CSA Newsletter for December

Farm Update

We're already planting ahead for next
season!  Under the straw is next year's
garlic, and to the left of the garlic, we
have spinach overwintering under the
plastic tunnel.  To the left of the
spinach, there is a taller caterpillar
tunnel, under which are some carrots
we planted earlier in the fall.

Hi everyone!  Well, it's definitely winter out there!  The winter weather came abnormally early this year and ended our farm season rather abruptly with a hard freeze during the second week of November.  It's been pretty miserable outside at the farm with the freezing rain, so instead of the outside projects Fred usually does this time of year, he's been using his time to tackle all of the home improvement projects that have been building up.  He's also been poring over the seed catalogs that have been arriving at the house over the last few weeks, which is one of his favorite December activities.  It's pretty fun watching him get all geeked out about new varieties of kale and squash, and we're planning on unveiling in the January newsletter all of the new vegetable varieties we'll be growing next year.  Fred is also going to the New England Fruit and Vegetable Growers Conference next week to talk with other growers and learn about new techniques that other farms like ours are using.  Most of the farms on the East Coast are on the cutting edge of season-extension and organic production techniques, so he's really excited to learn all he can at the conference.  It will be good to look forward and make plans for next season, because this season definitely didn't go the way we hoped and expected.  With the cold, rainy spring and the cold, rainy fall, we experienced more crop loss than we have in any other year.  Every year, we have one or two crops that don't do so well, but this year, quite a few of our crops fell short of our expectations.  We so appreciate all of our CSA members being with us throughout this season.  Your continuous support and encouragement have been huge for us, and we can't thank you enough!  I was reflecting over Thanksgiving about how grateful I am for all of you, who sign up for the CSA every year and put your faith in us, and make our farm possible.  You are really the ones who allow us to keep doing what we do and provide good, high-quality organic veggies to the community. So THANK YOU!  We so appreciate it!
     And just in case you were interested in signing up for next season and haven't done it yet, don't forget that anyone who signs up and puts down at least a half payment by December 31 saves $5 on their share!  The cost for a full share will be $560, and a half share will be $305, but if you send in a payment before the end of the year, you can just subtract $5!  So if you have any questions or want to sign up, just send me an email!  We would love to have you in the CSA again for the 2020 season!

Recipes

It's a tricky December for Michigan locavores this year.  Most years, you can still find all sorts of potatoes, carrots, cabbage, beets, onions, celery root, sweet potatoes, squash, kale, and lettuce at indoor farmer's markets, co-ops, and local grocery stores.  But pretty much all of the Michigan farmers I've talked to are in the same boat as we are, and they have a lot less food than usual for this time of year.  So what's a person to do if that person happens to be committed to eating local(ish) this December?  Root vegetables to the rescue!  Many farmers still have some potatoes, carrots, and beets in storage, so they'll be the stars of the show this winter!  Root vegetables can be stored for a long time after harvest as long as you keep them in temperatures similar to what you'd find in a refrigerator, so people relied heavily on the root cellar throughout the winter before the advent of modern produce shipping.  So if, like your great-grandparents (or any hard-core locavore), you're relying on whatever food your own community can produce, here's a wonderful recipe for Delicious Ham and Potato Soup!  It's great as written, or you can add in whatever else you might have on hand, like kale or carrots!  I'd just trade out the chicken bouillon the recipe calls for in favor of a quality chicken stock, and then adjust the quantity of water accordingly.  So put on a big pot of soup, build a fire in the fireplace, and settle in with a cozy blanket and a good book, because it's time to embrace the winter!