JustPicked Farms

The regular season of the Emporia Farmer’s Market starts this Saturday, and we plan to be there with fresh, locally grown goodies.  The Market is in the lot at 7th & Merchant, and selling starts at 8 am.  We will have our free-range eggs (check it out, our eggs will be in the breakfast burritos for sale at the Kiosk!), a green and red “All Star” lettuce mix, broccoli, green onions and a smaller, easier-to-manage cabbage called Caraflex.  This cabbage has tender cone-shaped heads, and is just the right size for someone who doesn’t feel the need to make a gallon of sauerkraut!  Try it finely shredded in a salad for extra crunch, or instead of lettuce in fish tacos. 

Happenings On the Farm

The strong winds we’ve had lately have given our high tunnel (just in production this spring!) sort of a beating.  We had to make some repairs to the doors after the wind caught them and blew them open and shut a few times.  Not to worry though, the veggies in the tunnel are coming along just fine.

Our 28 hens are giving us plenty of eggs, and we’ve got another 30 chicks growing quickly.  They’ll start laying small eggs around September.  The small eggs (called pullet eggs) are the tastiest!

We’re gearing up our perennial patch for more selection in years to come.  We’ve planted 60 asparagus crowns, some green and some purple.  If things go well, we can start selling asparagus next year.  We’ve also planted some rhubarb, bunching onions, and will soon be planting raspberries.

Other things we hope to be able to sell this year – tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, bok choi, spinach, radishes, turnips, beets, carrots, eggplant, watermelon, cantaloupe, green beans, zucchini, butternut squash, blackberries, strawberries, and pie pumpkins.

I hope to see you at the market this weekend!  Be sure to stop by and say hi!

Cheryl Alvarado