6/24/26 River Otter & other creatures on the farm
Our farm is bursting with life… and that’s how it was designed. Some of the life is delightful, others not so much. Let’s call it the good, the bad and the ugly.
Let’s start with the good. Last Wednesday, Carolina caught some photos of River Otters pups cuddled up in the crook of a redwood tree just 15 feet from one four lower ponds but also 25 feet from our lower field where they were harvesting beets for you (photos went out in the email last Wednesday). The inspiration for this farm was creating a place for nature to thrive where we could support the native ecosystem for Mother Nature while also being productive for us humans (growing food).
River otters are adorably cute but that’s not why we’re as excited by them. They are a mammalian predator. We doubt they’re hunting gophers, although we would do cartwheels down the squash aisles if they were, they are still a sign of a healthy ecosystem. Especially if they’re raising their pups on our property! Otters need habitat, clean water, food, and enough wildness around them to feel at home. They’re not an animal that shows up in a sterile or simplified landscape. This farm, although only 8 acres has ponds, hedgerows, trees, insects, birds, amphibians, and messy edges, is functioning as more than a production field. It’s functioning as habitat.
The same ecological richness that brings otters also supports all the less glamorous creatures that help keep a farm in balance: predatory beetles, spiders, birds, snakes, frogs, bats, raptors, parasitic wasps, and soil organisms we’ll never see but rely on every day. We don’t think of the farm as separate from nature; we think of it as part of a web, and our job is to make that web stronger and more resilient over time.
Now let’s talk about the bad. Yes, it could be the gophers. It is often the gophers. But at the moment cucumber beetles are top of mind. They, along with slugs, are some of the most frustrating insect pests on the farm because they can do real damage in a very short amount of time.
If you’ve picked up cucumbers from us recently, you may notice a bit of cosmetic battle damage on their skin: scarring and rough grey patches. This is the ugly. They chew on cucumber leaves, flowers, and fruit, and when pressure is high the fruit can come out looking a little roughed up. The good news is that the cucumbers are still delicious.
When we have issues with pests like these, you know us: we never reach for pesticides. We do not use sprays of any sort. Instead, we think about balance. Who is their predator? What conditions are helping the pest thrive? How can we shift the farm toward more resilience and less outbreak?
Sometimes that predator is us through mechanical means (a trap). Sometimes it’s habitat and patience. With gophers, we ask whether we have enough support for raptors, weasels, gopher snakes, owls, and even our barn cats. With slugs, we think about beetles, ground spiders, frogs, ducks in some systems, and the moist habitat they prefer. With cucumber beetles, we’re thinking about birds, beneficial insects, and the soil food web too including beneficial nematodes that can prey on the beetles in vulnerable stages of their life cycle.
Last winter in anticipation of a lot of cucumber beetles this year we brought in a lot of nematodes into our hoop houses. We also planted a thick skinned cucumber as the first crop (these have rounded ends) and then we brought in our favorite Asian varieties (this are the very thin skinned ones). It’s all part of working with nature. We love it despite occasionally having to deal with the bad and the ugly.
This Week’s Classic Box
Cherokee Red Head Lettuce
Toscano (SR) OR Rainbow Chard (WC)
Escarole Chicory & Napa Cabbage
Summer Squash (SR) OR Cucumbers (WC)
Herb: Parsley (SR) OR Basil (WC)
Garlic Scapes
This Week’s Family Box
Cherokee Red Head Lettuce
Toscano (SR) OR Rainbow Chard (WC)
Broccolini & Baby Bok Choi
Summer Squash (SR) OR Cucumbers (WC)
Herb: Parsley (SR) OR Basil (WC)
Garlic Scapes & Carrots
Strawberries
Produce Notes & Recipes
There were a lot of rotations between not only Santa Rosa and West County but also Classic vs Family so there are two listings above to help clarify. The CSA is such a huge part of our farm having rotations means we get a you all the best of what’s out there. Our Farm Manager Sean puts a lot of thought with Elizabeth curating the boxes but we get it’s confusing.
