Rainbow of Roots: Delivery #9

Many Carrots Are Not Naturally Orange

 Hello Moon Bears,

Only 2 1/2 weeks left of August. Looks like the tomatoes have finally arrived. And we're seeing the final root crops coming in this week and next.

We had a funny frustrating occurrence this week. We've been discovering the pepper plants in the greenhouse eaten down to the ground. I thought of two possible culprits:  rabbits. But we'd installed a 500 foot rabbit proof fence around the perimeter of the north garden and greenhouse this year. Should be no rabbits, right? Well, I just saw a rabbit scampering around in the kale bed outside the window. The funny thing about armoring up is that it not only keeps the warm fuzzy creatures out. It keeps them in. Looks like I trapped a lonesome bunny in paradise this year. Now, if we could only trap him and drop him off at the neighbor's farm... only kidding.

Here's the Menu for a Full Share this Week:

• Green, Purple and Yellow Beans
• Barbecue Perfect Onions
• Tomatoes of Many Stripes and Colours
• Small Pumpkins... hey they're ready. Why Not?
• Spaghetti Squash
• Fresh Basil
• Lemon, Armenian and Tender Green Cucumbers
• Zucchini
• Maybe some Concord Grapes... We'll see
• Golden and Cylindra Red Beets (The last)
• Purple, yellow and White Carrots 
• Beira Kale
• Yukon Gold Potatoes

Coming Your Way

Thanks for Eating Local and Fresh.
See You in the Garden

Rick


(c) Copyright Moon Bear Produce, Rick Sievers, August 2015

4th of July: Red White and Blue Potatoes. Delivery 3

Red White and Blue Potatoes Coming Your Way

Hello Moon Bears,

The potatoes we planted on March 24th are finally here. Three months in the ground. Pulling them is Always such an amazing process, like hunting Easter eggs. For any of you that have planted your own potatoes here are a few tips I've learned along the way. They generally take around three months to get to dinner size portions. Though you can reach your hand under the plant well before and snatch a few new potatoes for breakfast, kind of like collecting eggs from beneath a hen. When the plants flop over and begin to look less vibrant (maybe with some yellowing leaves) then the harvest is near. Remember, the actual potato tubers generally do not ever grow deeper than you originally planted them. That's why you hill them up over the length of the season.

When you come to the harvest time spare yourself potato puncture wounds by observing the following tips: 

• Use a spade well past the drip line and dig Deeper than the original seed potato.
• Keep the spade always deeper than the original seed and work your way into the heart of the root system, levering up softly.
• Take your time and try not to get too excited by digging willy-nilly in a fast pace. Meditative, if possible.
• Eat the ones you accidentally slice first.
• Grub around with your hands in the loose dirt you will always find a few outliers.
• When you clean the Fresh spuds don't use a hard spray or course brush. The skins are pretty delicate at this stage. I usually just put them in a bath of fresh clean water and swirl them around. then brush them in the water bath.
• I use a very soft veggie brush bought at Fred Meyer.
• Remember the miracle provided from the deep mystery of the Earth.

On Your Menu This Week for a Full Share:

• The fore mentioned potatoes. Purple, Russet and Rose Finn Fingerling. Mmmm We have a lot more coming this year too.
• The last of the Oregon Giant Snap Peas
• Maybe some Broccoli. We'll see if the second wave is ready.
• Butter Head Salad with delicate and sweet Purslane.
• Detroit Beets
• Rainbow Swiss Chard
• The last of the Walla Walla Onions. Get ready for more onion varieties next week.
• Yellow and striped Zucchini
• Purple Top Turnips
• And the beginning of the Cucumbers. Armenian, Burpless and Lemon. Yay!

Thanks for thinking and eating locally. Thanks for choosing organic. The Earth and Your Body thank You.

Rick

(c) Copyright Rick Sievers, Moon Bear Produce, June 2015

2015 Moon Bear Veggie Subscriptions Available, CSA

The Art Farm in Bloom

Hello Future Moon Bears,

It's not too early to put your New Year's intentions into action.  How about Subscribing to the 2015 Moon Bear Veggie Subscription Service? Secure your spot in the CSA that is Fun, Fresh and Flavorful... We always consider it a sacred duty to be Good stewards of our particular piece of earth. And we really care about our csa community. It's a great deal, with home delivery possible.

