Moonstone Gardens

More bales of cotton

2012-01-08T23:19:00.001-05:00

Bale of cotton in the field, Salome, AZ

2012-01-08T23:18:00.001-05:00

Breaking camp, south of Parker, AZ on rt 95

2012-01-08T23:16:00.001-05:00

Crossing the Colorado River, Parker, AZ

2012-01-08T23:14:00.001-05:00

Sign reads "500 miles to Gallup"

2012-01-08T23:12:00.000-05:00

Mojave Desert between 29 Palms, CA and Parker, AZ

2012-01-08T23:11:00.001-05:00

Typical mojave homestead, motor boat and all

2012-01-08T23:08:00.000-05:00

The road from Apple Valley to Lucerne Valley, CA

2012-01-08T23:07:00.001-05:00

Truck planter in Oxnard, CA

2012-01-08T23:05:00.000-05:00

2011-11-07T23:04:00.004-05:00

It is high time to have garlic in the ground! My mom and I planted some yesterday. We used a large dowel to mark the rows in a forked and raked bed. I made straight lines by laying the dowel down on it's side and pressing it into the soil. We used random sticks to make 3" deep holes and pressed our seed in. We spaced the cloves about 4" apart and the rows about 12' apart; three rows in the bed.

2011-10-20T16:03:00.000-04:00

Stashing away seeds of Rama, Krishna, Vana and Kapoor Tulsi for next season!

New Medicine

2011-09-18T23:37:00.001-04:00

Took in a bounty of two medicine plants this weekend!

Ashwaganda, a root from India used for overall vitality and stress tolerance.
Pleurisy Root, a powerful lung medicine, especially for clearing congestion. This plant is related to milkweed and also used for fiber. This native North American is also an important host plant for butterflies; hence it's other common name, Butterfly Weed. Thanks to this plant, Monarch Butterfly caterpillars made there first appearance in Moonstone Gardens this year!

2011-06-28T15:30:00.001-04:00

Week One of Harvest Shares

2011-06-26T21:39:00.000-04:00

2011-06-26T21:26:00.000-04:00

Come visit us at the Cross Mills Farmers Market!

2011-06-25T10:34:00.000-04:00

2011-06-20T07:19:00.000-04:00

Solstice Crop Update

2011-06-19T14:20:00.004-04:00

The longest daylight hours approach and the garden is almost full. Here is a list of the current and upcoming harvests.

For the rest of June:

Lettuce; Mascara and Antares Red Oakleaf varieties, Dark Green Romaine and Forellanschluss (a.k.a Flashy Trout Back) Cos Varieties. All of these lettuce varieties come from Wild Garden Seed in Oregon. Check out their site and catalog for many details and interesting essays.
Calendula; Mix of Zeolights, Flaskback, Maya Orange and our own volunteer variety.
Sunflowers Autumn Beauty and various others
Carrots; Danvers 126 and Purple Haze (2 weeks)
Beets; Three Root Grex, Touchstone Gold, Cylindra and Early Wonder Tall Top
Sugar Anne Peas
Strawberries
Arugula
Piracicaba Broccoli; a very delicious side shooting variety. Be sure to enjoy the tender and sweet stalks and leaves!
Green King Broccoli; a heading type. These varieties are always a gamble in the spring. We have some small heads forming that should be followed by nice side shoots.
Green onions
Garlic Scapes
Kohlrabi
Hakurei Turnips
Kale
Rainbow Chard

Coming in July:

Greenhouse Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Basil
Summer Squash and Zucchini
Baby Leeks and Onions
Garlic
Parsley
Fennel
Kale
Chard
Beets
Carrots
Lettuce and other saladings

For August

Heirloom and Hybrid Tomatoes from the field; Varieties include: Rose De Berne, Persimmon, Cherokee Purple, Big Beef, Amish Paste, Valencia, Orange Banana, Rose, Paul Robeson.
Peppers; Mixed Bell and Italian Fryers, all heirloom varieties
Eggplant; Mixed Heirloom Varieties
Celery
Leeks
Onions
Garlic
Kale
Chard
Salad Greens
Cucumbers
Summer Squash and Zucchini

At Cross Mills Farmers' Market!

2011-06-19T08:03:00.000-04:00

Spring's end harvests

2011-06-16T16:39:00.004-04:00

Harvest Shares Have begun!

So far in the first two weeks we have seen:

Lettuce Mix; Antares and Mascara Oakleaf, Green and Speckled Romaine

Bright Lights Rainbow mix Chard

Russian Kale

Arugula

Baby beets

Strawberries

Peas

Garlic Scapes

Reducing fuel use in the gardens

2011-05-18T11:04:00.003-04:00

Check out this recent article by Cindy Field, an avid harvester and eater of Moonstone Gardens veggies.

Seedlings now availble!

2011-05-04T15:29:00.000-04:00

Just delivered Herbal Spring Mix with Tat soi, Chervil, Cilantro and Mizpoona to Matunuck Oyster Bar, Food for Thought and the Food Coop!

2011-03-24T14:11:00.001-04:00

Just delivered Purple and Orange Carrots to Matunuck Oyster Bar, Food for Thought and the Food Coop!

