Labor Day weekend is here! A time to pause, celebrate the hard work that sustains us, and savor the flavors of late summer. It’s also a holiday rooted in honoring the labor that keeps our communities strong and for us, that means recognizing the hands that tend the soil, harvest the crops, and prepare food to be shared. At Quarter Acre Farm, it’s a moment to look back on the season’s efforts, appreciate the bounty all around, and share it with our community at the Easton farmers’ market.
The market this Saturday will be overflowing with everything you need for a weekend of good food and celebration: juicy heirloom tomatoes, shiny tomatillos, snackable cherry tomatoes, aromatic garlic, and so much more. Whether you’re planning a cookout, a picnic, or a quiet meal at home, we hope you’ll start your holiday weekend with us.
A Feast for the Weekend
This week’s taco special is one of our favorites, Carnitas Tacos. The pork is slowly cooked in its own juices until it pulls apart with ease, served on a warm corn tortilla and topped with fresh pico de gallo. It’s the perfect market-morning bite: simple, flavorful, and satisfying.
If you’re looking for an easy dinner option for your holiday table, don’t miss our frozen take-home meal: Beer-Brined Pork Ribs with Green Beans. The ribs are brined with beer, lime juice, salt, and black pepper, then grilled until tender and smoky. Served with blanched green beans and a garnish of pico de gallo, this meal makes holiday cooking effortless: just heat, serve, and enjoy.
Time to Plant for Fall
Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer and has folks thinking about fall gardening. Our fall seedlings are ready in our online shop, and now is the perfect time to plant with this wonderful weather we’ve been having. From broccolini and colorful cabbage to leeks and marigolds, these crops will keep your garden vibrant and productive well into the cooler months. Supplies are limited, so reserve your seedlings online and pick them up at the market.
Speaking of marigolds, we are big fans of these cheerful flowers. Their bright colors and unique scent make them a delight in the garden, while pollinators love their blooms. One of our favorite varieties is Sparky, which has double-petaled flower heads and long stems that make excellent cut flowers. Transplant them now for color that lasts into fall.
Field Notes
Beyond the market table, there’s plenty happening in the fields.
Our sunchokes and luffas are thriving in what we affectionately call the “wattle annex,” a separate space surrounded by a bamboo wattle fence. The sunchokes are towering 7–12 feet tall, and the luffa vines are climbing everywhere: up the fence, around the sunchokes, and into the late summer sun. Bumblebees are busy in the luffa flowers, and we expect to start harvesting both in about two months.
Our sweet potatoes are looking healthy and strong under their protective green netting, safe from the hungry mouths of deer. Unfortunately, the peanuts planted nearby haven’t been so lucky, with deer snacking regularly on the crop. It’s uncertain whether we’ll have a peanut harvest this year, but we’re already making plans for stronger protection next season.
And then there are the pumpkins, nestled between rows of tomatoes. Right now, their lush vines and big leaves are stealing the show, dotted with flowers and tiny developing pumpkins. It feels like fall, but we’re still about a month away from a true pumpkin harvest. Until then, we’ll enjoy their curly tendrils glowing in the evening light.
Celebrate with Community
Labor Day reminds us that farming, like all meaningful work, is built on effort, persistence, and care. But more importantly, it reminds us of the joy that comes when we gather to share the fruits of that work.
Whether you join us at the market for tacos, pick up some take-home items, or plant seedlings in your own garden, you’re part of our community that values good food, healthy soil, and connection.
We’ll see you at the Easton farmers’ market this Saturday. Let’s celebrate the end of August together with all this farm-fresh deliciousness!