CSA Newsletter for Week 11

 

Farm Update

   Hi everyone!  It's starting to look like fall out there!  We transplanted lettuce we started in the greenhouse into the field for the last time this season.  This is the first of the "lasts" of this year, to be followed by many others:  the last field planting, the last coldframe planting, the last weeding spree, the last CSA drop-off.  This last transplanting ushers in the slow decline of the growing season and marks the point in the bell curve of work where the line starts to dip slightly.  There are still many farm tasks to do, but there is a little less of each job.  We're still weeding, but not as much as we used to.  We're still planting in the fields, but there will come a time, probably in late September or early October when anything we plant in the field won't be harvestable by the time the snow flies.  We've also pulled out all of the dying zucchini and cucumber plants from the coldframes, and replanted the space with lettuce for the fall and carrots for November deliveries to the stores and restaurants we work with.  Another signal that the season is starting to wane is the return to school of most of our workers.  At the height of the season, we had ten employees on the payroll, most of them teenagers.  Many of them are returning to school next week and either reducing their work hours or saying good-bye to the farm altogether for the year, so we are glad to have a few adults working for us at the farm who will be sticking around to help us finish out the season.

But even as the season shifts from summer to fall, we still have a lot growing!  We're pretty much at the height of cherry tomato season right now, and the field tomatoes are ripening really quickly!  We'll have a new head lettuce in the shares this week, a variety called Verigo, which is bright green, thicker like a romaine, and has kind of a dramatic spiky look, so that will be fun!  We had a few really good rains this week, and now all of the crops, from kale to lettuce to sweet potatoes to squash, have perked up considerably.  When the dry soil gets a good rain, it's a relief to crops and people alike, because it means we don't have to spend as much time irrigating.  And anything that saves us time is a good thing, because like many of you, our family is also transitioning back into the school year!  This year will look pretty different than most since our kids will be distance learning, but that also means an added responsibility on this mama's plate.  For all of us who are trying to navigate going back to school this year, I offer up a hearty "Good luck!"  I think we're going to need it!  But at least we'll all be able to eat some great meals while we're figuring it all out! :-)

What to Expect in Your Share

If you are going through the line 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! 

• Spring mix
• Cherry tomatoes
• Potatoes
• Delicata Squash or 3-4 tomatoes
• Kale, Swiss chard, or leeks
• Onion, garlic, or green pepper
• Okra, microgreens, or Verigo head lettuce

If you have a prepacked share, 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 fill out this Google form 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:  Spring mix, cherry tomatoes, potatoes, 3-4 tomatoes, kale, onion, and Verigo head lettuce.

Share B:  Spring mix, cherry tomatoes, potatoes, Delicata squash, kale, green pepper, and microgreens.

Share C: Spring mix, cherry tomatoes, potatoes, 3-4 tomatoes, leeks, green pepper, and Verigo head lettuce.

 

Recipes

How cute is this green pepper octopus?!?

If you've got kids going back to school this week, either in the classroom or virtually, they might enjoy some of these super cute veggie snacks!  Let's kick this school year off right with some healthy food that is both yummy and fun!  But don't let the perfect-looking foods cause you stress or put pressure on you, because we already have enough of that.  So if the cute Octopus doesn't come out as cute as the picture, or if you're too busy and just cut up pepper slices instead, that is still a win!  Go forth and be awesome! :-)