June 26, 2021 - Engaging with the Food Around You

Shimonita Negi - Just hilled for the first time. Hilling blanches the bottom part of the stem so that it stays white and tender. These will get hilled 4 times over the season, every 1.5 months or so.

We are a naturally curious species, although we like certain routine and predictability we are also deeply engaged when exposed to new and interesting things - we like variety! We are social animals and depend on each other for survival. Do you remember what it felt like to go on a field trip as a child, or to travel to a new place as an adult? Think of how you feel when you take a walk in the woods or in a neighborhood different than your own. Think of when you eat a new recipe or vegetable. There is so much to notice and be interested in when we give ourselves the opportunity to do so.

One of the reasons I grow food is to contribute to the diversity of vegetable varieties available for consumption. I consider it a mission to try to provide that kind of engagement and experience around food - to make people curious about food and where it comes from. The above photo is a new variety we’re trying out this season called Shimonita Negi. Green onions, or bunching onions, fill a unique roll in the onion family. They are mild enough to be eaten raw or cooked and tend to be slightly sweeter than a traditional bulb onion. We are used to seeing smaller bunching onions, like the ones you see in our online store or at the grocery, but there is a different variety that has been bred to grow one large diameter stalk. A bunching onion that is the size of a leek! This onion variety was bred in Japan and prized for it’s even more mild and sweet flavor. We are growing it for the first time this season and it is coming along nicely so far! This onion, much like leeks, stay in the ground for between 6-12 months and will hopefully provide a nice winter harvest heading into the fall!