C.S.A. Week 14

It was a weekend of bulk harvesting. Kyle and I were at the Albany town forest on Friday gathering our winter squash. The previous cold nights had killed and flattened the plants, but the fruit was still underneath a tangled matte of waist high weeds. We spent the afternoon clipping the fruits from the vines and then collecting them into easy to grab piles. Our truck was certainly close to its weight capacity by the time we left, with my two farmer friends filling their vehicles and a trailer to the brim as well. I returned Saturday morning in the Subaru and filled the back, probably exceeding load recommendations again. From there on Saturday, Joni, Homer, a friend, and I continued on to Evans Notch where we met up with another to hike Blueberry Mountain. It was a beautiful clear fall day, and on the way down, our friend suggested we diverge from the trail to follow the river down to the road. We were treated to a series of beautiful carved out pools of ice cold water, some still deeper than head-height despite the drought. We were able to hop rocks down the river, myself going a bit slower with Joni in the backpack. As the river flattened out we suddenly popped out in the back of this stunning property sitting in the middle of a field filled with the most beautiful apple orchard. Although the bush whacking was proposed causally, my friend knew where he was leading us, this being a property he regularly caretakes for. I pulled Joni out and we all sat under the trees soaking up the sun and eating the apples, Homer too. We all filled our backpacks, and eventually made our way back to the car. We must have made for a ridiculous sight in the parking lot, the Subaru filled to the brim with squash and apples, one baby, a dog, and three adults. But I bring to the share courtesy of our Evans Notch adventure, mountain apples.

In the Share

• Carmen Sweet peppers

• Sweet Dumpling Winter Squash

• Mini Butternut Squash

• Carrots

• Mountain Apples and Valley Pears

• Eggplant

• Head Lettuce

• Purple Radishes

  -We will have cabbage out as extra, take some -or-none