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Writer's picture10th St. Farm & Market

Summer CSA Week 5 | Meet the Beetles

Week 5: July 11 - July 14


Please bring back purple bags each week so we can reuse them!


We’ve talked a lot in this newsletter about the exciting things showing up on the farm: Snap Peas! Cucumbers! Tomatoes! But this time of year some less savory arrivals start making their presence known. Beetles. Specifically, cucumber beetles and potato beetles. And since we follow organic practices at 10th Street Farm and Market, we have to get creative with how we tackle their impacts.


Potato beetles generally arrive first, emerging from the soil where they burrowed last fall and making a beeline toward any potato or eggplant plant they can find. Then, they do what bugs generally do and defoliate the plant by eating the leaves and reproducing as fast as possible. They are gross.


Luckily, we have Andy on the farm, who is a sworn defender of potato plants (or maybe a sworn enemy of potato beetles - we’re not sure if he’s playing offense or defense). Last year, Andy spent hours in the front fields raking potato beetles off of plants with a hand rake and a bucket. This year, he got even more creative. Over the winter, he began work on what is now affectionately known as the Beetle Basher 9000, a power drill driven machine that enables a person to walk down a row of potato plants and knock off the majority of the offending pests. It takes time each day, but with Andy’s tool and his dogged commitment, we’re able to maintain low levels of potato beetles without resorting to any sprays.


Cucumber beetles are a bit trickier. They feast on the leaves and fruits of cucumbers and squash, spreading a disease called bacterial wilt that wipes out plants and can cause crop failure. Unlike their potato-loving cousins, these bugs are fast and hard to catch. So we’re a bit more limited in our control options. 


Ideally, we would rotate our crops from field to field to keep them guessing about what treats they’ll find where, although they always find them eventually. We cover plants with insect netting when they’re small to exclude the beetles, but need to uncover for pollination once they start flowering. We squish them by hand whenever we manage to catch them and remove wilting plants to stop bacterial spread. 


Generally, our hope is that the crops can outrun the bugs and withstand a little bit of pressure - and we plant extra to make sure we have a little wiggle room. So far this year, the cucumber beetles are making their presence known in the summer squash, and we’re seeing reduced harvests for that crop. But we’ll keep fighting the good fight!


Have a creatively evasive week,

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


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.


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


Haricot Vert Green Beans: These are a beautiful French bean, very thin and tender. Steam or sautéed lightly to maintain their beautiful crunch. Store in a bag in your fridge.


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


Sugar Snap Peas: So tasty we can't keep them around for long. Easily added to anything for crunch and a bit of sweetness. Store in a bag in your fridge, if they make it that far.


Scallions: The white and green parts of these beautiful green onions are both edible - use the white like an onion, chop the greens as a garnish or hit of flavor in your dishes! Store in a bag in your fridge.


Tomatoes: The first tomatoes of the season! Cherry tomatoes for half shares, slicing tomatoes for whole shares. Store on the counter - never in the fridge!


Radicchio (half shares): This bitter lettuce adds a punch of flavor to a salad, pizza or sandwiches. Store in a bag in your fridge.


Beets (half shares): These small beets are tender and tasty - you don't even need to peel them! Store in a bag in your fridge.


Broccolini (whole shares): Tasty tender broccoli shoots - eat them leaves and all. Store in a bag in your fridge.


Farm Mix Salad Mix (whole shares): 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 a bag in your fridge.

 

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


If you're looking for a new cucumber recipe to add to the repertoire, one of our summer go-tos is Lucky Peach's 'Chineasy Cucumber Salad' - super tasty and simple to make! We've also been just slicing them up, topping them with a sprinkle of nice salt, and eating them as an appetizer or snack. We've been snacking on sugar snap peas for a while now too, but if you're looking for more of a main course, this pork chop with snap peas and feta recipe sounds delightful, as does this spicy turkey skillet with snap peas.


Honestly, with these temperatures we're probably going to lean on the salads this weekend as well - fresh lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and microgreens. Maybe whip up a scallion vinaigrette to go with? And for half shares, the radicchio is incredible on a pizza!


If you've found a recipe you're loving, please send it our way. We're always looking for new things to cook and who knows, maybe it'll make its way into an upcoming newsletter!

 

We wash everything in your bag but we wash them in bulk so some things may need an extra rinse at home. Please bring your bag back next week so we can re-use them! Thanks!

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