CSA Newsletter for Week 12

Farm Update

Our farm kittens are getting cuter every day!
Tiger and Holly are just two of the six kittens
that were born last month at the farm.

Hi everyone!  It's been another busy week at the farm!  We started out the week a little shorthanded, and it felt like we were running to keep up for the rest of the week, but now we've hit the slower-paced part of our farm week.  We're still out there working a lot, but on days when we don't have a drop-off, there's no tight deadline and no race against the clock, just the steady stream of work that keeps the farm going.  Today Fred is planting the lettuce, carrots, and spinach that you'll see in your shares during the last few weeks of the CSA, and he'll be putting some more crops in the ground tomorrow as well.  He also spent a fair amount of time today cursing the existence of the group of raccoons that came through last night and took out about 2/3 of the sweet corn planting that we were going to harvest this week.  We were really disappointed about that, because we were hoping to bring you guys some more corn this week, and now we can't promise it in the shares.  We'll likely have some on the trade table, but its absence from the choices below just annoys us to no end.  So next time you see a raccoon, feel free to shake your fist at it.  Those guys are just the worst.
    But not all the animals at the farm right now are annoying.  You may recall that our barn cat, Molly, had kittens last month, and they're getting bigger and cuter by the day!  These days, they're exploring the barn, playing, and learning from their mama how to catch mice.  For the longest time after they were born, we didn't think any of them survived, because we stopped hearing their little kitten noises about a week after they were born.  So imagine our surprise when, a few weeks later, we found six kittens living underneath our germination chamber!  They had been living right under our noses the whole time, just being extremely silent, until they were ready to come out and explore.  We were amazed that they survived, and now we're having fun watching them play alongside us while we work in the barn.  So here's a cute kitten picture to brighten your day!
     Also, in case you were wondering, the Alma drop-off on Monday will be happening as usual even though it's Labor Day!  If you can't make it to the drop-off, that's totally fine, but just let me know by Sunday so I can take you off the harvest list for this week.  Then we'll plan on getting you a double share next week when you get back.  We hope all of you enjoy your weekend, and we'll 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!

• Tomatoes
• Potatoes
• Lettuce
• Onion or pepper
• Kale, cabbage, basil, or microgreens
• Carrots
• Cherry tomatoes or beets

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: Slicing tomatoes, potatoes, spring mix, onion, kale, carrots, and cherry tomatoes

Share B:  Slicing tomatoes, potatoes, romaine, green pepper, microgreens, carrots, and cherry tomatoes

Share C:  Slicing tomatoes, potatoes, spring mix, green pepper, cabbage, carrots, and beets

             

Recipes

It's tomato time!  For a tomato lover like me, it felt like it took FOREVER for the slicing tomatoes to ripen this year, but now they're ready and I just can't eat enough of them.  If you're looking for a yummy idea for how to use your tomatoes this week, check out this super easy recipe for Baked Tomatoes with Mozzarella and Parmesan!  Don't those look fantastic?