CSA Newsletter for Week 5

Farm Update

Timmy found the perfect hiding spot
in the back of the delivery vehicle
while we were all working on
Sunday evening!

Hi everyone!  I hope all of you are doing well on this hot, hot day!  At the farm, people and plants alike are feeling the need for this heat to break, and we're really hoping that the rain forecasted for midweek will actually fall on the us!  In the meantime, we've been irrigating like crazy, which is keeping the plants going, but there's nothing like a good rain to make the plants come out of survival mode and put on growth.  The lettuce in particular is having a hard time keeping up in this heat, so my guess is we'll have a limited amount of lettuce in the shares this week.  So this will be the week for all the other veggies to shine!

In other news, we had our annual organic inspection on Friday, which went really well!  It is nice to have that (and the endless hours of paperwork it entails) checked off the list for this year!  When we look back over the last few weeks, it's been extremely busy, but when we think of the sheer amount of produce that went out, it's kind of incredible.  Almost every single day, we've loaded up our delivery vehicle with just about as much produce as could possibly fit on there, and sent it out into the world.  And for a farm our size, putting that many tons of good fruits and veggies in stores, restaurants, and family kitchens around mid-Michigan is really gratifying and a little humbling.  So thank you to all of you for making this possible!

What to Expect in This Week's Share

If you are picking up at one of our traditional style drop-offs (Alma, Mt. Pleasant, and Midland), here’s what the options will be at the different stations.  If you have a half share, you’ll choose one item at each station, and if you have a full share, you choose two items at each station!

• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Lettuce or cucumbers
• Bunched greens
• Zucchini
• Fresh garlic, kohlrabi, or fennel bulbs
• Baby leeks, microgreens, or basil

If you have a prepacked share (Midland hospital, St. Johns, Lansing, Okemos, or home delivery), here are your options.  If you have a half share, you’ll choose either share A, B, or C, and if you have a full share, you can choose two of them.  So just email me by the lunchtime the day before your drop-off to let me know which share you want for this week!  If I don't hear from you, I'll just choose for you. :-)

Share A: Potatoes, carrots, romaine, kale, zucchini, kohlrabi, and leeks

Share B:  Potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, Swiss chard, zucchini, fresh garlic, and basil

Share C:  Potatoes, carrots, spring mix, collards, zucchini, fennel bulb, and microgreens

             

Recipes

Normally when I think of potatoes, I think of hearty, comforting fall and winter dishes.  After all, what is Thanksgiving without the mashed potatoes?  But potatoes can also be made into a bunch of really wonderful summer foods!  Check out these many Summer Potato Recipes from Saveur, which includes everything from potato salad to samosas to these yummy Patatas Bravas in the picture.  Try them out for some summer potato fun!