CSA Newsletter for Week 14

Farm Update

These tiny lettuces that are just
popping up in the coldframes will be
in your shares during the final week
of the CSA!

Hi everyone!  It was a really rainy week at the farm!  The plants are looking vibrant and green now (except the spinach, which sustained some damage during the deluge), and our driveway is a muddy mess, which is a sure sign that a pretty strong storm went through!  Looking around the farm, the fields are starting to get a little more empty as we harvest many of the plantings from earlier in the year.  We're still seeding spinach in the field, but we're done planting most other crops for the year.  Now as each vegetable bed empties out, we'll plant a cover crop on it to help build the organic matter in the soil throughout the off season.  Our fall carrots are growing fast, and we'll likely have them back in the shares in the next week or two.  The tomatoes are starting to be on the downswing; we'll still have a bunch this week, but they'll start to dwindle each week after that until it becomes impractical to harvest them.  But even as the field starts its slow descent into winter rest, some other crops are still going strong, particularly in the coldframes.  We'll continue to seed lettuce, spinach, kale, mache, and maybe even some radishes in the coldframes throughout the fall.  Some of them will be for the final weeks of the CSA, some of them will be to supply our restaurants and stores throughout November, and some of them will be for overwintering so we can get a jump on the first greens of the spring.  The animal life around the farm is getting more active right now too.  There have been just a TON of grasshoppers lately, and just like every fall, they're getting a little slower and more lethargic.  So they're easy prey for Molly and her kittens, who have been venturing out of the barn more and learning to hunt.  Molly is still a little hesitant to let the kittens too far away from the barn because, unlike her offspring, she knows that they are not the most dangerous predators at the farm.  But they're going to need to know how to catch their own food before winter, and they're beginning that process with the grasshoppers.

In other news, in case you missed the announcement last week, we're going to be having a special event at the drop-offs next week!  At the Alma, Mt. Pleasant, and Midland drop-offs, anyone who has a product to sell (such as homemade bread, jams, art, jewelry, etc.) can set up a table at the drop-off to sell their items.  I just need to know about it beforehand, so make sure you let me know if you're interested in setting up a table!  See you at the drop-off!

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!

• Green beans
• Cherry tomatoes or Butternut squash
• Potatoes
• Tomatoes or a bag of small onions
• Lettuce or beets
• Kale, microgreens, leeks
• Onion, garlic, or shallot

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 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:  Green beans, cherry tomatoes, potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce, leeks, and onion.

Share B:  Green beans, butternut squash, potatoes, tomatoes, beets, kale, and onion.

Share C:  Green beans, butternut squash, potatoes, bag of small onions, lettuce, microgreens, and garlic.

             

Recipes

If you're looking for something totally delicious to do with your green beans this week (and who isn't?) check out these Garlic Lemon Green Beans!  This can be either a side dish or just a snack for when it's not quite mealtime, but you're still kind of hungry, because these yummy beans are quick and easy.  Enjoy! :-)