Tag: weather

ARTfarm Happy Monday – Ice Cream is Back!

Tiny green orbs pop out of pink spires of mango tree blooms. Soon they will become large, heavy mango fruits.
Tiny green orbs pop out of pink spires of mango tree blooms, at ARTfarm on St. Croix's South Shore. In a few months they will grow to become large, sweet, heavy mango fruits.

Have you noticed it getting drier, windier and hotter this month? Normally things would dry up in January or earlier, but we’ve been blessed with an extended rainy season this year. On the south shore of St. Croix, the air smells different. Pastures are starting to dry up quickly and the hills are changing from a vibrant green to some more muted shades that are shifting into gold and brown. We are watering our crops more often. As the tomatoes get more flavorful on the vine, the mango flowers are starting to set fruit for June.

All this dry heat means that it is time to treat ourselves to a delicious cold frosty Feel I ice cream!! YES! It’s back!! Today we have Feel I’s mango, guava, passionfruit, and banana flavors, all made from local fruit and local coconut cream – no dairy. Get one of each!

We’ve got Sweetface chocolates, too, if you need darker decadance.

If you’re feeling more savory, we’ve got baby spicy salad mix, sweet mix, cherry and big tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkin, scallions, garlic chives, sage, green coriander, Italian basil, sweet and hot peppers.

For a pop of color, go for a bunch of fresh cut zinnias, a sunflower or two, and a papaya!

See you this afternoon, 3-5:30pm.

So it’s a little muddy… ARTfarm’s OPEN 3-5:30 today

Rainy rainy rainy rainy day. We’re open anyway.

Small person in flowery dress with rubber rain boots and flowery umbrella among the flowers and herb rows at ARTfarm on a very rainy day.
Small person in flowery dress with rubber rain boots and flowery umbrella among the flowers and herb rows at ARTfarm on a very rainy day.

Kale, collards, baby bok choi, chinese cabbage; baby spicy mix, baby arugula, teen arugula, regular arugula, spicy mix, sweet mix, lettuce heads; italian and holy basils, lemongrass, garlic chives; papaya, local honey, and homemade Sweetface chocolates! Come dance in puddles with us!

ARTfarm stand, 10am – 12 noon. Cooling treats for hot days!

Whoa! Farmer Luca looks on in amazement at the giant Russell avocados!
Whoa! Farmer Luca looks on in amazement at the giant Russell avocados!

Cool your jets this morning at ARTfarm, 10am-12noon. We’ve got freshly harvested Asian water spinach, tiny crispy microgreens, giant creamy avocados, buttery mangoes, lemongrass aka fever grass for the perfect cooling drink, basil and garlic chives. Try breadfruit (have you ever made tostones? YUM!), green papaya (makes an amazing slaw) and sugar apple. And sweet, potassium rich coconut water fresh out of the nut (delicious mixed with lemongrass tea – take home half a dozen precut nuts and fill up a pitcher in your fridge!). As always, we have Sweetface handmade chocolates in a rainbow of flavors, and Feel I’s Ital Ice Creams. Not much breeze these days, so why not utilize some of nature’s cooling tricks?

ARTfarm Farmstand open today! Shortened Wednesday hours, 4:30-5:30pm.

We are starting new shorter hours on Wednesday afternoons, as the summer approaches and we have a limited supply of greens on hand. Today’s farmstand features microgreens, mangoes, garlic chives, basil, kangkong (spinach), chocolates and honey!

Why no salad mix? The rain over the last month has destroyed the last few lettuce beds and the last of our tomato plants, so the sweet and spicy mixes we make with larger lettuces, and the tomatoes, will be but a fond memory until a few months from now. ‘Tis the season for mangoes, treating yourself to our tender baby and micro greens, and discovering the joys of hummus made with a delicious bunch of garlic chives blended in. Cool, refreshing summer treats! Feel I’s delicious ice cream will soon also return to the stand, we’ve been promised Beet Ginger for Saturday!