2011-03-24T14:09:00.000-04:00

Microgreens

2011-03-04T16:21:00.000-05:00

2011-03-03T10:17:00.000-05:00

2011-02-21T11:44:00.000-05:00

2011-02-20T11:09:00.000-05:00

2011-02-04T15:53:00.000-05:00

2011-02-04T15:00:00.000-05:00

2011-02-04T14:08:00.000-05:00

2011-02-02T18:42:00.003-05:00

Announcing Moonstone Gardens Harvest Shares 2011!

Spring is a glimmer on the snowy horizon and garden planning is in full swing. Now is the time to sign up for this year's CSA! Thanks to continued support, these wonderful things have been growing at Moonstone Gardens.

Garden Education

In 2010, we continued to build our educational program by working with three college aged interns. Their help and desire to learn were an integral element in the operation. I look forward to working with more students and facilitating research projects. I also continued to offer school field trips upon request. The RYSE school from Chariho visited with some middle school students to learn about organic fertility, greenhouse vegetable cultivation and using the scientific method.

Small is Beautiful

2010 marked a pivotal move towards a smaller production scale. Managing up to five acres had its rewards with regard to increased community involvement and lessons to be learned about cultivation techniques. In view of my own experiences and looking at those around me, I believe that a smaller scale offers better opportunities for true resource efficiency, financial solvency and abundant harvests of high quality food resulting from caring and detailed attention. In 2011, we will cultivate approximately one acre.

As we moved toward a smaller operation, we continued to build infrastructure in our primary production plot at Earth Care Farm. This plot has been the priority focus of our efforts for the last three years. We have established permanent low beds and mulched pathways interspersed with perennial herbs, leeks, strawberries, flowers of many varieties and numerous volunteer greens. Tilling and plowing the soil has been avoided in order to protect worms and the natural structure of the soil. We are well on our way to creating a model of intensive small scale agriculture with permacultural elements. Indeed ,we now have more of a garden than a farm.

benefits of CSA participation include:

Receiving freshly harvested high quality food. Your taste buds will know the difference.

Strengthening the local economy. Dollars spent with local businesses recirculate within the community.

Building local food security. Supporting local farmers helps keep your local food production system intact. This is crucial to maintaining the resilience of our community.

Natural resource conservation and ecological health. Organic farmers support the life of the soil by relying on organic matter and mineral inputs. Smaller organic systems also tend to support ecological health by hosting a diverse population of flowering plants and insects. This helps achieve a natural balance of predators and pests, which allows for decreased use of pesticides

Building a connection with your food and the community that surrounds it.

Moonstone Gardens is dedicated to helping people connect with good food, the earth and each other.

Fall harvest

2011-02-02T17:22:00.001-05:00

November 9, 2010 Share

2011-01-24T14:49:00.003-05:00

Dill
Cilantro
Cylindrical Beets
Leeks
Celeriac
Arugula
Kale
Chard
Garlic
Parsley

October 26 Share

2011-01-24T14:45:00.002-05:00

Chard AND/OR Kale AND/OR Spicy Mustard Greens
Sweet Potatoes
Celery
Mixed Salad Greens
Chervil
Green Peppers
Eggplant
Garlic
Red Onions

October 19, 2010 Harvest Share

2011-01-24T14:43:00.001-05:00

Tat Soi
Baby Mild Mustard Mix
Green Peppers
Hot Peppers
Garlic
Buttercup Squash
Eggplant

October 12 Share

2010-10-13T20:35:00.002-04:00

Arugula
Kale Mix, a random selection of varieties; some purchased from seed companies, some grown from own saved seeds and some self sown volunteer plants.
Cilantro
Dill
Delicata squash or New England sugar pie pumpkin
Waltham Butternut
Garlic

September 28 and October 5 Harvest Shares

2010-10-05T14:42:00.002-04:00

September 28 Harvest Share

Delicata Squash
Heirloom Tomatoes
Mild Mustard Mix! These greens are the volunteer progeny of open cross pollination between Tat soi and Prize Choy Pac Choi
Lettuce Mix with Dark Green Romaine, Fine Cut Oakleaf, Waldeman's Dark Green, Merlot and Flashy Trout Back Varieties
Garlic
Thyme
Sage
Yellow Onions

October 5 Harvest Share

Lettuce Mix with Antares Oak Leaf, Fine Cut Oak, Flashy Trout back and more.
Arugula
Rainbow Bright Lights Chard
Yellow onions
Garlic
Delicata Squash
A choice between the last of the Tomatoes and the last of the Patty Pan Squash

September 21 end of summer share

2010-09-21T15:58:00.002-04:00

Hi All,
This week we have;

Delicata Winter Squash, a variety of Cucurbita pepo, one of the three major winter squash species. This species includes zucchinis, summer squash, acorn squash and most pumpkin varieties. Delicata is a superbly sweet squash. It is easy to prepare by slicing it in half lengthwise and baking with oil cut side up, or with water cut side down, on a baking sheet. Bake at about 350 degrees for about 30 min. You can also steam most squash (and other vegetables) with no additional water in a covered baking dish. When you steam them in their own juices this way, you will find most likely find a a treat of hot squash nectar in the bottom of the dish.
Garlic
Chervil; that anise flavored parsley relative. This herb is grweat mixed in your salads or added to soups later in the cooking process
Celery; Be sure to dry the leaves for adding to your winter soups.
Mixed heirloom tomatoes
A choice between the last of the Patty Pan Squash, Eggplant or Cherry Toamtoes
A slice of melon
Thyme
A mixed bunch of Chard and Kale
Rhubarb

