CSA Newsletter for Week 7

Farm Update

What could this crazy stuff be?  It's actually 
our garlic, laying out to cure!  You can see
the heads of garlic overlapped with the alium-
shaped garlic flowers on the other end of the
stalk.

Hi everyone!  Hope you're doing well!  Despite being crazy busy, it was a good week at the farm!  Since I was handling the deliveries and drop-offs myself last week, that freed up a bunch of hours for Fred to get the farm back in working order!  One of the main orders of business was to get the weeds under control.  Fred actually mowed down some ragweed that was taller than him, if that's any indication of how bad some sections had gotten!  He was able to mow down a bunch of weeds and take the cultivator through other areas, which is basically a weeding attachment for our tractor that can take out weeds in between the rows of veggies, but doesn't get close enough to damage the veggies (or the weeds that are right in with them). To get right into the rows of crops requires weeding by hand, which Fred and the crew also did a ridiculous amount of this week.  A huge shout-out to Fred's brother Charlie, who worked for us at the farm for years when he was in college, and came back to help us out in a huge way this week even now that he is a grown-up with a legit career.  He's been helping out twice a week throughout the summer now that much of his work is from home, and this week he devoted his whole week to the farm and really took charge of managing our teenage crew.  So a huge thank you to Charlie, without whom we never would have been able to accomplish what we did this week!

We also got a bunch of seeding done!  We did some direct seeding (which is when we plant seeds directly into the field), and we seeded a bunch of flats that will grow for a few weeks until we are ready to transplant them into the field.  Among the things that were seeded this week are the lettuce that will be in the shares in September, and a bunch of multicolored carrots that will make their appearance in October.  We actually planted a new variety of carrots than the one we've traditionally used, because the seed for our normal Mokum variety was unavailable with everything going on.

Before Fred could plant in the field, there were a bunch of crop beds that had to be mowed down and turned under into the soil.  When we turn under an old planting, all of the organic matter in the plant goes into and builds the soil, making it healthier.  Then when the old planting is turned under, it looks like bare soil that is ready to be replanted.  Normally we let it rest for a little bit before replanting (mostly to let any weed seeds in the top few inches of soil germinate so we can get rid of any emerging weeds before planing the crops), but right now, we just really needed to get the next plantings into the ground.

So we were able to get a bunch of stuff done along with the normal harvesting, washing, and packing of veggies for the drop-offs, and we're feeling really good about that!  I'm going to be doing most of the drop-offs by myself over the next few weeks so Fred can continue with the forward progress, but we're making our way out of the woods (another idiom!)  So wish us luck as we enter another busy week!  See you guys at the drop-offs! 

PS:  If anyone is interested, our friend Jonas has 70 chickens to sell that he raised for an order that fell through!  They're pasture-raised, free-range chickens that didn't have any gluten in their supplemental feed, so if eating meet without gluten is a priority for you, these are your chickens!  They're $3 per pound, and if you're interested, you can call Corina Thomas at 989-304-0077 to ask questions or place an order. :-)

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! 

• Potatoes
• Carrots or beets
• Cabbage, Swiss chard, or kale
• Cherry tomatoes, blueberries, lettuce, or green beans (this part may change a little throughout the week, because we don't know how long the blueberries will be harvestable.  Just a heads up!)
• Garlic, fresh shallots, or okra
• Basil, microgreens, or summer savory
• Zucchini, cucumbers, or leeks

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:  Potatoes, carrots, chard, cherry tomatoes, garlic, basil, and cucumbers.

Share B:  Potatoes, carrots, chard, garlic, microgreens, leeks, and a surprise veggie! (Surprise veggie could be either blueberries, lettuce, or green beans).

Share C:  Potatoes, carrots, cabbage, cherry tomatoes, fresh shallots, basil, and leeks.

 

Recipes

Oh, potatoes!  I think they are pretty much the ultimate comfort food, and we all have a favorite way to prepare them, whether they're mashed, fried, baked, or made into homemade potato chips!  If you're looking to try something new with potatoes this week, check out these Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes from Chef John on allrecipes.com!  (I basically love all Chef John's recipes, and this is no different!)  And just so you know, if you're getting summer savory in your share, you can use that in place of the oregano in the recipe, because their flavor is so similar.  Enjoy! :-)