Category Archives: harvest dinner

In the Share: Week 19

harvest dinner, lettuce

LETTUCE F/P  Dainty Forellenschluss heads first from the lettuce patch, which is looking good as long as we don’t get another gully washer.

GREENS CHOICE F The first picking on the fall kale, chard and gailan will be light to start.

SWEET PEPPERS F/P  The peppers don’t want to stop growing.  Expect lots of ripe peppers, and once the frost threatens, lots of green peppers in your future.

YELLOW ONIONS F/P

POTATOES F  More of the Desiree variety with pink skin, yellow flesh.

EGGPLANT F  The plants are making nice fruit now.

CUCUMBERS P  Not many more cucumbers left. A sign of the end of summer.

TOMATOES F/P  A last little flush is slowly ripening.

HERBS F/P  Chives and thyme

NEXT WEEK:  Peppers, sweet potatoes, garlic, eggplant, lettuce

FARM REPORT:
We had a beautiful day for the CSA harvest dinner.  The community came together and put on a great party with lots of fun for the kids, homebrew and good conversation for the adults and no injuries have been reported.

Since we spilled the beans last week (see here if you missed it), Tom and I had to take a few minutes from the festivities to talk about our plans for next year.  Sustainability is sometimes described as a three-legged stool comprised of social, environmental, and economic components.  We think the CSA is rocking the social component with the sliding scale, coordination with food pantries, distribution sites and so much more.  Our environment benefits from the farm’s commitment to organic practices, the purchase of wind power from our electric co-op, and a myriad of other things that are done to conserve resources on the farm.  The economics of the farm are strong thanks to the support of the membership.  With the commercial kitchen almost complete, the farm hopes to complement the CSA income with sales from fermented foods.  We are excited to begin the next chapter of building our farm business with the community and the land. 

In the Share – Week 19

harvest dinner, high tunnel, tomatoes

 TOMATOES F/P  We have picked the majority of the patch and many of the late summer hybrids are ripening nicely. 

LETTUCE F/P  Dainty, speckled heads.

ROMA BEANS F/P

FINGERLING POTATOES F/P  See Tom’s post for these gourmet treats.

SWEET PEPPERS F/P  Tom talks potatoes and peppers this week.

GARLIC F/P  Essential for the above combo and also a star ingredient in the tomato and lettuce salad we had for dinner. 

EGGPLANT, SALSA PACK OR OKRA F

HERB CHOICE F  Cilantro, dill or arugula

STIR FRY GREENS F  A mix of bok choy, tat soi and gai lan.

NEXT WEEK:  tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, okra, salsa packs, greens and kohlrabi.

FARM REPORT:
Tom and I had a fun time at the potluck at the farm on Sunday.  The hayride was a hit,  the food was delicious, the kids played and the adults got in some good conversation over microbrews.

We were touched by the CSA’s gift of a commemorative stone in memory of our dear dog, Rocky.  At the time, I was so intent on not crying that I didn’t pay attention to the card attached.  Inside there was $135 to be donated to the Veggie Voucher Fund in Rocky’s honor.  I can think of no better way to remember his good nature than to help our members in affording their CSA share.

A big thank you to all the folks who donated your resources and creative energy towards making the potluck a real community event.

 

With the party over, we were back to work on Monday with the planting of the high tunnel first on the list.  Lettuces, radishes, gai lan, chard, endive, arugula, bok choy, herbs and tat soi were added to the spinach and hakurei turnips that we planted earlier.  By the end of the day we were watering them all in with the drip irrigation.

In the Share – Week 15

cultivating, fingerling potatoes, harvest dinner, potatoes

FINGERLING POTATOES F/P  There are some peace-sign shapes in with the fingers.

TOMATOES F/P  The tomato harvest has peaked but we will still have some for many weeks yet.

GARLIC F/P  Artichoke variety

SALSA PACK P 

SALSA PACK OR CHERRY TOMATOES F

SWEET PEPPPERS F  We are just picking the purple peppers while we wait for the red and yellow varieties to ripen.

EGGPLANT F

ROMA TOMATOES F Tom’s Italian ancestry must be to blame for the many varieties of Roma/paste/sauce-making varieties in our fields.  See his post for his thoughts on enjoying them.

HERBS OR HOT PEPPERS F/P  Basil or chives plus a few stems of garlic chive flowers.

NEXT WEEK:  Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, salsa packs, herbs and onions.

FARM REPORT:
We had a nice dry spell this past week which gave us perfect conditions for killing weeds.  I ran the cultivator through the fall broccolis, cauliflowers and cabbages and then we all hoed the ones the tractor missed.   

