CSA Newsletter for October 7

Farm Update

Check out these crazy sweet potatoes we
found during the harvest!

Hi everyone!  Looking around the farm this week, we can tell that the season is starting to wind down.  Fred turned under a lot of old, picked over plantings over the last few days, so many of the fields currently lie empty.  But what still remains looks pretty nice.  We have a lot of the more cold-hardy crops (such as kale) still doing well out in the fields, and several really nice plantings in the coldframes (things like lettuce, arugula, and radishes) as well.  The rain we got during the night was really helpful, and we were really glad to finally get some good moisture in the ground!  But by far the biggest event at the farm this week happened early Tuesday morning, when our crew member Ben had a pretty terrifying car accident on his way into work.  He was rear-ended at full speed while waiting to make the left turn into the farm driveway, and from what he looked like at first, we were fearful he would have some pretty significant injuries. He turned out to be okay, but his truck was destroyed, and he lost a lot of blood.  In the end, they sent him home from the hospital on the same day with instructions to take it easy for a few days in order to recover from his concussion.  We're definitely all grateful that he's okay!  So last week was pretty eventful, and this week is shaping up to be pretty busy as well.  On Monday, we have our food safety inspector coming out to the farm, which actually involves a lot of paperwork, along with a general inspection of the farm.  I'll also be speaking on Monday night after the drop-off to the Alma Lions Club about the CSA concept, so I'll probably see some of you there!  And for those of you not in the Alma area, I'll see the rest of you at the drop-offs this week! 

What to Expect in your Share this Week

We actually eat the head and the leaf of the broccoli plant; the
broccoli heads go into your CSA shares, and the leaves go
into our cooking greens mix.

If you are picking up at one of our regular drop-offs (Alma, Mt. Pleasant, and Midland) this week, here are the options you’ll find at each station!  If you have a half share, you’ll choose one item at each station, and if you have a full share, you’ll choose two.

Broccoli, spring mix, or beets
Tomatoes or Brussels sprouts
Kale, bok choy, or collard greens
Carrots or potatoes
Sweet potatoes or winter squash
Onion or shallot
Parsley, radishes, small head of lettuce, or leeks

And if you’re having your share delivered or picking up in Lansing, Okemos, or the Midand hospital, here are your options.  If you have a half share, choose either share A or share B, and if you have a full share, you get to choose two.

Share A:                               Share B:

Broccoli                               Spring mix
Tomatoes                             Brussels sprouts
Kale                                     Bok Choy
Carrots                                 Potatoes
Sweet potatoes                     Sweet potatoes
Onion                                   Onion
Small head of lettuce           Leeks

Recipes

Sweet potatoes!  I'm so excited that they're finally here!  Our standard favorite preparation is to cut them into chunks about half an inch thick, throw them into a pan with some butter, cook them until they're soft, and then sprinkle brown sugar all over them.  Or you could try them with a kick with these Sweet and Spicy Sweet Potatoes!  I also can't wait to try these Addictive Sweet Potato Burritos this week.  So many possibilities!