🌽 From the Field: From the Stalk to Your CSA Box
This week, we’re taking you behind the scenes of this morning’s sweet corn harvest and showing you how an ear of corn makes its way from the field to your CSA box.
It all starts with knowing when the corn is ready. As harvest approaches, we check the ears for size and development, looking at clues like the condition of the silks and how well the kernels have filled out. We can also peel back the husk on a few ears and check the kernels themselves. Once a planting reaches that sweet spot, it’s time to harvest.
Rather than picking each ear by hand, we use a sweet corn picker that travels through the rows, removing the ears from the stalks and collecting them as it moves. Once full, the harvested corn is brought to our packing area and dumped onto large slides.
That’s where our crew takes over. The corn moves down the slides while employees sort through the harvest, removing plant material and ears that don’t meet our standards. The good ears are packed into crates and prepared for the trip back to the farm.
Once the corn arrives back at Pahl’s, the work isn’t finished. The crates are brought in and the corn is divided and packed along with the other vegetables going into this week’s CSA shares.
It’s a process that happens quickly, especially with sweet corn. From checking the ears in the field, to running the picker, sorting and packing the harvest, and finally building your CSA shares, there’s a lot that happens between the stalk and the box you take home.
These photos give you a glimpse of what that process looked like this morning, with some of the very same sweet corn you’ll be taking home in this week’s share!
What’s in the Box? 🌽🍉
This week’s box has a little bit of everything, from sweet summer favorites to the first hints of fall. Here’s what you’ll find inside:
- 🌽 Sweet Corn
- 🍉 Mini Watermelon
- 🎃 Acorn Squash
- 🫑 Green Bell Peppers
- 🌶️ Poblano Peppers
- 🌶️ Jalapeños
- 🫛 Green Beans
🌽 Sweet Corn
Enjoy it boiled, grilled, or cut fresh from the cob. Keep refrigerated and use sooner rather than later for the best sweetness.
🍉 Mini Watermelon
Chill and enjoy on its own, or add to fruit salads. Once cut, keep covered in the refrigerator.
🎃 Acorn Squash
A sign that fall isn’t far away! Cut in half, scoop out the seeds, and roast until tender. Try it with butter and brown sugar or go savory with herbs and Parmesan.
🫑 Green Bell Peppers
Great raw, grilled, sautéed, or stuffed. They’ll keep well in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use them.
🌶️ Poblanos
Poblanos have a mild, earthy heat that’s great for roasting, stuffing, tacos, soups, and sauces. Roasting brings out even more flavor.
🌶️ Jalapeños
Add a little kick to salsa, tacos, eggs, marinades, or grilled dishes. Removing the pale inner ribs will help reduce the heat.
🫛 Green Beans
Sauté with garlic and butter, roast them, or simply blanch and serve with your favorite seasoning.
This week’s share is a great snapshot of the changing season, with plenty of summer flavor alongside the first vegetables that have us thinking about fall.
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