November 6, 2022 Registration Reminder by Farmer Derek
Barn scene on one of the many misty mornings we've enjoyed lately.
Don't forget to sign up for your share of the harvest!
The 5-week Late Fall CSA commences the week of November 21 and wraps up the week of December 19. Follow this link to join.
2023 Main Season CSA will run 28 weeks from Mid-May through Thanksgiving. Sign up and pay in full by 12/31/22 to receive the current 5% discount on share prices. Follow this link to join.
Barn scene on one of the many misty mornings we've enjoyed lately.
Don't forget to sign up for your share of the harvest!
The 5-week Late Fall CSA commences the week of November 21 and wraps up the week of December 19. Follow this link to join.
2023 Main Season CSA will run 28 weeks from Mid-May through Thanksgiving. Sign up and pay in full by 12/31/22 to receive the current 5% discount on share prices. Follow this link to join.
Notes From The Field | November 6, 2022
Notes From The Field | November 6, 2022 2023 Garlic is In! by Farmer Derek
Farmer Dana, normally behind the camera, is still smiling after spreading straw mulch on 16,500 square feet of 2023 garlic. Photo courtesy of Farmer Sarah.
We're enjoying some seriously warm and strange early November days. It makes for a great time to work and play outside. With the forecast looking so good from the perspective of last weekend, we made a push to plant and mulch the 2023 garlic. Soil was just barely workable last Monday before that small rain event and we began planting the next day. Besides harvesting for CSA pick up, about all we accomplished last week was preparing beds for and planting and mulching the garlic, in addition to continued hoop tunnel endwall modification. In total we planted around 300 pounds of garlic cloves at 6 inch spacing in 3 rows on 11 250-foot beds then used 14 large round straw bales to cover those beds. The straw will smother weeds, provide moisture retention, and insulate the soil over the winter so the garlic doesn't frost-heave out of the ground.
We're into in the final two weeks of Main Season. With the five additional Late Fall weeks following that, the finish line is in sight and we're now in try-to-distribute-all-farm-produce mode. That means identifying and calculating exactly how much food is still in field, what the yields from the tunnels might be, and the amount of crops in storage. Late Fall membership is approximately 35% of Main Season so we have these next two weeks to really pare down supplies. Our goal is to try to unload as much as we can without overwhelming you while providing a nice balance of goods. We could send you home with 10 pounds of radishes at one pick up, but instead will spread those 10 pounds out over 7 pick ups.
This will be the final week of pick up for some Half Share A members. Thank you for joining us and the farm on this journey, thank you for your patronage, thank you for your support. We hope you have a nice restful winter and plan to return to the farm in the spring.
It was a pleasant morning to wrap up the garlic planting.
Farmer Dana, normally behind the camera, is still smiling after spreading straw mulch on 16,500 square feet of 2023 garlic. Photo courtesy of Farmer Sarah.
We're enjoying some seriously warm and strange early November days. It makes for a great time to work and play outside. With the forecast looking so good from the perspective of last weekend, we made a push to plant and mulch the 2023 garlic. Soil was just barely workable last Monday before that small rain event and we began planting the next day. Besides harvesting for CSA pick up, about all we accomplished last week was preparing beds for and planting and mulching the garlic, in addition to continued hoop tunnel endwall modification. In total we planted around 300 pounds of garlic cloves at 6 inch spacing in 3 rows on 11 250-foot beds then used 14 large round straw bales to cover those beds. The straw will smother weeds, provide moisture retention, and insulate the soil over the winter so the garlic doesn't frost-heave out of the ground.
We're into in the final two weeks of Main Season. With the five additional Late Fall weeks following that, the finish line is in sight and we're now in try-to-distribute-all-farm-produce mode. That means identifying and calculating exactly how much food is still in field, what the yields from the tunnels might be, and the amount of crops in storage. Late Fall membership is approximately 35% of Main Season so we have these next two weeks to really pare down supplies. Our goal is to try to unload as much as we can without overwhelming you while providing a nice balance of goods. We could send you home with 10 pounds of radishes at one pick up, but instead will spread those 10 pounds out over 7 pick ups.
This will be the final week of pick up for some Half Share A members. Thank you for joining us and the farm on this journey, thank you for your patronage, thank you for your support. We hope you have a nice restful winter and plan to return to the farm in the spring.
It was a pleasant morning to wrap up the garlic planting.
November 6, 2022
November 6, 2022 Eat Your Greens! Instant pot greens and beets by Mindy Bence
A nice view.
