Hello from Pitchfork & Crow~

Yep, it’s time once again for the Salem Saturday Market tomorrow!  Here’s what we plan to bring to market:

• Basil
• Beans (Green, Purple, Yellow!)
• Beets
• Broccoli
• Bunching Onions
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Chard
• Cilantro
• Collards
• Cooking Greens Mix (Kale, Chard, Collards, Cabbage, Parsley)
• Cucumbers (a few slicing & lemon)
• Dill
• Kale (Red Russian & Lacinato)
• Onions (sweet & purple torpedoes)
• Parsley
• Peppers (green peppers & yellow banana)
• Salad Mix (a mix of lettuces)
• Summer Squash (yellow straightneck, zucchini, & pattypan)
• Tomatillos
• Tomatoes (the earlies and cherries mostly)

Work on the farm this week has been fairly routine.  We moved irrigation pipe, we harvested summer squash early, we surveyed the field for happy vegetables.  Last year by this time we’d definitely found a rhythm to the work.  We planted on Mondays, we weeded on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, we harvested on Thursdays and Fridays and we went to market on Saturdays.  Sundays were open for whatever field work needed to be caught up on.  Our work was mostly done in the evenings and the time limitation meant knowing what needed to be done each day and made things run smoothly.  Perhaps it was the cold spring and delayed summer, or perhaps it’s the fact that we’ve grown from under an acre to over an acre and a half, but as we wrap up August we’ve not found the same sense of routine to the field work.

Though we haven’t slipped into a routine, we have made much progress over last year.  We’re bringing more to market and we’re selling more vegetables.  I admit I’m thankful for the change of seasons.  We’d like to extend the season by overwintering more vegetables and harvesting earlier, but this year I’m glad to feel the cooler fall weather bringing with it a slight slowing to the necessary work.  We’ve been playing catch-up all season and now we’re ready to make some progress on actually catching up.

We hope to see you at the Saturday Market between 9am and 3pm.  The Salem Saturday Market is located at the intersection of Summer and Marion streets NE in downtown Salem.

Thanks!
Carri Heisler and Jeff Bramlett