Trailside market this Tuesday

Hey! The Fourth of July is this Friday--where did June go? It doesn't seem possible that we are about a third into summer and before you know it, we'll be getting ready for the Thanksgiving Market! I guess it hasn't been hot or humid enough yet to feel like summer.

As noted in the previous post, Chase is home from doggy college. He is settling in fine; right now, both dogs insisted that I come out and sit on the deck while they do....dog stuff. That mostly consists of staring at the other dog on his deck a few yard over and trying (unsuccessfully) to catch robins. We don't quite trust Chase to stay in the yard, so we stay out with him. He should get it figured out by winter, I hope!

Bill was out checking the crops yesterday and brought home some eggplant! It maturing much quicker and will be ready by the weekend. You will also notice in the picture are onions and garlic! Garlic is a new crop for us and we can't wait to start harvesting it. The is absolutely no comparison between store bought garlic and fresh garlic. Garlic, like onions, will loose their flavors if refrigerated. We should be pulling the cloves before too long and then it will be a few weeks while the garlic cures.



The sweet corn is looking good; better than we thought at one time, but we are still holding to our timetable of the 3rd Saturday in July for the first harvest. Although, with more sunny days and hot weather, Mother Nature could really help us out! Keep checking for sweet corn updates!

What will we have for this week?

• Arugula
• Collard greens
• Mustard greens
• Leaf lettuce
• Zucchini (new recipe at the market!)
• Summer squash
• Radishes
• Sugar snap peas-good raw or in a salad
  

It looks like it will be a beautiful day, so find your canvas bags and come down to the market. Brian Choban will be entertaining us from 4:30 to 6--why not bring a chair and stay and listen for a while? The market, while being a fantastic place to stock up on fresh, local produce, is also the IN spot for meeting up with friends!

NKOTB

For those of you that aren't children of the late 80's & early 90's, our "New Kid On the Block" is back! Bill left the market early to go pick up Chase, our yellow lab, from the trainer. Chase has been at doggie university learning how to become a working retriever. This fall, he will be fetching up ducks and geese for Bill.

As most of you know Skipper, he is a very tolerant dog and seems to be fascinated with Chase. They have been wrestling (nicely, with no growling!) and constantly moving throughout the house. Chase didn't really remember us as he has been away at school since February, but seems to be adapting well. He hops up on the couch to sit next to me just like he used to. I'm pretty sure that by bed time, he will remember he used to sleep on the bed in the middle. What? Doesn't your dog sleep on the bed? Ours are just a little spoiled!

Chase will make his market debut next week. Stop by and say hi!

Knee high.........

...by the Fourth of July. Hmmm...our sweet corn is WAY past the knee! Bill took some pictures to give you an update on the sweet corn; we're getting lots of inquires about when it will be ready. At this point, the corn needs some hot, hot days to finish tasseling and to produce ears. We are estimating that we may have corn by the 3rd week in July--check the blog often for an update. With all the cold, wet weather we experienced this spring, it is taking all the summer veggies a little longer to get ready. But isn't anything good worth waiting for?

Has anyone made a local meal yet? One dish for dinner that uses local items? Anyone? Y'all are a quiet bunch--leave me a note in the comment section! Since I haven't heard from anyone, this is what we had for dinner last night. Usually we are running around crazy during the week, we don't often have a chance to sit down to a meal like this. We save it for the weekend when we have a little more time, but with the rain Wednesday morning (1.5 inches!), Bill decided to take a night off. And, no, I usually don't get out a fancy tablecloth--the girls set the table!



To start: green salad with radishes, grape tomatoes & onions. The radishes, onions, & tomatoes are ours; the lettuce is from Blue Schoolhouse. Eggs are from the store (have a 14 year old son who eats 2-4 fried eggs daily--sigh).







Side dish of swiss chard, again from Blue Schoolhouse. Our chard is only a few inches high right now. Now that the weeds are gone, it has a chance of getting big enough to eat! This is the first time that I remember ever eating chard as a cooked green. If you wilt it just a little, the leaves stay vibrant green. The rainbow chard stems are almost neon in color and glow with the green backdrop. No artificial coloring here--isn't it amazing what nature comes up with?


