It's hot. It's August. We are all working overtime.  The weeds are crazy.  The bugs are here.  We narrowly escaped a really bad hail storm.  But all in all, life feels really good.  Just extremely full.  Thank you all for supporting this farm and our family through thick and thin.  We truly appreciate each one of you.

The flowers are exploding right now.  We have lots of new flowers coming in - many of which are great for drying - like celosia, marigolds, and statice.  The dahlias are continuing to come on.  I must admit it does feel a bit dreamy to spend early mornings picking our way through such an abundant patch of blooms and filling up a truck load or two of them.  

The tomatoes are starting to come on again.  Not quite as many as I wish we had, but they are coming and should keep increasing over the next few weeks.  One customer commented last week that the worm photos I put in the newsletter made her not want to buy tomatoes.  Well, we were sold out of tomatoes by that point anyway.  Being honest about what it takes to grow food doesn't always make it pretty.  And while I try to show the pretty stuff too, in the end we will always be honest.  

The chiles are starting.  Cory says he hopes we will be roasting chiles at the market by next week.  The green beans are on hiatus (wait, didn't they just start?) - as usual farming is unpredictable.  Each day brings some new joys and a few heartaches as well.  It's the ups and downs of farming, I guess.  

It is National Farmers Market week - as decreed by the Secretary of Agriculture.  I know that you all already know the value of farmers markets - not only in supporting local farmers but in cultivating a vibrant and thriving local food system.  And there is no better way to celebrate than a trip to the market.  But, I know you were already planning to do that anyway.  So, see you there!

Fall carrots got planted this week.

Chile season is coming.

Basil

I found the first of the monarch caterpillars in the milkweed patch

I love this shot from the Flagstaff Community Market that Molly snapped of the flowers last weekend

At the market this week

Vegetables

spring salad mix 
arugula (limited)
radishes
turnips
baby bok choy
baby tatsoi
kale 
cabbage
collard greens
kohlrabi
eggplant
potatoes - purple viking
carrots (bunched and topped)
beets
cucumbers - slicers, persians, and picklers
summer squash (limited this week)
tomatoes
cherry tomatoes
onions - red and yellow
scallions
Peppers: shishito, padron, serrano, güeritos, chargers and a few others 
garlic
chives
mint 
garlic chives
parsley
basil
edible flowers 
dill heads

Flowers 

Mixed bouquets
mason jar bouquets
zinnias
dahlias
lisianthus
statice
black eyed susans
marigolds
celosia
milkweed

Other stuff

dried chiles
hot sauce

where and when to find us:

• Self serve farm stand, at the farm, open every day, daylight hours
• Prescott Farmers Market SUMMER - Yavapai College - 1100 E Sheldon St. Prescott,  Saturdays 7:30- Noon through October
• Flagstaff Community Market - City Hall Parking Lot - Aspen Ave., Sundays 8-Noon

recipes

tabbouleh with parsley and mint

grated kohlrabi salad

cucumber basil gimlet cocktail

Making sour pickles