Weekly Farm Report
From Friendship Farms & Fare
Week of December 7, 2015
A Community Service To West Pasco’s Urban Agriculture Community
For complete Farm Report, go to:
http://media.wix.com/ugd/643592_d48880957c6146ba94b98ef5100a5d1c.pdf
Garden Overview
Harvests improved last week.
Most the New South Garden is now planted. We planted more collards in the central section, but there is still more to do. We’ll continue to work with tomatoes and bell peppers. We are doing well with the peppers, and a couple of our tomatoes are over six-feet high.
Kale is doing much better. Only the Swiss Chard is struggling. There has been a lot of predation of the Chard.
We started broccoli and Red Russian Kale seeds last week. We’ll do another round of broccoli this week and Scarlet Kale.
See the Share Report for all items.
For all plantings, we use seeds from our collection or heirloom seeds from Seed Savers Exchange (http://www.seedsavers.org/).
Grand Gardens In the News
The newest community garden in New Port Richey received nice coverage in the Pasco Times. Here is a link:
Collards Making Progress
Collards continue to pick up. The cooler weather has accelerated their growth.
So far this fall, it has been just too hot for these cool weather plants to develop nice full heads, but that is changing, and we do have enough to supply all shares with larger quantities this week. We filled 3 2-gallon bags last week. We can do at least that well this week.
Kale Starting to Pick Up
Kale is starting to pick up a bit. The heat has been harder on the kale than the collards, so the modest cooling trend has been most helpful for the kale. Small kale offerings can be included in all shares, if requested.
Arugula Available
One of our fall favorites, Arugula, is doing very well. We have leaves available in medium sizes this week. The plants starting to take off, and most are healthy and strong.
Sweet Potato Leaves
True! Due to the extreme heat, the sweet potato roots and missed spuds are generating new vines. There are quite a lot throughout the gardens. We’ll include these wonderful summer greens in your share if you like. We’ll keep them on the list until we cold weather.
Old Florida Duncan (White) Grapefruit
We have some early grapefruit from Bartlett’s Forgotten Grove. They might be “near ripe,” but those sampled by the local farm community give a thumbs up. One sampler suggested they needed to be a little more ripe. Some might be a bit soft.
They are on the share list this week, so put in your request. It is possible that greening has come to the forgotten grove. This might be the last year for grapefruit.
Scotch Bonnet Peppers
Here is a new fiery hot pepper for our garden friends – the Scotch Bonnet. This is a Jamaican-bread pepper, which reportedly is similar to Habanero. Our Bonnets are larger than our Habaneros, which might be the result of some cross pollination with our bell peppers. Crosspollination would also explain their relatively milder taste. Make no mistake these are fiery hot peppers. Ours are just a little milder than our Habaneros.
Here is little comparison of the Bonnets with the Habaneros. http://bostonjerkfest.com/the-tale-of-two-peppers-what-makes-the-scotch-bonnet-different-from-the-habenero/
Sweet Bell Peppers
Our Carolina Wonders and Charleston Belles are finally producing peppers. These are delicious sweet bell peppers. We’ve not had Bells in significant numbers for a while, but this season is looking pretty good. Bell peppers will be available only by request this week – and hopefully we’ll have some.
IN THE SPIRIT OF THE HOLIDAYS
Friendship Farms & Fare Teams Up With Others
For First Organic Food Drive in New Port Richey
Highest Quality Food For Less Fortunate Neighbors
Friendship Farms & Fare join the Green Commerce Association in sponsoring the first organic food drive in New Port Richey. Folks are asked to contribute certified USDA organic food (cans and boxes only) for distribution to low-income, hungry, and otherwise less fortunate folks in the area.
Green Commerce Association is leading a coalition of ecological and community-sustaining organizations to promote this one-of-a-kind project.
This will be a holiday food drive, from November 28 through December 22.
Drop off locations are being developed. Thus far, we are pleased to report locations at Rose’s Bistro Off Main, Sun Toyota, and Wright’s Nutrients. Others will soon follow. We will receive only USDA certified organic food in cans or boxes – no produce or perishables
Besides Friendship Farms & Fare, joining Green Commerce Association is Nature Coast Real Food Project, Ecology Florida, East Madison Growers, and Volunteer Way. Business supporters are Rose’s Bistro Off Main, Sun Toyota, and Wright’s Nutrients.
Judging from the content of many collection containers, too often food shared in support of the less fortunate is low quality, highly processed, perhaps unhealthy, likely genetically modified, and almost never organic. Why not give the best to those in greatest need?
Why give poor food to folks reaching out for sustenance? Why not express our care, compassion, and kindness in a thoughtful manner, by taking a just a little time to find high-quality, nutritious organic food to share with those who would most benefit? Why not, indeed!
Let’s get together to make an immediate happy change in the way we think about those we help. Let’s share healthy, nutritious, and good food with those reaching out for nourishment. Green Commerce Association asks all members and the general public to join us.
Contributions can be sent to:
Friendship Farms & Fare
PO Box 596
New Port Richey, FL 34656-0596
You can also donate through the Ecology Florida PayPal platform. See the donate button on the Ecology Florida website: www.EcologyFlorida.org <http://www.EcologyFlorida.org>
You can also share financial support directly with the Farmer or our volunteers. All resources received for this event are tax-deductable and will be used exclusively to purchase food for the food drive.
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Visit the Friendship Farms & Fare website for the Weekly Farm Report:
http://www.fffsite.org/#!report/c1tuh
Contact us via email, at: http://www.fffsite.org/#!contact/cl4l
Friendship Farms & Fare is a branch of Ecology Florida, a not-for-profit corporation. Contributions to Friendship Farms & Fare and Ecology Florida are tax deductible. To learn more about Ecology Florida, please visit the website:
http://www.ecologyflorida.org/
If you would like to support our mission and individual projects, you may share donations through our website (above) or at our mailing address:
Ecology Florida
PO Box 596
New Port Richey, FL 34656-0596
Friendship Farms & Fare reaffirms, restores, and advances agrarian ideals to reestablish a sustainable culture
http://www.fffsite.org/
Natural, Economic, Cultural…bringing three ecologies together to regenerate a resilient future for all.
PO Box 596 ● New Port Richey, Florida 34656-0596
Ecology Florida advances the harmonious integration of healthy natural, cultural, and economic ecologies to regenerate a sustainable world
