Last Week for July Farm Boxes

This is the last week to order a summer farm box. You can look forward to big bertha peppers, serrano's, burgundy okra, squash, long beans,

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Last Week for July  Farm Boxes This is the last week to order a summer farm box.  You can look forward to big bertha peppers, serrano's, burgundy okra, squash, long beans, herbs, flowers and a special surprise in this week's box. We post on Instagram @farmstand59 on wed & thursday with picts of all the farm bounty.    Thank you so much to all who have ordered from us so far.  We appreciate your support during this time, since the restaurants we typically sell to have been closed.  This has really helped us out and we are hoping to continue to grow produce for our friends and families in the fall, but we will be taking a break through August.   Buy a Farm Box for July 30th Farm Animals Farm animals come in all shapes and sizes, some are benficial and some can be down right pesty.  Usually however, our relationships with farm animals are not so black and white. For example, our farm cat helps keep mice populations in check, but cats also tend to eat wild animals like song birds and lizards.    Bees of course, can sting us, but they are so important for flower pollination and fruit production, not to mention that they make honey too.  Without polinators on our farm, we wouldn't have the same amount of fruit production that we do.  Other pollinators include ants, buterflies, moths, bats and spiders.     California ground squirrels are pests on Farm Lot 59, eating watermelons and other crops such as zucchini and cucumbers, but they are also a keystone species in much of California.  A keystone species is an ecological term for a species that plays a vital role in the health and function of an ecosystem.  In rural parts of California, ground squirrels are an important food source for birds of prey, bobcats, coyotes and mountain lions.  They also dig burrows and tunnels underground, which once abandoned by the squirrels, are used by other wild animals such as rattle snakes and burrowing owls as their homes.  Eating in Season: Fruits (not the sweet kind) Did you know that tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, zucchini, cucumbers and green beans are all fruits?  In the food world, we treat them like vegetables of course, but in the botanical world, they are the fruits of the plant.  A fruit is the part of a plant that holds the seeds and develops from the ovary of the flower.  Basically, anything with seeds inside of it is considered a fruit.   The best time to buy and eat "vegetable fruits" is in the summer or warmer months of the year when they are grown locally.  There is nothing like a fresh summer vine-ripened tomato right?  I don't even bother buying tomatoes except in the summer because to me there is no comparison. Although we can find these fruits in our grocery stores year round, they are shipped in from warmer southern regions where day lengths are longer or may be grown in artificially lit greenhouses.     So make sure to fill up on your "vegetable fruits" in the warm summer months and enjoy more true vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, celery, carrots and potatoes in the cooler months.   Eating in season helps cut down on your carbon footprint, since when we buy food that is in season, it usually travels less distance to get to us from the farm.  Buying groceries from a farmer's market or directly from a local farm, you can be sure you are getting what is in season and it is a great way to learn about what crops are available when.   Newsletter Survey We want your feedback about our newsletter.  Please take a minute to answer these 2 questions on our survey. Survey Thank you for your continued support of our Farm to Family Program!  We still need your help to continue providing free farm fresh meals to vulnerable families in Long Beach.   Donate 2714 California Avenue, Long Beach, CA, USA Farm Lot 59

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Farm Lot 59 Newsletter

General Updates and Reminders | Order your Farm Box today! You can pre-order for this week and the next. We will continue at least through J

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Farm Lot 59 Newsletter General Updates and Reminders   Order your Farm Box today! You can pre-order for this week and the next.  We will continue at least through July and keep you posted about August.  Each week we offer a different mix of veggies, flowers, and a special treat such as a spice mix or apple butter. Thank you so much to all who have ordered in the past!   Purchase   We want your feedback about our newsletter.  Please take a minute to answer these 2 questions on our survey.   Survey Home Gardening Tip: Water Meters Article Contributed By C.J. Crockett, Certified Horticulturist, Owner House to Home - Fine Gardens, Farm Lot 59 Board Member & Volunteer Coordinator   “The Most Useful, Cheapest Garden Tool You’ll Ever Need!” would be the best add slogan to describe the unsung hero of gardening, the trusty water meter.    When I’m asked any of the following:  1) My plant’s leaves are yellowing, what should I do? 2) My plant’s leaves are browning at the tips. Should I water more? 3) The top of my soil looks dry, but my plants look fine. Should I water more to be sure they’re okay? 4) My plant is wilting, what’s going on?    I always start with the most logical place to look for issues...the moisture level in the soil! Water meters are the underground sleuths for eliminating the first and often most important garden issue - water/moisture levels.    Super easy to use, stick the copper end in the soil, 2-4” for bedding plants & vegetables, farther for lawns, trees and shrubs, the meter will display the water level in that part of the soil. I do recommend taking multiple readings and averaging them for a specific area.    Costing around $12, water meters are the simplest tool for gardeners both new and experienced. They’re great for containers, raised beds, lawns, vegetable gardens, pretty much anywhere you want to be sure your plants/soil is getting the right amount of moisture to flourish. And they can be found at your local garden shop or big box store. I personally don’t recommend meters with multiple capabilities, like light readings, ph balance, etc. Light readings change hourly, duh, the sun moves! Nor do I recommend battery operated units. Keep it simple!    Once you’ve got your meter you can answer the above questions for yourself and your garden will thank you for that. Now go get a meter. Spaghetti Squash 101 If you were unsure about how to cook your spaghetti squash, watch this short video to learn how.  Chef John is not a local chef, but he is one of my favorite "online video chefs" out there.  This is an old video (2007), and goes over the basics of how to cook the squash along with some options for how you could spice it up and turn it into a meal.  You can find more of his recipes and videos here.   If you have not gotten around to cooking your spaghetti squash yet, no worries!  Spaghetti squash is a "winter squash" meaning it is able to be stored through the winter and eaten when fresh food was traditionally more scarce.  If you keep it in a dry place in your kitchen, like a pantry or cupboard, it should last around 6 months.  But don't wait to eat it; they are delicious and so versatile!  Enjoy it soon, maybe topped with fesh tomatoes and basil, yum! Thank you for your continued support of our Farm to Family Program!  We still need your help to continue providing free farm fresh meals to vulnerable families in Long Beach.   Donate 2714 California Avenue, Long Beach, CA, USA Farm Lot 59

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