Farm News Crop Forecast
U-Pick Recipes Nuts and Bolts
Greetings!
It’s been beautiful rainy days but we are glad to see sun for the rest of the week’s forecast!
We’ve had it easy compared to other areas nearby — just 2.5″ total here this weekend compared to 3-6″ and even over 10″ southeast of here, in Waseca and Spring Valley. We hope the dryness helps those farms and communities recover, that’s a lot of rain in a couple days!
We often write about rain — how much, how hard, how frequent etc. Sometimes we forget though, that when it comes to plant health, “it’s not just the rain, it’s the humidity!”
Regardless of temperature, the nearly constant high humidity levels of this summer seem to have caught up with some of our plants. Broccoli the most (details below), along with peppers and eggplants. So far the other crops that have a disease or disorder present are outgrowing it to provide a good harvest — cantaloupes and watermelons, tomatoes, beets, carrots, onions, garlic, lettuce. The sun will help them all keep up the good work, and increase our chances with broccoli and peppers.
If any more of these crops decrease yields in the coming weeks we will have to lower the bag size on the durables table. It’s been a good run of 3/4 bag so far this year, but most years there’s usually 1/2 bag week (or many weeks) thrown in there, just cuz …. nature happens? Farming’s risky? There’s at least one creature or many (from single celled to big fauna) that like to eat every crop? Life’s not fair? You can’t always get what you want? “You get what you get and don’t throw a fit”? (Thanks Nfld Daycare!!) I could go on but you can choose your favorite “reason”. I guess we’re a little punchy from the ups and downs some days! All that is said with a smile.
On the basil you may have seen some yellow/orange streaks or patches on the older planting in the last couple weeks. (It’s now been mowed) After sending a sample to the plant disease lab, looking at it with a seed rep and a breeder and asking our sap test consultant about it — we all agree that it seems to have been a version of sunscald, made worse by the wildfire smoke a few weekends ago. Basil is a fragile plant (not fussy, as Ben sometimes complains, just fragile, and particular). Wine grapes can get flavor issues from smoke, though we’ve only heard of that happening in the West. Fortunately the smoke hasn’t caused any other crop damage we know about around here.
Onward!! Late summer rolls into (wow) Fall!! Winter squash is our single biggest marker of early fall, and is due to start ripening in 2 weeks or so. We might even see spaghetti squash before that. Hard to believe it’s so close!
Crop Forecast
Tomatoes — we’re losing less to the ground squirrels now that fruits a little further off the ground are ripening. (And since we trapped and re-located a couple squirrels too). We’re also short on tomatoes due to a lack of fruit in the first tier of the second planting –we didn’t trust our eyes at first but it’s true. Maybe also due to high humidity — pollination requires pollen to move, and it gets sticky and moves less with humidity. Anyway, we should have more gradually this week and we expect by next week the ripening will really pick up. They’ve gotta get with it and reproduce, chop chop!!
Melons! They started ripening a little late, then more at once than usual, for watermelons especially. That’s why we started with a bang (2 melons per share) and may also have that again this week. Probably 2 more weeks of melons after this , maybe three. The last week of melons is usually just the big, very sweet, pink ones, called Crimson Sweet.
We had finally found a yellow watermelon variety that was consistently good, disease resistant etc… and then the seed companies stopped having it available. So we had to switch yellow varieties and this one isn’t nearly as good. Including that it has some brown spots that may or may not be rotten inside …. if you get a rotten one “lettuce” know and we’ll replace it with the melon of your choice.
More summertime this week and next : sweet onions, eggplants, cucumbers, summer squash and zucchini, carrots, beets, fennel, cabbage, plus leeks and celery soon! Broccoli had been looking good but the humidity caught up to them in the form of “brown bead,” which causes the head to rot. The internet doesn’t list humidity as a direct cause but it’s been a major source in our observations for sure.
Peppers will keep trickling in. If we didn’t have wholesale contracts for peppers — ie a pepper field 4-5 times as big as we need for the CSA — there’d be a small fraction of what we do have! This weekend’s rains will probably increase the bacterial pressure on the plants, and may cause them to drop some of the small fruits they’ve managed to hang on to. There are a lot of fruits 1/2-1″ in size, hopefully the plants can hold on to them and size them up!
Hot peppers are the most empty plants in the pepper field. Maybe we’ll get 1/8 of a usual hot pepper harvest. Like the bell peppers they didn’t set early fruits (which we’d usually start picking now ish) but the Hots also didn’t set much later fruit ( ie for September). We might literally have enough hot peppers for everyone to have 1 per share , just 1 time. Far from our goal of many weeks of lots to choose from!!!!! But that may be the share of the harvest this year.
Last downer — eggplant also did not set much fruit so unfortunately will probably have meager harvest and a limit per share the rest of the season. Sorry eggplant lovers.
Leaf lettuce and greens and kale are having a great year. A little break in leaf lettuce this time of year is normal — most folks don’t grow it all summer cuz it struggles in hot long days, but we find it’s worth it and when it yields low for a week or two we eat other things.
Carrots — we’ve had this very tasty first planting to enjoy, and Thursday or next Tuesday will start using the second planting.
Garlic for 4 more weeks in the share, then it’ll continue to be for sale in the barn. Storage onions and shallots are almost cured, so when we’re out of sweet onions we’ll bring some storage ones in the barn. The sweet onions don’t store as long so we like to move through them first. Shallots we only do a few- they yield very low so are more expensive to grow, but a few is a nice treat.
What’s for U-Pick?
Cherry Tomatoes — If any have split from the rain, they can still be eaten, until the split/crack starts looking fuzzy white with invaders.
Beans still going for awhile!
Sunflowers! Out toward the solar panels. They are gorgeous this year. It’s a good idea to bring your own pair of clippers.