September 7 and 14 shares

2010-09-21T15:51:00.002-04:00

For the week of September 14 we had:

Arugula
Tat soi, that dark green spinach look alike, actually in the the same family as bok choi, arugula and cabbage
Cipollini onions
Sage
Mixed Heirloom Tomatoes
Garlic
Flat leaf Parsley

For the week of September 7 we had;

Tomatoes
Garlic
Squash
Cukes
Chard

August 31 Share

2010-09-01T17:52:00.002-04:00

Hi All,

This week's share includes:

Cucumbers; Suhyo Long, Marketmore and Boothby Blonde Varieties.
Squashes; Summer Crookneck and Sunburst Patty Pan.

We may have cukes and squash next week depending on the weather.

Tomatoes in Pints; a mix of Glacier, Orange Banana, Roma and other varieties.
Large Heirloom Tomatoes; the current heat ought to help ripen the crop. Let's hope for not too much wind damage as Hurricane Earl heads north up the Eastern Seaboard
Garlic; another big portion with more to come. This garlic is grade "b" to be used or processed soon. Try mincing and mixing with olive oil then freezing in ice cube trays for ease of use in all of you recipes.
Basil; Most likely the last harvest
Sage
Oregano
Arugula; the second cutting of our most recent crop
Tat soi

Happy September!

End of August Crop Report

2010-08-24T16:09:00.002-04:00

As fall approaches, we can hope to see the following crops in the shares.

Tomatoes are standing in the field with abundant green fruit. With sun and warmth, we should see abundant harvests of vine ripened fruit. We planted 21 varieties this year and look forward to sampling them all. We should also have plenty of Cherry Tomatoes before too long.
Peppers have been slow to set fruit. When I last checked on them they were producing abundant flowers. I really hope to see some ripe fruit in September.
The Eggplant crop was damaged by Colorado Potato Beetle early in the season and has made a comeback. The plants are now setting fruit.
Rhubarb will most likely make an appearance again this fall.
Our Calabrese Broccoli (a non-heading variety that produces delicious shoots) was also damaged by pests during the heat of July. The plants are now showing new growth that I hope will provide us with harvests this fall.
Celery will be available intermittently through the end of the season. We still have some to harvest from our first planting. Our second planting is a bit small so we may be seeing baby celery too.
Our Celeriac crop looks promising and should be in the shares at the very end of the season.
Basil should make at least one more appearance
Our winter squash crop should be abundant. We will be harvesting them during the next couple of weeks and storing them for fall distribution. We have Delicata, Waltham Butternut, Burgess Buttercup and Uncle Davids Dakota Desert Squash Planted.
Onions will make an appearance but will be in short supply.
There will be leeks
We will have Garlic....lots of Garlic
There is a nice crop of Sweet Potatoes coming along
We planted melons in the greenhouse this year. Unfortunately they have not thrived there as I had hoped. We may only have some samples to share at distribution.
There will be a variety of fall salad including lettuce, arugula and others.
There should be plenty of Chard and Kale.
We have planted two more crops of late Carrots that should be ready for the very end of the season. Most of them are purple
There nice a crop of Forono Beets coming along too.
We will have selection of herbs including Oregano, Sage, Thyme, Cilantro and Dill

Thank you all for your support!

Your Gardener,

Pete Rundlett

August 24 share

2010-08-24T15:48:00.002-04:00

This week's share includes:

Potatoes; this will most likely be the last batch of tators in the share due to crop loss from pests and drought
Garlic; much more of this to come
Crookneck Summer Squash, Raven Zucchini and Sunburst Patty Pan Squash; These crops will be going out of season quickly as they succumb to powdery mildew. This common fungus thrives at this time of year and affects all Cucurbit crops (squashes, cukes etc.)
Suhyo Long, Marketmore and Boothby Blonde Cucumbers; These fruits will also decrease in supply as powdery mildew sets in.
Zefa Fino Bulb Fennel
Ruby Perfection Cabbage
Sage
Oregano
Tomatoes; this week we have Glacier and Orange Banana tomatoes in pints as well as the first of the larger heirloom varieties. We will hopefully be seeing many more of the large heirlooms in the coming weeks. The fruits we have today were picked green and ripened off the vine to avoid spoilage. The plants are looking healthy as of now and full of green fruits. More sun please!

August 17 Harvest Share

2010-08-17T17:39:00.002-04:00

Hi All,

This week's share includes;

Cucumbers; Suhyo Long, Marketmore and Boothby's Blonde

Summer Squash; Sunburst Patty Pan, Early Summer Yellow Crookneck and Raven Zucchini

Red Gold Potatoes

Arugula

Thyme

Sage

Garlic

Tango Celery; try using the leaves as a seasoning in soups and more. Can be dried or used fresh. I have been using the whole stalks, leaves and all in smoothies (may require a high powered blender.) Try celery in juice as well! Celery is a great source of vitamins and minerals.
Glacier tomatoes with a random orange banana tomato or sungold in some pints.