This week Family Boxes also have Strawberries. We’re hoping to start having a stronger rotation with them.
Also, watch out as we’ll soon start offering some of our summer add on subscriptions like our Summer Pint Share and extra Tomatoes. These items will be in the boxes but automatically will get more of them to these members.
Today you have a big head of Cherokee Red Lettuce. These Cherokee were something we discovered last season as very heat tolerant and so a big summer head for us. We hope you enjoy them.
Classic Boxes have also a big head of Escarole plus Napa Cabbage and a Bunching Green so let’s work on some greens recipes here.
Escarole is more often thought of as a cool-season green, but we love slipping it into the CSA now and then because it bridges the gap between salad greens and cooking greens beautifully. The tender inner leaves are lovely raw, while the sturdier outer leaves mellow into something silky and rich when wilted or sautéed. Escarole with garlic scapes would make an amazing Ceasar type salad but since you have a lot of lettuce I’m going to focus on a cooked recipe.
Warm Escarole with Garlic Scapes, Summer Squash & White Beans
1 medium head escarole
2 garlic scapes, thinly sliced
2 Tbs olive oil
1 medium summer squash, halved and sliced
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
Black pepper to taste
Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
2 Tbs water or broth
¼ cup chopped parsley
Lemon wedges, for serving
Optional: grated parmesan
Wash the escarole well and roughly chop it.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic scapes and cook for 1–2 minutes, until fragrant and just beginning to soften.
Add the summer squash, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Cook 3–4 minutes, until the squash is just tender.
Add the white beans and stir to warm through. Add the escarole and the water or broth. Toss everything together and cook until the escarole wilts down, 2–4 minutes.
Stir in the parsley, taste, and adjust salt or lemon as needed. Serve warm with a squeeze of lemon and parmesan if you like.
If you didn’t have a box last week, check out our write up on Garlic Scapes (I gave a garlic scape pesto recipe). This is our second and last week of them. Of note… these store amazingly well, so keep them, don’t feel you need to eat them right away. Use them almost anywhere you’d use garlic cloves, but with a fresher, greener, less intense flavor: slice them thin for salad dressings, mince them into vinaigrettes, blend them into pesto, or sauté them as the aromatic base for eggs, pasta, greens, stir-fries, or roasted vegetables. As a rough guide, 1 garlic scape = about 1–2 cloves of garlic, depending on size and how garlicky you want the dish.
Napa Cabbage & Cucumber Slaw with Basil-Lime Dressing
Serves: 4
½ to 1 head Napa cabbage, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
1–2 cucumbers, thinly sliced into half-moons
½ cup loosely packed basil leaves, chopped or torn
1 garlic scape, very thinly sliced (optional)
2 tbsp rice vinegar or lime juice
2 tbsp olive oil or neutral oil
1 tsp honey or maple syrup
Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional: toasted sesame seeds or chopped peanuts for topping
Prep the vegetables: Thinly slice Napa cabbage and cucumbers. Chop or tear basil. If using, slice scallions or red onion.
Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice (or vinegar), oil, honey, salt, and pepper.
Toss together: In a large bowl, combine cabbage, cucumber, basil, and onion. Pour dressing over and toss well.
Let sit (optional): Let slaw sit for 10–15 minutes for the flavors to meld, or serve immediately.
Serve: Top with toasted sesame seeds or chopped peanuts if desired. Great on its own, or alongside grilled proteins, rice dishes, or in wraps.
Extra Shares
Flower Share: 🌻 Sunflower Focus
Lettuce Share: Lettuce Leaf Mix 🥬
Bunched Greens Share: Red Russian Kale
Herb Share: Dill
Eggs Share: 🥚🥚 EGG NOTE!! 🥚🥚 Feel free to send us back your clean egg cartons to get reused.Extra Shares