A Lesson in Lettuces: Summer vs. Winter

Some may like it hot, but those are usually not lettuces.  Many members of the Asteraceae family seed and bolt once temperatures rise.  Bolting is part of a lettuces’ lifecycle where the stalk elongates and produces a flower at the top with seeds. Unfortunately, bolting occurs prematurely when it gets hot leaving the heads of lettuce edible, but terribly bitter and small.  To continue to enjoy our gorgeous lettuces as the hot, hot heat comes we’ve planted some awesome summer varieties.  Specifically, Magenta and Nevada are fantastic summer crisp lettuces that size up nicely and are bolt resistant despite the heat.  Share your favorite summer salad recipe with us at recipes@sweetwater-organic.org

We love being able to experiment with new varieties, work with crops from seed to fruition in a small farm environment, grow a wide range of vegetables through out a given season, and know our food is being utilized locally.  We thank all of you who have been a part of our CSA and shown definitive support for sourcing locally grown, healthy food and the farm that grows it.  If you have not renewed your CSA yet or are waiting to try our CSA program please consider buying your 2014-2015 membership early.  Early memberships truly help the farm team plan for the summer ahead and get us started on the right foot for the next awesome season.

See you at the Farm!

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