Saturday, June 23, 2012

Rain, shmain! It's market time!

Umbrellas?  We don't need no stinkin' umbrellas!
So...according to the WSU ag weather station set up on Ebey's Prairie, we got .78 inches of rain yesterday.  And looking at our gray gray skies, we will probably get more today!  That's quite a bit of rain for us in June, our typical average rainfall is 1.31 inches in June.  I would imagine we are already there for the month.
Rain?  We are coming to GET YOU!  Attack the rain!
So what do farmers do when it rains?  Grin and wear it! 
Yesterday the crew went out and got thoroughly soaked.  Why?  Well...because it was a work day and we had stuff that needed to get done.  Like picking for the farmer's market today!  And because I'm a contrary cuss, we picked like crazy yesterday.  We have, I think, the most and best selection of the year yet for today's market.  Of course, with more rain predicted today, many market vendors would scale down their offerings or, gasp, not even show up at the market at all.  Why?  Because traffic is severely reduced at markets when the weather is anything other than bright and sunny.  So this is where YOU COME IN.  You see, this is the thing about supporting local food.  It's not always convenient.  And it's not always easy.  And sometimes, just sometimes, we are all gonna have to get a little bit wet to get it.
So....the crew here at Willowood Farm will make you a deal.  We will go out and get ourselves completely soaking, dripping, squelching in the rubber boots wet to make sure we can bring food to market for you.  And you, we'll you've got to come out and get a bit wet (okay, you can bring an umbrella...) so you can buy it!  How's that?  Deal?  Awesome!
Now...I would like to talk about Baby Pac Choi.  Why?  Because we harvested about 200 lbs of this week.  So...we are going to have the GREAT BABY PAC CHOI SALE!  I.e....lots of baby pac choi fo a good good price.  But, first you ask.  So, what's the difference between Pac Choi and Bok Choy.  And, I could get spend a lot of time telling talking about that but instead I'll get to the point.  Absolutely nothing.  Slightly different pronunciations for the same veggie.  The result of English pronunciaiton/spelling of Asian words.  Kinda like you have Nanjing/Nanking and Beijing/Peking.  But what we care about is how they taste and that is, sublime!  They are tender, sweet and so very easy to prepare.   We have a bunch of recipes we will be bringing to the market for inspiration, so...we hope you are sufficiently inspired to buy a lot cuz well, we've got a lot to sell!
And, to go with your Baby Pac Choi on this drizzly but lovely day, we have quite a few other choices including:
* Mesclun Mix (spicy salad mix)
* Arugula
* Spinach
* Japanese turnips (red and white ones!)
* Garlic scapes
* Fresh Garlic
* Kohlrabi
* Walla Walla salad onions w/ greens
* Carrots! (first of the year!)
* Beet greens
*Kale
* Chard
* Fava Beans
* Raab
* Mustard Greens
Our neighboring wet farmers at Prairie Bottom Farm are adding herb bunches and leeks to that list.  Mikey from Whidbey Green Goods is bringing (Bayview only) peas, beets, broccoli, cucumbers and hot-house tomatoes from Skagit Valley!  Blake at Ebb and Tide farm is sending over some daikon radishes.
Yep...we will have quite the selection!  So, please come see us at the Coupeville and Bayview farmer's markets today.  We will be there, rain or shine. Will you?
Farmer Georgie
Willowood Farm

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