Q: Are Jack Spaniards (aka yellowjackets, paper wasps) good?

A: They are. They eat caterpillars off of our tomato and lettuce plants. So we consider them a “beneficial” insect, along with praying mantises, honeybees, ladybugs and lacewings. Jacks do deliver a nasty sting, but only when their nest is disturbed. As long as their nest is not in a high-traffic area, we let them stay. These beneficials do the work of insecticides, so that we don’t need to spray chemicals on our plants and soil.

Monday’s harvest: Sweet salad mix, spicy salad mix, microgreens, cooking greens, cilantro, carrots, radishes, lots of tomatoes in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes by the pound, cherry tomatoes by the pint, vegan ice cream.