Enjoy!

-Pete

August 10 share

2010-08-10T15:59:00.002-04:00

This week's harvest includes:

Boothby Blonde, Marketmore and the first of the Suhyo Long Cucumbers in limited quantity
Bright Lights Chard
Thyme
Sage
Garlic
Tomatoes
Sunburst Patty Pan and Early Summer Yellow Crookneck Summer Squash
Genovese Basil
Raven Zucchini

August 3 share

2010-08-10T15:54:00.002-04:00

The bounty of this week is;
Purple Kohlrabi
Boothby Blonde and Marketmore Cucumbers
The last of the spring crop of Danvers 126 Carrots
Garlic
Chard
Amaranth
Thyme
Glacier Tomatoes
Summer Squash, Patty Pan Squash and Zucchini

July 27 Share

2010-07-30T15:09:00.002-04:00

This week's share include's;

The final harvest of our spring Forono beets
Danvers 126 Carrots
Purple Kohlrabi; try this vegetable grated in summer slaw salads
Boothby Blonde and Marketmore (green0 Cucumbers
Bright Lights Chard
Genovese Basil
Oregano
Chives
Sage
Rocambole garlic

July 20 Share

2010-07-20T15:16:00.002-04:00

Thank goodness for the thunderstorms!

Summer is a month old and we are harvesting;

Purple Haze Carrots
Boothby Blonde and/ Marketmore (green) Cukes
Tatsoi and Mizpoona Mild mustard mix
Arugula
Bright Lights Chard
Rhubarb
Evergreen Extra Hardy Scallions; These babes have some history. Scallions are actually a perrenial bunching onion that divides if left to it's own devices. The scallions we have this week were planted in the spring of 2009 and lived in the field for all of last season. During the spring of this year, we moved them to a new place where each individual proceeded to divide into four to six new scallions. During this process they also ripened a crop of seed in their beautiful pom pom flowers! Home gardeners may want to consider establishing their own perennial scallion crops. Just leave a few every year and they will multiply!
Garlic; our garlics would be considered rocambole types.
The very first Glacier tomatoes
Greek Oregano

July 13 Harvest Share

2010-07-13T14:18:00.000-04:00

On this week's share table we have:

Lettuce; Speckled Romaine, Red Deer Tongue and Dark Green Romaine. We will be seeing lettuce again in September as all of our spring plantings are beginning to flower in the July heat.

Salad Turnips, another crop we will bid farewell until the fall

Beets, our Forono variety babes

Carrots, Danvers 126 variety

Napa Cabbage

Boothby Blonde Cucumbers, an heirloom variety from Maine. These particular cucmbers are near and dear to me, being from seed saved by friends and myself during the 2007 growing season. Three year's later and the seeds are still vigorous as ever!

Cilantro!

July 6 share

2010-07-06T14:32:00.002-04:00

It is 101 degerees in Wakefield as we distribute this share!

This week's bounty includes;

Arugula and/or Tat soi. These greens were harvested on Saturday to beat the heat.
Young and baby carrots. These an heirloom open- pollinated variety from Massachusets called Danvers 126.
the last of the peas
Salad turnips.
Mizpoona Mustard greens by the bunch. These very tender greens are great for salad or cooking.
Bright Lights Chard
Garlic Scapes and or fresh garlic
Rhubarb

June 29 share

2010-06-29T16:21:00.000-04:00

Mixed loose lettuce; Forellanschluss, Really Red Deer Tongue and Dark Green Romaine varieties

Sugar Snap Peas; an edible podded variety

Beets; Forono variety, a strain with an elongated root

Sage

Rhubarb

Sweet Salad Turnips, either Hakurei or Oasis variety

Garlic scapes

Garnet Amaranth, a colorful salad ingredient or spinach substitute

April 13 Harvest Share

2010-04-18T22:10:00.002-04:00

Hi All!

Thank you everyone for participating in the Moonstone Gardens Harvest Share. Last weeks distribution included:

A large bunch of Rhubarb, approximatly 1.5 lb. I have been adding this to my morning oatmeal...Mmm, Mmm.
A bunch Spring Green Garlic Shoots, approximatly .15 lb. Use this as you would use garlic in your cooking. Slightly more mild than garlic cloves. Also makes a good addition to salad
Leeks, 2 lb
A bunch of Chives
A mixed bouquet of fresh Thyme, Sage and Oregano
A small bunch of Chervil. A relative of parsley, with a hint of fennel flavor, this delightful herb can be used in salad or cooking. My favorite way to cook with it is in soups. It is very popular in Belgium where it is used to make a Cream of Chervil Soup.

If you have any recipes, please share them via email or post to the blog. I am sure there are many curious folks wondering about how others are eating all of the interesting variety that is coming out of the Gardens.

