Two weeks to go, and we are busy harvesting the sensitive crops and covering up the Fall crops that would prefer not to be frosted. So while the season is winding down, we have been very busy. It is nice though, to be surrounded by a wonderful end of the season harvest as we go about our duties.

This take on the classic soup has an earthy warmth and sweetness that should be in every CSA cook’s repertoire. Finish it with some sour cream or crème fraiche, topped with fresh parsley and it becomes an elegant treat.

Ingredients:
2 medium leeks, cleaned
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1-1/2 cups dry white wine (optional)
2 medium white sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small dice
1-1/2 quarts vegetable or chicken stock (or more if a thinner soup is desired)
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut dark green top part away from leek. Cut the leeks lengthwise, wash all sand and grit from between the layers. Then cut crosswise into narrow slices.
Put olive oil and butter into soup pot, heat until butter melts. Add leeks and sauté 5 minutes over medium high heat.

Add wine and cook until the wine is reduced by half.

Add stock and heat to boil.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes or until potatoes are soft..

LEEKS (F/P) Heighten any recipe by replacing the onions with some slow simmered leeks.

LETTUCE (F/P) More of the red, ruffled head or a green romaine.

BOK CHOY (F) Back in late August when the heat and drought was threatening to kill both crops and farmers alike we rushed to plant as much for the fall as humanly possible. Now we’ve got a bumper crop of brassicas. Hope you are enjoying the fruits of our sweaty labor!

TURNIPS (P) These are the full-size, fall turnips that the full shares got two weeks ago. Check out Tom’s recipe in Week 20 for the best sweet potato, turnip mash ever.

BROCCOLI (F/P) Oh baby, the broccoli crop is in and boy is it beautiful! Everyone gets at least a pound and a half. Again, check for any caterpillars we may have missed.

CAULIFLOWER (F) Last week the members that pick up at the farm got the first cauliflower of the season. This week the full shares in Liberty and KC get their turn. Partial shares will have it next week.

TOMATOES (F/P) Surprise, surprise we have enough tomatoes for everyone.

SWEET PEPPERS (F/P) We keep thinking we need to start picking green ones, but every harvest we come away with enough ripe ones to keep us busy.

EGGPLANT, OKRA OR ANAHEIM PEPPERS (F) See Tom’s post this week for an easy and tasty way to use the versatile Anaheim.

HERB CHOICE (F) Parsley, Arugula, Thyme or Cilantro

ALSO THIS WEEK: Parker Farms shares

NEXT WEEK: More broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, sweet peppers and eggplant. Sweet potatoes, garlic and cabbages.

FARM REPORT
The saying goes, “make hay while the sun shines,” and while we are not in the haying business, we know enough to take advantage of this unseasonably warm weather. One task that we weren’t sure we would complete before winter hit was painting the new siding on the barn. Since replacing the siding back in July, we have taken time when we can to finish up some of the details around the door and building the landing. And finally this week we were able to start painting.

That’s me on the left. In the middle is Dani Hurst who has been apprenticing with us since August. On the right is Marlene Reuter who has volunteered with us on a regular basis for the past 2 years. Not pictured is Tom who got to do the high up parts. We got pretty far until the paint ran out. Hopefully we’ll finish the job this Thursday.

This Fall has been like no other. While we had some cool nights a week ago, the recent warm temperature and sunshine has caused a growth and ripening spurt in the fields later than ever. It’s been awhile since everyone got a pound of ripe tomatoes, and here it is almost the middle of October. The peppers have likewise filled with color.

    Broccoli head, Tom head, cauliflower head

Lentils
We recently purchased some lentils in bulk and have been eating them regularly. The recipe below is one I started using about the time I started making my own tomato sauce in earnest. It is great to use as the liquid for the lentils instead of water. This dish is good hot or cold. We usually make a double recipe.

BROCCOLI (F/P) We returned from our float down Jack’s Fork River just in time to harvest over 100 lbs. of broccoli today. They are big and beautiful despite the grasshoppers chewing on the tops of some. Also, we tried real hard to keep the caterpillars at bay, but you may need to soak the broccoli to get rid of any we left behind. 

