FAVA BEANS

 
The Farmer is growing Fava Beans again this year. The Farmer would like to give a shout out to Baker's Creek Heirloom Seeds. In previous years the beans were grown for interest and then the plants themselves are so handsome and unusual. However, lots of flowers and few if any beans.

This season there are lots of beans on each stalk. Where before if there was one pod the plant was being productive this year many stalks have 5 or 6 pods on them.

None of the pods are mature yet. When mature there will be four or five large beans, as big as a large butter bean. Also the beans are snug in a furry lined pod. When older they are first blanch and the outer hull is removed. Lot of work. This is supposed to be one of the oldest of the domesticated crops. The broad bean is common through out the Middle East and Mesopotamia.

Little known fact is that felafel is often made with this kind of bean. 

For more cool facts about Fava (Broad) Beans check out this link. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicia_faba

The Garden at the church is producing well now. The Farmer was gone last week but apparently a very good crop was harvested and then this week 5 large bags of mustard, turnip, chard and also some sugar snaps filled the basket for the offering. With 90 degrees predicted for this week it was time to take out thing before they bolt and put in some squash and cukes.

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)

 
Lettuce is a cool weather plant. Either in the spring or in the fall and winter. The Farmer has some loose leaf that was sown in a patch and also some head lettuce that was started in the side under the lamps then brought out. Lettuce is ancient and the Romans grew lettuce and introduce it throughout the Empire.

The head lettuce is a butter-head variety. The leafs are soft and have a butter kind of texture to them. They will go well with some fresh lettuce, walnuts and some cheese.

The leaf lettuce that was sown into the soil has four different varieties. Two are cos/romaine lettuces one red and the other the more standard green. If the cos had more room it would grow into the large heads you see in the stores. Then there is a green and red leaf lettuce.

There is a lot and it may be time to make a lettuce soup.

Today the poppy had another bloom. This was a pleasant surprise and we will see these only for two to at most three days.

Learn more about lettuce.
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lettuce

Spring 2012 Photographs: Pisum Sativum (Common Pea)

Dear Reader
The Suburban Farmer has not been very active on the blog this year. The Farmer, the New Farmer and others have been farming but what should we say in the blog. This year The Farmer is not going to weigh all the food we grow. For the last 2 years we have been measuring all the crops and have meet our goals of raising more than 225 KG each year which is enough to support the calories needs for one adult  for the year.

Things though have been busy with the new garden down at the church. Today was the second time this month we have been able to harvest from the raised beds. Today there were 6 shopping bags of beets, beet greens, lettuce, spinach, mustard greens, turnip greens and radishes. There was a wicker basket that was presented as an offering and along with the bread, wine;  this food was presented and placed on the alter during the mass. At the conclusions of worship 6 different people took food away. Beaming faces.

So instead of weighing food the Suburban Farmer plans to have photos of the wonderful plants that grow in the garden. 

The Farmer was moved to do this when he walked outside and find that one of the poppies, Asiatic Poppy,  had suddenly bloomed.

Today the Farmer shares the sugar snap peas. These peas  had to be planted in February and have been growing and now are nearly 5 feet tall.
 
This plant is one of amazing delicacy. It needs a strong netting as a trellis to stand up. Constantly the leaves are bending and folding so that peeping out will be the flower. A white flower that usually means that it will be a night time visitor that will pollinate this plant.
 
Learn more about peas here. 
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea

Working in gardens.

The weather was beautiful yesterday. The new farmers sister was visiting so we told the chance to use the extra help. We worked in both the home garden and the downtown church garden.

Everyone wanted to be outside in the spring weather. We took wire cages down town for the tomato's plants. We planted Tomato's, peppers, egg plants, herbs and so very hot peppers. We need to be sure not to put any of them in the salad. It does not take much to make it to hot for most people.

We have spinach, lettuce, radishes and some greens left over from winter to eat now. we can hardly wait for some fresh tomato's. Our snap peas will be ready soon. It was a great day for all