All posts by Farmer Rebecca

In the Share – Week 29

carrots, cover cropping

YELLOW CLOVER CARROTS:  Planted after incorporating a yellow clover cover crop, we like to give credit where credit is due.  These heirloom carrots are sweet and hefty like fall carrots should be.

O’HENRY SWEET POTATOES:  More creamy white sweets.

GARLIC:  We planted all that we needed and some nice heads remained for sharing.

RED CABBAGE:  brilliant magenta meets your salads this week.

KALE OR TAT SOI:  Try eating them raw.  They have been cold-sweetened. 

LETTUCE:  The very last of the lettuce are romaines and butterheads.

ENDIVE:  A new French variety we are trialing.  We are trying to pronounce it as the French say we must (“ahn deev” or thereabouts).  Tastes like lettuce to us and it is spectacularly frilly.

BROCCOLI OR CAULIFLOWER:  Most likely the last of both.

HERB CHOICE: cilantro, dill or dried herbs.

NEXT WEEK: leeks, hakurei turnips, spinach, gai lan, watermelon radishes, beets, fennel, herbs, greens.

FARM REPORT: 

The farm quickly shifted from autumnal splendor to a frozen wintery blast this week.  In  advance of the forecast of two nights in the mid-teens, we harvested like mad and battened down the hatches.  Row cover was added to the high tunnel beds and the entire week’s share was harvested from the fields.  The coolers are full to the ceilings with cabbages, roots and greens.  Sweet potatoes are all clean and stacked in the cave.  Darkness was on us with many more carrots to harvest in the field.  We are hopeful that the soil kept them safe and we can get the rest of them out later this week.

Today your farmers retreated to the indoors and worked on a grant proposal to the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program of the USDA for demonstrating new cover cropping methods.  The carrots in the shares this week are a testament to the benefits of cover cropping and we are ready to take the next step in their use.  Wish us luck!

What to Do With Your Share—Fall Extended Season Week 2

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As of Monday night a corner has been turned. All non-cold hardy plants on the farm that are not under special protection have died. An event a bit early, but not unprecedented. For us at the farm, it signals an end to the field lettuce, broccoli, arugula, Asian green, kale and fennel harvest. The tasks click down toward a short winter rest.

Still plenty to do though to work off a hearty bowl or two of soup. If there was ever a soup season, right now would fit the bill. A great time of year to combine cauliflower and leeks into an “yummmm” inducing meal. You can follow the recipe from our September 22, 2004 newsletter for Leek and Potato Soup, substituting cauliflower for potatoes and fennel for celeriac.

Core out the stem of the cauliflower and then break into florets

The endive this fall is mild, and can be mistaken for a curly lettuce. Make your own salad mix by combining it with lettuce, Asian greens, kale and/or spinach from last week. These field picked greens are packed with flavor and nutrition.

What leaves don’t make the cut during harvest end up in the compost, or are fed to our young chickens. They make short work of most any vegetative material we offer them. They have to eat too, so we work to give them a share each week.

In the Share – Week 28

chickens, spinach

SPINACH:  the first harvest out of the high tunnel with lots of huge leaves.

LETTUCE:  green romaine from under row cover in the fields

HAKUREI TURNIPS:  nice bunches from the high tunnel

BROCCOLI OR CAULIFLOWER:  your choice of a pound of broccoli or a cauliflower head.

SWISS CHARD:  big leaves from the high tunnel

LEEKS:  we will be pulling these from the muddy soil tomorrow.  Wish us luck!

KOHLRABI:  sweet storage types.  The outside looks a bit rough, but once peeled they are very tasty.

BOK CHOY:  green and purple varieties from the high tunnel.

FINGERLING POTATOES:  roast these whole for a treat.

NEXT WEEK:  sweet potatoes, garlic, carrots, beets, fennel, herbs, red cabbage, arugula and lettuce.

FARM REPORT:
Week 28!  Can you believe it?  The extended season threw our old numbering system for a loop and now we are getting back on track.  Last week was week 24 of the 24-week season.  For those in the extended season, however, it was week 27 if you count the 3 weeks of the extended season in the Spring.  So, here we are in week 28.  By the end of it all we should clock in at 31 weeks of continuous produce.  Whew!

November arrived with more beautiful fall weather.  These mild, sun-filled days won’t last and so we are packing a lot in to the time we have.  We have been burning through bales of straw and hay, mulching the plants that will over-winter.   

We spent a good part of Monday morning graduating the chickens to the next level of free-ranging.   At two months old, they are big enough that they can’t walk through the netted fencing that surrounds their yard.  So out went the chicken-wire covered “run” that they had been confined to when outside. 

They are now tall enough that we can hang up their feeder, keeping it off of the ground keeps it cleaner.  Before they got their freedom, we clipped one side of their wings so that they can’t fly over and out of the fencing.  It doesn’t hurt any more than a fingernail clipping and it saves them from becoming a dog treat if they were to land outside the fence.

What to Do With Your Share—Fall Extended Season Week 1

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It’s hard to pick a favorite time of year, but right now certainly meets a lot of the criteria…a warm house, well-stocked larder, cooler full of veggies, and a high tunnel with pre-Cambrian sized chard leaves. Despite the low hourly wage we make, we nonetheless are truly part of the 1 percent.

And what better time for a warm and hearty soup. The recipe below is compliments of member and former apprentice, Dani Brownhurst. We have made similar soups many times and can say that the combo of leeks, garlic and potatoes of any kind is always good. If you don’t have a blender you can simply mash some of the potatoes to thicken the broth and leave the rest of the soup chunky.

Sweet Potato, Apple, Leek and Fennel Soup

3 tablespoons canola oil or butter
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned and sliced

4-5 cloves garlic

2 1/4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 pound regular potatoes, peeled and diced
1 to 1 1/4 pounds tart apples, peeled, cored and diced
Fennel fronds – however much you want to add
2 quarts broth or water
Salt to taste

1. Heat the oil or butter in a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the leek and cook, stirring, until it is tender. Add the garlic, stir until fragrant. Add the sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, apples and broth/water and bring to a simmer.

2.  Add fennel fronds and salt to taste, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes to an hour, until all of the ingredients are thoroughly tender 

3. Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until very smooth.

What to Do With Your Share—Week 24

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This is officially the latest we have ended the regular season in our 10 years as a CSA. Hard to remember, but the spring was so cold and wet that things took longer than normal to kick in.

We consider this year to have been a success. It is measured in many ways. One thing we realize is that we have continued to buy crates, and run out of them. A clear indication of an increase in volume.

The endive is a new item this week. A truly nice addition to a salad, it is nutritionally beneficial, being low in calories, and a source of fiber, vitamin A, and minerals like manganese and iron. Us a dressing with some sharpness and sweetness to cut through any bitterness, like the Sautéed Lemon Maple Frisee from our June 8, 2010 blog.

Glad we could get out some more garlic before the end of the season. Our harvest was less than half of what we planted last year due to the asters yellow disease. The good news is that the garlic that did make it is apparently now asters yellow resistant. We are planting it in hopes of sharing a bounty of garlic next year.

Have to mention the unique lady beetle invasion that took place on the farm Monday afternoon. A swarm descended on us covering everything between the house and the silo. We are not sure where they suddenly came from, but welcomed their arrival. A good sign going into winter.

Thanks for your support this year. We look forward to continuing to improve Fair Share Farm for you.

In the Share – Week 24

frost, high tunnel, tomato plants
first frost

LETTUCE (F/P)  Just enough out of the field to get everyone one for the last week, all butterheads or the speckled heirloom, Forellenschluss.

CARROTS (F/P)  Freshly dug with their tops on, stubby Chantennay-type. 

GREENS CHOICE (F/P)  Kale, arugula, or tat soi.  Partial shares include a choice of endive.

ENDIVE (F)  The frilly French lettuce, also known as frisee.

SWEET PEPPERS OR EGGPLANT (F)  It warmed up last week before the frost and a few more fruit ripened in the process.  Here’s the very last of the summer fruits.

WATERMELON RADISHES (F)  Spicy when fresh, they are sure sweet roasted.

BEETS OR BULB FENNEL (F/P) 

HAKUREI TURNIPS (F)  A gamble when we planted them, they are just now sizing up for a small tender bunch with very edible greens. 

SWEET POTATOES (F/P)  More orange Beauregards.

HERB CHOICE (F)  Cilantro, dill, parsley or a dried herb.

GARLIC (F/P)  We planted 3/4 of the field on Monday before the rain.  With only a bit more to go, we are letting go of a bit more for everyone.

NEXT WEEK:  (The first week of the extended season)  Sweet potatoes, leeks, red cabbage, spinach, potatoes, herbs, lettuce, and bok choy.

FARM REPORT:

Whew!  Your farmers are very much enjoying a beautiful Fall after a busy year.  This is the last week of the regular 24-week CSA season.  For almost 100 of you, this is the last week of the CSA.  Thank you for spending the season with our produce.  We hope you feel well-fed from our local family farm.

Looking back, we are always amazed at how much we all accomplish working together.  Ten years of the Fair Share Farm CSA has breathed new life into the farm.  This past Saturday was typical of the crazy wonderful support we see here.  With some time left after the morning’s harvest, the CSA crew went to work removing the tomato plants and supports from the fields. 

Fifty of you will continue with us for four more weeks.   The high tunnel is mostly full of green goodness.  We did have problems this fall with the lettuce crop, both inside and outside.  We’ve had to pick good heads wherever we could save them from their bolting behavior.  But we have beautiful spinach other salad greens and fresh roots in the high tunnel, more under row cover outside and crates of roots in storage to keep everyone full of good food. 

