Transplanting Artichokes & Installing a Backyard for the Goats

Village Farm Team,

In between harvesting an abundance of summer squashes and tomatoes, we’ve been able to transplant a few new crops on the farm. To our planter boxes, we added both Thai and Genovese basil as well as Tango celery. We also filled a few rows by our Farm Club plots with Imperial Star artichoke transplants. Did you know that artichokes are a type of thistle? What we know and eat as artichoke hearts are actually the lower, fleshy part of the flower bud. This is our first time experimenting with artichokes so we are eager to see how they do in our climate. If all goes according to plan, we will be able to harvest in July.

We installed a fence at the back of the goat pen giving our ladies their own “backyard” to roam and play. Not only does this allow them to have more space, but it gives them enrichment and foraging opportunities. They were so excited to forage their new space that they cleared out the weedy vegetation within a couple of days!

Since we are in peak tomato and summer squash season, we’ve been hosting a veggie stand pop-up at the Farmhouse (3400 Harvest Corner Drive) on Monday afternoons from 4-6pm. This provides you with another opportunity to pick up local produce if you aren’t able to make it out to the farmers market on Saturdays. Did you know local produce has benefits for both you and the environment? Locally grown foods travel a much shorter distance from the farm to your table. This means that there are less carbon emissions produced in the process. And, since there is a shorter window from harvest to your hands, more nutrients are intact.