The First Baby Black Futsu Squashes

AUGUST 23rd, 2022

While weeding our Black Futsu squash patch this week we noticed the first babies growing on the vines! In case you missed reading about it in this post, Black Futsu is an heirloom Japanese pumpkin that has deeply ribbed, bumpy skin. The unique thing about this variety is that its skin changes color once it is harvested and cured. On the vine, it matures to a dark black-ish green. After it is harvested and undergoes the curing process, the color of the skin changes to a dusty terracotta orange hue. Above, you can see what one of the female blossoms looks like with the baby squash at the base. Below, Farmer Bethany is cradling a baby squash that is further along and beginning to develop a deep green color.

Remember the last round of summer planting we did at the end of July? It included several regionally specific varieties like these Louisiana Long Green eggplants! Also called “Green Banana”, this variety yields long slender eggplants with a light green hue. It has tender skin and sweeter flesh similar to our Asian eggplants. Though we’re only harvesting a small handful of these for now, we should have some for you to try at the farm stand in the next couple of weeks! You can check out this post to see how our farm team has been enjoying eggplant this summer.

Over the weekend we seeded an additional 47 trays of fall crops in the greenhouse! For this round, we planted more mustard greens and kale along with broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and beets. We are excited to report that almost all of the varieties we planted have already started germinating! The cloudy days and cooler temperatures have been incredibly beneficial in allowing us to get a jump-start on the fall season. We can’t wait to begin transplanting, and eventually harvesting these veggies for you!

Currently in Season at the Farm Stand: Sweet and Hot Peppers, Cucumbers, Italian and Asian Eggplants, Long Beans, Zucchini, Tromboncino, Okra, Amaranth Greens, Roselle Greens, Malabar Spinach, Sweet Potato Greens, Bitter Melon, Korean Melon, Kajari Melon, Cantaloupe, and Basil.