And finally, we continue to pour over the 2013 survey results.  Here are some of our finding so far:

1.       In general, the percentage of members responding from each distribution location matches the actual percentage of members at each site.

2.       About 1/3 of our members have been with us for over 5 years.

3.       Over 40 members responded saying they buy bulk.

4.       112 out of 113 respondents say the pick-up process is clear and effective (nice job distribution teams)

5.       97% say the produce quantity is adequate and is a good value for the price.

6.        96% of respondents say they will sign up again next year.

7.       96% say they use the blog.

8.       It appears our least favorite vegetables are radishes, turnips, eggplant, okra and kohlrabi. Eggplant and okra are also favorites of many.

9.       The membership is not overly interested in communicating internally (87% do not presently use the blog comment capability or Facebook.)  It appears that some people are not aware that we presently have a Facebook page where recipes and other information can be shared. It also appears that folks can “like” and “comment” but cannot post to the wall.

10.   It appears that there is adequate interest in purchasing processed items (78% said yes, or they would probably buy processed food.) Also 29 of 30 members that sampled fermented pickles at the 10thanniversary party said they would buy them if offered.

11.   In responding to what they liked most about the CSA work days the word work was used 23 times, learning 14 times and seeing 13 times. What was liked least was nothing (12), heat/hot (16), and drive (5).

12.   In responding to what members liked most about the CSA the word blog was used 21 times, love (19), and produce (15).

13.   What folks liked least appear to be related to personal inconvenience of pickup times and/or location, the fact that choices dwindle as distribution progresses, wanting more in the swap box, timing of bulk list and blog posting, and wondering why there is a bulk list instead of us sending everything in that we harvest.

14.   Folks want more opportunities to buy eggs.

In the Share – Week 23

cabbage, frost, survey

CABBAGE (F/P)  We are sending in an assortment of types:  Napa, Savoy (with ruffles) or smooth-leaved. 

GREEN PEPPERS (F/P) Ahead of tonight’s forecasted frost, we cleared out the pepper patch.  Expect a bit of color but mostly greens and purples. 

GREEN TOMATOES (F/P)  These are pure green tomatoes that should be cooked.  See Tom’s post for tips. 

LETTUCE (F/P)  One luscious butterhead per share.

SWEET POTATOES (F/P)  After a month of digging we finished the harvest on Monday.  All told, we brought in over 3,400 lbs. – a new record.  This week everyone gets cream-colored O’Henry’s.

BROCCOLI OR CAULIFLOWER (F)  More broccoli side shoots and the beginnings of a second flush of cauliflower.

HERB CHOICE (F)  Cilantro, dill, thyme or sage.

GOLD BALL TURNIPS (F)  We love these roasted with some herbs and olive oil.  Mix with other root vegetables or eat them alone.

LEEKS (F/P) Another round of leeks for all. 

NEXT WEEK:  More sweet potatoes, lettuce, herbs and beets.  Watermelon radishes, carrots and greens.

FARM REPORT:
Fall is here in all its glory.  The sun was shining on us as we dismantled the tomato patch on Monday.  The farm crew spent many an hour walking the rows and its always a little sad to see it go.

Before the season ends, Tom and I wanted to thank you all for your responses to the annual CSA member survey.   We were glad to hear that so many of you enjoyed the 2013 season as much as we did.  The survey is one of our most important tools as CSA farmers and we have been very fortunate for the past several years to have Gary and Jan Glauberman on the CSA Core Group as survey gurus.   We love to hear from you all and we use the information in our planning.  We also admit that when 96% of you say that the quality and quantity of the shares was on target, your farmers do sleep easier at night! 

There were a few comments related to the topic of how we decide what is in the share each week.  Tom and I have a rough idea of how much we want to provide of each vegetable when we plan out the year in January.  We like to have a good variety of greens, roots, and fruits with lots of favorites and a sprinkle of something different.  The herb choice is important to many.  Tomatoes, berries and broccoli always win the survey, but many of you also love beets, okra and turnips.

As the crops begin to mature, we make a list for the week of what is ready for harvest.  Some items like carrots, potatoes, onions and garlic are harvested in bulk and then doled out usually every other week for as long as they last.  Other items are picked the day of distribution and we often don’t know how much we will have until we bring it in. 

By the time we are a week away from the share going out we have a basic list.  By Monday, that list is fleshed out into full and partial columns and other items are added as the harvest begins on Tuesday.  By the time we send out the bulk list Tuesday afternoon we have a pretty solid idea, but nothing is definite until the final box is packed.  