Main dish: venison roast with grilled radishes and leeks. What? Grilled radishes? Are yummy. Isn't that why you come to the market? To try new things and to learn new ways to fix old favorites? Of course, it is. Try new things this week!

Leeks are a new veggie to us. Plant them like onions, give them plenty of water & well drained soil. Easy-peasy. They are quite beautiful out in the field; rows of long, green leaves. I just cut the leeks in half, washed them well (they collect dirt in their many crevices), then let them dry for a bit. They got the Barefoot Contessa treatment (olive oil, sea salt & balsamic vinegar) then onto a hot grill. Leeks have a mild onion/garlic flavor. If you don't like the stronger flavors of onions or garlic, give leeks a try.

What will you be able to find this week for your local meal?

• radishes
• green onions
• leeks
• arugula
• mustard greens
• collards
• kolhrabi
• sugar snap peas
• zucchini
• summer squash

Remember, rain OR shine! Bring your canvas bags! Bring your pets! And kids! Friends that haven't been to the market before! Any more reminders??? I know I'm forgetting something...

We begin the market at 7:30 am and stay open until noon. This week, the McLean County Mandolin Society will be providing musical entertainment. Get some coffee and a snack from one of the bread vendors and stay a while and enjoy! Check out the Market's website for more details. See everyone on Saturday!

Can ya hear me now?

For those of you that listen to WJBC, I was lucky enough to have a short Q& A with Beth Wisman this afternoon before the Uptown Trailside Market! I've never been on the radio before, so I was a little nervous (!) and don't think I said anything spectacularly dumb. It was fun to have the chance to talk about ALL the vendors and why the market is a must-stop destination on Tuesdays. I also took the opportunity to remind all you to remember your canvas bags! No more forgetting since I don't think they will have me on the radio every week!

I usually stay away from the media and let Bill field those requests. I don't know if the interview will be on their website--I hate hearing how I sound, so maybe that's a good thing. See everyone Saturday!

Trailside Market-Week 4 & eating locally

What a beautiful weekend, especially after it quit raining. I hope everyone got a chance to get out and enjoy some of the best weather we've had in quite a while. July is next week (EEK!), so you know the heat & humidity aren't too far off.

Bill got a rare day off from the farm on Sunday. His next day off: September. Really, don't feel TOO sorry for him; he can't help not going out, plus there is always something to do. Actually, on Friday, Bill, Carson and our nephew, Hunter, planted the squash and other fall crops while the rest of the crew harvested for the Saturday market.

A few years, I planted a seed of an idea with Elaine, the Bloomington Downtown Farmer's Market about starting an initiative for eating local meals in the month of August. She took that idea and has been working hard to make our customers aware of the benefits of eating locally.

While it is great to dedicate August to being "Eat Locally" month (and lots of fun!), why not start now and dedicate one meal a week or maybe one dish made with all local ingredients starting now?

This is my challenge to you: make one meal or one dish a week for the rest of the summer from ingredients from the farmer's market (yes, salads count!). Items used in the dish should be mostly local; spices, olive oil, etc. are given a bye. Also, it's up to you to define local. For some, it may be the central Illinois area; for others it could be the Mid-West. Take a picture of your dish or meal and send it to me with some backstory. I'll post some the interesting and creative ones. I'll share first: we had friends over on Saturday evening--the very best way to share a local meal! We BBQ'ed chicken from TJ's Free Range Chickens and also had duck courtesy of the Mississippi flyway. Fresh radishes were in abundance (we had some left from the market) and Bill fried up some zucchini (OK-the ranch dressing wasn't local) and our friends Bill & Mercy brought garlic scapes sauteed with rice. We had a salad also, but forgot to get it out of the fridge! OOPS! It was a fun evening with good friends and we treasure these times. I can't wait to hear about your dinner!