Farm Members,
Perhaps some or many of you already know this secret, but I made an amazing discovery this week and I would call it life changing! I was really last on board the train when the Instant Pot craze hit - I admit it. But after 2 weeks of using it, that was life changing as well! So why did it take me like a year or so after using my instant pot to think, Hmmm. how bout I cook up a whole batch of greens in my Instant pot, put it in the fridge and eat it all week? This past Tuesday I had that brilliant thought and then I went online to see if someone had posted a "recipe" and voila - YES and was written by a Registered Dietician that gave more amazing advice about how to optimize your greens for the most bioavailable form! So the guesswork was already done - And here is that website so you can read all the science about sprinkling on a magic ingredient to help our bodies absorb all the green goodness https://fueledbyinstantpot.com/instant-pot-insta-greens/ (hint mustard powder - I forgot to do that this week).
So basically I took my whole batch of greens, cleaned them, removed the stems of the kale and chopped the bottoms off of the dandelion greens. The hardest part really was chopping them all up into small pieces. As far as prep goes, I washed and chopped the dandelion and kale first, then the mustard greens and about 2 cups of arugula. (I measured 19 cups of raw greens).
I set my Instant pot on saute and added about 2 tsp of my pastured bacon fat until it melted then turned the pot off. Into the pot went the greens layered with the "hardest" greens on the bottom kale, then dandelion then mustard and arugula (remember that greens have water and cook way down, so 19 cups of chopped greens all went into the pot even though it was a tad over the do not fill line). I then added 3/4 cup organic pastured chicken broth. Usually for the 6 Qt. Instant pot you usually use 1 cup of liquid. The original recipe called for 1/2 cup of broth, but I didn't want to chance getting the burn notice and I thought the 3/4 cup was perfect. So I poured the broth into the pot. I may have tamped down the greens, secured the lid and set for 3 minutes on high pressure. I did a natural release for 5 minutes, vented the rest of the steam until the button falls and then opened the pot. I used tongs to mix up all the greens and the subtle bacon flavor from the little bit of fat on the bottom was amazing! Otherwise, I didn't season them at all. Into a 10 cup rectangular ziploc container set on my counter to cool and into the fridge they went. Of course you can season them or add leeks, onions and garlic or season as you use them throughout the week!
Before I cooked the greens, I also cooked all of my beets in the instant pot. I put 1 cup of water in the pot, then added a trivet and steamer basket and layered all of the beets in and set on 20 minutes on high pressure. I did a natural release, removed the basket, filled the pot with cold water and let the beets sit in the water and the skins slipped off way easier than using the stovetop method. Then I sliced and put them all in the fridge to eat, use for salads, etc. and are amazing topped with a bit of balsamic vinegar or balsamic reduction! Using my Instant pot for beets was amazing - you don't need to watch the pot and regardless of the size of the beet, they were all cooked evenly from large ones to small ones!
My husband commented this morning that it was amazing to have the cooked greens in the fridge. Our household now only consists of us and a full share - and ALL of our greens were gone by Friday night! The original website recipe gave ideas for how to use them - also think pizza topping. (I've been going through dental work so I've been on a soft diet for the past couple of weeks so this "discovery" was a welcome addition to my diet!) Twice I used about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of greens in a skillet with 3 eggs topped with avocado. I made my "Instant pot Stroganoff" with mushrooms, leeks, garlic, a pound of ground turkey and a box of "Chickpea" brand pasta (made from chickpeas and red lentils). I saute 2 cups of leeks in 1 T of olive oil in the Instant pot, then add the meat and garlic, loosely cover the lid and let it cook for a few minutes then break it up until it's cooked then turn off the pot. (I add about 1 T coconut aminos and 1 T Bragg cider vinegar plus pepper, 1 T smoked paprika and some onion and garlic powder at this point). Then I dump in the box of 8 oz pasta, pour in a quart of broth and mix. Then I top 20 oz of sliced or diced mushrooms (either white or brown - do not re-mix). I sealed the pot and set it for 6 minutes on high pressure. When the pot beeps, I do a gradual release right away - gradually letting the steam escape - when the button falls, open the pot. Then I add 1/2 cup Kite Hill almond yogurt and 1 1/2 T of dijon mustard.