Cheers!
Pete

2010 Harvest Shares now available!

2010-03-27T09:53:00.000-04:00

Greetings All! As the days grow longer, thoughts of verdant growth dance in the heads of gardeners everywhere. In this seasonal spirit, I am pleased to announce the beginning of enrollment in the 2010 Moonstone Gardens Harvest Shares! Please join us as we continue to build a model of low input, community based food culture. I am excited to have the opportunity to fulfill a vision of an abundant garden nourished by the sun, soil, water, air and people that surround it. Look over the following details and please contact me if you have questions. Please share this with your friends as well.

Moonstone Gardens Harvest Shares are based on the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Model. CSA Programs are mutually beneficial relationships between produce growers and customers. By paying at the beginning of the season, participants provide money needed to purchase supplies and support the grower during the spring months. In return, fresh local seasonal produce is provided during the harvest season. When you participate in CSA, you pledge support for your growers through thick and thin. Your support ensures the viability of the growers' livelihoods and the land they steward.

By being a part of a CSA, you establish a direct connection with the people who grow your food. By supporting local growers you help build a diverse and healthy local economy. You are also making a valuable contribution towards building local food security!

This year's Harvest Share arrangement will be as follows:

- All Moonstone Gardens Produce is USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC.
- Harvest distributions will take place at Bagelz on Pershing Ave. in Wakefield. We will always be distributing on Tuesdays from 3-6 pm. We are happy to introduce folks who live near each other in order to facilitate pick up coordination. Please call or write if pick up scheduling prevents you from participating. We will try to help.
-Distributions will begin as soon as we have food to harvest. This should be in April with overwintered crops such as kale and leeks. We will most likely have one harvest in April and one in May.- We will have weekly distributions from the first week of June through the last week of October.
-We will have distributions in November with frequency depending on weather and availability. In an abundant and temperate season, we will see four more weeks of shares containing both storage crops and hardy vegetables.
- Moonstone Gardens will offer strawberries in shares for the first time! Check out the Moonstone Gardens Blog for an idea of what our shares were like in 2009. Note the absence of tomatoes, melons and squash due to unfavorable weather conditions.
- Moonstone Gardens is dedicated to serving Harvest Share participants first.
- Moonstone Gardens Blog will continue with updated details about the contents of the week's harvest. There will also be an email with this info sent to your mailbox upon request. Share holders are encouraged to share their recipes and experiences through these venues.
- The cost of a Full Share is $830, Half Shares are being offered for $430. A deposit of $430 will secure your Share. For Full Shares, payments of $200 dollars will be due on June 1 and August 1. There will be a limited number of shares sold.
- Work trade arrangements for Harvest Shares and/or college internship credit are available. Please ask if you are interested.
- To enroll, send a letter with your Name, any pertinent contact information, a preferred method and payment. Full payments will be accepted at any time. Specify if you would like a Full Share or a Half Share. You will receive confirmation when your letter is received. You may confirm share availability via email, phone call or text message. Make checks payable to Moonstone Gardens and send to POB 454, Narragansett, RI 02882.

~Wishing you health and prosperity in 2010!

Pete Rundlett
Moonstone Gardener
401.742.6117
greenergardener@gmail.com

New Kitchen Chemist site has great food preservation tips

2010-03-07T10:01:00.002-05:00

Check out the Kitchen Chemist Website for simple techniques for preparing and preserving simple foods. Thanks to Moonstone Gardens Harvest Share Helper, Cindy Field, for taking the time to share her wisdom.

Moonstone Gardens Harvest Share 2010 Invitation

2010-01-27T14:50:00.004-05:00

Greetings All! As the days grow longer, thoughts of verdant growth dance in the heads of gardeners everywhere. In this seasonal spirit, I am pleased to announce the beginning of enrollment in the 2010 Moonstone Gardens Harvest Shares! Please join us as we continue to build a model of low input, community based food culture. I am excited to have the opportunity to fulfill a vision of an abundant garden nourished by the sun, soil, water, air and people that surround it. Look over the following details and please contact me if you have questions. Please share this with your friends as well.

Moonstone Gardens Harvest Shares are based on the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Model. CSA Programs are mutually beneficial relationships between produce growers and customers. By paying at the beginning of the season, participants provide money needed to purchase supplies and support the grower during the spring months. In return, fresh local seasonal produce is provided during the harvest season. When you participate in CSA, you pledge support for your growers through thick and thin. Your support ensures the viability of the growers' livelihoods and the land they steward.

By being a part of a CSA, you establish a direct connection with the people who grow your food. By supporting local growers you help build a diverse and healthy local economy. You are also making a valuable contribution towards building local food security!

