What's in a Share?

Farmer John, at Angelic Organics, puts the formula so succinctly. He says "Our goal is to send you a 3/4 bushel box with about 8 to 14 items each week, which includes 1 or 2 herbs, 1 to 3 leafy greens, 1 or 2 alliums (onion family), 1 to 4 fruiting vegetables, 1 to 4 root vegetables, and, in spring and fall, 1 or 2 brassicas (cabbage family)."  White Barn Farm is following a similar formula, but here is the blown-up explanation:

We will strive to provide a well-rounded share each week, keeping useable quantities and menu ideas in mind as we select the harvest.  When we made our crop plan we came up with the following categories to decide what should go into the box: Lettuce/Tender Salad Greens, Cooking Greens, Onion Family, Herbs, Little Roots, Staple Roots, Peas/Beans, Squash Family, Tomatoes, Peppers, and Eggplants, and Brassicas.

Lettuce/Tender Salad Greens: We are shooting for 2 heads of Lettuce a week, except during the very height of summer - 1 head.  In the spring we want to include tender salad greens like Arugula and Mizuna, and in the fall, Mustard Mix.

Cooking Greens: Most weeks you will find some variety of those magical life-giving leafy greens.  Spring and Fall will bring Spinach, Broccoli Raab, and Bok Choy. Most of the season we will rotate between different kinds of Kale, Swiss Chard, and Collards. 

Onion Family: In this order: Garlic Scapes, Scallions, Fresh Bunching Onions, Yellow, White and Red Onions, Shallots, Garlic, and Leeks.

Herbs: Basil, Cilantro, Dill, Parsley, Chervil.  Not sure if we can get enough Mint and Chives together for this year.  

Little Roots: Crunchy Veggies for Raw Eating, mostly in the Spring. Different Varieties of Radishes, little Salad Turnips, Baby Beets, Baby Carrots. We thought of the fall veggies, Celery, Fennel, and Winter Radishes as fresh and crunchy, too (even though you might have them cooked). 

Staple Roots: Little Roots will start giving way to Staple Roots sometime in July when we start having full-sized Beets and Carrots (which you should see often from then on), then some New Potatoes, then full-grown Potatoes, Turnips, Rutabagas, Sweet Potatoes, Celery Root, and Parsnips.

Peas/Beans: The first sign of peas should be little Pea Tendrils, then Snap Peas and Snow Peas.  Those will be gone after Spring and you will start finding Green Beans, Wax Beans, and long Pole Beans.  You should get a taste of Edamame (fresh soy beans), maybe some Fresh Shelling Beans (like Cannellini), and some Dry Beans.  We are going to try for a Fall crop of Shelling Peas.

Squash Family: Squash Blossoms will be the first sign of our summer friends, Zucchini! Baby Summer Squash & Zucchini will be next and then full-grown versions.  Then Pickling and Slicing Cucumbers.  By mid-August Melons should be rolling in - we've chosen Cantaloupes, Honeydew-type Melons, and Watermelon.  Finally, all sorts of Winter Squash will begin to appear: first Acorn and Delicata, then Buttercup, Red Kuri, and Butternut. Hopefully we will have a cheerful little Pumpkin to add at the end of the season, too.

Tomatoes, Eggplants, Peppers: Nothing means Summer more than Tomatoes! We are growing several types of Cherry Tomatoes: Sungold, Black Cherry, and Juliet (grape-type).  We could hardly hold back on the Heirloom Tomato selections: Brandywine, Aunt Ruby's German Green, Cherokee Purple, Striped German, etc.  We chose lots of "Regular" Red Tomatoes, too.  Some early, some prolific and determinate, some good for sauce, some Beefsteak types.  We'll have tender, early Asian Eggplants and then several types of Italian Eggplants (some real vegetable beauty contestants in this category). We will also have Green and Sweet Red Peppers, maybe some Yellow and Orange, too. Finally, you'll find a beautiful selection of Hot Peppers - to turn all that bounty into salsa, gazpacho, or plain old hot sauce!

Brassicas (Cabbage Family):  Due to intense pest pressure on these crops in the Spring, initial appearances of Brassicas will be limited - some Napa Cabbage and Kohlrabi very early and then a respite until Fall, when there should be an abundance of Broccoli and Red and Green Cabbage. 

Everything you need for a week? We do imagine you will still be making a weekly grocery shopping trip and can round out the share with anything you find lacking. 

What We're Not Growing: Corn. We have decided not to attempt Organic Sweet Corn during our first year. Same for Brussels Sprouts and Cauliflower. Berries. I wish we had fruits going already; maybe next year.