The pasta does break up some, but even my husband calls it a "go to recipe" (and he's not gluten or dairy free like me). When I first came up with the recipe he said, "Wow that really tastes like stroganoff!" This week after my amazing greens discovery, he added a helping of greens to the stroganoff & said it was amazing. I've also made this "stroganoff" recipe following the same instructions, but rather than a ground meat, I've sauteed the mushrooms with the onion or leek and after adding the pasta & broth, I set a couple of pastured pork chops rubbed with spice on top. When it's done, I remove the pork with tongs, then add in the rest of the ingredients, cut the pork up and add in. If you are a non-meat eater, I'm sure you can use any plant based crumbles and adjust any spices to your liking.
Perhaps some or many of you already know this secret, but I made an amazing discovery this week and I would call it life changing! I was really last on board the train when the Instant Pot craze hit - I admit it. But after 2 weeks of using it, that was life changing as well! So why did it take me like a year or so after using my instant pot to think, Hmmm. how bout I cook up a whole batch of greens in my Instant pot, put it in the fridge and eat it all week? This past Tuesday I had that brilliant thought and then I went online to see if someone had posted a "recipe" and voila - YES and was written by a Registered Dietician that gave more amazing advice about how to optimize your greens for the most bioavailable form! So the guesswork was already done - And here is that website so you can read all the science about sprinkling on a magic ingredient to help our bodies absorb all the green goodness https://fueledbyinstantpot.com/instant-pot-insta-greens/ (hint mustard powder - I forgot to do that this week).
So basically I took my whole batch of greens, cleaned them, removed the stems of the kale and chopped the bottoms off of the dandelion greens. The hardest part really was chopping them all up into small pieces. As far as prep goes, I washed and chopped the dandelion and kale first, then the mustard greens and about 2 cups of arugula. (I measured 19 cups of raw greens).
I set my Instant pot on saute and added about 2 tsp of my pastured bacon fat until it melted then turned the pot off. Into the pot went the greens layered with the "hardest" greens on the bottom kale, then dandelion then mustard and arugula (remember that greens have water and cook way down, so 19 cups of chopped greens all went into the pot even though it was a tad over the do not fill line). I then added 3/4 cup organic pastured chicken broth. Usually for the 6 Qt. Instant pot you usually use 1 cup of liquid. The original recipe called for 1/2 cup of broth, but I didn't want to chance getting the burn notice and I thought the 3/4 cup was perfect. So I poured the broth into the pot. I may have tamped down the greens, secured the lid and set for 3 minutes on high pressure. I did a natural release for 5 minutes, vented the rest of the steam until the button falls and then opened the pot. I used tongs to mix up all the greens and the subtle bacon flavor from the little bit of fat on the bottom was amazing! Otherwise, I didn't season them at all. Into a 10 cup rectangular ziploc container set on my counter to cool and into the fridge they went. Of course you can season them or add leeks, onions and garlic or season as you use them throughout the week!
Before I cooked the greens, I also cooked all of my beets in the instant pot. I put 1 cup of water in the pot, then added a trivet and steamer basket and layered all of the beets in and set on 20 minutes on high pressure. I did a natural release, removed the basket, filled the pot with cold water and let the beets sit in the water and the skins slipped off way easier than using the stovetop method. Then I sliced and put them all in the fridge to eat, use for salads, etc. and are amazing topped with a bit of balsamic vinegar or balsamic reduction! Using my Instant pot for beets was amazing - you don't need to watch the pot and regardless of the size of the beet, they were all cooked evenly from large ones to small ones!
My husband commented this morning that it was amazing to have the cooked greens in the fridge. Our household now only consists of us and a full share - and ALL of our greens were gone by Friday night! The original website recipe gave ideas for how to use them - also think pizza topping. (I've been going through dental work so I've been on a soft diet for the past couple of weeks so this "discovery" was a welcome addition to my diet!) Twice I used about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of greens in a skillet with 3 eggs topped with avocado. I made my "Instant pot Stroganoff" with mushrooms, leeks, garlic, a pound of ground turkey and a box of "Chickpea" brand pasta (made from chickpeas and red lentils). I saute 2 cups of leeks in 1 T of olive oil in the Instant pot, then add the meat and garlic, loosely cover the lid and let it cook for a few minutes then break it up until it's cooked then turn off the pot. (I add about 1 T coconut aminos and 1 T Bragg cider vinegar plus pepper, 1 T smoked paprika and some onion and garlic powder at this point). Then I dump in the box of 8 oz pasta, pour in a quart of broth and mix. Then I top 20 oz of sliced or diced mushrooms (either white or brown - do not re-mix). I sealed the pot and set it for 6 minutes on high pressure. When the pot beeps, I do a gradual release right away - gradually letting the steam escape - when the button falls, open the pot. Then I add 1/2 cup Kite Hill almond yogurt and 1 1/2 T of dijon mustard.