This year's Harvest Share arrangement will be as follows:

- All Moonstone Gardens Produce is USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC.
- Harvest distributions will take place at Bagelz on Pershing Ave. in Wakefield. We will always be distributing on Tuesdays from 3-6 pm. We are happy to introduce folks who live near each other in order to facilitate pick up coordination. Please call or write if pick up scheduling prevents you from participating. We will try to help.
-Distributions will begin as soon as we have food to harvest. This should be in April with overwintered crops such as kale and leeks. We will most likely have one harvest in April and one in May.- We will have weekly distributions from the first week of June through the last week of October.
-We will have distributions in November with frequency depending on weather and availability. In an abundant and temperate season, we will see four more weeks of shares containing both storage crops and hardy vegetables.
- Moonstone Gardens will offer strawberries in shares for the first time! Check out the Moonstone Gardens Blog for an idea of what our shares were like in 2009. Note the absence of tomatoes, melons and squash due to unfavorable weather conditions.
- Moonstone Gardens is dedicated to serving Harvest Share participants first.
- Moonstone Gardens Blog will continue with updated details about the contents of the week's harvest. There will also be an email with this info sent to your mailbox upon request. Share holders are encouraged to share their recipes and experiences through these venues.
- The cost of a Full Share is $830, Half Shares are being offered for $430. A deposit of $430 will secure your Share. For Full Shares, payments of $200 dollars will be due on June 1 and August 1. There will be a limited number of shares sold.
- Work trade arrangements for Harvest Shares and/or college internship credit are available. Please ask if you are interested.
- To enroll, send a letter with your Name, any pertinent contact information, a preferred method of communication and payment. Full payments will be accepted at any time. Specify if you would like a Full Share or a Half Share. You will receive confirmation when your letter is received. You may confirm share availability via email, phone call or text message. Make checks payable to Moonstone Gardens and send to POB 454, Narragansett, RI 02882.

~Wishing you health and prosperity in 2010!

Pete Rundlett
Moonstone Gardener
401.742.6117
greenergardener@gmail.com

November 24 Share- Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-24T16:09:00.002-05:00

This weeks share includes:

All Blue Potatoes
Celeriac
Daikon Radish
Parsley
Kale
Carrots; peachy and purple
Leeks
Parsnips
Garlic
Thyme
Sage

Thank you all for your support this season! Keep an eye out for an email with details about next season and more.

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 17 share

2009-11-17T14:45:00.002-05:00

This week's share includes:

Leeks
All blue Potatoes
Rainbow Lacinato Kale
Daikon (optional)
Calabrese Broccoli and Red Cabbage side shoot mix. Both broccoli and cabbage produce side shoots after the main head is harvested. Enjoy these tender treats steames together.
Fennel Leaf
Parsley
Celeriac
Celery
Sage.....

Coming Next Week for the Llst Share of the Season!:

a smattering of baby Purple Carrots
Parsnips
an abundance of Celeriac
Leeks, also in abundance
a big bunch of kale
Daikon?
Sage
Thyme
a head of Garlic
The last of the salad, weather permitting
Rutabega
All Blue Potatoes

November 10 Share

2009-11-10T15:35:00.002-05:00

This week's share includes:

Rainbow Chard; maybe the last of the season
Salad mix including five varieties of lettuce(Flashy Trout Back, Really Red Deer Tongue, Antares, Fine Cut Oak Leaf and Merlot), baby kale, Cornet de Bordeaux escarole and tat soi
Leeks
Broccoli or Red Cabbage
Celeriac a.k.a. Celery Root
Carola Potatoes
Thyme; this crop of herbs is near and dear, grown from seed saved by Pete at Moonlight Garden in Matunuck
Sage

November 3 Share

2009-11-03T15:53:00.002-05:00

This week's share includes:

Beedy's Camden Kale
A delicious salad mix of arugula, tat soi, mizpoona, five different varieties of lettuce, chervil, kale and escarole
Broccoli
Flat Parsley; take note of the exquisite flavor, stem and all!
Celeriac
Sage
Thyme
The first of the Bleu de Solaize Leeks, our cold hardy variety' the same type we were harvesting in the spring. Until now we have been harvesting King Richard variety
Carola Potatoes
Fennel Leaf

What to do about Late Blight?

2009-11-01T09:37:00.004-05:00

Here is a response to one gardener's concerns about late blight. What do you think?

Hi Rich,
Thanks for writing. I would recommend not changing what you are doing quite yet. This years blight might have been entirely due to factors other than the presence of Phytopthora infestans(Late Blight) spores. From what I have gathered, the spores are always present. What was different about this year was that we had the perfect weather conditions for infestation of late blight. To make matters worse, Big Box Stores were selling plants already infected with Late Blight fungus. These plants were probably vectoring spores into these perfect conditions, helping the rapid spread of the fungus.

My first response to this year's tomato blight is to wait and see what next year holds. I have been told that the spores only overwinter on living plant tissue. As a precaution, I might be diligent about removing any volunteer Tomatoes and Potatoes that might be carrying spores from this years infestation. I also plan on planting part of my crop in my greenhouse. Many farmers had abundant crops from such planting this year. Preventing prolonged periods of leaf wetness by this method will gaurd against infestaion. On a small scale, you can constuct a low plastic tunnel over your Tomato Plants. My ultimate hope is that favorabe weather conditions and our biologically diverse, organic soils will continue to nourish delicious crops of sun ripened fruits.

