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Hello Faircrest Farms Friends!
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Summer has settled over the farm. While the harvest tables continue to grow fuller each week, much of the most important work is happening quietly—beneath the soil, under floating row covers, and along rows of twine where climbing crops stretch a little higher each day.
There is something deeply satisfying about watching seeds we tucked into the ground only days ago emerge with fresh promise. Every new leaf is a reminder that faithful attention to the little things—healthy soil, careful watering, and patient tending—produces an abundant harvest.
 This Week's Harvest
Along with our regular favorites, we're excited to offer:
- Fresh Salad Mix
- Zucchini
- Kale
- Collard Greens
- Cucumbers
- Sweet Basil
- Bunching Onions
Coming Soon:  Cherry Tomatoes!
We've already enjoyed the first few handfuls straight from the vine, and it won't be long before they're available for everyone. Sweet, colorful, and bursting with flavor, they're one of summer's greatest pleasures.
 In the Fields
This week has been filled with the steady rhythm of midsummer farming.
We've continued sowing successive plantings of leafy greens and root vegetables to ensure a continuous harvest throughout the season. Germination has been excellent, thanks to warm soils and attentive irrigation.
Our floating row covers continue to prove their worth, protecting young crops from hungry insect visitors while allowing sunlight, rain, and fresh air to nourish healthy growth. Trellising also remains a daily task as cucumbers and other climbing crops eagerly reach skyward.
Healthy soil is the foundation of exceptional vegetables. Because our Utah soils naturally tend toward alkalinity, we're continually incorporating compost to build organic matter and gently moderate soil pH. Throughout the week we've also been feeding our crops with liquid fertilizers, giving them an extra boost of nutrients just when they're growing most rapidly.
Every season reminds us that farming isn't about controlling nature—it's about working alongside it.
 From the KitchenSouthern-Style Collard Greens
One of the great joys of the Ogden Farmers Market is meeting people with stories to tell.
This week we visited with two customers who both grew up in the American South. Each shared their family's treasured recipe for slow-cooked collard greens. Though their versions differed slightly, they agreed on one thing: good collards deserve time.
After simmering for hours with smoky pork, onions, garlic, and broth, the greens become meltingly tender and deeply flavorful. It's easy to imagine why this has been a beloved comfort food for generations.
Here's our interpretation of their shared wisdom.
Ingredients (approximately 2 gallons)
- 1 lb collard greens
- 1 lb mustard greens
- 1 lb turnip greens
- Pork belly, ham hock, or thick-cut bacon
- ½ large yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 gallon chicken stock (or water with bouillon)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1–2 tablespoons honey or sugar (to taste)
- ½ lb chopped ham
- ½ large purple onion, finely chopped
- Apple cider vinegar
Directions
- In a large stockpot, cook the bacon or pork until browned.
- Sauté the yellow onion in the rendered fat until translucent.
- Stir in the garlic.
- Add the chicken stock and begin adding the greens in batches, allowing each addition to wilt before adding more.
- Once all the greens have cooked down, reduce the heat and simmer gently for at least one hour. (Traditional recipes often simmer three to six hours for exceptional tenderness.)
- Stir in the chopped ham during the final 20–30 minutes.
- Just before serving, add the chopped purple onion and a splash of apple cider vinegar to brighten the flavors.
Serve with warm cornbread, fresh tomatoes, or your favorite barbecue.
For another excellent version, visit the recipe from Allrecipes:
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/235931/southern-style-collard-greens/
 Words of Wisdom
"Sweet child of Heaven, and joy of earth!
O, when will Man thy value learn?
We rudely drove thee from our hearth,
And vainly sigh for thy return."
— "Domestic Peace" by Anne Brontë
In the rush of modern life, the simple blessings of gathering around a table with family and friends can easily be overlooked. Yet every shared meal reminds us that food nourishes far more than our bodies—it nourishes our relationships, our gratitude, and our sense of home.
Thank you for allowing Faircrest Farms to be a small part of those moments.
Keep Us Growing
Taste the Difference — Food grown with care and harvested at its peak.
 Shop This Week's Harvest — Place your order today.
 Visit the Farm — Come see where your food begins.
 Volunteer With Us — Put your hands in the soil and join the work.
 Forward This Newsletter — Share the joy of local food with a friend.
Thank you for supporting small farms, healthy soil, and food that nourishes both body and community.
With gratitude,
Rita, Karl & the Faircrest Farms Crew
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