We attempt each week to provide neither too little and too much.  We have some good vegetable eaters in the membership, but there are also many among us with busy schedules that don’t always accommodate time for food preservation.  For that reason, we endeavor to supply a week’s worth of produce and not much more.  Sometimes, like at the peak of the tomato harvest or before frost, we give may you a bigger dose, but usually we are careful not to overload the shares with too much of a good thing. 

We think that the last thing any self-respecting local foodie, organic-minded conservationist wants is to waste food.  The weekly bulk list provides for those of you who want to put up extra and it gives the farm an outlet for the excess. 

Well, that’s all I’ve got for now.  We’ll try to get to more survey responses next week.  Until then, happy frost day!!

What to Do With Your Share—Week 23

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We expect to see a big change in the field tomorrow. The summer crops will be dying, after having produced an impressive harvest. This time of the season can be rather abrupt, but we welcome it as a sign to move on.

The plants are going, but the fruits remain this week. There is still a splash of color in with those green peppers and tomatoes. One good combo of your many share items is a hearty hash.

There are at least three hash recipes that have appeared in the blog. A sweet potato cabbage hash, beet hash, and green bean, potato, onion hash. These recipes generally involve shredding or dicing the major ingredients, and pan frying them until browned. Tonight’s combo for us included white sweet potatoes, green and hot peppers, onions, and dill.

To plagiarize our 10/6/09 blog post… As year 6 10 of the CSA draws to a close “what do I do with green tomatoes?” hopefully isn’t a questions members have in mind. Fried green tomatoes, green tomato and pepper relish, green tomato salsa, and green tomato curry are but a few of the recipes from our archives. Tried and eaten many times by us farmers, we can attest to the wonderful flavor green tomatoes can impart upon a dish.

In the Share – Week 22

barn, broccoli, sweet potatoes

BROCCOLI (F/P) We have picked most of the first heads and now are picking the side shoots.  Full shares get broccoli and a choice of more broccoli or cauliflower.

SWEET POTATOES (F/P)  big, beautiful orange-fleshed Beauregards

LETTUCE (F/P)  A mix of varieties from the field.

BULB FENNEL (F/P)  Whoa there, the fennel has grown fast and large.  See Tom’s post for some culinary suggestions.

CHOICE OF GREENS (F) Bok choy, tat soi, kale or arugula

BEETS OR SWEET PEPPERS (F/P) 

KOHLRABI (F)  These are the larger, fall season varieties.  Don’t let their size scare you, they are tender and juicy.

GARLIC (F/P)  We are saving all of the rest of the garlic for planting later this month. 

TOMATOES (F)  We picked green tomatoes today.  Expect them in your share next week.  Until then enjoy the last of the ripe ones.

WATERMELON RADISH (F/P)  See Tom’s post for more on this vivid fall treat.

HERB CHOICE (F/P) Cilantro, dill, thyme, or rosemary

NEXT WEEK:  Broccoli, green peppers, green tomatoes, fingerling potatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbage, carrots, lettuce and leeks.

FARM REPORT:

The farm crew gave up a day off last week to take advantage of the beautiful weather for re-siding the back of the barn.  Thanks to a good platform designed by my dad, we had a sturdy work area.  The old lumber came off quickly in the morning and the boards went up in the afternoon.   

The end result looks pretty nice if we do say so ourselves.

With frost coming any day now, we have been very focused on harvesting the tender crops.  The sweet potato harvest continues with 400 feet left to dig.

What to Do With Your Share—Week 22

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Last year, because of the hot, early spring the season was ending this week. This year, due to the cold, wet, late spring we still have two weeks to go. And a good thing, because there is lots in the field to harvest and eat.

One new item is the watermelon radish. We plan to have more in future shares for those of you that are fond of them. And what’s not to be fond of. This year they are at their juiciest.

If you are not familiar with them it is worth noting that almost all of the radish’s hotness is in the skin. Cut it into rounds and peel, and you have the most striking raw vegetable you will ever ate. Great to snack on, or grate into a salad as a colorful addition.

Peel the heat off the radish (or keep it on for a kick)

Bulb fennel is also new to the shares this week. Use it anywhere you would celery. It is also great chopped and added to a fresh lettuce salad, or roasted.

As far as the sweet potatoes go, we received a great recipe suggestion last year and put it in the blog-Roasted Spiced Sweet Potato Wedges. It is a regular dish for us, perfect for the toaster oven.

While we are feeding you, we are also feeding the soil and our new batch of chickens. We recently turned under our summer cover crops to let them digest in the ground until the spring. The chicks are being fed a ration of organic grains, along with some of the tomatoes, lettuce leaves, and other goodies that would normally go to the compost pile. They are also feeding the soil as we move their trailer down the beds. Thanks go to Kathi Whitman for selling us the trailer and run before she moved to Utah.

Rocky loves the newly spaded beds
Chick trailer, “breezeway”, outdoor run and electric fence