With it officially being Spring and the worst of the cold weather behind us(hopefully) for the season it is time to say goodbye to the good and bad of Winter. Yes we did say good, despite it’s best efforts to sour us the fact is Winter does have some redeeming qualities. So as we rejoice with the returning of the Summer sun let us not forget and send a fond farewell to Winter’s unique treats. Goodbye claytonia and Siberian kale, your resilience, cold hardiness and nutritional density rivals that of any veg we grow. Sweet Winter spinach oh how we love you so and though we will continue to plant spinach for a couple of months, the sweetness and growth pattern of Winter Spinach will have us spending hot summer days dreaming of easy late season spinach harvests. Then there is of course Winter carrots, as sweet as candy, a bright orange ray of sunlight in the bleak landscape of Winter. Carrots too are something we grow all season but as we say around the markets, “the only trouble with Winter carrots is they are so good it ruins carrots for the rest of the year.” The good news is we have a little bit of time left for you to enjoy all this Winter Veg, but be warned the clock is ticking.
It is always tough saying goodbye to old friends even if it is just for a few months but it helps when there are some new folks(or plants) around to lighten the mood. So with the first 240 or so sungold plants in the ground and another 240 fennel getting ready to join them it’s safe the say that any sad feelings about the season transitioning are quickly replaced with the thoughts of the first tomato or sweet crisp cucumber of Summer. This week saw the official start of the main season and we were joined by 3 more crew members, giving us a better chance to grab the bull by the horns so to speak. With 90% of the field space in Middlefield, having been in production the previous year, this year we are starting off in a much better place concerning bed prep in Middlefield than ever before. This was quite evident last week with the ease of planting this year’s first onions, kales, collards, chard and parsley. More onions are on the agenda this week as well as the first major flower planting of the year which will take place in the tunnel most recently occupied by our hardworking farm animals the chickens and sheep.
This past Saturday we also kicked off the official outside market season with the New Haven Saturday market moving back outside and returning to it’s regular 9-1 schedule. The first garden starts and tulips of the season made their appearance and will be showing up in force again this week at the market as well as our Open Farm Shop hours, every Friday from 3-6 in Middlefield. Oh, you didn’t know about our open shop hours? It’s a newer thing here at Star Light Gardens and it’s a chance for you Good Food people to shop without or in addition to preordering, see what has made it to the market that hadn’t made it onto the website and a chance for us and you to chat and connect around an important community staple Good Food.
Have a Great Week