Dear Farm Community -

Remember those high tunnels we built last week? Well they’re full of little baby plants now! We spent a beautiful autumnal afternoon planting one out with spring snapdragons (see above), imagining all the blooms that await us, and definitely not getting distracted by the plants’ big cardboard shipping box like a cat would…..

Snapdragons are one of the few plants on the farm that we don’t start from seed. At 1,200 plants per bed, with 6 beds of snapdragons getting planted out, that’s a lot for our seed house to handle with limited space! We’re happy to call it in for these seedlings, and even happier now that we’re lookin at our 7,200 snapdragon babies happily in the ground where they’re ready for overwintering and their spring glow-up ;) This planting includes both our first and second successions of snapdragons for spring—one variety will bloom early, followed by the next a bit later. And believe it or not, we’ll be planting even more down the line to keep the snapdragon blooms coming all spring long!

Black swallowtail caterpillars have made another late-season return to the farm. We usually see them twice a year, one wave in late-spring/early-summer and another wave in late summer (or this year, early fall!) They’re beautiful little creatures, all bold stripes and hungry appetites, and their arrival always stirs mixed feelings. As much as we adore them, they also happen to love eating our fennel and parsley. We’ve found a happy middle ground, though. A couple of us butterfly-lovers collect the caterpillars off the crops as we harvest, and raise them in “captivity,” feeding them trimmed fennel fronds from the wash station. It’s a small act of coexistence, giving them a safe place to grow while protecting our crops, and one that brings a lot of joy. Last year, Farmer Caro and Farmer Anna raised and released more than twenty butterflies, watching each one take flight into the early autumn air 🥲

In other quick news, last week we had the pleasure of hosting a farm visit for UGA students studying Organic Systems. It was a joy to share our space, walk through the fields with them, and dive into conversations about sustainable farming practices. Their thoughtful questions, curiosity, and enthusiasm reminded us why we do what we do, and how lucky we are to do it ;) It was inspiring to imagine that the next generation of farmers, growers, and food innovators learning and exploring right here on the farm (and one psychology student!)

This weekend we also ran into friends from the SCAD film department at the Freedom Farmers Market. They were filming another episode of ChefATL, the PBS documentary series we had the pleasure of helping out with last August. “Our” episode (The Good Bite) recently aired on October 1st and is available to watch for free on the PBS website! It highlights the farm-to-table connection in both food and flowers, which is central to the ethos of restaurant Le Bon Nosh and chef Forough Vakili, one of our fave restaurant partners. You can watch the full episode here (our farm makes a small appearance around the ten-minute mark!) We’re so grateful to be part of not only the local food system but also SCAD’s educational work in connecting students, chefs, and farms in ways that inspire and strengthen our community.

CSA MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT!
Mark your calendars! Our End-of-the-Year Potluck will be on Saturday, November 8th, from 4:00–7:00 PM right here on the farm 🍂✨ Come celebrate the abundant year with us, connect with fellow CSA members, and enjoy the land that grows your food. Bring your favorite dish to share if you can ~ we’ll be cooking up ours! Beverages and a few extra dishes will be provided, and of course no fall gathering would be complete without a bonfire and s’mores, on the house 🔥 Keep your eye out for an invite with your CSA share this week. We can’t wait to celebrate together!

If you’d like to be part of our 2025 CSA Member Recipe Collection, just email us your favorite recipe of the year to share with the farm community!
👉 diamondhillfarmcsa@gmail.com 👈

Your shares this week include French Breakfast radishes! Their name causes a healthy amount of curiosity among people. Do the French really eat radishes for breakfast?? While the variety does come from France, it was the upper-class in Victorian England who made these radishes a breakfast favorite. They enjoyed them for morning meals, sometimes even at radish-themed gatherings (I’m serious!) and added “French” to the name as a nod to the variety’s origins.

Though petite, these radishes are full of flavor and versatile in the kitchen!! Raw they are are crisp and tender, with a delicate, snappy crunch. Their flavor is milder than your standard radish, slightly peppery, subtly sweet with a refreshing bite. When lightly cooked their texture softens and flavor mellows, becoming a bit sweeter, while retaining a hint of peppery brightness. Here are a few ways to enjoy them: sliced thin and eaten raw on a radish sandwich with butter and salt, in a salad with fennel and apples, roasted and served with polenta, or a delicious herbed goat cheese and radish tartan. Chefs kiss!

Enjoying the sweater weather,
Diamond Hill Farmers

cozy up to local produce

join our CSA

Field Tunes 🎵 Farmer Caro is listening to the album Heaven or Las Vegas by Cocteau Twins🎵