Harvest will fill the barn; for that
The hand must ache, the face must sweat.
And yet no leaf or grain is filled
By work of ours; the field is tilled
And left to grace. That we may reap,
Great work is done while we’re asleep.
- Wendell Berry (excerpt from Whatever Is Foreseen In Joy)
We have been living inside this poem this week.
The cherry tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, tomatillos, butternut squash, and hot peppers are all ripening at once, which means large harvests every day, big deliveries to our wholesale clients, and more to do than there are hours in the day. It is the kind of abundance that is deeply gratifying and thoroughly exhausting in equal measure, and we are not complaining (too much) about it.
We did give ourselves Monday off. We make it a point not to labor on Labor Day, and this year we spent the day at the Maryland Renaissance Festival, a tradition we try to keep every year. It was mentally restorative and physically demanding with lots of walking, a lot of laughing, plenty of eating, and a genuinely full day. We came back tired but happy to have done a little time traveling to a 16th-century English village.
This week the big harvests and deliveries have continued, which is why this blog post is going out a little later than usual. There is only so much time in a day, and lately the field has been claiming most of it. We are grateful for every bit of it, and we cannot wait to see you this Saturday, September 12th at the Easton farmers’ market.
Last Call: All Seedlings 50% Off
This Saturday will be our final week offering seedlings for sale, and all remaining seedlings are just $2.50 each, that is 50% off our regular price. We still have broccolini, cauliflower, sunflowers, and more available but quantities are very limited. This is your last chance of the season, so please do not wait. Browse what is still available at quarter-acre.com/shop and plan to arrive early Saturday morning to grab what you want before it is gone for the season.
New This Week: Butternut Squash
Our butternut squash harvest has begun and we are bringing them to the market this Saturday for the first time this season. Sweet, nutty, and wonderfully versatile, butternut squash is one of the great pleasures of early fall cooking. Roast them, blend them into soup, or stuff them for a showstopping dinner. A beautiful sign that the seasons are turning even if the temperatures have not caught up yet.
Also at the Booth This Saturday
We will have heirloom tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, tomatillos, heirloom garlic, hot peppers, luffa sponges, and our full selection of take-home items including pico de gallo, guacamole, tomatillo salsa, and ceviche.
This Week’s Special: Chicken Fajita Taco
A brand new special this Saturday: roasted chicken with sautéed bell peppers and onions, tucked into a warm corn tortilla and topped with our pico de gallo. Fresh, flavorful, and satisfying.
Take-Home Frozen Meal: Chicken Enchiladas
A crowd pleaser that never disappoints: shredded chicken wrapped in corn tortillas, covered in a mild red sauce with a touch of heat, and topped with a blend of cheeses. Pick it up at the booth, take it home, and heat it up whenever you are ready.
Tonight’s Gleaning: 86 Pounds of Cherry Tomatoes
This evening we had another wonderful cherry tomato gleaning event right here on the farm with the Maryland Food Bank. A great turnout of volunteers harvested 86 pounds of certified organic cherry tomatoes in less than two hours, heading straight to Marylanders facing hunger through the Farm to Food Bank Program. Every gleaning is filled with more than just harvesting. We have great conversations, connect with new people, and get a chance to show others our farming operation. Thank you to everyone who came out tonight.
If you would like to join us at a future gleaning event, keep an eye on our Instagram @quarterafarm and newsletter for announcements, or create a volunteer account with the Maryland Food Bank at mdfoodbank.rosterfy.com/register.
The fields are full, the barn is filling, and the hands are aching in the best possible way. Come find us this Saturday at the Easton farmers’ market, 8am to 12pm, we have so much delicious produce and food for you!