Week 16: September 17th

Week 16!

Say, Is That a Worm in my Corn?

Possibly, yes. Our second planting of corn is going out this week – another lovely, sweet, bicolor named Polka – and during harvest I inspected some of the ears for corn earworm. Sure thing, a few of them had fat earworms at the tip. We’ve noticed over the years that corn earworms show up in our later plantings of corn, almost without fail. The worms are a bit gross at first glance, but if you encounter one, all you have to do is cut the tip of your corn off, worm and all.

Our no-spray organic philosophy means that Valley Flora is a “live and let live” kind of place – even the corn earworms deserve a little taste of some super sweet corn on the cob now and then…

Che-Cherry Oh, Cherry Oh Baby, Don't You Know I'm in Love With You?

That’s right, cherry tomatoes, I’m in love with you. But you, apparently, are not in love with me this year. Usually by this point in September, you are loaded with trusses of bright orange and red and yellow fruit, ripe for the picking. But no, not this year. This year you’re not feeling well, and you’re not showin’ me much love.

I know, I know, Late Blight is really the pits. I probably wouldn’t want to produce bucketloads of bright, tangy fruits if I had Late Blight either. Your stems are all brown, your leaves are falling off, and your baby green tomatoes are dropping off the vine like suicidal bridge-jumpers. It’s a bad scene.

I feel your pain, but I’m hurt. Remember how we tended you so lovingly in the greenhouse, starting way back in March? And then carefully planted you in the field, and nursed you through flea beetle attacks and cold spring weather? And then, in our grandest display of devotion, watered, pruned, and tied you up every single week of the busy summer, since June?

And this is what we get in return? OK, OK, I know it’s not all about me all the time. I know I should blame the weather, not you, and I should show a little more compassion; you’re suffering and all. But do you think maybe you could just put out enough cherry tomatoes this season to give our wonderful Harvest Basket members at least ONE pint of cherries? I mean, if it weren’t for them, you wouldn’t even have been born.

Please? Show ‘em just a little bit of love? A pint of love? Maybe two? Because you know they’re in love with you.

Cranky Baby Hot Sauce: Put some spice in you life!

This year’s Serrano hot pepper crop is coming on strong, which means Bets is at it again in the farm kitchen, brewing up batches of her infamous Cranky Baby Hot Sauce. Handcrafted at the farm with homegrown hot peppers that are vine-ripened to a sassy red in her greenhouses, this Tabasco-like hot sauce strikes the perfect balance between hot, sweet and tangy. Makes a great gift, or a standby condiment in your own kitchen (we go through it by the gallon!).

Available by the bottle, half case, or case:

$5/bottle (5 oz)
$27/half case (6 bottles)
$48/case (12 bottles)

To order, please email us your: name, pickup location, and the quantity of bottles you would like. We will deliver to your pickup site.

Sweet Peppers by the Bag!

Bulk Peppers are available to our CSA members: Available in 5 pound bags, $20 per bag.

Choose either:

Red Roasters (tapered, Italian sweet peppers in reds, yellows, and oranges), or
Mixed Bag (a combo of bells and roasters in reds, yellows, and oranges)

We will fill orders in the order we receive them on a rolling basis in the coming weeks. Please email us your: name, pickup location, phone number, and the quantity and type of peppers you want. We’ll deliver to your pickup site.

In your share this week: