Oh hello! And happy summer! The longest day of the year is just behind us, and the harvests are beginning to show it. I’ve been delighted to see many of you at the farmers’ markets so far this season. I’m excited to be back in written communication too.
The Madison and New Haven farmers’ markets are in full swing! Plant sale seedlings are on their way out for the year. Our food and flower offerings will continue to grow as the plants soak up the summer sun. You can also find Four Root Farm at a new market this year in East Haddam on Wednesdays from 3:30 - 6:30pm at Grange Hall. A variety of Four Root Farmers and other local residents will be representing the farm at this market. I know that the farm founders are looking forward to this opportunity to connect with people face-to-face in the town that they’ve called home for the past 9 years. Come say hi!
If you’re shopping at any of the markets (or on the online store) in the next couple weeks, you’ll be greeted with a variety of food. Salad mix, kale, chinese broccoli, and radishes will all hang around for a while. However, the real treats of June are the ever-ephemeral peas! We harvest them for just a few weeks in June and July, and I happen to think that it’s the most wonderful time of the year. I’ve eaten approximately 84,392 sugar snaps so far and am about to turn into one. If you see a walking, talking pea at the checkout table this weekend, that’s me.
Snow peas and shelling peas are back as well for the first time in years! Try out some of the new varieties and weigh in on whether we should grow them again next year. And speaking of new, there’s been an adorable addition to the farm this year…
Kimi, the mini truck! She hails from Kimitsu, Japan, and she is my favorite thing to ever happen on Four Root Farm (until we get a fluffy cow). Don’t let her size fool you! This girl can do anything a normal truck can, and she can do it with a tighter turning radius. I believe 23 seedling trays in the bed is the record so far? You can count for yourself below, and I’ll let you know when the record gets broken.
And in a final bit of fun personal news, a FRF contingent gathered at Beets & Blooms Farm last weekend to celebrate the wedding of Brittany and Caley! The blog post from September 2022 highlights these two long-time Four Root Farm employees and their new farm in East Hampton, CT. We were so honored to celebrate with them on a beautiful day on their beautiful property. In true farmer-fashion, Rachel secured special permission to take an unguided tour around their fields, Elise saved earthworms who tried to join the dance floor, and Caley lamented afterwards that she didn’t take the opportunity to show everyone their new dibbler (a farm tool used for spacing seedlings while planting). It was such a joy to be part of their celebration, and we stayed up dancing until waaaaay past my bedtime.
Maybe I’ll find Caley still out there in the pea forest!
I would share a photo of the farmers all cleaned up and dressed fancy, but we can’t have that sort of evidence out on the Internet. (Just kidding! We actually just had such an amazing time that I don’t think anyone stopped dancing long enough to take a photo.)
I think that’s all for now! If you need me, I’ll be in the peas.
-Kiersten
