CSA Newsletter for Week13

 

Farm Update

Charlie harvesting cherry tomatoes
on Monday.

Hi everyone!   Wow, it got cold in a hurry, didn't it?  We're definitely into fall now, but we have high hopes that it won't be this chilly and damp for the rest of the season.  When the temperature drops, it really slows down the ripening of the tomatoes.  The upside to that is that we will have canning tomatoes again this week, because they didn't all ripen last week like we thought they would.  So if you're interested in romas or slicing tomatoes for canning, just let me know! They'll be $12 per half bushel.

The cold and wet weather also made harvesting a lot trickier than it is in warmer, dryer parts of the year.  The dampness in the air causes our cherry tomatoes to burst, which means we need to harvest a lot more of them to make sure that you are all getting the best cherry tomatoes without any splits in them.  So they take a lot longer to harvest, and a lot longer to package in those little pint containers, because a much larger percentage of them need to be tossed out.  Harvesting basically anything is also less pleasant in the cold, so we're really hoping the nice weather comes back soon!

The cooler fall weather has certainly been good for our lettuces though!  We finally have tons of spring mix again, and it is looking and tasting great!  We've also started harvesting the first of the sweet potatoes, and we've put the first round out to cure.  Like garlic, sweet potatoes need to cure for a little while so that they can last for long periods of time at room temperature.  This makes sweet potatoes one of the ultimate storage vegetables for winter, because if they've been properly cured, they don't need to go into the fridge.

In other news, we have our big annual organic inspection coming up on Friday!  We'll be putting in a lot of time this week making sure we have all of our records in one place, because our inspector will want to see everything from a detailed record of what seeds we planted on which dates, to our daily harvest records.  He and Fred will walk around the main farm, the blueberry patch, the orchard, and the barn (which is where our packing area and walk-in cooler are) inspecting a bunch of stuff.  It's usually a process that takes about six hours, plus all of the hours (and months) of record-keeping that lead up to the actual inspection.  So it's a time-consuming process, but after Friday, we can cross that off of our to-do list!  So wish us luck!  See you at the drop-off!

What to Expect in Your Share

• Potatoes or Roma tomatoes
• Spring mix or arugula
• Slicing tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
• Acorn squash or leeks
• Kale, Swiss chard, or a young romaine head
• Microgreens, dill, or 2 peppers
• Garlic, onion, or an heirloom tomato

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! 

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, arugula, slicing tomatoes, acorn squash, young romaine head, microgreens, and an heirloom tomato.

Share B:  Roma tomatoes, spring mix, cherry tomatoes, acorn squash, kale, dill, and an onion.

Share C:  Potatoes, spring mix, slicing tomatoes, leeks, chard, 2 peppers, and an onion.

Recipes

I love tomato season!  I miss tomatoes in the winter, spring, and early summer, and I just glory in them when they finally become abundant in late summer.  The only thing about tomato season is that there are just so. many. tomatoes!  But never fear!  If like me, you feel like you're swimming in tomatoes right now, this is the perfect time to make salsa!  Try out this Best Fresh Tomato Salsa recipe, and enjoy it with your favorite tortilla chips, put it on tacos, or use it to top some grilled chicken!