SWEET POTATOES (F) The regular orange sweets this time around.

GARLIC (F/P) We’ll be planting next year’s crop in about a month’s time. We save the biggest heads and plant their cloves six inches apart.

CHOICE OF GREENS (F/P) An assortment: Asian greens, Collards, arugula, Swiss Chard, Rapini

LETTUCE (F/P) They are sizing up slowly so we are trying to restrain ourselves from picking too many too soon. This week everyone gets one head.

PEPPERS AND/OR EGGPLANT (F) These warm days are keeping them producing.

BEETS OR HAKUREI TURNIPS OR KOHLRABI (F)

TOMATOES (F) Not sure how many we have but they are attempting a small resurgence.

ALSO THIS WEEK: Bread of Life Bakery shares, last distribution of Of the Earth fruit shares

NEXT WEEK: More broccoli, lettuce, peppers, eggplant and greens. Leeks, cabbage and cauliflower.

FARM REPORT
Tom and I managed a quick vacation this week, our first since sometime in February. We joined my sister Sally and her family on a float down one of Missouri’s lovely spring-fed rivers. See Tom’s post for more and photos of the lush Alley Spring. We returned today to our dry prairie farm and with much else to do this post is brief. Here’s the current view of our irrigation pond. It has dropped significantly, perhaps 4 feet since this Spring.

Rebecca and I just enjoyed a few days off the farm, floating the Jack’s Fork River with her sister and family. It reminded me of the Adirondack Mountains in New York; clear, cold streams and beautiful Fall colors. Our natural close encounters included many kingfishers, an otter, trout, and a bald eagle.

New York Times food writer Mark Bittman suggests that frittatas include more vegetable than egg. So get a big pan, some eggs and a lot of broccoli and cook one up. They are good both fresh and hot, and cold.

TENDERSWEET CABBAGE (F/P) The name says it all. The first out of the fall cabbage patch, which is looking good.

LEEKS (F/P) They are smaller than we’d like but they are a more northern crop that just survived a blaster of a summer. We’ll have them at least one more time before the end of the season.

BEETS (F/P) Full shares get both beets and turnips. Partial shares get a choice of Hakurei turnips or beets.

GOLD BALL TURNIPS (F) These are the real deal. The turnips have sweetened and bulked up during these cool fall days.

CHOICE OF GREENS (F/P) A wide assortment of choices here: arugula, Swiss Chard, Rapini, Collards.

EGGPLANT (F) The eggplant is putting on its fall flush before the frost comes so enjoy them while you can.
SWEET PEPPERS (P) ditto on these guys. Won’t be too many more ripe ones. Then we’ll start on the green ones.

POTATOES OR ONIONS (F/P) Full shares get a choice with peppers.

BOK CHOY/TAT SOI (F) We direct seeded these and are bunching them at baby size for the best stir fry.

ALSO THIS WEEK: Parker Farms shares, Of the Earth fruit shares

NEXT WEEK: More turnips, greens, eggplant and peppers. The fall broccoli and cauliflower begin. Sweet potatoes and garlic.

When the weather is as pleasant as this everyone wishes that they could be a farmer, working outside with the leaves changing and the crisp sunrises. The farm crew surely appreciates such a lovely office after such hot summer. There were times this summer when we dreamt of September days like these. All of this pastoral beauty is tempered, however, by a serious shortage in precipitation. We have been irrigating non-stop since mid-July. July and August can get pretty dry in our neck of the prairie, but usually by now we have received a nice autumnal soaker. Last September we got 6 inches of rain in one week. This September we are officially at 1.1 inches for the month. Cracks in the ground persist even pretty close to our irrigated crops. We are supremely indebted to the irrigation pond and solar powered pump. It was an investment, but it is paying us back this year.

One thing we like on the farm is a good harvest, especially in the Fall. The crops coming from the field now are as green and healthy as we have ever had. We attribute much of this to the farm’s soil fertility plan. The majority of our Fall crops are preceded by a cover crop of chickling vetch and oats. We plant it in April and turn it in at the start of Summer.

For the nine years we have been here we could have been spreading synthetic 10-10-10 fertilizer to grow vegetables instead. If we had gone that route and fed the plants chemicals, we would have provided no improvement to the farm’s ecosystem. The plan for such a farm is to buy chemicals for all of your days. You gain nothing long-term.

Cabbage
In the present we have some excellent cabbages. The flat-top heads in your share are Tendersweet cabbage. Its leaves are thinner than many cabbages, making it somewhat delicate. It is a raw treat and is perfect for salads of any kind.

White Sweet Potato, Gold Turnip and Garlic Mash
I hope this combination sounds good to you. These vegetables create a very creamy mash, and a quite unique, rich flavor.  

O’HENRY SWEET POTATOES (F/P) White sweet potatoes are super creamy and oh so sweet!

GARLIC (F/P) Soon it will be time to plant next year’s crop but we still have many heads for eating.

HAKUREI TURNIPS (F/P) Welcome back the Hakureis! Eat em like an apple, in case you forgot.

LETTUCE (F/P) We are so close to having enough lettuce for everyone. There may be a few folks on Saturday that we’ll have to send something else. It was darn difficult to get these babies to sprout in the summer heat, but they are looking good now.

BOK CHOI/TAT SOI BUNCHES (F/P) Stir-fry season is back. Check Tom’s post for a reminder.

KALE, RAPINI OR COLLARDS (F) Aphids are invading our brassicas. We will try not to send them in with the shares, but wash well and check the backs of the leaves just in case. PLUM

PURPLE RADISHES (F) I am loving our fall radishes. They are so juicy. Add em to your stir-fry for a crisp crunch.

SWEET PEPPERS, HOT PEPPERS OR OKRA (F) The summer crops are winding down, but we’ll have a bit more until frost.

HERBS OR ARUGULA (F/P) Sage, thyme, basil or arugula.

ALSO THIS WEEK: Bread of Life Bakery shares, Of the Earth fruit shares

NEXT WEEK: More turnips, greens, peppers and herbs. Leeks, beets and cabbage. The Autumnal

Equinox this week marks the end of summer and the beginning of fall. Days and nights are even in length and the plants respond by slowing their growth and sweetening with the cooler temperatures. With only five more CSA distributions after this week (last pickup: Oct. 26 & 29) it is time to celebrate the completion of another successful season. Tom and I look forward to this time of year all season long when we can finally relax and just have a good time with our community of eaters.

We hope you all can attend the 9th annual Fair Share Farm CSA Harvest Dinner on October 29th from 4-6 pm. As always, the event will take place at St. James Lutheran Church, 1104 Vivion Road (same spot as the Spring Signup) and everyone is asked to bring a dish for the best local, organic potluck west of the Mississippi.

  The Fair Share Farm CSA Core Group is planning a fun event including a raffle to benefit our Veggie Voucher fund. Raffle tickets cost $1 (cash only) and you can buy as many as you want to increase your chances of winning. Thank you to Blue Bird Bistro and the MisFit Ranch Bed and Breakfast for being the first two to donate gift certificates for the raffle.

With it being Halloween weekend, costumes are encouraged. Prizes will be awarded for the best children’s costumes. If you would like to help with set-up, clean up or have something you would like to donate to the raffle contact Ann & Mark Flynn, FSF CSA Social Coordinators. Ann and Mark will be sending out an evite to all of our members soon, so watch for that in your inbox.

The last days of summer are here, with the Autumn Equinox occurring at 10:04 am on Friday. The days keep getting shorter, and the nights are growing cooler. Farming for a living makes you realize that the sun is the true clock of our lives, not the digital device on your wrist or in your phone. We enjoy this time of year, as the sunrise creeps south every morning, reminding us to stock up and prepare for the Fall and Winter, and enjoy the beauty of Autumn.