The last of the fall crops – arugula, endive, lettuce, turnips and herbs were planted just in time to be watered in by the 1 inch + rain we got today. 

Throughout the day as we go about our tasks, we often catch ourselves scanning the farm for our big white dog.   He is gone, but not forgotten.  Thank you to all of you who sent your kind words of support and sympathy our way.  It lifts our spirits.  On that subject, long-time FSF CSA members, Janet and Kevin Day, asked us to share their thoughts:   

“First, we want to tell you how sorry we are about Rocky’s passing. Seeing Rocky was one of the things we loved most about our farm visits, and I fell in love with him during my first visit to the farm when he was still a puppy. We will miss him, so we can only imagine how heartbroken you must be.

We also want to assure you that you can stop apologizing for what you consider somewhat skimpy shares this year. For one thing, we don’t consider them skimpy. When we become CSA members, we understand that we share in the harvests, no matter what the weather and conditions bring. You farmers take on risks that other professions turn tail and run from.  By putting in with you, we also assume risks, but more than that, we support your lives and livelihoods while you dramatically improve your little corner of Earth. We’ve been members for eight years, and prior to that, Janet had been a member of three other CSAs, none of which have offered the amount, variety and quality of produce that Fair Share has, year after year.

But that’s not all you two and your farm have offered us. You two have helped to create a community of local providers. Every Wednesday, during the CSA season, we pick up the freshest, most delicious produce in town and locally made cheese from two area dairies, Goatsbeard Farm and Skyview Farm. Then once a month, we get chickens and eggs from Tiny Whole Farm and meat from Parker Farm. And once in a while, we get bread from Companionship Bread, a local bakery you’ve hooked us up with. We’ve never belonged to a CSA that assisted their members in finding other local providers.

Every time we work a farm shift, it’s like a mini apprenticeship. We’ve watched your land get healthier and more productive year by year, and we’ve borrowed ideas from you and applied them in our gardens. So thanks to you two, we’re growing produce you’ve introduced us to using methods you’ve taught us.

So to our fellow CSAers, especially those new to Fair Share: thank you for joining us–and Tom and Rebecca–in this endeavor.  We hope you also see the bigger picture even with some “small” harvests.  Stick around and you’ll be rewarded! ”

 Many thanks,

Janet and Kevin Day

Thank you, Janet and Kevin!  We strive every day to deserve such trust and support.  We do love the community that has sprung up around us and hate to think what life would be like without you all.   We are looking forward to celebrating the harvest with many of you at the upcoming FSF CSA Harvest dinner on the farm on September 13.  Mark your calendars, if you haven’t already, and keep your eyes peeled for an official invite coming soon.

2014 hayride at the Harvest dinner

In the Share – Week 19

bok choy, frost, harvest dinner, rocky

beautiful bok choy 

 GREENS CHOICE F/P  Bok choy, beet greens or kale

GARLIC F/P  soft-neck artichoke type is a good keeper

FINGERLING POTATOES F/P  Austrian crescent and French fingerling varieties.

LETTUCE F2/P1  This week only and then we will have to wait a few more weeks for more.  Summer crisp variety.

KOHLRABI F  The first of the fall crop.  Partial shares have a choice with the greens choice.

SWEET PEPPER F/P  Just one for everyone.  These cold nights do not ripen peppers.

TOMATO F  ditto on the tomatoes, but we don’t have enough for everyone this week, only the fulls.

HERB CHOICE F/P   mint, rosemary, thyme, chives or dried.

NEXT WEEK:  More greens and peppers.  Carrots and onions and perhaps the first of the broccoli, radishes and turnips.  Finally some rapini (broccoli raab).

FARM REPORT:

 
Saturday morning we awoke to frost.  At first light we ventured to the fields to see the crops dusted with frozen dew.
 

Officially the thermometer said 35 deg. F. and once the sun melted the frost we could see little damage.  Now three days later it is safe to say that we survived unscathed.  Only the leaves of the sweet potatoes were damaged in any way. 

Sunday night we celebrated with 100+ of the CSA membership.  Our community sure knows how to cook and eat!  The weather was perfect and due to popular demand there were four hayrides.  When not eating or riding around the farm, many enjoyed the view from atop the big round straw bales.  Since I managed to forget almost everything that I meant to say at the dinner, let me say now how deeply indebted we feel towards everyone who has played a role in the re-building of our family farm over the past 11 seasons.   Our farm apprentices, employees, friends and family and the CSA membership have built something together out here that we hope will remain for many years to come.

Rocky staying warm on the compost pile