We will have a guest vendor at our farm stand this week! Feathers & Blooms will be offering hand blended bird seed packs, flower pressed ornaments, seasonal bouquets/bunches of lavender, salves and seed packets.

Have you ever wondered why we can’t grow avocados or oranges in Washington state? Because our average summer temperature is tempered by the chilly Salish Sea, many common vegetable and fruit varieties do not grow well in Western Washington without the help of greenhouses. Thankfully, our local farmers are experts at choosing and developing varieties which ripen early and thrive in our climate. Farmers use a unit of measure called Growing Degree Days (GDD) to estimate plant ripening. Learn more about GDDs for tomatoes from WSU Skagit County Extension Master Gardeners: https://www.skagitmg.org/home/resources/tomato-info/   

This week’s Fresh-to-Go bag contains donut peaches! This small, flat peach is a white peach variety which originated in China then were introduced to the U.S. in the 1800s. This juicy petite peach is the perfect size for a snack with a handful of pecans or to throw in your lunchbox!

The Island Health Farm Stand runs every Tuesday through September 2 in the 24^th Street courtyard from 11a.m.–3 p.m. See you there!

Schuh Farms offers Fresh-to-Go bags each week consisting of 4-5 produce items changing weekly based on what is fresh on the farm. Fresh-to-Go bags can be purchased on a week-by-week basis ($19/week).

Place your weekly Fresh-to-Go bag orders by Monday, June 30 at 12 p.m. (use button below). This will allow for preparation and pre-bagging of items to reduce line wait times.

• Choice of greens
• Bunched carrots
• Box of tayberries
• Donut peaches
• And a surprise!

With the start of June comes a peak in ripeness for many of our berries here in Washington. Cross breeding these berries results in hybrid plants, examples of these include:

• Loganberries - a sweeter and softer cross between blackberries and red raspberries.
• Tayberries - a more flavorful cross between blackberries and red raspberries.
• Boysenberries - a wonderful balance of sweet and tart, this berry is a cross between blackberry, raspberry, dewberry and loganberry.
• Marionberries - a sweet and flavorful type of blackberry.

Please pick up and pay for your Fresh-to-Go bag by 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 1, at the Schuh Farms booth.

Thank you!

Island Health Morale, Wellness & Recognition Committee