Moon Bear Produce

Grown with Integrity and Love

In Battle Ground, WA

Weekly Veggie Subscription

for Summer Season 2015

Only $400 for 12 to 14 Weeks

Delivered Right to your Door 

(West and Central Vancouver, Clark Co and North Portland)

Or $340 for Farm Pick Up

 Some Moon Bear Member Benefits:                        

-        Sustainably grown, local, heirloom produce from Battle Ground, WA

-        Living, Organic, Sacred Soil

-        Lots of hearty basic varieties as well as fun and tasty specialty veggies

-        Never any artificial fertilizers, pesticides or dark attitudes

-        Weekly recipes and garden newsletter at moonbearproduce.blogspot.com

-        Farm or Home Delivery  * Ask for details

-        All aspects of growth & harvest infused with Integrity, Gratitude & Love.

-        Delivered in Full Sized Ice Chests                                             

-        All produced washed, tied and cooled                                     

-        Discounts, potlucks, farm visits

Here are a few photos of last season's bounty. 

We still have 14 spots available.

Thanks,
Rick Sievers
Email Me at
ricksfarm yahoo

or call
(three six 0)  Nine Zero Four-4321

(C) Copyright, Words and Images, Moon Bear Produce, Rick Sievers, January 2015

The Goodness of a Fresh Tomato - Week 9 of the Moon Bear CSA

The Cosmic Light of Tomatoes

Hello Moon Bears,

Although it may not feel like it, Fall is on the way. How do I know? We are slowly retiring large swaths of garden beds this month and planting them with cover crops. We sow legumes and buckwheat and crimson clover. After these mature we till the cut stalks back into the earth. Besides our own compost, and adding micro-nutrients/minerals, this is how we add fertility and soil structure into our clay.

This week we harvested another record breaking cucumber crop. Sixty pounds from about ten plants. The lemons cukes are the best.

Filling Your Boxes on Thursday Morning

Garden Cat Patrolling the Perimeter

On the Menu this Week for a Full Share:

• Lemon and Armenian Cucumbers
• Rainbow Chard
• Nantes Coreless and Imperator Carrots (Sweet)
• A Surprise Find of Salad Lettuce from the south field
• Plums
• Golden and Detroit
• Russian Fingerling Potatoes (More Next Week)
• Cabbage
• Baby Turnips
• Radishes
• Collete, Golden, Eight Ball and Mystery Zucchini
• Pear-Pearl Drop Tomatoes
• Big Heirloom Tomatoes

Next Week we will have Acorn Squash.
Spaghetti Squash is almost here too.


Thanks for Supporting Local Sustainable Goodness.
We are grateful for you.

Rick

(c) Copyright Rick Sievers, Moon Bear Produce, August 2014

Whatever Comes or Goes is a Blessing - Week 8 of the Moon Bear CSA

Hello Moon Bears,

Summer and the half moon in the balmy ink sky. Such beauty at night out here on the Art Farm. And night is also when the wild creatures arrive. Like deer eating the butter head lettuce, one juicy head at a time. And the baby cottontails being reared somewhere out in South Squash patch. We can't control what is wild. Though fences come in handy.

We offer the seed the the Earth. then we offer our care to the seed and the plant. Whatever comes, comes. Whatever goes, goes. The bounty is big enough.

Sometimes the bounty can even feel too big. If you are at a point in the CSA season where you feel a little overwhelmed with the quantity of vegetables, I encourage you to share the bounty. If you have too much, offer some to friends, co-workers or even the Clark County Food Bank. Summer is a sad season for those without food, or friends. We always offer our bonus crops to the Battle Ground-Clark County Food Bank just off Main Street. Last year we gave 30 bushels. With all the stored sunlight and rain and care invested in the plants we make sure that nothing goes to waste when possible.

Speaking of bounty here's your menu for this week (Full Share):

• Lemon, Armenian and Emerald Burpless Cucumber
• Delicata Winter Squash
• Our Own Venersborg Garlic. A native to this land, since we have lived here.
• Trio of Purple, Green and Golden Beans
• Zucchini. It's the last of these for awhile.
• Salad mix with gourmet blend and mini butter heads.
• Carrots, including the beginning of the sweeter orange varieties.
• Kale. Probably the last till October.
• Scarlet Chard
• Russet Spuds. The freshest you'll ever get.
• Rainbow of Tomatoes. I picked a three pounder today.
• Tomatillos. Thinks Fresh Salsa

We harvested 55 pounds of cucumbers off of 10 plants today. So I include here a wonderful site on cucumber recipes:    Healthy-Cucumber-Recipes-Summer 

Thank you for participating in community in way that honors the Earth and each other. I'm so grateful for you.
Rick

(c) Copyright Text and Photos, Rick Sievers, Moon Bear Produce, August 2014