We're safely into October and we haven't seen the sun in half a week, received a nice light soaking rain, and are beginning to say goodbye to the last of the summer vegetable staples like tomatoes and peppers. We're transitioning away from sowing warm season annual cover crop mixes of buckwheat and daikon radish on finished fields and for a brief period will hope to establish oats and crimson clover before switching completely to winter rye and hairy vetch. Cover crops we sow after cash crops will largely determine what we can plant where next spring, summer, and fall. Buckwheat, daikon, and oats will winter kill and slowly desiccate and decompose over the cold months and should leave the soil in an almost perfect state of planting condition next season. Clover, rye, and vetch will go dormant over the winter, regrow in the spring, and will be turned into the soil after flowering in May. The clover and vetch will also fix nitrogen in the soil. Rye produces so much organic matter that we'll either fallow those fields or plant fall crops, giving the soil and organic matter time to process into a workable condition. Also affecting what goes where in the spring will be what was where the past 3-5 years. Crop rotation is an essential part of organic farming, crop and soil health. With good record keeping and ample land for proper rotation and resting, the pieces of the puzzle become easier to fit into place.

Harvest #21 (Week A) should include garlic, beets, kale, lettuce, arugula, spinach, mizuna, greens mix, chard, potatoes, sweet peppers, hot peppers, tomatoes, green tomatoes, cabbage, escarole, and broccoli. Some items will be a choice and may not be available during all pick up times. U-pick should include the last of the cherry tomatoes, plus dill, cilantro, parsley, and other herbs.

Join us in celebration of the delightful arrival of autumn with a final potluck of the 2016 season on Saturday October 8th at 5pm. Bring a dish to share to feed around 6 adults plus your own place settings and beverages. We'll eat under the pavilion, enjoy the night sky and a small fire.

Now that we're into October there is about one month left of workshift opportunities for you to satisfy the work component of your CSA share. If you're not planning to work this season, please remit the balance of your share cost soon. Half shares work 4 hours, full shares work 8 hours, over the course of the entire season. To "buy-out" of your work hours at $15/hour, please send a check payable to "Anchor Run CSA" at 2578 2nd Street Pike, Wrightstown, PA 18940. Please don't feel guilty about this option!

Shifts this week:

Tuesday 10/18 9-11am

Wednesday 10/19 10am-12noon

Friday 10/21 10am-12noon

Saturday 10/22 10am-12noon

Sunday 10/23 12noon-2pm (garlic processing in barn)

Workshift sign-up instructions may be found here.

Thank you!

• 6 weeks of fresh and storage crops from weeks 11/13/16 through 12/18/16
• vegetables should include greens like arugula, spinach, mizuna, kale, collards, cabbage, napa cabbage, endive, escarole, lettuce, chard, and beet greens; roots like carrots, turnips, beets, radishes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and kohlrabi; as well as storage crops like onions, garlic, and butternut; and freshly harvested alliums like chives, leeks, and scallions
• cold hardy vegetables grown outside with use of low hoops and row cover
• weekly full shares ($180) and biweekly half shares ($100) available
• share distribution on Wednesdays 1-8pm (except for Tuesday 11/22/16)

• 8 weeks of fresh and storage crops from weeks 1/1/17 through 2/19/17
• vegetables should include greens like arugula, spinach, mizuna, kale, collards, cabbage, napa cabbage, lettuce mix, chard, and beet greens; roots like carrots, turnips, beets, radishes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and kohlrabi; as well as storage crops like onions, garlic, and butternut; and freshly harvested alliums like chives, leeks, and scallions
• cold hardy vegetables grown inside of hoop house, high tunnel, and greenhouse
• weekly full shares ($240) and biweekly half shares ($130) available
• share distribution on Wednesdays 1-8pm

Fellow member, Vallada Nikolayev sent me her recipe for a dish called Holy Basil Pesto with Ground Turkey. The overall process and some of the ingredients are very similar to a Thai curry - only simpler to make. This will be an easy, fast and healthy week night dinner. Thank you Vallada for taking the time to send this interesting recipe.

Please send your ideas to me at lindadansbury@comcast.net

I did start to cook more this past week using both summer crops and newer fall items. Here is a sample of what I prepared:

Peppers, garlic - made the Pepper Puree recipe that is on this site. I made 2 batches - one of which I added a hot pepper and the other without. I made it with hot peppers last year and it made a wonderful spread for sandwiches. This year I decided I wanted some that is mild also. It freezes great, but I did run out quickly because it is so delicious.

Tomatoes, onion, garlic, okra - I made the Charred Okra and Tomato recipe that Derek's family had sent in. Rather than a side dish, I made it into a meal by adding shrimp and making rice. It was really tasty.

Tomatoes, onions, carrots, garlic, parsley, butternut squash - I finally made the Fall Stew that Tina Nightlinger sent in. We loved it! This recipe has a north African taste profile and is delicious and different from anything I have made. It is filling as is, and would also be great over some brown rice or other whole grain.

Today I plan to roast beets so I can make salads and pickle some beets too.

Send me how you enjoy your harvest at lindadansbury@comcast.net and please put Anchor Run in the subject line so I can find your email.