Newsletter for July 20, 2014

Farm Update

The piggies seem to be getting bigger every day!

Hi everyone!  After a Septemberish week, it looks like the weather will once again get back to normal summer weather.  Our cool season crops (mostly greens and root vegetables) have done well, but it is time for some of the warm weather crops to catch up!  Our peppers, tomatoes and watermelon have not grown much due to the cooler weather, but they will likely take off this week.  Fortunately, most crops have avoided disease as we have been applying our biofungicide, Bacillus subtilus, that is a predator of fungal pathogens.  These helpful bacteria have protected our plants through conditions that promote high disease pressure very well.  Only the potatoes seem to really have had significant disease issues.  The pigs have had a good time lately, and seem to be noticeably bigger every day when Fred goes to see them. 

There will be plenty of lovely
beets in the shares this week!

Our guys have continued to make a lot of headway against our weed troubles, and the fields seem to be under control now after a few weeks of very high weed pressure.  We have started to see some of the summer insects start to come out, which to this point had been somewhat delayed because of the cool weather. Now the fight will be less against weeds and more against the cabbage worms and cucumber beetles in the coming weeks.  The frogs, snakes, and toads have become quite numerous around the farm, and hopefully they will make a small dent in the insect population as well.  

What to Expect in This Week's Share

• Choice of salad mix or head lettuce
• Choice of broccoli, kale, or chard
• Choice of carrots or potatoes
• Choice of summer squash, basil, or kohlrabi (and maybe cucumbers too)
• Choice of cabbage or beets
• Choice of blueberries or red potatoes
• Choice or garlic or onion

Local Farm Products and Where to Find Them

Here are rows lettuce growing in the
fields.  Soon, they will be in the shares
as salad mix and head lettuce.

It's no secret that at our house, we eat mostly local, mostly organically grown, and always high-quality foods (aside from the occasional take-out pizza).  People often ask me where we source such foods, so here it is:  a list of where you can find the local farm products you're looking for!  I have not personally worked with all of these farms, but I either have gotten things from them before, researched them and found them trustworthy, or had them recommended to me by friends who have worked with them.

If you're looking for meats or eggs, check out:

• GCC Organics (formerly Garrett Cattle Company) in Mt. Pleasant.  They're certified organic, all of their animals are free-range, and they're also super nice people!  Try them out  if you're looking for beef, poultry, or eggs.
• Livingston Farms in Saint Johns.  They're not certified organic, but their cows are grass-fed and not given any hormones or other additives.  They also offer mint, mint products, and maple syrup.
• Graham's Organics in Rosebush (north of Mt. Pleasant).  They're certified organic, and they offer grass-fed beef, and free-range chicken, turkey, and eggs, and spelt flour.  They're also a great source for organic animal feed if you're interested in raising your own animals!

If you're looking for raw honey or maple syrup, check out:

• Risk's Apiary and Honey House in Laingsburg.  They use

  

  The snakes have been plentiful around the farm lately,
  which is good, because they help us control our insect
  and rodent population.

  organic beekeeping methods and are really knowledgeable about their craft!  Also, if you're in the East Lansing area, you can also get their honey at ELFCO, the East Lansing Food Co-Op.  
• Doodle's Sugarbush in Blanchard.  They produce maple syrup and other maple products, including maple sugar and even maple coffee!  (I think I'm going to have to try that!)

If you're looking for raw milk, joining a cow share program may be for you!  Because it is illegal to sell unpasteurized milk, some farms are able to still offer it in the form of cow share programs.  Basically, a family signs up to own part of a cow, who lives at the farm and is milked by the farmer.  Then, the family comes to the farm (usually on a weekly basis) to pick up their milk.  There are not many of these in the mid-Michigan area because it's a lot of work and a lot of regulation, but here are some:

• Thomas's Organic Creamery in Henderson.  They're certified organic, and they offer a cow share program, as well as yogurt and other dairy products.  It's a little bit of a hike for most of us, but this could be a great resource for those of you in the Lansing area.
• Glen Mast in Blanchard.  We're part of his cow share program, and we have always been really pleased with it!  He's not certified organic, but he uses organic practices, and he's happy to show you how he feeds/pastures/raises all of his animals.  I'm not sure how many new members he's able to take, but if you have any questions or want details about the program, just ask us, because we know all about how it works!  He's Amish, so he doesn't have a website or a phone number, but if you're interested, I can get you his address so you can contact him the old-fashioned way.

Recipes

Fresh Mozzarella and Roasted
Kohlrabi Crostini with
Crispy Lemons and Shallots

One of the more common questions I get is, "What do you do with kohlrabi?"  And fortunately, here is a Huffington Post article that answers just that question!  Here are 18 great ideas for kohlrabi, and seriously, some of these made me want to break out my kohlrabi stash and start cooking immediately.

Blueberry Zucchini Bread!  It kind of
makes me want to have people
over for brunch!

There will be plenty of blueberries and summer squash in the shares this week, so here is a recipe for Blueberry Zucchini Bread!  What a great combination!