What’s Inside This Week?
July 2, 2026
Essentials Box
- Avocados, 2lbs, $10.00
- Lettuce Head, 1ct, $3.00
- Apricot, 1lb, $4.00
- Tomato, 1–2ct, $4.00
- Garlic, 1ct, $2.00
Original Box
- Essentials Box, plus:
- Arugula, 8oz, $5.00
- Beets, 1 bu, $4.00
- Lemon Cucumber, 1lb, $4.00
- Green Beans, 1lb, $5.00
Hearty Box
- Original Box, plus:
- Kohlrabi, 1ct, $2.00
- Baby Kale, 8oz, $5.00
- Squash Mix, 1lb, $3.00
- Basil, 3oz, $3.00
Down to the wire — we need you at the hearing on July 7th
Our county tax appeal hearing is one week away, and we are asking, as directly as we can, for your help. Santa Barbara County assessed a retroactive lodging tax against our farm totaling over $65,000 in back taxes, penalties, and interest. We need the county to understand how our programs have benefited this community: the honor-system farm stand that builds trust and offers affordable produce to everyone, free farm box deliveries to families in Lompoc, free self-guided farm tours, and free tours for school-aged kids and special needs adults.
If you’ve experienced any of these programs and want to see them continue, please send a letter of support to Santa Barbara County. And if you’re willing and able, please join us in person:
9:00 AM, Tuesday July 7th
County Administration Building, Board Hearing Room, 4th Floor
105 East Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara
Visit dare2dreamtotappeal.com to read the full story and send your letter. This matters more than we can fully express.
Big news — LFPA funding is secured!
The Governor signed the FY 26–27 budget this week, and $15 million for the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program (LFPA) has been secured to keep this program going for another year. This was one of the toughest budget cycles in recent memory, and this win belongs to every single person who called, wrote, or showed up over the past six months. Thank you. Truly.
Field Notes
The apricots have started ripening on the trees, and we mean this literally: they taste like candy. They’re small this year, but that’s by design — we don’t overwater our apricot trees, and less water means more concentrated sugar in every bite. There’s a short window every year when tree-ripened apricots hit their peak, and we’re right in the middle of it. If you’ve only had grocery store apricots, this week’s box is about to change your mind entirely.
The garlic is curing and drying and nearly ready for storage — you’ll see some in your box this week, fresh from that process. Curing garlic properly takes patience: it has to dry slowly and completely before it goes into storage, because any dampness trapped inside a bulb invites mold and rot. It’s one of those unglamorous but essential jobs that determines whether a whole season of garlic makes it to your kitchen or spoils in the shed.
Wade giving this week’s apricots a taste test in front of the farm stand. Verdict: candy.
Wyatt with the rescued baby bird — likely a dark-eyed junco, found after its mother turned up in our barn.
The tomatoes are growing vigorously now, and we’ve been busy weeding, trellising, and working to fill every available inch of the garden as summer ramps up. We’ve also given the greenhouse a new purpose — transforming it into a dedicated microgreen and seedling space. With Myron’s stable, experienced leadership back on the garden, we’re looking forward to growing fresh radish, sunflower, and pea shoots in the weeks ahead.
We also had a little rescue mission this week. The kids found a baby bird whose mother had been discovered in our barn, and they were worried it wouldn’t have anyone to care for it. The little one could already fly, but the kids gave it moist dog food to make sure its nutrition needs were met while it found its footing. Best guess is it’s a dark-eyed junco — they tend to nest around our tractor barn every year, so this isn’t our first junco rescue and probably won’t be our last.
And a very sweet piece of news from the barnyard: one of the little ladies from our very first litter of baby pigs has had her first litter of piglets. Watching that circle continue — pigs we raised now raising their own — is exactly the kind of moment that reminds us why we do this.
New piglets from one of our very first pigs. The farm keeps growing in every direction.
One more thing — if you’re planning some safe and sane fireworks for the 4th, Jeremy, Megan, and the Raff kids are running the Lompoc Grange #646 Fireworks Booth at Tractor Supply Co. (1600 North H St.) all week through Saturday, celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. All proceeds help remodel the Grange kitchen into a commercial kitchen so it can host free community events for years to come. We’d love your support if you’re in the market.
Storage Tips
Greens: lettuce head, arugula, baby kale → wrap in a towel, bag in the fridge; use within 5–7 days.
Roots: beets → fridge crisper, bagged; remove greens if attached and store separately.
Brassicas: kohlrabi → fridge crisper, loosely bagged; keeps 1–2 weeks.
Alliums: garlic → cool, dry, dark place with airflow; do not refrigerate.
Legumes: green beans → fridge crisper, unwashed, loosely bagged; best within 4–5 days.
Squash: squash mix → fridge crisper, unwashed, loosely bagged; best within 4–5 days.
Herbs: basil → jar of water on the counter, never the fridge.
Fruit: apricots → counter to ripen, fridge once soft; use within 2–3 days. Tomatoes → counter, never the fridge, use within a few days. Avocado → counter to ripen, then fridge. Lemon cucumber → fridge crisper, unwashed; use within 5 days.
Roasted Kohlrabi & Beet Salad with Baby Kale
A roasted kohlrabi beet salad turns two of the season’s most underrated vegetables into something genuinely craveable — sweet, caramelized, and tossed with peppery baby kale and a bright garlic vinaigrette. This roasted kohlrabi beet salad is hearty enough for dinner and pretty enough for company.
Ingredients
- 1 kohlrabi, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 bunch beets, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 4 cups baby kale
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
- 2 tbsp toasted walnuts or pepitas
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss kohlrabi and beets with 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper on a sheet pan.
- Roast 30–35 minutes, stirring halfway, until deeply golden and fork-tender.
- While vegetables roast, whisk remaining olive oil with garlic, vinegar, and mustard for the dressing.
- Place baby kale in a large bowl. Add warm roasted vegetables directly on top — the heat will lightly wilt the kale.
- Drizzle with dressing and toss gently. Top with goat cheese and toasted nuts. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Roasted kohlrabi beet salad — why this pairing works
A roasted kohlrabi beet salad works because both vegetables share a similar sweetness once roasted, but arrive at it from completely different textures. Kohlrabi, a member of the brassica family often described as tasting like a cross between broccoli stem and apple, turns tender and mild when roasted — its natural peppery edge mellows into something almost sweet. Beets, already earthy and sweet raw, become even more concentrated and caramelized under high heat. Together they create a roasted kohlrabi beet salad with real depth.
The warm roasted vegetables poured directly over the baby kale is intentional — the residual heat lightly wilts the kale just enough to soften its texture and mellow its bite, without losing its structure entirely. If you prefer your greens fully raw and crisp, simply let the roasted vegetables cool for ten minutes before combining.
This dish also travels beautifully, holds up well for meal prep, and tastes just as good — some would say better — the next day, once the flavors have had time to sit together. If kohlrabi is new to you, this roasted kohlrabi beet salad is one of the best ways to be introduced: mild, sweet, and completely unintimidating once it’s out of its slightly odd-looking raw form and into the oven.
Looking for a farm box Lompoc families trust? Fresh, local, and delivered weekly from our canyon to your table.
Get Started — Join the Farm