Rain rain, go away (for a while)

CSA season is beginning this year with a sloshy, thunderous start thanks to this week’s nearly-constant rain and terrific thunderstorms and microbursts.  Several of our CSA members gained a story to tell around the water cooler about how they picked up their first share this week in a rollicking thunderstorm, dodging bucket-sized raindrops and pea-sized hail, with great bolts of lightning sizzling past and raising the hair on the napes of our necks.  All for the love of good food and social justice!

Several of our Coalition farmers report that the rain and cold temperatures have caused some veggies to stall their growth — they’re apparently waiting for better conditions.  Much haste has been made to dash out between downpours to protect the crops with row-cover and mulch, which hopefully will do the trick.  The good news?  No early-summer heat to cause the brassicas to bolt!  More good news: summer diets will get a great boost from the plentiful lettuces and greens which are loving this weather!  :)

If you had a CSA pick-up this past week, share your story!  The KCCSAC board will vote on the best one at our next meeting, and the winner will receive a copy of Seasonal and Simple: A Guide for Enjoying Fresh Fruits and Vegetables, a wonderful book created by our friends at the MU Extension and a great aid to figuring out what to do with that CSA share throughout the season!  It’s organized by season, with loads of the fruits and veggies grown in our area; each veggie’s pages contain nutrition information, storage and cooking tips, recipes, and gorgeous color photos.  We look forward to reading about your CSA adventures!