- Sugar Snap Peas
- Carrots
- Head Lettuce
- Strawberries
- Arugula
- Fennel
- Green Cabbage
On Rotation:
- Broccoli
- Broccolini
- Collards
- Tatsoi
- Zucchini
Strawberry U-Pick Opens This Week!
As of today, the berry patch is open for u-pick - every Wednesday and Saturday from 11:30 to 2:30 during our regular farmstand hours! There are lots of big, red, ripe berries out there today, and lots more to come all summer. When you arrive to u-pick, please check in at the farmstand before heading out to the berry patch. Line up on the left side at our farmstand gate for u-pick (the line on the right side is for folks picking up produce). Our u-pick manager, Sarah, will set you up with harvest buckets and give you the lay of the land. After picking you'll return to the farmstand to weigh your fruit and pay. Please bring your own containers to carry your berries home in. We grow a strawberry variety called Seascape that produces ALL SUMMER LONG, into September! The fruit only gets sweeter and more abundant as the summer goes on, so there is ample time to get your fill.
A few important ground rules when you come to u-pick:
- No pets
- Do not cross the white rope fence in the strawberry patch; please stay on the north side of the patch.
- Do not touch or feed the horses that are pastured nearby.
- Stay in the paths; please don't walk on top of the strawberry beds.
- If you're coming with kids, please keep a close eye on them so everyone stays safe.
- U-Pick is at your own risk. Heat, sun, stinging insects, valve boxes and uneven ground are all part of the farm experience, so know your own limits and stay within your comfort zone.
CSA Member Exclusive: Strawberry Flats Available by Special Order!
If you are a Harvest Basket or Salad Share member at any of our four pickup locations, strawberry flats are now available by special order. Flats contain 12 dry pints of ripe Grade A strawberries and are $45 apiece. We will fill requests in the order received as surplus berries become available throughout the summer. To order, email us your name, pickup location, daytime/cell phone number (ideally a number we can text to), and the quantity of flats you would like to order. Please note we may not be able to fill your order immediately, depending on how many orders we have ahead of you.
If you are not a CSA member but would like to order strawberry flats, you can do so through our online farmstand ordering system. If you have never place a farmstand order, go to https://www.valleyflorafarm.com/node/19576 to learn how to set up an account. It's quick and easy and will give you full access to all of our fruit and produce for the season.
Fennel, How I Love Thee....
For some of you, fennel might be your challenge vegetable this week. I'm head over heels for fennel, so it's always hard for me to understand what's not to love. But if you haven't found your groove with it yet, here are some ideas:
- Slice it thinly and put it in salad. Simple. Quick. Delicious.
- Take a gander at our collection of fennel recipes: https://www.valleyflorafarm.com/recipe_search/results/fennel. Cooking fennel reduces the anise flavor, if that's something you're averse to. This is one of my all-time favorites: https://www.valleyflorafarm.com/content/caramelized-fennel-honey-lemon-z.... Almost dessert, really.
- Check out Bon Apetit's recipe collection. Impressive.
I'll leave you with this lovely image from our first pea harvest on Monday:
