FIELD NOTES:

The cold has come for us! Over the weekend we got a few decent frosts and that’s our cue to shift gears. A long task list exists but the top priority becomes less obvious. There’s some strategy behind doing the heavier-lifting, outside work now before it gets too cold, and there are certainly some tasks that are vital to finish before snow covers the ground. But this time of year brings a bit more of… big projects, bit by bit and dealers choice vibe. It can be jarring at first, but it’s pretty nice once your summer brain yields to it and you settle in. It’s about striking the right balance of slowing down but not losing sight of what needs to be done and how much time we have to do it! 

Flower team is starting this new point in the season off with a bang - digging dahlias! 

We grow about 2,000 feet of dahlias in our no-till flower fields. All summer long, these plants give us armloads of color, filling buckets for the farm stand, events, and flower sales. But dahlias are not particularly interested in surviving a New York winter in the ground.

Their underground tubers need to be lifted, cleaned up, and tucked away before the cold gets the better of them. And with 2,000 feet of dahlias to dig, this is not exactly a one-person, one-afternoon kind of project.

Here’s how we get them out of the ground and ready for next season.

1. Take down all dahlia trellising infrastructure: twine, and stakes.

2. Cut back the tops of the dahlias and lift the hortnova off the top - wind it up and save it for next season.

3. Mow the dahlias down to about 1.5 feet tall

4. 2 crew members work across from each other forking the dahlias out of the ground 

5. 2 more crew members follow cutting the remaining stalks off the dahlias and shaking off a bit of the dirt by hand

6. A final crew member follows behind crating the tubers and layering them with woodshavings - these will keep things dry while preserving a little moisture so they don’t shrivel up! 

7. Crates are tucked away in our cooler - set to about 40 degrees. 

Once we get everything dug we’ll start the process of washing, dividing and counting all of our tubers for next season's sales and planting! 

HOW TO EAT YOUR VEGGIES: The Bitter End

A little sweet, a little bitter, and just right for fall. Roasting the radicchio softens its bite and brings out a lovely mellow flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 radicchio, cut into wedges

• 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced

• 1 apple, thinly sliced

• Olive oil, salt and pepper

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• 1 tsp maple syrup

• A handful of toasted walnuts (optional)

Make it

1. Toss radicchio wedges with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 425°F for 10–15 minutes, until tender and lightly charred.

2. Whisk together the vinegar, Dijon, maple syrup and a drizzle of olive oil.

3. Toss the warm radicchio with sliced fennel and apple, drizzle with dressing, and finish with toasted walnuts.

Great alongside roasted butternut squash, potatoes, or whatever else is coming out of your fall oven.