If you have no real idea about how to fix some of the produce you encounter at the market--ask the vendor! Or simply ask another customer who is buying the same item how they prepare it. I've gotten some great ideas from my customers sharing I try to have recipes available at the market that are tied into what is on offer that day. Also, the internet is your best resource. Do a search for "garlic scapes" or "how to cook turnips". One of my best go-to sites is Simply Recipes. I get a lot of recipes and inspiration from here.

So, what will end up on your table this week?

• Red radishes--try them grilled or make radish slaw
• Green onions
• Turnips
• Leeks
• Zucchini
• Summer squash
• Collard greens
• Mustard greens
• Arugula
• Maybe--sugar snap peas

This week, you'll find Austin Found in the spot to my west. Bring a chair or blanket, stay a bit and enjoy the music. You could also bring a picnic dinner or get a to go meal from The Garlic Press! The markets starts promptly at 3:30 pm with a whistle instead of a bell! Remember your canvas bags!

Summer time--and the livin' is easy

Well, it may be easy for some people....for veggie farmers, it's the busiest time of the year. We are just on the verge of full production and it seems that there aren't enough hours in a day. The last of the cantaloupe and watermelon crops are in. I don't remember exactly the number of melons that we planted, but it is upward of 5,000. Then you have all the other stuff.....it's easy if we can use the transplanter or seeder. We probably have planted close to 10,000 plants this year--not counting any sweet corn or any of the fall crops that will get planted next week.

Before we can start the autumnal "garden", weeding must be done! All farmers battle weeds and everyone has their favorite way or special implement. Yesterday, the swiss chard, 2nd crop of arugula and mustard greens and carrots needed to be liberated from the insidious grasses, velvetleaf and volunteer sunflowers. We plant quite a few sunflowers for the turtledoves (mourning doves, if you prefer) and shred off the seed head in the fall. If you want to know what comes next, come see me at the market. I think most of you have a good idea (hint: Bill hunts).

ANYWAY, we had three rows of arugula, mustard greens and swiss chard that were about 75' long (or maybe longer--Emily thought it was about 10 miles) that needed work. The area between the rows had been tilled, so weeds weren't a problem there. Since we didn't get very good germination from the seeds, the rows are pretty skimpy, giving the weeds a foothold. So, it was find the plant, carefully pull the closer weeds away by hand, then use a hand tool to chop away the weeds between plants. Of course, there was no consistency between plants and the chard is extremely tiny and blended in well.


In this situation, the only solution is intensive hand weeding. Chemicals can't be used because not only will they kill the weeds (yay!), but will also kill your plant (sob!). Garden hoes can be useful, but it is very difficult to get close to the plant without uprooting it. So we used the best implement known to man: hands. Kid hands are especially good at this task--think little fingers! Yes, we make our kids toil in the fields and yes, they do know the difference between the weeds and plants. This is Allie on the left, and Emily on the right. Most of you know Allie from the market; Emily tends to stay home and sleep on Saturdays! They both do very good work and we do pay them. This picture illustrates how thick the grasses are in the rows. We are working about a 1/3 into the field; our land goes all the way to the trees in the back--this section is about 6 acres. Way, way in the back is a blue pickup and Bill & Karen are uncovering the cantaloupe crop. Plants are sending out vines like crazy and there are lots and lots of blossoms.

The carrots patch was a little better; the rows were shorter and we were only dealing with velvetleaf (a beautiful plant if you don't farm) and the volunteer sunflowers. These guys are big, so we didn't need to sit down or scoot on our bottoms. Sunflowers have surprisingly deep roots so it took a little more muscle to pull them out. This is our first go at growing carrots (customer repeat request), so we are pretty excited. They are all top right now; it will take quite a few weeks for the root to develop and form. They are over in the NW corner of the land, up on the "sand hill". The loose, sandy soil should let us grow some fantastic carrots. I'll take some pictures when I'm out there again.

