March 21 Veggie Box News

/

Box Contents

  1. 1 lb Navel Oranges

  2. 1 bu Asparagus

  3. ½ lb Baby Lettuces

  4. 1 bu Red Beets

  5. 1 hd Fennel

  6. 1 bu Purple Carrots

  7. 1 lb Leeks

  8. ¾ lb Golden Turnips

Box Notes

The oranges are from Blue Heron Farm in Rumsey and are CCOF-certified organic. Asparagus season is at its peak. The intermittent rainfall is giving the asparagus just the right amount of water to keep those spears poking through the soil. They grow about 6 inches in one 24-hour period! Asparagus takes 3 years to establish and lasts for 15 years, expanding its underground network of rhizomes to yield more spears (and give the plant more energy for regeneration) each year.  The leeks are winding down as the peas - shelling, snap and snow - are revving up. By the end of the week, the temperatures will be close to 80 degrees. I included several soup recipes in this week’s newsletter to enjoy while it’s still a little cooler. 

Field Notes

Happy Spring Equinox! March 20, 2016 was one of two days in the year when the daylight and nighttime length are equal. This day is also known as the Vernal Equinox. It certainly feels like spring with full reservoirs, water releases from Clear Lake, a full Cache Creek, the continued rainfall and the explosion of wildflowers in the hills. Bear Valley, about 45 minutes north of Guinda, is a remote region with a spectacular display of wildflowers. Burrowing owls have a lot of habitat in Bear Valley so it is also a great location for viewing the shy owls. Bear Valley is located off of Hwy 20 in Colusa County along the Bear Valley Road. You travel about 14 miles on Bear Valley Road once you’ve turned north off of Hwy 20.  The fall equinox will happen on September 22, 2106.

Capay Valley Garden Tour

May 8, 2016

10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Visit the breathtaking gardens of the Capay Valley! Come join in the delight of spring flowers, strolling through many of the Valleys’ finest gardens. Talk to the gardeners themselves and learn the secrets of their success. New gardens have been added this year as well as several points of interest along the drive though the valley. Many of the gardens are also showcases for agricultural production in the Capay Valley. You are welcome to picnic in the gardens – delicious box lunches will be for sale at the Guinda Grange Hall using local ingredients. Art and plants will be for sale at the Grange Hall. Proceeds from the tour support the enhancement of local parks and the new landscaping plan for the Guinda Grange Hall, a century-old community gathering place. For more information and to purchase tickets visit: http://www.capayvalleygardentour.com/

 

March 14th Veggie Box News

/

Box Contents

  1. 2 lbs Blue Heron Oranges

  2. 1 bu Asparagus

  3. 1 bu Green Garlic

  4. 1 bu Rainbow Chard

  5. 1 bu Purple Carrots

  6. 1 bu Red Dandelion

  7. 1 bu Red Spring Onions

Box Notes

The oranges are from Blue Heron Farm in Rumsey and are CCOF-certified organic. The green garlic shanks are sizing up nicely. Soon, the beginning of the bulbs will begin to divide, forming the individual cloves. By mid-June the garlic (along with the onions) will be dry, ready to harvest and will cure for a few days, post-harvest, allowing the leaves to shrivel up and easily break off the bulb to store for sale at the farmers market and in the veggie boxes throughout the summer months. Here is a link to many recipes featuring dandelion greens: http://www.thekitchn.com/10-ways-to-use-those-dandelions-recipes-from-the-kitchn-188774

 

Field Notes

The rain continued through Sunday March 13, 2016. This storm front has brought over 6 inches of rain to our region in about one week! Clear Lake, the primary source of water for Cache Creek (along with the watershed along the way), has begun to release water into Cache Creek because the lake is so full. The surface water availability for 2016 is looking good, much better than the last two years of drought. As soon as there is a dry window, the tomato starts currently filling the greenhouse will go into the fields. We expect the first cherry tomato harvest to begin in early July.

A Beautiful Way to Spend Mother's Day!