The pasta does break up some, but even my husband calls it a "go to recipe" (and he's not gluten or dairy free like me). When I first came up with the recipe he said, "Wow that really tastes like stroganoff!" This week after my amazing greens discovery, he added a helping of greens to the stroganoff & said it was amazing. I've also made this "stroganoff" recipe following the same instructions, but rather than a ground meat, I've sauteed the mushrooms with the onion or leek and after adding the pasta & broth, I set a couple of pastured pork chops rubbed with spice on top. When it's done, I remove the pork with tongs, then add in the rest of the ingredients, cut the pork up and add in. If you are a non-meat eater, I'm sure you can use any plant based crumbles and adjust any spices to your liking.
November 6, 2022
November 6, 2022 Herb of the Week: Basil by Gia Yaccarino
Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
Benefits
Heart Healthy – helps lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol and triglycerides
Anti-Inflammatory properties
Beneficial to mental health
Uses
Add to soups and sauce
Make pesto – get creative with your pesto – mine usually don’t include nuts and I use tomato water or Kalamata olive liquid instead of oil
I know it seems far removed from traditional pesto! I just don't know what I would call it instead - "Green Sauce" does not get the same response from friends and family as Pesto does!
Heart Healthy – helps lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol and triglycerides
Anti-Inflammatory properties
Beneficial to mental health
Uses
Add to soups and sauce
Make pesto – get creative with your pesto – mine usually don’t include nuts and I use tomato water or Kalamata olive liquid instead of oil
I know it seems far removed from traditional pesto! I just don't know what I would call it instead - "Green Sauce" does not get the same response from friends and family as Pesto does!
Expected Harvest | October 30, 2022 Food to Share by Farmer Derek
Lettuce mix coming along nicely.
Harvest #24 (Week B) should include potatoes, beets, napa/chinese cabbage, salad radishes, hakurei turnips, celery, fennel, lettuce, garlic, arugula, red mustard, kale, and italian dandelion. Some items will be a choice. U-pick will include flowers. The herb garden needs to rest and recover.
Harvest #24 (Week B) should include potatoes, beets, napa/chinese cabbage, salad radishes, hakurei turnips, celery, fennel, lettuce, garlic, arugula, red mustard, kale, and italian dandelion. Some items will be a choice. U-pick will include flowers. The herb garden needs to rest and recover.
October 30, 2022
October 30, 2022 Workshifts for Week of 10/31/22 by Farmer Derek
Raised beds for 2023 garlic are stuck in mid-process during our wettest October. They're unfortunately also in the field that takes the longest to dry out. Soil should be dry to work; will try again on Monday prior to rain.
Work opportunities will be over soon. We may try to plant and mulch garlic this week, depending on bed preparation Monday afternoon and how much rain we receive Monday night. If we go forward with the garlic we'll send out a separate bulletin. Stay tuned!
This week's workshift schedule (may add more if we proceed with garlic):
Wednesday 11/2 10am-12pm
Friday 11/4 10am-12pm
Bring gloves, water, a hat, and sturdy shoes. We meet under the large red maple at the end of the barn by the pick up room.
Raised beds for 2023 garlic are stuck in mid-process during our wettest October. They're unfortunately also in the field that takes the longest to dry out. Soil should be dry to work; will try again on Monday prior to rain.
Work opportunities will be over soon. We may try to plant and mulch garlic this week, depending on bed preparation Monday afternoon and how much rain we receive Monday night. If we go forward with the garlic we'll send out a separate bulletin. Stay tuned!
This week's workshift schedule (may add more if we proceed with garlic):
Wednesday 11/2 10am-12pm
Friday 11/4 10am-12pm
Bring gloves, water, a hat, and sturdy shoes. We meet under the large red maple at the end of the barn by the pick up room.
Notes From The Field | October 30, 2022 Water and Color by Farmer Derek
The ends of the Hoop Tunnel are being modified to enable easy tractor access. Inside resides curly kale for Late Fall.
