Week 7

From Noah at Food Field:This is my last week of urban farming--it's been an honor growing for you all the past 8 years! Don't worry, produce from Food Field will keep coming, grown with love by our new farmers: Leandra, Eli, Lauren & Crystal from Finding Our Roots. I'll soon be back in the classroom getting a master's in agricultural economics, working on food system changes from a different angle.Finding Our Roots is an African American-run nonprofit in District 2 geared toward self-sufficiency and sustainable agriculture. They seek to utilize the aftermath of blight in Detroit by reconstructing the spirit of unity through farming and homesteading.This week we're trellising tomatoes higher, harvesting ripe heirlooms and more cherry & grape varieties, and getting an early start canning sauce from tomato 2nds with fresh basil & garlic. Work continues weeding sweet potatoes, containing insect damage on fruit trees, repairing vehicles & equipment, and dealing with costly city enforcement on farm animals and permitting! Curbed Detroit has a great article today on the situation for livestock keepers in Detroit.This week's box has more good staple vegetables, herbs, flowers, plus mushrooms from Detroit Mushroom Factory:

• Tomatoes (cherry, heirloom and other slicers)
• Carrots
• Garlic
• Potatoes or Summer Squash
• Mint & other herbs
• Edible flowers
• Cucumbers
• Oyster Mushrooms

What to do with mint? Here's a version of one of my favorite refreshing summer dishes, watermelon salad. Unfortunately we don't have watermelons to harvest but it wouldn't be summer without it...