May 8, 2016

10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Visit the breathtaking gardens of the Capay Valley! Come join in the delight of spring flowers, strolling through many of the Valleys’ finest gardens. Talk to the gardeners themselves and learn the secrets of their success. New gardens have been added this year as well as several points of interest along the drive though the valley. Many of the gardens are also showcases for agricultural production in the Capay Valley. You are welcome to picnic in the gardens – delicious box lunches will be for sale at the Guinda Grange Hall using local ingredients. Art and plants will be for sale at the Grange Hall. For more information and to purchase tickets visit: http://www.capayvalleygardentour.com/

March 7th Veggie Box News

/

Box Contents

  1. 2 lbs Blue Heron Oranges
  2. 1 bu Asparagus
  3. 2 hds Batavia Crisp Lettuce
  4. 1 bu Red Beets
  5. 1 hd Red Cabbage
  6. 1 lb Leeks
  7. 1 bu Gold Chard

 Box Notes

The oranges are from Blue Heron Farm in Rumsey and are CCOF-certified organic. The green garlic shanks are sizing up nicely. Soon, the beginning of the bulbs will begin to divide, forming the individual cloves. By mid-June the garlic (along with the onions) will be dry, ready to harvest and will cure for a few days, post-harvest, allowing the leaves to shrivel up and easily break off the bulb to store for sale at the farmers market and in the veggie boxes throughout the summer months. Here is a link to many recipes featuring dandelion greens: http://www.thekitchn.com/10-ways-to-use-those-dandelions-recipes-from-the-kitchn-188774

 

Field Notes

The rain continued through Sunday March 13, 2016. This storm front has brought over 6 inches of rain to our region in about one week! Clear Lake, the primary source of water for Cache Creek (along with the watershed along the way), has begun to release water into Cache Creek because the lake is so full. The surface water availability for 2016 is looking good, much better than the last two years of drought. As soon as there is a dry window, the tomato starts currently filling the greenhouse will go into the fields. We expect the first cherry tomato harvest to begin in early July.

A Beautiful Way to Spend Mother's Day!

May 8, 2016

10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Visit the breathtaking gardens of the Capay Valley! Come join in the delight of spring flowers, strolling through many of the Valleys’ finest gardens. Talk to the gardeners themselves and learn the secrets of their success. New gardens have been added this year as well as several points of interest along the drive though the valley. Many of the gardens are also showcases for agricultural production in the Capay Valley. You are welcome to picnic in the gardens – delicious box lunches will be for sale at the Guinda Grange Hall using local ingredients. Art and plants will be for sale at the Grange Hall. For more information and to purchase tickets visit: http://www.capayvalleygardentour.com/

February 29th Veggie Box News

/

Box Contents

  1.  2 lbs Blue Heron Oranges

  2. 1 bu Green Garlic

  3. 1 hd Fennel

  4. 1 pc Butternut

  5. 1 bu Green Dandelion

  6. 1 lb Leeks

  7. 1 bu Rainbow Chard

  8. ½ lb Braising Mix

Box Notes

The oranges are from Blue Heron Farm in Rumsey and are CCOF-certified organic. Leek season is almost over, there are only a few weeks left so enjoy them while they’re here! As a member of the allium plant family, leeks can be used anywhere you would use onions and garlic. They impart a subtle, delicious flavor to most savory dishes including roasts, frittatas, soups, pizza, and veggie sautés.

 

Field Notes

During this dry spell, we are planting like crazy. Last week, we transplanted kale, cabbage, and fennel yet the greenhouse is now filled again with beautiful tomato starts in varying stages of growth! This week we’ll transplant chard and the second round of onions. On Saturday, we planted the potatoes. The stone fruit orchards are in varying stages of bloom. The June Pride peaches are in full bloom this week, loaded with pink blossoms drawing the attention of the busy pollinating bees. This week we hope to seed safflower that we grow as a feed crop for our pastured chickens and pigs.

In addition to growing the grain for livestock feed, we’ve been selling some of our grain crop to a new mill in the valley called Capay Mills. Capay Mills turns the whole grain into flour and sells it to a bakery called Pain located in San Mateo. It’s the best freshly baked bread around! To learn more about the bakery and the mill visit: http://www.painbakery.com/ and http://www.capaymills.com/#capay-mills. This year, the Capay Mills will be growing some flint corn to mill into polenta. We’re looking forward to tasting the polenta! The freshly ground grain (mainly ancient varieties of wheat) is available at Bi-Rite, the Davis Food Co-op and at the Temescal Farmers’ Market in the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland.

Our local Almond Festival event drew thousands of visitors! At the historic Rumsey Hall in the northern most hamlet of the valley, we sold out of pulled pork sliders and wood-fired pizzas by 2 pm. We’ll plan to feed more next year as this is the community hall’s biggest fundraiser of the year, bringing in over $12,000 to support the hall and the community events that have been happening there since 1903.