Asian Greens
Speaking of seasons, it is once again stir-fry season. Our wok is getting a workout with the Asian greens, turnips, radishes and hot peppers that grace the shares. Now is a good time to make the most of these nourishing green vegetables. Our Stir Fry Primer is all the farther you have to go to master the art of the wok.

Hakurei Turnips
The Hakurei turnip is one of those vegetables that make us happy to be CSA farmers. We are pretty sure that not too many folks knew what they were before they joined the farm. It feels good to be able to offer a new vegetable to people and have them enjoy it like you all do. The Spring planting was a great success, and this Fall’s will certainly rival it. Don’t forget that both tops and bottoms are edible. So be sure to use the greens too, either in a salad or a stir-fry.

O’Henry Sweet Potatoes
We hope that you enjoyed the orange Beauregard sweet potatoes in the Week 17 shares. This week, as promised we are handing out a white sweet potato called O’Henry. We trialed about 30 feet of these last year and were very happy with their productivity and taste. White, sweet, potato says is all about these delectable tubers.



Digging sweet potoatoes with the CSA

We think a good way to try these out is to mash them. It really brings out their sweetness and creaminess. Simply cut off any tough spots, cut into large chunks, and then boil or steam until tender. While still hot mash them before adding some salt, butter and milk/cream. Yummy.

                                         mulching the fall brassica

POTATOES (F/P) Last of the “Irish” or “South American” potatoes for the year. Enjoy!

ONIONS (F) Probably the last of the onions too.

RADISHES (F/P) Oh my, we have a lot of radishes on our hands. Too hot for you, you say? Slice them up, dress with vinegar and honey, let sit and then eat without fear.

EGGPLANT OR OKRA (F) The eggplant has rebounded nicely from the summer heat and the okra will continue until the temps. get too chilly.

SWEET PEPPERS (F/P) Still got some ripe ones out there and hopefully will for a bit longer.

CHOICE OF GREENS (F/P) Rapini, Kale, Collards and Chard. See Tom’s post for more on enjoying your greens.

ASIAN GREENS or ARUGULA (F) We direct-seeded some bok choy and tat soi this summer after our greenhouse seedings wouldn’t sprout in the heat. Now there are lots of baby bok choy and tat soi in the field to pick.

HERB CHOICE (F/P) Basil, tarragon, parsley or a dried herb. Partial shares get a choice of an herb or arugula.

ALSO THIS WEEK: Parker Farms shares, Of the Earth fruit shares

NEXT WEEK: More radishes, eggplant, okra, greens and peppers. Hakurei turnips and O’Henry white-fleshed sweet potatoes.

FARM REPORT
On Saturday afternoon after a productive CSA harvest morning, the farm hosted the 2011 class of Growing Growers apprentices. Growing Growers offers workshops and farm tours to those who desire to start a career in local, sustainable agriculture. The topic of the September workshop was Pests, Weeds and Disease, or as the coordinator of the Growing Growers program and farmer at Blue Door Farm, Laura Christensen, quipped, “The Plagues.” Unfortunately for the students not a pest, weed or disease was in sight to identify at Fair Share Farm (ha ha).

After a stroll through the fields, a demonstration of the electric tractor and the solar-powered irrigation system, we headed to the wash & pack area of the barn. There we had a conversation about what the CSA membership means to us as farmers. The stats. are impressive: over 1,000 hours of on-farm labor provided, an active and engaged core group, money and support provided up-front before the harvest begins and endless hours saved schlepping to the farmers market.

Even more than these, the greatest benefit for us is the guarantee of a reliable income no matter what the season. This year is a good case in point. Too little rain and too much heat led to disaster in the Cucurbit patch, meanwhile the tomatoes flourished. Last year it was the opposite: lots of squashes, cucumbers and melons but few ‘maters. While no farmer wants to see a tenderly nurtured crop turn to dust, we sleep a little easier knowing that our balance sheet is not dependent on any single market favorite. Instead we are fortunate to have as our task to feed our member families well. The diversity of crops in our fields and the adventurous appetites of those who eat them is our crop insurance.