Okra

by Small Places Staff | Jul 11, 2020 | News

We are in the full swing of okra season!

For those of you who are new to okra, okra is a delightful veggie that is typically found in southern dishes. The taste can best be described as a mild, grassy flavor and it is crunchy when raw and mouthwateringly tender when cooked. We love crunching on raw okra for a snack and using it in many other ways.

Ceci’s Chilled Okra

12-15 fresh okra

Vinegar

Sea Salt

Pepper

Boil Okra 4-8min (to desired firmness). Remove from pot and place directly in an ice bath to blanch for a couple of minutes. Cut off ends of okra then mix with vinegar, sea salt, pepper, and other favorite spices. Enjoy!

Pickled Okra

Okra

Hot Peppers of choice

Raw Garlic

Black peppercorn

White vinegar

Put all ingredients in a jar and let sit for a week. Enjoy!

In September 2025, we started building out our greenhouse at Finca Tres Robles. In just a few short months, we have been able to grow multiple vegetable varieties and transplant them successfully into the fields, where they have grown and been harvested throughout the fall and winter months!

How a greenhouse works

At its simplest, a greenhouse captures sunlight and holds warmth, creating a stable environment for plants to grow.

Inside, we manage temperature, airflow, water, and light to give seedlings exactly what they need at each stage.

greenhouses matter for small, high-impact farms

Greenhouses give small farms a head start. They allow us to grow more food in limited space by protecting young plants from cold snaps, heavy rains, and unpredictable weather.

It’s a balance of structure and attentiveness. Less about forcing growth, more about creating the right conditions for it to happen naturally.

How greenhouses help us plan and grow more effectively

The greenhouse is where planning becomes tangible. By starting plants early and in controlled conditions, we can make thoughtful decisions about timing, spacing, and crop succession long before seedlings reach the field. This early preparation helps us use our resources wisely and respond with flexibility as the season unfolds.

For a high-impact farm, this protection means resilience. We can extend our growing season, reduce losses, and steward our land more carefully while still feeding our community.