Monday, we welcomed two new WWOOFers, Isa and Susanna — close friends from Rhode Island who decided to take one last adventure together before heading off to different colleges next year. They arrived ready to dive in, and within a day they were already moving through garden tasks like they’ve been here for weeks. It’s always energizing to watch new people find their rhythm on the farm, and these two are a natural fit. Plus, the weather made for a wonderful welcome party!
We finally tore out the remnants of the old cherry tomato beds — stakes, twine, and all — and worked the area back into the soil with generous amounts of our chicken-manure compost. It’s one of those jobs that feels both satisfying and a little bittersweet; those plants served us well this year.
After working the compost in, we shaped new rows and got the beds ready for our next crop of broccoli. The marigolds and sunset dahlias finally had their final moment — we mowed them in to clear room for cauliflower. The garden rolls forward whether we’re ready or not.
In the past few weeks, we’ve planted red cabbage, carrots, gold beets, parsnips, snow peas, fava beans, romaine lettuce, red leaf lettuce, pak choi, arugula, dill, lettuce mix, cilantro, provider bush beans, red beets, and onions. The beautiful weather that followed the abundant rain, has turned everything green, green, green and nourished our seeds and starts … which means that our focus will be lots and lots of weeding. Yesterday, Jack spent an entire day weedwacking and singing, and there’s still so much more to do.
We also had a visit from Josh at the Santa Barbara County Agricultural Commissioner’s office. He came out to renew our farmer’s market certificate — the document that verifies we truly sell what we grow. It’s an important part of maintaining transparency and trust at the markets, and we’re always grateful when renewal season goes smoothly.
And because farm life should include a little fun amid all the soil and compost, we found a way to recycle our Halloween chicken skeleton decorations at the farm stand into some holiday spirit. A 10-foot Sandy Claws (yes — the Nightmare Before Christmas version of Santa) is now overseeing the operation, flanked by our skeleton chickens dressed in Christmas sweaters and lights.
It’s ridiculous, but lots of fun. And if it encourages our guests and customers to slow down and smile — it’s a win.
What’s Inside?
Check out what’s inside this week’s box, discover the value of the items and how to keep them fresh, and see our curated recipe using items in this week’s harvest!
Values are based on farm stand and regional farmers market pricing for comparable produce.
Know Your Veg: Napa Cabbage
This Napa cabbage comes from one of our partner farms, and it showed up looking really good this week. If you’re used to the dense green cabbage from the store, this is a whole different thing — lighter, sweeter, and way easier to work with. The leaves cook down fast, stay tender, and don’t have the strong “cabbage” flavor people sometimes avoid.
It’s one of those vegetables that fits into whatever you’re already making. Throw a handful into a stir fry, wilt it into soup, or slice it thin for a quick slaw. It holds up to heat but also tastes great raw with just citrus, salt, and a little oil. If you want something simple this week, roast your squash and pile it over some Napa cabbage with a squeeze of mandarin juice — done. (Recipe Below!)
We don’t grow Napa ourselves, so it’s fun to feature it when our partner farms have a good harvest. It’s a solid, no-fuss vegetable that fills out meals without asking for much, which honestly is exactly what we all need this time of year.
This Week’s Recipe
This week, keep it fresh and simple with an easy shredded Napa Cabbage slaw, topped with warm squash and microgreens for warmth and crunch.
