Holding onto Summer at Jericho Settlers Farm

Throughout the growing season, City Market hosts Crop Mobs at area farms. These volunteer work parties give our Member Workers an opportunity to get their hands dirty and learn more about the farms where we’re purchasing our food from. Last month, we helped with weeding at Pitchfork Farm in the Intervale and just this past Saturday, on an uncharacteristically hot fall day, we harvested potatoes at Jericho Settlers Farm in Richmond.

Jericho Settlers Farm is a diversified organic vegetable farm with a thriving CSA and wholesale business. In addition to their top notch produce, they offer pasture raised and grass-fed meats along with their “solar eggs.” Owned and operated by Christa and Mark since 2002, this 200 acre farm specializes in year-round vegetable production with a focus on feeding the community all year long.

After a wet summer, this stretch of hot weather was a welcome one, though Mark shared the difficulties in planning with such drastic changes in the weather. As the weather becomes more unpredictable, Mark shared some ideas for adjusting the locations of certain crops from areas prone to flooding. He noted that a farmer’s best tool is their pen and pencil, offering the opportunity to learn from each year’s harvest and address issues from pests to soil health to changes in weather.

Though Mark shared that they had experienced some crop loss in the lower fields where we were harvesting, we were able to harvest the potato beds that had withstood the storm. During a break from the sun, we snacked on banana bread and shared our favorite vegetables with Mark offering insight into his experience growing each kind.

Below is a list of City Market’s current offerings from JSF in our produce department. Swing by for some quality, organic produce and join us for our next Crop Mob at Intervale Community Farm in October!

·         Purple Carrots

·         Baby Red Kale

·         Parsley

·         Red Shiso

·         Red Romaine Lettuce

·         Oakleaf Lettuce (as available)

·         Easter Egg Radish (as available)

·         Mesclun

·         Arugula

·         Spinach

·         Slicer Tomatoes

·         Mixed Cherry Tomatoes

·         Saladette Tomatoes

·         Rainbow Roma Tomatoes

·         Occasionally- Pea Shoots and Microgreens

·         Early season- carrots

·         Late season- Specialty/varietal Pumpkins