Months of hard work finally produced tangible results last week when we had our first harvest of the 2013 growing season. To prepare for our weekly 7:00 a.m. pickup each Wednesday morning, vegetables must be picked, washed, weighed, and bagged the night before. Our first harvest yielded squash, cucumbers, zucchini, and a couple green peppers- our first of the season! Chives, thyme, mint, oregano, and parsley were gathered bright and early to keep them fresh and at 7:00 a.m. the Purdy and Sons truck pulled up behind Newell Apartments. After handing over our first harvest we talked to Head Chef Michael Stagnaro, who told us the food would be used at the Library Café, which now prepares fresh salads and sandwiches.
Gabe with first harvest
The numerous floods hindered production significantly but things are really starting to speed up and yesterday’s harvest, our second, consisted of an even wider variety of crops.
Every Tuesday and Thursday the garden interns are responsible for watering the garden at the Hamilton Central School, and on Tuesdays any of their vegetables are added to the Community Garden’s harvest. Yesterday, we harvested several odorous pounds of herbs dill, mint, oregano, thyme, and chives. Chef Michael Stagnaro also happily received Japanese eggplants, cherry tomatoes, cabbage, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, and three varieties of peppers.
Next week’s harvest, which will be augmented by root vegetables and tomatoes (that are flourishing in the greenhouse) and plenty of chard and cucumbers (from the garden), will be ready right on time for the throngs of students arriving in the coming weeks.
For more information or if you would like to come down and help harvest next week contact communitygarden@colgate.edu.