Posts by Randall Farrar
Chop and Drop – A Busy Person’s Best Friend
One of the most fun concepts of Permaculture is Chop and Drop. The concept of Chop and Drop is pruning, cutting or chopping woody perennials, shrubs and trees, and letting everything fall to the ground. Nature hates bare soil, and this is a way to naturally mulch your soil (like a forest) to feed the…
Read MoreTop 6 Reasons to Join Your Local CSA
There are many great reasons to join your local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Eat healthy fresh fruits and vegetables, value, learn about new foods & cooking techniques, community, variety, the environment, choices, quality, the list goes on! 6 Reasons to Join a CSA 1. Eat Healthier When you start picking up a box of fruits…
Read MoreRough Lemon – A Rare and Unique Citrus
Have you ever heard of Rough Lemon? I hadn’t either until one of my organic small farmer friends said she had some lemons for our Harvest2U customers. I asked what the variety was, and she said she didn’t know. I asked her to send me a picture, and when I saw it, I doubted very…
Read MoreCommercial Potato Farming – Non-Organic Vs. Organic
Commercial Potato Farming is not an easy thing to do whether you’re doing it organically or non-organically. The non-organic potato farmer is pressured into producing a perfect, blemish-free tuber for the French fry market. To get this cosmetically perfect potato, these farmers have resorted to the heavy use of pesticides, herbicides, and fumigants. The result…
Read MoreMoringa Leaves – 5 Reasons It’s a True Superfood
Moringa Leaves come from a sub-tropical tree known as “the drumstick tree,” and its botanical name is Moringa oleifera. Moringa (Moringa Leaves) is commonly touted as a superfood because it is rich in nutrients, antioxidants, and other beneficial compounds. Moringa is an extraordinary food source in some parts of the world. When dried the leaves…
Read MoreOrganic Turnips – Mustard’s and Bok Choy’s Cousin
You may have noticed organic turnips in your harvest box this week. Organic Turnips grow really well in the winter months of Southern California. Turnip’s botanical name is Brassica rapa, which is the same for its cousins, Mustard, and Bok choy. The round-root is the main edible part of the plant, but the delicious leaves are just as nutritious as its…
Read MoreFive Ways to Use Kohlrabi
Kohlrabi (pronounced “cole-rah-bee”) is actually a cabbage, selectively bred by farmers over 500 years ago for its thick stem. Use kohlrabi cooked as well as raw. Edible preparations are made with both the stem and the leaves. The texture and taste of kohlrabi are comparable to those of a broccoli stem or cabbage heart, but sweeter and milder, with a higher ratio…
Read MoreFuyu Persimmon – A Popular Harvest2U Organic Fruit
Fuyu Persimmon Description The Fuyu persimmon lacks a core, seeds, and tannins (tannins equate to an astringent persimmon). Fuyu persimmons have a squat and rounded tomato-like shape and capped with an indented leaf on their stem end. They the skin and flesh have pumpkin colored tones and possess layers of flavor reminiscent of brown sugar,…
Read MoreJujube Fruit – 7 Reasons to Include It in Your Diet
About Jujube Fruit Jujube fruit is also referred to as Chinese dates, Korean dates, red dates, or Indian dates. Jujubes (Ziziphus jujuba) grow on a small deciduous (loses its leaves in the winter) trees. Jujube trees grow to around 20-30 feet tall, and with small shiny green leaves, tiny blossoms, with grape-to-kumquat sized fruits that…
Read More10 Ways to Use Fresh Rosemary That Are Super Easy
What is Fresh Rosemary Fresh Rosemary is recently cut clippings from the small evergreen shrub Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis). Rosemary is native to the Mediterranean region. It has dark green, needle-like leaves that have a resinous aroma. From late winter through spring, the plant displays blue flowers, which are edible. There are two growth types of…
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