Summer before Spring? updates on Farming in So. AZ

In case you had not noticed (haha), we had quite the temperature spike here in Southern Arizona the past few weeks. It felt more like summer, even before the Spring Equinox! Fortunately, the forecast settles back down to somewhat “normal” spring temps looking ahead (for now), but that jump really took it’s toll on our farmers and their crops.

We have some updates from farms, but FIRST a note about our actual summer (the one that is supposed to start in June not March!) Please MARK YOUR CALENDARS – Tucson CSA will take our annual summer break to work around farmer’s crop availability and the summer heat from June 15 – July 6th (No pickups – June 16/17, June 23/24, June 30/July 1)

We hope this coincides with some of your vacation plans as well! There will be no CSA pick up during this window and your account will not be charged for those three weeks.

Back to our farm updates…

As a result of our unusually high spring temperatures, winter crops that can usually stretch far into spring have taken a beating. You have probably noticed some of your broccoli, cauliflower or radishes starting to flower as a result of the high heat. Aaron at Arevalos Farms estimates that about a quarter or more of his current broccoli crop was lost to the high temperatures. Fortunately, CSA farmers practice succession planting and we are hoping to get more broccoli and cauliflower in our shares from a bed that was planted later in the season.

Bryan at Double Adobe Farm did a quick, emergency transition from floating row cover (to protect crops from frost) to a shade cloth on his spinach. Spinach is a delicate crop that does poorly in hot weather but reports so far are that the spinach is doing well! It is yet to see how greens like chard and kale will be bouncing back from the heat stress, especially as insects are emerging earlier than usual this year.

Our farmers have years of experience but even with the most meticulous planning, farming has always been filled with uncertainties. Gambling that the weather won’t deal us a cold snap, most of our farmers have been getting their first summer crops in already. If all goes well, we are hoping to have summer squash and maybe cucumbers before our summer break. We should return from the break with all sorts of summer produce, including melons, green beans and eggplant. Tomatoes, okra and chiles should all be rolling in by mid July too.

We are sad to say that Sarah Brown with Westover Farm will be wrapping up farming (for now) at the end of this spring season. There is nothing easy about being a farmer, especially in Southern Arizona, and we hold her and all of our farmers with great respect. Fortunately, the number of farmers we get to work with through New Roots has blossomed and continues to grow. They are all producing a wider variety and quantity of veggies than we had even intended to purchase – and we are so grateful for that. We share this with you all as members as a way to stay connected to the foods you are getting at Tucson CSA and our producers. Thank you for supporting local agriculture!