It take piles of work to get produce ready for the Saturday Farmer’s Market. The lettuce is particularly labor-intensive.
The first step on Friday morning is to cut the lettuce. It’s been cold at night so the lettuce is growing more slowly, and a hard frost could come any time. Erin takes out everything she can.
The leaves are dumped into a big steel tank filled with water. I pick out the earwigs, slugs and weeds, and slosh the leaves around so they drop their dirt.
Next, we spin the leaves in an industrial-sized salad spinner. It sounds like a jet engine warming up when you really get it going.
The spun leaves are dumped into a basket,
and separated into bags that weigh 7 ounces each.
Finally (this is the best part) each bag gets a handful of pansies and nasturtium. You need to reach the end of the flowers and the end of the lettuce at the same time. And the lettuce is ready to sell now (after it’s loaded, driven, unloaded and arranged on a stand). Whenever Suzy asks what I think something should sell for, I say: More.
The dog has been very helpful–she’s a pro at this by now–and is always glad to visit the farm on Friday. There’s old magic in gathering food from the fields, and she wouldn’t miss it for the world.
Deliciously gorgeous.
Beautiful photos/
I was delighted to find your blog- it’s got a nice mixture of nature/family & project pictures, information, inspiration, wonder and awe…
I found you by following a link from someone on HomesteadBloggers.com (sorry I can’t remember who).
And, after perusing your garden tactics (deer repelling) I was delighted to see some very familiar landmarks…the rapids, the massive red rocks, the deer in snow and the bike race, but especially including your georgeous pansy/lettuce salads (which I’ve caught myself drooling over at the Farmers’ Market)!
I’m a relative newcommer here and I enjoy our town and culture in these surroundings immensely. Maybe I’ll get a chance to come by and say ‘hi’ before the Market season is over. Thanks for sharing, I’m looking forward to visiting your website again and again!
-Illoura