With the longer days and hotter temps, this is probably the last week for the head lettuce. I've illustrated what a "bolted" head of lettuce looks like. Bolting or going to seed is what cool weather plants do (as do all plants eventually) when they reach the end of their growing season. The plants stretches up, send out flowers to attract pollinating insects and becomes bitter to discourage insects from eating the mother plant before seeds can be produced. Our lettuce patch is a mess, but we'll mow it down and plant some fall items in its place. This plant is actually some bok choi and behind it is some Red Oak Leaf lettuce, plus a variety of weeds and grasses.





What's new this week? Do I dare tell you? We couldn't believe it when we did a crop check! I'll give you a hint: it starts with a 'T" and rhymes with potato...............yep, we've got tomatoes!

Now to be fair, these aren't the put-on-your-sandwich type tomatoes; these are a grape tomato variety and are a translucent yellow. Taste testers reported that they have a lovely flavor, sweet and juicy. Disclaimer: there aren't very many just yet----so, you will have to be early (i.e., first in line). I don't know if there will be enough to fill a pint container, so it may be a few 'maters in a baggie. I know more when I get out there tonight.

Have you experimented with cooking any veggies this summer? One of our CSA members asked this week what else we could do with green onions. Bless our CSA-ers, they have had a bunch of green onions every week so far! Off the top of my head, I wasn't sure what else to do with them other than eating them raw or chopping to decorate a main dish. Later that night, as I was fixing dinner, I got inspired by Ina. Ina Garten or the Barefoot Contessa is one of my heros--man, I would LOVE to be her neighbor! I know, Hamptons, rich people, etc, etc, but I just love her excitement over good friends and good food. She makes just a big of a fuss over simple mac & cheese as she would over a fancy meal.

Anyhoo, one of the ways she fixes veggies is to roast them in the oven with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a pinch of "good" salt (if you watch her show-you know what I mean!) So, channeling that, I cleaned some green onions, leaving about 4" of green and marinated them in some olive oil and balsamic. They went on the grill ( about med-high) until they were limp and had those great grill marks. Back onto a plate for a little fresh olive oil and balsamic, sprinkle of salt and serve! Yummy!

Another question I get is, "What else can I do with radishes?" Thanks to Nicole and her innovation, roasting or grilling is an option. Earlier today, inspiration struck again! I was looking for new recipes and ran across shredded diakon radishes----hmmmm, what about shredding/grating regular radishes and making a slaw-like dressing? At lunch, I went home, shredded up 2 red and 2 white radishes, added a little rice vinegar and olive oil and salt. YUMMY! This would make a great addition to a fish dish (tilapia anyone? You can get it at the market!) or with ribs (again, available at our market, too) or just on its own. We will have plenty of radishes this week, so get an extra bunch to try.

What will we have? I'm glad you asked!

• Head lettuce-mostly Red Oak Leaf, maybe some other kinds
• Leaf lettuce
• Red, white & French Breakfast radishes
• Watermelon radishes-different! These have some bite to them, but would be good shredded
• Zucchini--dust off your zucchini bread recipes! It's that time!
• Summer squash
• Broccoli
• Leeks--National symbol of Wales and a member of the Onion family--try them grilled
  
• Green Onions--grill these too while you're at it!
• Turnips--I grilled these, too. I actually like them this way.
• Collard greens
• Mustard greens
• Arugula

We've noticed that quite a few customers are coming prepared with canvas or re-usable bags to the market. I love seeing the Locavore bags coming back every week. It's much better for your veggies, especially the tender leafy items, in a sturdy bag. They don't get squished and the handles don't cut into your hands AND you don't have 3597523581 bags to deal with when you get home. It may seem like a little thing, but for every canvas bag, we don't use a plastic one. This cuts down on our overhead expenses (big picture) and helps us keep prices reasonable. So, collect your canvas bags, last year's school back packs, baskets, buckets or wagons! We've even seen special saddle bags made for dogs! Put your pooch to work carrying your veggies!

The market opens at 7:30 am (come early and get your coffee!) and is open until noon. Plan on staying to enjoy the musical talents of Austin Found and letting the kids explore Children's Acres. Twin Oaks & TJ Chicken will be grilling and handing out samples (do not skip this!) and WJBC will be live broadcasting. It will be a busy, fun day, so don't miss out!

