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End of Season is Here

There are only a few more weeks left to the Shoreview Farmers' Market so please stop by. You can also find our other locations for our popular honey and preserves at www.leeskifarms.com . We'll be doing a number of boutiques this fall and as always, will have a strong presence at the Chickadee Boutique in Shoreview.

Green Zebra Heirloom Tomatoes

People often come to the market looking for 'big red tomatoes'. We've all become acustomeed to big tomatoes but there is a fascinating and tasty world of heirloom tomatoes with a wide variety of texture, color, and flavors. My number one favorite tomato is the Green Zebra which is green with a bit of yellow skin when ripe. The flesh remains green. It is absolutely awesome, and nothing like those end of season green tomatoes that we attempt to re-purpose. Watch for our wide variety of heirloom tomatoes in July.

Buying what is in season...

Last night customers were asking for sweet corn and tomatoes. At this market vendors must sell only what is produced within a fifty mile radius. It's too early for sweet corn and tomatoes. When you see sweet corn and tomatoes this time of year at the grocery stores or at those cute corner farmer's stands you should understand that their products are not locally grown, and probably come from Texas or South America. If you come to our market in September and expect to find strawberries you will be about three months late. Buying in season from local producers ensures that you are receiving freshly picked produce grown with the hands of the vendor on the other side of the table.

A Great Market Day...

It's seventy degrees and a great day to visit the market. Today Linda is being assisted by our adult children. They started helping when they were very young and continue as indentured servants. Each has been involved in the beekeeping, gardening, canning, and baking and can answer your questions about our products from a position of experience.

Highlights today include baked goods from the 'unreliable bakery.' We make what we feel like making. If it's good we have it until it's sold out. Stop by our booth first before goods are gone. Touring the market while eating one our individual strawberry cheesecakes cannot be beat, especially when the strawberries were picked this morning.

Our produce is coming along fine after some much needed rain. We have lettuce and onions now and anticipate sweet corn by the end of July. We pick our corn daily so you can be assured of its' freshness...none of it is that Texas corn that was picked two weeks ago.

Weeding is always a challenge in a chemical-free gardening effort. My current favorite tool is a long handled push/pull tool that cuts off weeds below the surface. I've found it very effective if used daily. If your schedule means less frequent weeding you may find the weed parts restarting with enthusiasm. A quick racking can minimize that effect.

Blackberries and Clover

This past week was noted by two nice rainfalls but I still spent time watering in consideration of a forecast of three days with temperatures deep into the 90's. It will soon be time to hook up the automatic sprinklers. The tomatoes and squash, in particular, need lots of water. All the squash is up now and it will be fun to watch over the next month the rapid growth. The Bodacious, Seneca, and Quickie sweet corn is up. The Quickie is a 60-day variety with small sweet ears. We should have that available by late July.

Red and white clover is now in full bloom. It this picture the clover provides a nice backdrop to the still fragrant blackberry blossoms. This weekend we'll segregate the blackberry honey in the beehives before the big closer nectar flow begins.

Virtually all of our produce is planted and we simply need some nice overnight rains to nurture the plants and germinate the seeds. The peas, beans, and corn are up. This year we've planted more than fifteen varieties of summer and winter squash and half of that is showing.

Gardening is a great opportunity to be outdoors and enjoy spring. Working the soil is rewarding and challenging and at times painful. By this time of the year I can be a bit surly after 'clawing at the earth' for a few weeks and I truly dislike the tiller, rakes, cultivators, and hoes but eating fresh, healthy food that you grow yourself makes it worthwhile. We ate a nice salad of spinach and assorted greens with chive flowers so you June garden can complement your table.