CSA SPRING SHARE WEEK #7 We have started harvesting shelling peas!! There was a late frost which knocked a few things and sweetened Spring carrots...what a treat! More news below...

NOTES ON STORING THE HARVEST Please check out our Vegetable & Fruit page on the website to find tips on maximizing the life of your veggies. We envisage that many of the vegetables you are receiving this week will last for two weeks with careful attention to storing upon arrival. Although we do wash all the greens after harvest, we are washing to take the heat out of the plants and wash away some surface dirt, not to prepare them for consumption. We also spray a seaweed/herb brew about every ten days. While this will not harm you, it does have a taste. We do suggest washing your produce prior to eating.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX The following are the items harvested this week. Items and quantities in your box may vary depending on your harvest day and the total harvest of each crop. The boxes are completely governed by what is ripe and ready for harvest and how much of it there is. We endeavor to divide the harvest fairly.

1/4 share: 5-7 items 1/2 share: 8-10 items Full Share: 10-12 items

Cabbage Carrots Broccoli Lettuce Peas Silverbeet English Spinach Spring Onions Zucchini

Extras Artichokes Beetroot Romanesco Broccoli Dill Fennel Green Garlic Summer Squash

NOTES ON WHAT IS GROWING

We had a late frost last week...This really took us by surprise as in the past six years, our latest frost date has been the 31 October with the other years all falling in late September and the first two weeks of October. The following are some of the crops that are frost sensitive - basil, beans, capsicum, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, lettuce, melons, potatoes, pumpkins, tomatoes, zucchini.We use plastic cloches to protect the frost sensitive crops. But just last week we had removed the cloches from the zucchini (which had gotten to big to fit under them) and cucumbers (which had begun to flower...the flowers need to be pollinated by the bees). Our potato crop we plan to emerge in the first week of November.

The eggplants, capsicums and melons were protected by the cloches and were not damaged. The pumpkins were set to be planted the day before the frost but luckily the job was put off. They were all protected as were the watermelons! We were able to use irrigation to save the tomato crop. Luckily the beans and corn were not affected.

The frost burned the beautiful zucchini crop but luckily the large leaves protected the growing centers and the flowers and fruit and the zucchini have continued to grow and produce. The cucumber plants have been frost burned but are growing through it. Parts of the potato crop were burned. The first field planted basil was killed. You may also notice frost damage on the sugar snap peas. While pea plants are not damaged by frost, the peas are. The damage shows up as clear spots on the pods. They are still edible.

Nature is unpredictable and we are trying our best to work with her.

We applied biodynamic 500 tonight and will apply 501 tomorrow. 500 helps to enliven the soil, helping plants root access the hummus layers in the soil and to support soil microbes. 501 helps plants feed from sunlight efficiently and helps the plants to assimilate minerals they are taking in. It helps tighten the pores of plants helping them to ward off fungal infections and insect attacks. It also helps crops to store...this should help the garlic which is almost ready to be harvested.

Next week we will seed the Autumn parsnips. The leek crop was seeded months back in the glass house and the seedlings look fantastic. These will be planted in the next few weeks too. We now have two corn plantings up and growing with the third to go in next week. The celery is looking great and growing well as is the early Summer broccoli.

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Feat and Semi-Dried Tomatoes Ottolenghi's Silverbeet Fritters Cabbage Stir Fry Jamie Oliver's Spinach and Feta Pie You can search our recipes by looking for the key ingredients on our website recipe page.

Please note - Photo is a randomly selected full share box.