Happy Gardening!
Pete

October 27 Share

2009-10-27T15:42:00.000-04:00

This week's share includes:

Rainbow Chard
Beet Greens; Unfortunatly this may be all we see of this year's fall beet planting.
Celery
Parsley
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Carola Potatoes
Garlic
Leeks
Hot Peppers

October 20 Share

2009-10-21T08:54:00.000-04:00

This week's share includes:

A mix of All blue, French Fingerling(red skin) and Carola(yellow skin) Potatoes
Garlic; the rest of the garlic is coming next week. Garlic should store well until at least January. There are methods of freezing for long term starage.
Celeriac a.k.a. Celery Root; This versatile root vegetable is very popular in Europe. Try it raw, roasted, masged and in soup.
Daikon Radish; A milder Asian radish.
Watermelon radish
Leeks
Rainbow Chard
lettuce and frisee mix

October 13 Share

2009-10-13T14:40:00.000-04:00

This Week's Share includes:

Calabrese Broccoli; yeilds of this crop are beginning to wain. We'll see what the rest of the season holds.

Kale; a mix of different varieties

Potatoes; more of the All Blues

Celery

Flat Parsley

Red Cippollini onions; These will be the last of this year's onion harvest. Enjoy!

Leeks

Garlic

Czech Black Peppers; spicy sweet flesh and HOT seeds

Watermelon Radish or Hakurei Turnip

Sage

Napa Cabbage OR Red Cabbage from our No Till Experimental Garden.

2009-10-08T00:12:00.000-04:00

October 6 Share

2009-10-06T14:14:00.000-04:00

This Week's Share Includes:

Lacinato Rainbow Kale a.k.a. Dinosaur Kale a.k.a Nero de Toscana Kale. This type of Kale is botanically classified as Brassica oleracea, the same species as the Beedy's Camden Kale that we recieved last week. These are also the same species as broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbage and more. These crops all differ from Russian Type Kales in specific classification. Russian Kales are classified as Brassica napus, the same species as rutabega! Check out this link for more info on Lacinato Rainbow.
Celery

Calabrese Broccoli

Frisee

Parsley

Sage

All Blue Potatoes

Leeks

Thai Hot Peppers

Mixed Baby Tat soi and Mizpoona. Check this link for info. http://www.wildgardenseed.com/product_info.php?cPath=46&products_id=121

Arugula

Sweet Green Peppers

Garlic

September 29 Share

2009-09-29T15:29:00.000-04:00

This Week's Share includes:

Purple Haze Carrots
Mini Cipollini Onions
Plenty of that delicious Calabrese Broccoli
A salad mix of Lettuce, Frisee and Tat soi
Beedy's Camden Kale from Fedco. http://http://www.fedcoseeds.com/seeds/SeedsItem.php?id=3465&SeedName=kale
Eggplant or Squash
Celery
Bright Lights Chard
French Fingerling Potatoes
Garlic
Leeks
Parsley

September 22 Share

2009-09-28T20:26:00.000-04:00

This week's share includes:

French Fingerling Potatoes
Red Cabbage
Romanesco Cauliflower
Watermelon Radish
Leeks
Lettuce
Kale
Cilantro
Broccoli-A heaping bunch!
Parsley
Celery

September 15 Share

2009-09-28T20:21:00.000-04:00

This week's share includes:

Red Cabbage
French Fingerling Potatoes
Celery
Lettuce
Frisee
Purple Basil
Baby Yellow Onions
Sage
Cucumbers-Last of the season!
Hot Peppers
Parsley
Broccoli
Chard

September 8 Share

2009-09-28T20:13:00.000-04:00

This week's share includes:

Lettuce
Carrots
Basil
Parsley
Sweet White Turnips
Sage
Cucumbers
Broccoli
Daikon RadishGarlic
Hot Peppers
Cilantro
Frisee

September 1 Share

2009-09-28T20:10:00.000-04:00

This week's share includes:

Lettuce
Kale
Parsley
Broccoli
Cucumbers, Yellow and Green
Burgandy Amaranth Leaves
Tat soi
Carrots
Radishes
Basil
Hot Peppers
Green immature Onions

August 25 Share

2009-09-28T19:57:00.000-04:00

This week's share includes:

Basil
Cucumbers
Chard
Cabbage, Green
Broccoli
Sage
Potatoes, French Fingerling
Garlic
two ripe Tomatoes
either Eggplant or Tomatoes

August 18 Share

2009-09-28T19:47:00.000-04:00

This weeks share includes:

Lettuce
Frisee
Kale
Flat Parsley
Basil
Broccoli
Galinsoga a.k.a. Quickweed- A very prolific (weedy) wild edible from south america. Traditionally used in Andean potato soups.
Potatoes
Carrots
Cucumbers, green and yellow
Sage
Green Tomatoes
a ripe Orange Banana Tomato
Garlic

August 11 share- Life is a bag of tubers

2009-08-11T14:27:00.000-04:00

Hello All,
This week's share includes:

6.25 lbs Red Gold potatoes
1 lb of Purple Haze hybrid carrots
.27 lb of beets
A sample of Broccoli. This is our delicious Calabrese type broccoli. Be sure to enjoy the sweet and tender stems. The variety is called Piracicaba ande can be found at Fedco seeds http://http//www.fedcoseeds.com/seeds/SeedsOrderItem.php?id=3482&SeedName=piracicaba
a handfull of Tat soi
A mix of lettuce including: speckled romaine(officially called Forellanschluss, an austrian variety named for it's trout like coloration), Fine cut oak, Antares and Really Red Deer toungue. All of these varieties are sourced from Wild Garden Seeds in Oregon. http://http//www.wildgardenseed.com/
Cucumbers: 4 Marketmore, 3 Boothby Blondes
A bunch of Rhubarb
A bunch of Parsley
A bunch of Basil
3 heads of Garlic, Earth Care Farm Extra Hardy
3 sprigs of Sage

