Stunning rainbow chard offers a pop of color with an earthy, spinach-like flavor. Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.

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

It seems like everything is ready all at once, and we’ve plunged into the thick of fresh salad season – almost everything in the bag can be eaten raw, so you could throw together some amazing salads without even turning on the oven. Maybe a carrot ginger dressing is worth trying out? Or take things in a Greek salad or Greek salad wrap direction?

Green beans are here! Such a tasty side dish – we love them raw with hummus, sauteed with garlic (or garlic scape aioli?), and charred with curry yogurt sauce. Or you could fire up a mixed veggie grill with beans, zucchini, onions, beets, or eggplant – a delicious summer meal.

We’ve also got the second round of garlic scapes in the bag – if you’re having trouble using them up don’t sweat it, they’ll last a month or more in your fridge. Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, this spicy Korean garlic scapes recipe caught our eye as something that features scapes as the main ingredient. We’re going to whip some up this week!

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!