Farm Market Update

We will unfortunately miss the last two weekends of the West Bend Farm Market due to other commitments. But fret not, our hungry friends: we will still have on-farm hours each Tuesday! And as always, give us a holler if youd like to stop out another day of the week.

And dont forget, we continue to grow all 12 months of the year so you dont need to go back to the tasteless greens at the grocery store just because the farm market ends.

Hope to see you soon!

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Strawberry Ricotta Bruschetta with Lemon and Arugula

Now that the strawberries have officially made it to our farmers market, this weeks recipe is a combination of both a spring favorite and a year-round staple at Lone Duck Farm:

Strawberry Ricotta Bruschetta

with Lemon and Arugula

 

 

Source

 

Strawberry Ricotta Bruschetta with Lemon and Arugula
Be sure to use a fresh ricotta for this recipe. A creamy, mild goat cheese may be used in place of the ricotta. Makes 2.
2 large strawberries, hulled, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 slices peasant or levain bread
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
1/4 cup fresh ricotta or mild goat cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup arugula leaves, washed and dried
Freshly ground black pepper
Toss the strawberries and balsamic vinegar together in a small bowl; set aside. Preheat oven broiler. Brush bread slices with olive oil. Sprinkle with a little salt. Broil in the oven until golden brown, turning once.
Smear the ricotta over the bread slices. Sprinkle with lemon zest. Pile arugula on the bruschetta. Remove the strawberries from the vinegar, shaking off excess liquid, and arrange over the arugula. Whisk 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt into the remaining vinegar. Drizzle over and around the bruschetta. Garnish with black pepper.
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Growing Strawberry Some Points to Remember

Today we will discuss some growing tips of one of my favorite fruits: STRAWBERRIES.


Strawberries required full sun. It is a very tolerant plant and can be found in most of the countries. If your area is very windy make some arrangement to protect the plant from wind.

The unfortunate part of strawberry is that it is quite prone to diseases. So start smart. Buy only certified plants from your nearby nurseries. There are two varieties of strawberries viz. short day types and day neutral types. The first type of strawberry plants produce fruit only when the day is shorter (in the winter till early springs.), whereas day neutral types can produce fruits all year long. They can start bearing fruits as early as in the 3rd month after planting.

The plants are generally planted in the form of runners.

It is always better to use raised garden beds than the direct soil to plant strawberries. You can use the same garden bed for up to three years to grow strawberries provided you have not planted any solanaceae (Tomato, Eggplant) plant there earlier. You need the replace the bed once you see the fruits begin to become smaller (generally after 3rd year). Crop rotation can be a good idea for the same garden bed.

Ideal pH for strawberry plant is around 6.5 to make the strawberry flourish add a good amount of compost to the soil. Plant them in rows with 50 cm apart. Keep close to a meter gap between the rows.  Once the plant starts growing clear away any dead leaves in the plant. Keep a close eye on any aphids or worms in the plant.

Straw is a good choice for mulching purposes in strawberry plant. Once you see the fruits begin to form apply a layer of straw mulch. These have dual benefits. They help retaining the moisture in the soil and also save the fruit from getting the dirt once it is matured.

They are a very good ornamental plant. You can grow them in containers as well. Once the plant start growing bigger, it will extend many runners. It is important to do some pruning. You need to remove most of the runners so that the energy flows directly to the plant and will result in good quality fruits. You can find more on pruning in this article.

Apart from the delicious taste eating strawberries are also good nutrient wise. Strawberries are rich in vitamin C and potassium. So you can enjoy the fruit and also get those needed vitamins and minerals into your system.


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Dont forget to read:
Why you should grow strawberries in Coir? 

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