Late Blight Arrives at Earth Care Farm

2009-08-09T11:03:00.000-04:00

Hello All,
I am writhing with the sad news that Late Blight has arrived at Earth Care Farm. This is the disease associated with the Irish Potato Famine. Follow this link http://www.umassvegetable.org/LateBlightAlertforTomatoandPotato.html#What for more info.

This means that we will probably see few tomatoes this year. I am hopefull that we will be able to salvage our potato harvests. Expect to see lots of fresh potatoes in shares for the weeks to come. I will keep you posted as this story unfolds.

August 4 Share- Rootstravaganza

2009-08-04T18:19:00.000-04:00

This Week's Share includes:
2 lbs of Carrots- Danvers 126 Variety. These will be the last orange carrots we'll have for some time. http://www.fedcoseeds.com/seeds/SeedsOrderItem.php?id=2076&SeedName=danvers 126

2.4 lbs of French Fingerling Potatoes

1.6 lbs of Red gold Potatoes. All Potatatoes are new potatoes and should be used this week. There are more coming next week.

.33 lbs. of mixed Lettuce. Jericho Romaine and Red Sails varieties from Johnny's

3 Boothby Blonde Cucumbers. Seed saved by farmer Pete and friends at Moonlight Garden in Matunuck. Enjoy thes beautys at either tender white immature stage or crisp yellow and sweet stage.

3 Marketmore 76 Cucumbers. Good old green slicing cukes.

.4 lbs. of Russian Type Kale (Brassica napus) Seed also saved at Moonlight Garden.

A bunch of Flat Parsley

A bunch of Chives

A bunch of Genovese Basil

A sprig of Sage

And a special treat of Purslane (Portulaca sp.) A wild edible treat, this succulant plant is also very nutritious. http://gardenerschoice.garden.org/foodguide/articles.taf?id=1341&ch=foodguide&food=unusual

July 28th Pickup

2009-07-28T20:58:00.001-04:00

-Basil
-Radishes
-Chard
-Zucchini/Squash
-Garlic
-Kale
-Cucumbers, yellow & green
-Beets
-Carrots
-Parsley
-Lettuce
-Mispoona

July 21st Pickup

2009-07-21T20:55:00.000-04:00

-Cabbage
-Lettuce
-Tatsoi
-Hakurei
-Chard and Beet Greens
-Garlic Scapes
-Scallions
-Carrots
-Cucumbers
-Zucchini
-Parsley
-Fennel bulb

July 14th Pickup

2009-07-14T20:52:00.000-04:00

-Broccoli Leaves
-Pac Choi
-Kale Greens
-Fennel
-Beets
-Lettuce
-Lettuce
-Kohlrabi
-Scallions
-Mispoona

July 7th Pickup

2009-07-07T20:50:00.000-04:00

-Lettuce
-Fennel bulb
-Beets
-Tatsoi
-Napa Cabbage
-Garlic Sccapes
-Parsley

June 30th Pickup

2009-06-30T18:51:00.000-04:00

-Peas
-Turnips
-Carrots
-Lettuce
-Mizpoona (braccia green)
-Spinach
-Frisee
-Arugula
-Chard
-Braising Greens
-Lemon Balm
-Parsley

June 23rd Pickup

2009-06-23T18:53:00.000-04:00

-Garlic Scapes
-Lettuce
-Tat Soi and Brassica Greens
-Chard
-Turnips
-Carrots
-Peas
-Mustard Greens
-Parsley

Garlic Scapes:

Toss Garlic Scapes with Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper. Grill over hot coals.

June 16th Pickup

2009-06-16T20:38:00.000-04:00

-Lettuce
-Peas
-Turnips
-Brassica Greens
-Spinach
-Chard
-Garlic Scapes

June 9th Pickup

2009-06-09T16:17:00.000-04:00

-Hans Tsai Tai
-Spinach
-Chard & Beet Greens
-Red Lettuce
-Arugula Mix
-Tot Soi
-Salad Turnips

June 2nd Pickup

2009-06-02T20:35:00.000-04:00

-Cilantro
-Lettuce
-Chervil
-Fennel Leaf
-Chard
-Beet greems
-Spinach
-Rhubarb
-Chive Blossom
-Lemon Balm

May 12th Pickup

2009-05-12T20:31:00.000-04:00

-Leeks
-Garlic Scallions
-Lettuce
-Tatsoi
-Mispoona
-Napus Kale
-Cilantro
-Lovage
-Lemon Balm
-Fennel, Leaf
-Rhubarb

April 14th Pickup

2009-04-14T20:26:00.000-04:00

-Carrots
-Kale
-Napa Cabbage
-Fancy mix
-Leeks
-Garlic Scallions