When Josh added the sprinkler systems to the first field, he noticed that the water pressure just wasn’t making the grade, so he spent the majority of the week researching a well pump upgrade which he installed on Friday. We went from a one-horse, 10-gallons a minute pump to a one-and-a-half-horse, 27-gallons per minute pump. This should allow us to install irrigation systems in the fields and run them simultaneously yet still be able to run as much water as we need at the house. Automated irrigation is going to be pretty important in the summer months, so an upgrade was in order to make that happen. And as an added benefit, the boys all volunteered their time to ensure a proper installation.
Important Reminders
- If you celebrate Easter Sunday, I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! If you don’t, I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.
- Pickup is from 3 pm to 7 pm on Monday, April 18th.
- If you don’t want a tour and are in a hurry, please call us, so we know when you’ll be here. Then we can be ready with your bag of goodies. The phone number is 316-227-7677.
- Don’t forget to bring your bags back, so we can wash and reuse them. We’re trying to be more environmentally conscious. The plastic bags we use for the greens are still a work in progress, but that is definitely on my list of things to change.
- The market place is updated on Sundays. It’s best to make orders on Sunday or Monday morning.
Products for the Week 4/11/2022
 |
 |
| Full Shares | Half Shares |
| Salad Mix | Salad Mix |
| Spinach | Spinach |
| Sunflower Shoots | Sunflower Shoots |
| Radish | |
| Mustard Greens |
Next Week's Products 4/18/2022
 |
 |
| Full Share | Half Share |
| Salad Mix | Salad Mix |
| Tatsoi | Tatsoi |
| Sage | Sage |
| Bok Choy | |
| Spicy Microgreens |
News on the Farm
It’s been a tough couple of weeks, but we’re finally getting things planted in the outside fields. Josh has spinach and carrots germinating under the shade cloths, and we’ve transplanted lettuce, beets, kale, romaine, onion, and kohlrabi. Unfortunately, it appears to be another windy week which makes it hard to do more planting outside. The good news is that now that we have the new well pump, watering will be a bit easier. The automated sprinklers will help keep things moist when the wind wants to dry everything out.
When we lived deeper inside the Valley Center limits (behind the tennis courts of the Intermediate School), we had the benefit of being surrounded by the other houses in our neighborhood. The wind didn’t quite impact us as much as it does now. The greenhouse used to be able to withstand a freezing temperature within 10 degrees. Now that we don’t have the same infrastructure, the greenhouse doesn’t quite hold up to that cold northerly wind. We learned this a few weeks ago when we lost quite a few tomato plants to the freezing weather. The good news? Our friends at Plant Kingdom provided us with a few replacements. Whew! Let’s not make that mistake again.
The carrots will be in your bags soon…if you can keep Josh from eating them that is! I don’t know what Josh is
more excited about: the carrots or the fruit trees that are blooming all around us! It’s so exciting to see things coming out of their winter slumber. Even though he knows that we won’t be getting fruit for a while, he still sends me pictures of all the blooms he finds on the trees. He’s like a kid at Disneyland. Isn’t it great to know your farmer is so invested in his products?
Recipe of the Week
Spinach Orzo Salad with Chickpeas
I wasn’t sure the boys would be overly fond of this one, so I added bacon as a precaution, but as it turns out, it really wasn’t needed. I was pleasantly surprised that they ate it up without any complaints. Normally, my fam isn’t stoked about pasta in their salads, but this turned out beautifully! The orzo was small enough to offset any complaints I guess. Or perhaps the spinach was just good enough to negate the complaints. 🙂 That’s what we’re going with!
What's New in the Market Place
Tis’ the season for chicken eggs, so if you’re in need of some extra eggs. please make sure to order them from The Market Place. We feed the girls garden debris, vegetable kitchen scraps, and all the bugs they can forage as we move them from field to field. During the colder months, we also supplement with an organic feed from Feedex Companies in Hutchison. The point is…the eggs really are worth the bang for your buck!