Root Crops Gleaning

Over the last couple of days we have been gleaning Drumlin Farm in Lincoln.  First turnips, a lot of perfect turnips, but then too many imperfect ones, not worth keeping.  Then the next day we were offered carrots and parsnips and rutabagas.  This was more like classic gleaning as the root veggies had already been picked, and these were the rejects, mostly for being too small or too imperfect.  It took quite a while to sort through and pick the carrots and parsnips, almost all too small, and then to twist the tops off.  The rutabagas were a different story, many huge roots, but often scarred by wire worms, but more importantly a lot rotten within.  Yuk!  You had to cut off the tops, and if they were clean, the root was good, but many proved rotten.  Didn't take too long to fill up two boxes, and to make room for the other gleanings, just put all the great roots separately onto the back seat.  Meanwhile the Drumlin Farm farmers Greg and Matt with some volunteers or interns were there harvesting the new row of parsnips, occasional conversation back and forth.  In two and a half hours work, your Presidente gleaned a veggie box of each root, plus the whole middle seat loaded with large rutabagas.  See the photos of what was gleaned and of the washing of the very dirty parsnips at 67 Coolidge Road driveway!  We will probably deliver same to the Medford Food Pantry along with apples from Nicewicz Orchard.

-- Oakes Plimpton