It's that time of year when our members, worksharers, and friends can glean whatever remains from our fields. Beginning tomorrow (Friday, 11/18) through Sunday afternoon, you can come to the farm anytime and harvest. At the washing station we will have a map telling you where to find everything, and around the farm we will post signs to help guide you to the fields. If you would like to come when we are there to help you, we will be around 9am-5pm Friday, 10am-2pm Saturday, and noon-3pm Sunday. A small volunteer group will come Sunday afternoon to help us glean what's left for a soup kitchen.
Here is a list of what is available to pick right now:
lettuce
spinach (very small; requires patience and good knees to harvest)
arugula (plenty)
spicy mix (plenty)
mizuna
red mustard
green mustard
turnip greens
collards
kale
small heads broccoli
tiny heads cauliflower
many immature heads cabbage
about 10 pounds small, slightly-soft sweet potatoes
about 20 pounds garlic bulbs
hakurei turnips
purple-top turnips
watermelon radishes
regular radishes ("cherry belle" and "easter egg")
jimmy nardello peppers (sweet, frying)
padron chiles (hot when larger than a golf ball)
lots of assorted, dried chiles scattering the ground where they were growing
dill
cilantro
garlic chives
oregano
mint
nasturtiums (peppery, edible flowers and leaves--some frost damage)
basil (doesn't win any prizes for appearance--frost damage)
anise hyssop (licorice flavored herb--great for hot tea! Some frost damage )
Please be warned that many of the above items are scattered in distant fields. These are items that were not harvested before because there was not enough to serve our hundreds of members, or it was so small or scattered it was not worth the time. By it's nature gleaning requires some patience and a keen eye for what might be hidden in a field that looks cleaned out. Please bring bags, and a knife will be helpful to harvest the small greens. If you're hoping for a couple pounds of salad greens, expect to squat or crouch for 15 minutes or more. Also, it's been cold and windy at times, so please dress appropriately for the weather, and wear comfortable shoes that you can get dirty. The frost on the grass will get your feet cold and wet until mid-morning.
If you would like to surprise someone with a Thanksgiving or Christmas wreath, we will have some for sale. Many include garlic, popcorn and chiles, so they are useful even after the holidays have passed.
If we don't see you this weekend, have a terrific winter!
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