It's a nice time of year. Even though it's been our wettest October in 14 seasons (3 inches above the average), the beauty of the fall foliage makes it all worth while. We continue to retrieve crops from the fields while our managed footprint outside shrinks. Most of our storage crops have now been harvested for safekeeping. Last week we pulled in the remainder of the beets, hakurei turnips, and red cabbage. While crops are coming in we're also continuously unloading crops that were harvested a while ago like potatoes, garlic, and onions. After curing for a couple of weeks, sweet potatoes will grace the pick up room during weeks 25 & 26. The supply of most greens remains steady and plentiful. The new variety of fall kale remains impressive. In fact all of the fall brassicas have performed well this year. On the horizon is trying to find a window to plant and mulch the 2023 garlic. Typically we do this around election Tuesday and will plan to do so again this year (we may try to fit it in this week if weather cooperates). Approximately 300 lbs of cloves are separated from bulbs, though every year we plant more than the previous year because we feel we can never have too much garlic. Hope you're able to enjoy this great fall weather outside amongst the trees and colorful leaves!
The ends of the Hoop Tunnel are being modified to enable easy tractor access. Inside resides curly kale for Late Fall.
It's a nice time of year. Even though it's been our wettest October in 14 seasons (3 inches above the average), the beauty of the fall foliage makes it all worth while. We continue to retrieve crops from the fields while our managed footprint outside shrinks. Most of our storage crops have now been harvested for safekeeping. Last week we pulled in the remainder of the beets, hakurei turnips, and red cabbage. While crops are coming in we're also continuously unloading crops that were harvested a while ago like potatoes, garlic, and onions. After curing for a couple of weeks, sweet potatoes will grace the pick up room during weeks 25 & 26. The supply of most greens remains steady and plentiful. The new variety of fall kale remains impressive. In fact all of the fall brassicas have performed well this year. On the horizon is trying to find a window to plant and mulch the 2023 garlic. Typically we do this around election Tuesday and will plan to do so again this year (we may try to fit it in this week if weather cooperates). Approximately 300 lbs of cloves are separated from bulbs, though every year we plant more than the previous year because we feel we can never have too much garlic. Hope you're able to enjoy this great fall weather outside amongst the trees and colorful leaves!
Expected Harvest | October 23, 2022
Expected Harvest | October 23, 2022 Frosty Fresh by Farmer Derek
Frost sweetened Mamba kale (aka tuscan, dinosaur, lacinato).
Harvest #23 (Week A) should include celery, potatoes, cabbage, salad radishes, hakurei turnips, beets, kohlrabi, onions, lettuce, romaine, garlic, arugula, swiss chard, red mustard, kale, and italian dandelion. Some items will be a choice. U-pick will include flowers. The herb garden needs to rest and recover.
Frost sweetened Mamba kale (aka tuscan, dinosaur, lacinato).
Harvest #23 (Week A) should include celery, potatoes, cabbage, salad radishes, hakurei turnips, beets, kohlrabi, onions, lettuce, romaine, garlic, arugula, swiss chard, red mustard, kale, and italian dandelion. Some items will be a choice. U-pick will include flowers. The herb garden needs to rest and recover.
October 23, 2022
October 23, 2022 Workshifts for Week of 10/24/22 by Farmer Derek
Just another frosty crop scene.
There should be weekly work opportunities through the first week of November. Over the next few weeks we'll be harvesting roots and tubers, pulling weeds, splitting garlic bulbs into cloves, and transplanting and mulching those cloves. Update: as of Monday 10/24, we've prepped most of the garlic that we need for seed.
If you signed up for a CSA share with work discount but are unable to work please consider remitting payment in lieu of work sooner rather that later.
This week's workshift schedule:
Wednesday 10/26 10am-12pm
Friday 10/28 10am-12pm
Bring gloves, water, a hat, sturdy shoes, and a pad for kneeling (if necessary for you)!
We meet under the large red maple at the end of the barn by the pick up room.
There should be weekly work opportunities through the first week of November. Over the next few weeks we'll be harvesting roots and tubers, pulling weeds, splitting garlic bulbs into cloves, and transplanting and mulching those cloves. Update: as of Monday 10/24, we've prepped most of the garlic that we need for seed.
If you signed up for a CSA share with work discount but are unable to work please consider remitting payment in lieu of work sooner rather that later.
This week's workshift schedule:
Wednesday 10/26 10am-12pm
Friday 10/28 10am-12pm
Bring gloves, water, a hat, sturdy shoes, and a pad for kneeling (if necessary for you)!
We meet under the large red maple at the end of the barn by the pick up room.
