Week 11

This week you'll receive:

Leeks
Tomatoes
Potatoes
Sweet Corn
Basil

You may receive:

Peppers
Eggplant
Zucchini
Green beans

Week 10

You will receive:
potatoes
tomatoes
green beans
zucchini
parsley


and maybe:

cauliflower
eggplant
sweet corn
basil
beets
peppers

Week 9

Week 9 will be:

sweet corn
peppers
potatoes
green beans
zucchini
cucumbers


and maybe:

tomatoes
okra
cabbage
cauliflower
broccoli
turnips
beets
eggplant

Week 8

you will receive:

potatoes
onion
carrots
garlic
peppers


you might receive:

sweet corn
basil
parsley
cabbage
cauliflower
zucchini
broccoli
turnips
beets
okra
eggplant

Week 7

CSA members will receive:

potatoes
carrots
green beans
onions

you will receive at least 2 of the following:

turnips
beets
swiss chard
cabbage
eggplant
broccoli
cauliflower
zucchini
celery
peppers
basil
parsley

Week 6

This week you will receive:

Beets
Green beans
Garlic
Yukon Gold potatoes
Pearl onions
Black raspberry jam

You may receive one or more of the following, depending on what we have:

Purple cauliflower
Broccoli
Zucchini

this week

This week we're handing out...

New red potatoes
Lettuce
Green onions
Turnips
Cabbage
Swiss chard

update, FINALLY?!

Well I've been on hiatus from the blog-and life in general-to teach entomology to at Monmouth's College for Kids program. The kids just suck the energy out of me. :) Anyway, here's what you get this week:

Romaine lettuce
Green onions
Peas
Sugar snap peas
New potatoes
Kohlrabi
Parsley sprigs
Lemon basil

Kohlrabi...it's just so...weird looking.

AND, here's an excellent recipe for kohlrabi that my husband and I tried last night. We really loved it.

Ingredients

• 4 kohlrabi bulbs, peeled
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2. Cut the kohlrabi into 1/4 inch thick slices, then cut each of the slices in half. Combine olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss kohlrabi slices in the olive oil mixture to coat. Spread kohlrabi in a single layer on a baking sheet.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until browned, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally in order to brown evenly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Return to the oven to allow the Parmesan cheese to brown, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately. 

CSA Order, week of June 8th

This week you'll be receiving a similar order to last week, but with a few perks:

French breakfast radishes
Asparagus
Green onions
Swiss chard
Cimmaron, four seasons, or paris island romaine lettuce
Rhubarb
Early strawberries

CSA Order, week of June 1st

For the very first week of the CSA, we have:

Cherry bell and french breakfast radishes
Buttercrunch lettuce
Green onions
Asparagus
Swiss chard
Spinach

Things are growing outside, finally.

The weather this past week has finally been nice enough for us to get many of our starts outside. Take a look...

Here we've got garlic and horseradish, all planted last year.

This garden's got spinach, cabbage, broccoli, and tons of garlic.

Peas!

The hoop house construction project is underway and coming along steadily, though slowly. We've begun clearing the ground and the corner stakes are in place. I'll be making regular updates on its progress. We're planning to have it done by the end of this summer, so we can extend our growing season by an extra month or so (that means tomatoes in November?!).

It doesn't look like much yet, but in a few months, there will be a big greenhouse here. Really!

In other news, we still have a few spots left open in the CSA. If you're considering signing up, now is the time to do so, because we're only taking customers through June 1st. You can contact me (Dusty) through this blog or contact Eloise at e.eloise@gmail.com. You can also visit us at the Galesburg farmer's market every Saturday from 8 to 12 on Seminary Street. See you there!

Dusty

We're back! And this time, we've got Bolga Baskets!

Well it's been a while, eh? Both of my laptops died at the same time, so I've been without a computer for a month or so. But, my new one finally arrived and so the garden blog has returned!

We've been very busy these last few weeks getting all kinds of new plants started inside. Here's what we've got going so far:

-Romaine, iceburg, and leaf lettuces

so much lettuce!

-Green and purple broccoli
-White and purple cauliflower

baby cauliflower, reaching for the light...

 -Green, red, and Asian cabbages
-Kohlrabi
-Several varieties of onions and leeks
-Celery
-Herbs, including parsley, dill, lemon balm, marjoram, and others

parsley!