See you at the market!

Lovin' Tuesdays!

Wow! Once again, Bloomington-Normal, you amaze me. The turnout at the Trailside Market was fabulous! If this was your first time to the market: Welcome! I hope I had a chance to talk with you, especially if you have questions, but if I didn't, try me next week! Also, feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions about our produce, our farm or how to prepare what you got at the market--even if you didn't get if from Mitchell Farms.

We had a great jazz group play--sorry! I forgot their name--and had people stick around for awhile to listen and visit with friends. It felt like more of an event rather than just running a errand to the market......I hope that more of you bring your chairs and friends and stay a bit and enjoy the market.

See you all next week!

Super Tuesday!

It's that time again: Tuesday's Trailside Market in Uptown Normal!

We should have good weather tomorrow afternoon, so put your canvas bags in the car now! I'll wait.........................................................Make sure your friends know about the market, too!

Summer is starting to show up here & there. The leafy crops are giving up and the weeds are winning! We try to stay ahead of the weeds, particularly around the crops, but there is only so much that you can do. We have a great crew and they work especially hard separating crops from weeds.

Zucchini is in the house. The plants are going crazy producing and are just full of little fruits. The yellow squash isn't far behind, either. If there is a new squash recipe you've been waiting all winter to try, now is your chance. In fact, we just had dinner (yes, at 9:21 pm): chicken & arugula with a side of quinoa & grilled zucchini. Other than firing up the grill and boiling some water, it's a quick meal. I'll have recipes at the stand tomorrow, so stop by and get one.

What else will we have?

• Head lettuce--Buttercrunch, Red Sails and Red Oak Leaf. This will probably be the last week for the head lettuce as its been too hot. Get it while you can!
• Leaf lettuce--the leaf lettuce experiment has been working out well, so we will bring leaf lettuce while we can
• Red, White & French Breakfast radishes--new crop and looking great!
• Green Onions
• Japanese Turnips
• Beets! Finally!!
• Collard Greens
• Mustard Greens
• Arugula
• Zucchini

It only gets better from here on out, so make Tuesday afternoons a "must-stop" for your mid week produce. The market opens at 3:30 pm and there is live music down on the west end by the Amtrak terminal.

See you there!

Week 5--summer's here and a vacation

Summer must be here--I can't believe how hot it's been! Usually we don't turn on the AC until later in June, but we've had it on for a few weeks now. The pool is up and the kids are getting good use from it when it isn't raining. So far, its been a pretty good summer activity-wise.

If you braved the rain last week, you may have noticed that Bill and I were both not at the market. We haven't taken a typical 2 week summer vacation since we've started farming, but will try to take the kids somewhere warm in the winter months. We had the opportunity to attend a weekend away in St. Louis put on by Bill's employer. It never is easy and Bill got up early on Friday to get everything picked and ready for our substitutes. On the way down, we got caught in a horrible thunderstorm and crawled on the interstate! The rain was incredible and we were amazed at how much water was in creeks, ditches and fields. We were thankful that we haven't had that much rain.

We had some free time on Saturday, so we went to some farmer's markets! Big surprise! The first market we stopped at was the Tower Grove Farmer's Market in Tower Grove park. This market is just starting its 3 year and already has a strong customer base. Since it is still fairly early in the season and many farmers in the area are struggling with weather, there weren't as many vendors at the market as we thought there would be. It's exciting to go somewhere else to see what might be different, but Tower Grove Market isn't much different than ones here in Illinois. The setting is in a small lot in a beautiful city park. There was live music, coffee (!), and tai chi nearby. We made a circuit quickly and got in line for strawberries. Who could pass that up? I chatted with some folks in line and got a cantaloupe smoothie recipe that I'll be sharing later this summer.

