8/17/11

The Nitty Gritty Dirt

Two things are really good this August:  honey and melons.  Honey and melons have a very close connection; it takes bees the makers of honey to fertilize melon vines to produce big and plentiful melons.  Our bees seem to have been working like crazy this season so, on Monday, we took off three full shallow supers of honey, each about 60 pounds from our bee hives.  We extracted (removing the honey from the frames)it on Tuesday, (see the pictures on this blog) and we have 33 quarts of beautiful golden honey to share at the farm.  That’s lots of good eating! 
If you come to the fall farm festival, you too will have an opportunity to share in some of the farm’s honey harvest.  And because the bees are working so diligently, so too is the melon harvest a good one.  It takes a lot of trips back and forth from each cantaloupe, honeydew or watermelon flower to pollinate it so that it will produce an outstanding melon. 
This year, the melons are big and plentiful.  Now if the weather will just stay warm and dry for a couple of weeks, the melons should be near perfect.  The cantaloupes and honeydews are hitting their peak this week and next and the watermelons are just beginning to ripen.  We’ve been enjoying a few of the early watermelons for refreshment at the farm.

A little painting, a little fencing, quite a bit of pulling up and rolling of reusable plastic mulch, and quite a few more jars of pickles made filled up our week.  We are sad to say goodbye to intern Emily who leaves to go back to college.  She will be making the delivery route on Thursday (Vincent, Homestead Pickin’ Parlor, and Midwest) and then catching a bus that will take her back to Indiana.  

Gigi and Robin will be heading up north after packing up the share boxes and sending everyone off.  We’ll be spending four days in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.  Intern Holly will be taking care of the farm with help from Liz and several neighbors who will be stopping by to help out.  We are really looking forward to paddling and camping and cooking our good farm food far from home. 

Until next week………..


What’s in your share this week:

Honeydew (Diplomat) or Cantaloupe (Sarah’s Choice, Burpee Hybrid, Pulsar)
Summer Squash (Lita, Spineless Beauty, Sunburst, President, Cash Flow, Cavelli)
Carrots (Forto)
Beets (Red Ace, Merlin)
Cucumber (Raider, Diva)
Eggplant (Dancer, Galine, Thai Green, Orient Express, Classic)
Radish (Diakon – Summer Cross)
Peppers Sweet (Carmen, Islander, Gypsy)
Peppers Hot (El Jefe Jalapeno, Serrano Del Sol Serrano)
Onions (Sierra Blanca)
Tomato (Taxi yellow, Orange Blossom orange)
Basil (Lime, Thai)
Dill
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DROP SITES

Use the addresses to google or mapquest or look up the drop site from your particular location. Keep in mind that the folks at the drop sites are volunteers, allowing us to use their space (and in some cases, their homes) as drop sites. Be nice to them. We couldn't do this without them. If you have any questions about your share etc., you should ask us, not them. They have enough to do....as do we all. All deliveries occur on Thursday afternoons. Approximate drop site times are listed below each location. The end times vary but you should pick up your share as early as possible. Look for the NITTY GRITTY DIRT FARM DROP SITE signs at your delivery locations along with lists to check your name off when you pick up, and a description of exactly what you should take.

Nitty Gritty Dirt Farm
10386 Sunrise Road (Cty Rd 9)
Harris MN 55032

35 north past North Branch to the Harris Exit. Turn Right.
Go into Harris, cross RR tracks to stop sign. Turn Left
Go 2 blocks to County Rd 9, also called Sunrise Road. (at Heartbreakers Bar) Turn Right. Farm is 4 1/2 miles out on left side of road. Look for Nitty Gritty Dirt Farm sign.
Shares available from 3:00 to 6:00

United Theological Seminary 3000 5th Street NW, New Brighton MN 55112
694 to Silver Lake Road exit. Go south to 5th and turn west (right). Go three blocks to UTS. Follow driveway (left) to the maintenance garage at the far north end of the parking lot. Shares available after 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM.

Pilgrims United Church of Christ
8801 Rice Lake Road, Maple Grove MN 55369
Just off of Weaver Lake Road across from Rice Lake Elementary School. Use main church door. Shares available from 3:30 to 6:00.

Acadia Cafe
329 Cedar Avenue South, Minneapolis
NW corner of Cedar and Riverside. Park on Riverside or
in lot behind the cafe.
Shares available after 3:15 PM until 6:00 PM

Vincent Avenue
3646 Vincent Avenue North, Mpls MN 55412
1/2 block north of 36th Ave N, and 2 blocks south of Dowling. Park on the street. Shares available after 3:30 until 6:00 PM

Additional drop sites may be added as shares are sold. Drop Sites are subject to change but plenty of notice will be given and alternate sites will be within close proximity to the original drop site.

FARM CONTACT INFORMATION

Robin Raudabaugh & Gigi Nauer

Nitty Gritty Dirt Farm

10386 Sunrise Road

PO Box 235

Harris MN 55032


(651) 226-1186


nittygrittydirtfarm@gmail.com

Also Nitty Gritty Goods Wool CSA
Robin Raudabaugh
651-216-9012
nittygrittygoodswool@gmail.com

We are a 15 acre Community Supported Agriculture farm providing a wide variety of fresh, organically and sustainably grown vegetables, fruit, lamb, pork, turkey and chicken. Located one hour north of the Twin Cities, we deliver to several metro locations. We are intentional about our organic and sustainable farming practices which include (but are not limited to): maintaining soil health through green and animal manures, compost, mulch, cover crops and crop rotations; Organic Pest Management to naturally monitor, prevent and control insects and other pests; maintaining animal health and well-being through the use of portable and loose housing and pasture rotations. Owner/operators Robin Raudabaugh and Gigi Nauer provide over 30 years experience in fruit, vegetable and livestock production, education and customer service. Our primary goal is to build community, relationships and personal health and well-being around good food and the intentional living that creates it. We’d love to have you join us.

Not every day is like this but we try.

Not every day is like this but we try.

Not every day is like this either.

Not every day is like this either.