-Eggplant
-Several varieties of hot and sweet peppers
-...and more tomatoes than you can imagine.

endless tomatoes, in all shapes and colors.

Most everything is still growing inside, under these handy plant lights one of our friends from the farmer's market built for us.

As soon as the ground dries out a bit, pretty much everything will be going outside, save for the peppers and tomatoes. So far, we've got a few lettuces, broccoli, peas, onions, garlic, and several hundred pounds of potatoes planted outside. Our perennial vegetables (asparagus and rhubarb) and fruit trees are really taking off too. I'll post some pics of the actual gardens as soon as the weather clears a bit.

In other news, we're now selling Bolga Baskets at the upcoming markets. We've got all shapes and sizes:

 Bolga Baskets are handmade in several small villages throughout Ghana, Africa. The baskets are fairly traded and made from sustainably harvested wild grass. They're very sturdy, and I think they're pretty. If you like them, you can check them out at our stand at the Galesburg farmer's market, starting in May.

Next time: hoop house updates and outside pics!

Dusty

Time to sign up

Well, the starts are coming along well and later this month, some of them will be going in the ground outside. With the plants coming along, it's time for you to sign up for the CSA. We only have limited spots available, and it's first come, first serve. Reserve your spot soon!

Below is the official information from Eloise regarding the CSA. Check it out.

Dusty

About ‘The Garden by Eloise’

John and I have been gardening together for 27 years.  Four years ago we began selling our veggies through a CSA.  We had so much fun and success that we have continued and expanded ever since.  Our CSA includes standard vegetables such as tomatoes, potatoes, onions, sweet corn, and lettuce.  We also try new things every year like tomatillos and horseradish.  We strive to be good stewards of the soil through sustainable gardening practices such as composting, rotating crops, cover crops, and mulching. We will never be certified organic, but are always moving towards fewer chemicals of any kind. We prefer to keep our business personal by hand picking and delivering the freshest possible products.  Our daughter-in-law, Dusty Spurgeon, is joining us this year.  Dusty is a Monmouth College Biology graduate.  She helps us not only in the gardens and at markets, but in spreading the word about our gardens online. She has started a blog to keep customers up to date on what is happening with the CSA. You can share comments, look at recipes, see pictures of the gardens and more. 

What is a CSA?

Community Supported Agriculture is a connection to our buyers who share in the great benefits and possible risks of gardening.  Customers pay at the beginning of the season when gardeners’ costs are highest.  Our CSA runs  June through August.  If vacation or illness makes pick up during one of these weeks impossible, you may extend your order into September to make up for missed weeks. The cost is $275 for 13 weeks, which includes delivery to a pick-up location.  A list of fruits and vegetables will be included on the blog and with your payment, describing when each item is in season.  Galesburg pick-up will be at the Galesburg Farmers’ Market held in the parking lot between Kellogg and Seminary Streets, on Simmons Street, one block south of Main Street every Saturday from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm. Monmouth pick-up will be announced at a later date. 

          Come visit us at 126 Arizona Avenue, East Galesburg, Il 61430.  Call first to make sure we’re here at 309-289-8090.   Sign up early to reserve your membership.  Limited slots available.  Thanks for your business!  

Eloise and John Spurgeon

New Blog!

Hello everyone! This year, our CSA is going to try something different-a blog! You'll be able to check here for updates on what we're planting and when, new produce that becomes available as the seasons progress, pictures of our gardens, and general information about our CSA.

It's almost time to sign up with the CSA, so spread the word. We're looking to expand the gardens quite a bit this year. We will also have stands at several of the local farmers' markets beginning in May-check back later this spring for more details. 

We've started lots of early crops inside already. This year, much of our produce will be heirloom varieties, meaning they have not been genetically modified or hybridized. Some of these varieties are hundreds of years old. Here are just a few of our starts:

Below is baby bok choy. It only germinated a few days ago.

 These are several (but not all) of our lettuce varieties. They're growing on the back porch!

This flat has lots of different stuff: Broccoli, cauliflower, green cabbage, and red cabbage.

We've also started several varieties of herbs, leeks, and onions. Hopefully we get a good turnout!

~Dusty