Our next stop was Soulard Market. The Soulard Market was established in 1779 and bills itself as the oldest public market west of the Mississippi. The market has a permenant building in the shape of an H with open areas on the legs of the H and year round stores inside the short part. Just about anything goes here; it's quite different than any other market you might find. In this area of St. Louis, there isn't a convenient grocery store near, so the market provides produce that is not locally or producer grown. The purpose of this market is a little different than what we are trying to accomplish in Bloomington or Normal and there are vendors that do grow their own items. Additionally, you can buy knock-off purses, wallets, T-shirts, pictures and other items that may not have any link to food. It's sort of a flea market vibe in one section. There are several meat vendors, flower vendors, one stall with homemade pasta and a pet shop. The highlight is the mini donut stall. The donut maker is set low enough that you can watch your baby donuts make their trip down the oil-way to be dusted in powdered sugar or drizzled with chocolate. There is usually some street entertainment around and people watching is prime.

If your summer plans include St. Louis, besides going to the zoo, arch or ballgame, try to visit one of these markets. More information on both is at www.tgmarket.org and http://stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/soulardmarket/index.html.

Back home in IL: what will the Mitchell's have this week?

• Head lettuce
• Leaf lettuce
• Red & white radishes
• Green Onions
• Japanese turnips
• Beets
• Zucchini & summer squash

This heat has not been kind to our leafy crops! We've had to say goodbye to the spinach already. These cool weather leafy greens do not like the heat and are starting to go to seed. We will have a little bit of zucchini and summer squash this Saturday, which is very exciting! Squashes are the beginning of the summer items, so this means that tomatoes (salmonella-free!), melons, eggplant and corn aren't very far behind. I didn't ask Bill, but we should be getting some green beans and sugar snap peas very soon as well. I'm sure I'm forgetting other crops, so stop by and see what we have!

I joke about the tomato problems that have been in the national news this week, but really, do you need anymore incentive to eat locally and in season?

As always, we will be at the corner of Main & Jefferson streets, ready when the market opens at 7:30 am! Bring those great re-usable canvas bags and fill them up. Also, leave me a comment--I wonder sometimes if anyone reads this!

Funny Pages

This cartoon is courtesy of my dad, Jim. He found it funny--I found it absoutely hysterical! If you had walked by my office door, you would have wondered exactly what I was doubled over about. You can click on the picture to make it larger.

My dad and step-mom, Nancy, live in beautiful Winter Haven FL, right next to the State Farm office building. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is right there! I've contemplated annexing his back yard--Mitchell Farms Produce South Ranch. Here's a shot of his back yard.



I'm jealous that I can't grow pineapples! Guess I'll have to settle for corn and melons!

Tuesday Market

Argh! I forgot to post last night! Another crazy week with soccer, dance recitals and markets. Oh, and the rain. Did I mention that? Good night nurse--stop with the rain already! We got almost an inch on Sunday/Monday. So far we haven't lost any crops to too much wet, but this is setting up just like last year when we did lose various harvests to rot and disease from too much rain in a short time. That's the life of a farmer: always a gamble with forces that you can't control or change.

By the way......even when it rains on a market day--we are still there to sell produce! Rain or shine! I much prefer the shine part and will even take a cloudy day, but plants still need harvesting even if it's raining. It is a fragile circle with the producer and customer. We both need each other; the farmers need someone to sell their produce to and the customer need to buy their produce from someone. We promise that we will be there, rain or shine with all the summer goodness that you could want. So, find the umbrella or rain jacket, grab your cloth bags and head out. It's just rain! I do understand why the crowds thin out with poor weather, as I HATE to be wet. The only time we would not be at the market is due to severe, dangerous weather when everyone should stay inside!

So, for those of you that weren't at the market Saturday--did you miss out! Not only did you have to go several days without any fresh greens, this heat is not doing many of our leafy crops any favors. Bill reported last night that some of our early lettuce has bolted(gone to seed) as well as the spinach. We may have head lettuce this week and are very unsure about next week, so if you want to enjoy one more really great salad, hop to the Trailside Market tonight. On the flip side of the heat coin is the zucchini and squash are really taking off and we should have some at a market by next week. The corn loves all this heat and rain and is growing well--we are predicting harvesting about mid-July at this point.

