Tag: St. Croix

Melonious Saturday! 10AM – 12 noon

The season is shifting from mid-spring into early summer! Pineapples in mere weeks! Dragonfruit blooms busting out! Here comes the fruit!

We now have some beautiful papayas that many of you have been enjoying. They are sweet, with thick flesh and very few seeds, creamy and delicious with a squeeze of lime -or- for a simpler recipe, just add a spoon and your face! The skin of the papaya fruit has traditionally been used as a healing poultice for cuts, abrasions and bruises. Papaya contains digestive enzymes and is often also used for stomach ailments and even as a meat tenderizer. It is a healing, comforting food.

And now, the headliner, MELONS! Luca is a serious watermelon monster. He has grown some beautiful little watermelons with a sweet, almost butterscotch-like flavor. We failed on several occasions to get a picture of its unusual orangey-yellow flesh before it was eaten…finally captured one yesterday.

img_2168In other farm news, Farmers Christina and Luca celebrated their 12th wedding anniversary this week. We got married right here on the farm after a multi-continent-spanning 10 year courtship. (Luca’s parents, who also live here on the farm, will be celebrating their 50th anniversary this summer!) Still growing, still trying new things!

The full list for Saturday: Loads of sweet salad mix, baby arugula, spicy greens, bunched arugula, a few bunches of kale, radishes, onions, cherry tomatoes, slicing and heirlooms, a few cucumbers, loads of green orange yellow and red bell peppers, loads of seasoning peppers, loads of Serrano and Indian chili peppers, garlic chives, parsley, recao, lemongrass, Italian basil, ginger root, pumpkin, loads of passionfruit, loads of really good papaya, ten petite yellow fleshed watermelons, a few super pretty and tasty honeydew-like melons from Punjab India that will blow your mind, cheerful sunflowers and zinnias, and from our partner Fiddlewood Farm we have fresh locally produced goat cheese!

Art, Earth Day, and The Return of the Goat Cheese 10am – 12 noon

Overall, the tomato plants are slowing down as the weather gets slightly hotter, but we still have tons to pick and for you to enjoy!
Overall, the tomato plants are slowing down as the weather gets slightly hotter, but we still have tons to pick and for you to enjoy!
Our sunflowers are getting ridiculously tall! They seem to love our soil. We field tested some cut sunflowers this week in a jar of water and they lasted at least six days with no added care. If you change the water more regularly and add a couple of tablespoons each of apple cider vinegar, sugar, and baking soda to the water, they should go even longer!
Our sunflowers are getting ridiculously tall! They seem to love our soil. We field tested some cut sunflowers this week in a jar of water and they lasted at least six days with no added care. If you change the water more regularly and add a couple of tablespoons each of apple cider vinegar, sugar, and baking soda to the water, they should go even longer!
Can you find the melons in the melon patch? Lots of exciting varieties, soon come!
Can you find the melons in the melon patch? Lots of exciting varieties, soon come!

The arts are very busy this weekend with the VI Lit Fest partying hard at UVI and CMCArts, and various art exhibitions including a mix of student and professional work at the Good Hope Country Day School. Get out and enjoy some culture, or stay in and practice your own creativity!

Yesterday’s full moon coincided with Earth Day. We hope that more and more people will join communities like ours of small farmers and their dedicated customers, to practice Earth Day consciousness and conservation around the calendar all year long.

Fiddlewood Farms goat cheese is back today! Pairs perfectly with any and all of the following items: Sweet salad mix, baby arugula, baby spicy salad mix, lettuce heads; onions, radishes, pumpkin, sweet potato, green, red, and orange bell peppers; seasoning peppers, both types of hot peppers, a few cucumbers, a few bunches of kale, bunched arugula, parsley, Italian basil, chives, rosemary, lemongrass, ginger root, papaya, passionfruit, cherry tomatoes, medium heirloom and red tomatoes, recao, farm fresh eggs from ARTfarm and from Heather’s hens; and more of Dr. Bradford’s unbelievably fresh, delicate goat cheese.

Aaaand…Decorate your table or make a lovely gift of fresh cut zinnias and sunflowers.

Wednesday ARTfarm 3-6pm

We love it when groups of students come out to tour the farm! They ask the best questions and bring us youthful energy. We had a nice visit from St. Croix Montessori’s upper and lower elementary kids last week. The big discoveries? “Worm poop is soil.” “Bells help keep dogs away from sheep.” “There are different kinds of hoes.” “Neem trees grow fast.”

Wednesday’s haul: Sweet salad mix, baby arugula, baby spicy salad mix;

Cherry tomatoes, slicing tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, the last harvest of sweet corn for the season, onions, yellow summer squash, kale, bell peppers, yellow seasoning peppers, radishes, a few cucumbers, squash blossoms;

These dramatically large squash blossoms can be stuffed, fried, or used as a garnish!

 

Italian basil, lemon basil, holy basil, Thai basil, red serrano peppers and red Indian chilies, garlic chives, cilantro, dill, parsley, assorted pumpkins, and cut flowers including loads of zinnias, cosmos and China asters!

From our partners we plan to offer fresh local goat cheese, vegan local fruit ice cream, raw local honey, farm fresh local eggs, and a few other treats!

Salad, Tomatoes, Fish and Wanda! 10 AM – 12 noon

A peaceful sunrise floods the pastures at Longford.

Life is good, people! Wanda the Bee Lady’s back! Oh gosh and Ryan and Kim will be on hand at 10am with fresh caught mahi! And we have tomatoes and sweet corn again, and arugula, and Bethany’s fresh goat cheese and Feel-I and Shalima’s ice cream! WOooooooOOOOOOOO!! Join us, 10am – 12 noon on the South Shore!

Lots of ARTfarm goodies at this bustling time of year…

 

The bell peppers have been plentiful this season!

Here is the full list for today: Sweet salad mix, baby spicy salad mix, baby arugula, teen arugula, sweet corn!, cherry tomatoes, slicing tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, wild cucumbers, summer squash, loads of pumpkin, green and red bell peppers, yellow seasoning peppers, red serrano peppers, red Indian chilies, Italian basil, holy basil, lemon basil, Thai basil, garlic chives, cilantro, dill, parsley, rosemary, loads of onions with green edible tops, ginger root, lettuce heads, kale, carrots, multiple types of radish, a few figs, and loads of zinnia flowers, cosmos and marigolds!

From our partners we have Wanda’s local honey meads (smile and song included), fresh mahi from Ryan and Kim, local goat cheese from Fiddlewood Farms, and I-Sha’s locally made vegan ice cream!

Enjoy!