The past few weeks have marked a huge shift on the farm as the hot weather has brought us out of spring’s preparations and into the thick of summer farming. At Red Dog, summer is marked by our big fruit harvests, which require all hands on deck to keep up with abundant and generous plants. Here, we consider plants to be “fruits” when they produce a product that needs to be harvested within a certain window of ripeness. This includes plants such as zucchini, cauliflower, and beans, to the confusion of new farm crew. Tuesdays and Fridays are our big fruit days, and we harvest everything that is ripe enough to taste good and would be past its peak if left on the plant until the next harvest day. Our harvest manager does an incredible job of predicting crop yields so that we can quickly share the bounty with our community.

I find it beautiful how patterns on the farm mimic the rise and fall of the fruit production of our plants. Perhaps most importantly, the number of people working here slowly increases throughout the spring, so that when strawberry season arrives, we have enough manpower to harvest them all. Fruit harvests can be very joyful and its especially rewarding to tune into the growth patterns of plants and learn exactly when to capture their peak sweetness. Yet, they can also be taxing on the body and harvests often require bending over in the same position for many hours. That’s why it is wonderful to be surrounded by a great crew, enabling us to move quickly through each crop, surrounded by laughter.

I notice that my excitement and cravings for crops also mimic their natural arcs. The first strawberries of spring tasted heavenly, and I happily popped damaged ones in my mouth while harvesting. As I become accustomed to their abundance, I begin to crave new flavors and find myself reaching over to pluck a bursting snap pea from the adjacent bed. The last big flush of strawberries will be perfectly timed so that I cannot fathom eating more, and instead preserve the sweetness as jam for future months.

We’ve got so many great fruits in store this season, and as CSA members you get to share in the bounty. I hope you enjoy your strawberries and peas this week, and know you are aligning your tastes with the current abundance of the farm!

~Viv