What will we have at the Trailside Market? Glad you asked!

• Head lettuces: Buttercrunch (far & away the favorite of everyone!), Red Sails, Xena and Giant Caesar Romaine
• Spinach: This is probably the last of the spinach as it is going to seed very rapidly.
• Leaf Lettuce: still sweet and tender. We will keep harvesting it as long as we can.
• Red & white radishes: still sweet, but getting a little more "pepper" taste
• Green onions: cool & crisp, not hot or bitter
• Turnips: these are just starting to be large enough to harvest; nice and mild taste and you can also eat the greens
• Arugula, Mustard Greens and Collards: All good leafy greens to eat raw or cook down

The Trailside Market is located next to the Amtrak station off Linden, behind Wild Country. There is parking in that lot OR park by the Children's Discovery Museum and walk over to the market. I'm in the far west spot, closest to the station! Today looks like a lovely day, so come on out!

Week 4

Good Morning Friends!

We didn't get any of the severe weather at the farm last night or any rain in Bloomington, so imagine my surprise when I turned the Weather Channel this morning and saw a huge tornado with the caption of Tazewell County! It looks like only minor damage was sustained to some outbuildings. We know quite a few farmers in that area, so we hope that they are safe (most importantly) and that their crops weren't damaged.

We've had over 2.5 inches of rain in the past two days--everything is soggy! Luckily, many of our fields drain fairly well, but when the ground is saturated and there is even MORE rain, it makes planting, growing and harvesting crops very difficult. Bill's most immediate worry other than severe weather that includes hail (hail will make grown farmers cry!) is not being able to get into the field to continue planting sweet corn. Soft, wet ground and big, heavy tractors don't mix. Plus, the seed sits in the wet grounds and will rot. Patience is a farmer's friend, but often times the weather is not but you do what you can.

Bill is taking off work early to go out and plant the 2nd crop of muskmelon today. The first crop is in and doing well and is on schedule. The watermelon are doing wonderfully so far. We are cautiously optomistic about the watermelon and all the rain: last July, we endured 10" of rain in about 8 days and it wiped out our first watermelon crop. This year, they are in a different field that has better drainage to minimize any ponding or water build up.

I was joking with another farmer at the Uptown Normal market Tuesday about how we work so hard, but what we all excel at is growing weeds! The weeds are becoming a problem with all the rain and warm weather. We don't spray for weeds (save for exceptional outbreaks in the watermelon or sweet corn) and who wants to hand weed 30 acres? We do what we can by hand weeding in the rows while picking or by mowing/weed wacking.

Part of eating locally and seasonally is that items come and go. Just a few weeks ago, we welcomed spring with lettuces, radishes and green onions. If you remember, it also was cold enough to wear coats and long sleeves! The old saw about the Midwest is if you want the weather to change, just wait 5 minutes. So true! Today at 8:09 am, the temperature is 75 degrees with temperatures projected to be in the 90 degree range for the next week.

While we are welcoming warmer weather, it means beginning to say to good bye to some of the early spring vegetables. Consistent temperatures in the 80's and 90's will make most lettuces and spinach bolt and the heat will turn radishes from sweet to hot. However, the heat loving squashes, sweet corn, melons and cucumbers really start to grow fast with the hot, humid weather. One season's end is another season's beginning. The sugar snap peas are just about blooming, with the green beans coming in close behind. Bill is predicting that we might have summer squash in about 10 days!

I am still amazed that there are people on this planet that have NEVER eaten a radish! Often times, their only experience has been a limp, soft disk in a restaurant salad and they don't give that poor veggie a second chance. In the Midwest, you can't have spring without radishes. It's a law, actually! I've always eaten them raw, sometimes with a little salt or ranch dressing. Then, last night, we GRILLED them. Oh. MY. It was a completely different taste than eating radishes raw. One of our CSA members, Nicole, told me that they had grilled their CSA radishes with a meal last week. She convinced me that grilled radishes were the bomb and I really, really needed to try it. This is so simple: clean radishes (red ones work best), cut off root and top. Put in zip top bag with olive oil, salt, pepper and Lawry's Seasoning; shake. Use a grill pan or skewer (like kabobs) and grill until soft on the outside, but still a little crunchy on the inside. There are so many other herb & spice variations that you could try--so experiment this weekend!