Cilantro, Dill and Basil are doing great!
Other Herbs — Thai Basil, Nasturtiums, Parsley, Oregano, Thyme.
This spot in the newsletter will keep you informed, and always check the U-pick board when you’re here to see what’s available and picking amounts.
Nuts and Bolts — 2 Fundraisers this week
A note from Allia and the Northfield XC running team!
Hi I’m Allia, Erin and Ben’s daughter. I run for the Northfield high school cross country team. We are having a fundraiser to help with extra costs associated with the team that are outside of the school’s budget. Every donation helps and we are grateful for anything. Your donation will be tax deductible and Erin can provide you with a tax form if you want. Cash or check is accepted in the barn, checks can be made out to REP Booster Club (REP stands for Raider Endurance and Power). Thank you for considering!!
Support Local Farmers—By Dining Out! All day at the Ole Store this Thursday August 21, 25% of food and drink sales goes to Sharing our Roots in Northfield
Open Hands is a big supporter of Sharing Our Roots, an innovative nonprofit farm just down the road from our farm in Northfield. On 100 acres of farmland, restored prairie, and wetlands, Sharing Our Roots is both growing food and healing the land. The organization provides an innovative land access solution by offering long-term land rental agreements for immigrant and BIPOC farmers along with the needed equipment and infrastructure for these farmers to grow their farm business. It’s a place where land is not a barrier to farming, where diversity is celebrated, and where knowledge is shared freely so the whole community can thrive. We need more farmers growing local food and Sharing Our Roots is helping to make that happen giving growers access to land, who may otherwise not have that opportunity.
Please consider supporting this important work. You can join Sharing Our Roots for a special fundraiser at the Ole Store Restaurant in Northfield on Thursday, August 21. Enjoy a delicious lunch or dinner made with fresh, local produce—25% of all food and drink sales that day will support Sharing Our Roots. All funds raised will help offset the cost of critical farm equipment including a tractor repair. SOR goal is to raise the last $5000 to cover these expenses by the end of August.
There’s also a pop-up farmers market from 5–8 PM, where you can meet the farmers and take home something fresh from the field. No formal program—just good food and good people coming together for a good cause. Visit the board of directors who will be dining from 6 – 7:30 pm.
Reserve your table here: https://www.olestorerestaurant.com/ or calling 507.786.9400
Can’t make it to the Ole Store? Please consider making a donation to support Sharing Our Roots and local farmers. 
Make a Donation
Learn More About Sharing Our Roots
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Back to the normal stuff —-
Bulk Produce for You
Check here each newsletter for what we have available for extra purchase.
To place a bulk order, simply email us at least 2 days ahead of the day you’d like to pick it up. Orders can be picked up at the farm during our regular pickup hours, but it doesn’t have to be your share pickup day. Usually we can make an order on the spot, too. No need to pre-order garlic.
This week’s selection is : Green Cabbage for $1/lb. Kale for $3 / lb. Carrots, Beets, Cucumbers, Zucchini for $1.25 / lb. Basil for $9 / lb. Garlic for $1.25 / head. Cantaloupe and watermelon $1 lb (range of 4-12 lb).
From Maura and LuAnn in the Medicinal Herbs Garden
Did you know that Open Hands Farm is home to over 130 documented medicinal plants? You can discover them in the medicinal herbs garden, the you-pick culinary herbs area, the you-pick flowers section, and even growing wild along the edges. Join Maura and LuAnn on Tuesday, August 19 during your pick-up time, for a brief introduction to some of our favorites and learn how to use them to support your health. If you’re interested, we can guide you in making your own herbal tincture or oil, and you’ll have the chance to create a 4-oz. jar of tincture for just $5!
Share Pickup Hours TUESDAY and THURSDAY 1:30-6:30 pm.
Change Pick-Up Day Form — Click here. Please fill out this form instead of emailing us. Thanks!
Where is the farm? 4151 320th Street West, Northfield.
Please Drive Carefully —Children are everywhere.
If You Send Someone Else to Pick Up Your Share — Please forward them the basic pickup video in this link , which was also sent in an email earlier in June. Then just tell them to introduce themselves to us in the barn, just so we know and we can show them around.
We love having all of you come to the farm! Thank you for making it such a great place to be!
Your farmers,
Erin and Ben, with Allia, Alex, Camille, Elliott, Maura, River, Sai Dang and Crew
RECIPES
Basil Pesto
3 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves
3 to 4 cloves garlic
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
Optional: 1/3 cup pine nuts or chopped walnuts
Salt and pepper to taste
Place the basil leaves and garlic in a blender or food processor and mince well.
Add nuts, if desired, and continue to blend until the nuts are ground.
Drizzle in the olive oil, as you keep the machine running.
When you have a smooth paste, transfer to a bowl, and stir in the parmesan.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To serve, place room-temperature pesto in a warmed bowl.
Add pasta and toss thoroughly.
Allow 2 to 3 tablespoons pesto per serving.
Easy Cucumber Salad
This cucumber salad recipe comes together quickly and with just a few ingredients. A refreshing and tangy side salad it’s a great accompaniment to chicken, grilled meat, seafood and so much more! Easy Cucumber Onion Salad is a must make for any Summer get together.
2 large cucumbers
1 red onion, sliced
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
I recommend you use apple cider vinegar in this recipe rather than white as it’s less acidic, but if you are in a real pinch, you can use white.
Slice each cucumber in ¼-inch slices and add to a large bowl.
Add in the sliced red onion (sliced into half-moon) and toss to combine.
In a mason jar or small bowl whisk together the apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and pepper.
Pour the dressing mixture over the cucumber and onion and toss to fully coat/combine.
Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
Open Hands Farm 