2025 CSA Farm Update: Week 4
Hello everyone and welcome to week 4 of the Katchkie Farm CSA.
The weather patterns have been quite interesting this past week. It only rained for a total of two hours, but nearly one inch of rain fell in each of those hours! Unfortunately, when rain comes down that hard, much of it runs off the soil and we have to irrigate in a couple of days.
The elusive deer made another appearance, this time spotted by my kids on Friday evening. As any good farmer would do, I got all the kids in the pickup truck, and we tried to drive the deer out of the farm. Most of the journey was successful, as we slowly drove behind the deer guiding it toward the exit, but at the last minute it balked and bolted full speed back into the heart of the farm, finally bedding down in a patch of tall grass. After searching all through the grass, I declared the deer the winner of this meeting. As luck would have it, this search also coincided with many of the fireworks shows in nearby towns. The kids and I got a great view of them from the back of the pickup truck. To top it all off the fireflies put on an even more amazing show. It was certainly an evening to remember.
Luckily, I’ve been having better luck with the woodchucks on the farm. They helped themselves to quite a few hot pepper plants in our caterpillar tunnels, as well as a fair amount of purple sweet potato plants. After finding their holes and their preferred walking paths, I set traps. We’ve successfully trapped five this past week and I hope to get a few more.
This week’s share will have zucchini for the first time. This is probably the latest we’ve ever included zucchini in the share, and although it hasn’t quite taken off yet, I’m hopeful the later plantings will turn things around! Also making its debut: Badger Flame Beets. For those of you who are not familiar with this beet, it is from our friends at Row 7 seeds. It has been bred for all the sweetness of a beet with the earthiness toned down. It is certainly worth a try for all those people on the fence about beets. Our cherry tomato crop is looking exceptional this year. Looking at the crop, we are about a week away from adding them to your share. I will admit, I have been sampling a few ripe ones, and they are delicious!
Until next time,
Farmer Jon
Weekly Harvest Includes*
*We try our best to provide the most accurate CSA list in the newsletter! However, there’s always a chance of last minute substitutions in some bags if we don’t harvest enough of a vegetable.
Delicious Recipes to Try
Grilled Zucchini Salad is a fresh and satisfying way to enjoy summer squash. With creamy avocado, salty feta, and bright mint, this salad is perfect for warm evenings, cookouts, or a light lunch bursting with seasonal flavor.
For something a little more savory and comforting, try Braised Fennel. Slowly cooked until tender and golden, fennel takes on a mellow sweetness that pairs beautifully with simple grains or roasted meats. It’s an elegant and earthy dish that highlights fennel’s unique character.
Sustainability
Root-to-Leaf Cooking
This is a sustainable approach to preparing vegetables where every edible part of the plant is used, from the roots, stems, and leaves to peels and seeds. It’s the veggie version of “nose-to-tail” in meat cookery.
Carrot Tops: Use the leafy greens to make pesto, chimichurri, or as a garnish.
Fennel Stalks: Chop and freeze to use in soups or stews when you need a flavor boost.
Beet Greens: Sauté them like spinach or add to smoothies, they’re packed with nutrients!