So, what will we have this Saturday?

• A variety of our loose head lettuces: Red Sails, Green & Red Oak leaf, Xena, Buttercrunch, Giant Caesar Romaine. The opportunity for these delights is ending fairly soon, so if you haven't had any yet, get some!
• Leaf lettuce--We've kept the leaf lettuce covered in the raised bed in the back yard, so we may be able to keep it going for a few more weeks.
• Spinach--this has been fabulous this spring: crisp, cool and so healthy! A bag will last at least a week in the fridge.
• Red and white radishes--these beauties have been so sweet and good, but will start getting a little more "peppery" as the weather heats up. Enjoy them now! Grill them!
  
• Green onions--a spring staple. Use the entire shoot in salads or the greens as a garnish with your meals.
  
• Spring turnips--FINALLY--all you turnip fans can cheer now! Cook down the greens, roast the roots and nothing goes to waste.
• Mustard greens--this leafy plant is new to us this year. I've only had it in a salad so far, but is it also good cooked or lightly wilted. Mustard greens have a little more pungent taste than collards or other greens and are high in vitamins A & K.
• Arugula--another green that is new and we love it! Bill couldn't get over the aroma while he was picking it for our CSA. Arugula has a rich, peppery taste. I think eaten raw it has a bit of a nutty flavor to it. It can be eaten raw or cooked. An easy way is to mix the leaves with pasta and let it wilt. Bill just can't get over how much he likes the taste and wishes he had been growing it sooner!

This weekend Bill and I will be in St. Louis for a work function for Bill. Duty calls and we try to be team players! :) Bill's dad, Larry, and our very good friend, Kyle, will be subbing for us, so stop by and say hi! Many of you will remember Kyle from last year, but it's been a few years since Larry has been to the market. The market has grown quite a bit since he's been here; in fact, vendors were still facing the sidewalks the last time he came with us. So, don't be surprised to see different faces in the orange shirts.

Remember, that the market starts at 7:30 am and runs until noon. Don't forget your canvas & recyclable bags!

Trailside market this Tuesday

Thank you to everyone that checked with Bill on Saturday to see if Allie and I were safe in Indy! It was an interesting and very long night, but the most severe weather stayed to our north. Our team had a good time at their tournament and we got to see our girls play some great soccer!

This week the Trailside Market in Normal will start! We are just getting to the point where we have to start picking during the week, so this market is starting just in time. If you find that you don't have time on Saturday or just like to sleep in, don't miss this opportunity to get some fresh, local produce. We have a good mix of producers, so there should be lots to choose from.

We will continue to have a variety of head lettuces, spinach, leaf lettuce, radishes and onions. The season for these spring goodies is quickly coming to an end with the consistent warmer weather, so now is the time to enjoy a really good salad.

The Trailside Market is beginning its fourth year in Normal. The first two years we pretty rough, as word didn't spread as quickly as we thought it might. Last year was a very trying year trying to sell produce in between large earth moving equipment! The town quickly found us a nice spot next to the Amtrak station--we're the only market in Illinois that has a rail stop! We really do get some passengers from the train that take advantage of the stop to get some fresh, local produce. Once the Uptown Normal project is complete, we will be moved to yet another location, but I'm sure it will be nice! The Town of Normal is committed to the Market and is working hard to make it a success.

The Trailside Market is located in the Parkinson Street parking lot, next to the Amtrak station. Market hours have changed for this year: the bell will ring to open the market at 3:30 pm and the market will stay open until 6 pm. A new addition to the market is entertainment! There will be musical performances at the east end of the market, right next to our stand. So bring your re-usable bags and stay for a bit to enjoy our musical entertainment.

See you tomorrow at 3:30!