CSA Newsletter for Week 19- Final CSA Week!

 

Farm Update

Hi everyone!  Well, here we are in the last week of the CSA!  It's been quite the year for all of humanity, and certainly for us at the farm as well.  As the weather gets cold and the days grow shorter, we are glad to be getting the farm ready for its long winter's nap.  Each season has its own combination of struggles and successes, joys and frustrations, and as the year winds down, I look back over the CSA season and breathe a deep sigh of relief.  Relief that we made it through the rains, the dry periods, the bugs, the weeds, the labor shortages, the exhaustion, the aches and pains, the extreme heat and the bone-chilling cold.  We're about to steer the proverbial train into the station again after another long season, and take a break.  

And yet when I look back on the season, I'm grateful too.  I'm grateful to be so integrated into the community.  I'm grateful that while most of the world was in isolation, I got to see and interact with all of you each week, and life felt surprisingly normal.  I'm grateful that we got to spend our summer working outside in the sun, getting good exercise, and doing simple, rewarding, and measurable work.  And I'm grateful that our community came out so strongly to support our farm and other local businesses in this crazy year.  Thank you all for coming with us on this crazy journey we call the 2020 CSA season, and for making our whole farm possible!

And in case you missed it the last few weeks, you can sign up for the 2021 season by filling out this Google form!  The cost for a full share next year will be $600, but anyone who signs up and puts down at least a half payment by December 31 will get the early bird special of $580.  A half share will be $325 next year, but early birds get their share for $315.  If you have any questions, just let me know!  And if you're wondering where you can get our produce after the CSA ends, we'll have veggies available at Greentree Cooperative Grocery in Mt. Pleasant and at Argus Farm Stop in Ann Arbor until about mid-December, so look for us there!  Thank you all so much for another great CSA season, and we hope to see you again in 2021!

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! 

Spinach, lettuce, or sweet potatoes

Large squash (Butternut or Tetsukabuto)

Carrots or beets

Brussels sprouts or potatoes

Kale, a bag of small onions, or leeks

Cabbage or a small squash (Acorn or Delicata)

Cilantro, onion, or shallot

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 it comes in after that, I might still be able to get you the share you wanted, but I can't guarantee it. And if I don't hear from you, I'll just choose for you. :-)

Share A:  Spinach, large squash, carrots, potatoes, leeks, cabbage, and onion.

Share B:  Lettuce, large squash, carrots, Brussels sprouts, bag of small onions, small squash, and cilantro.

Share C:  Sweet potato, large squash, beets, potatoes, kale, small squash, and onion.

Recipes

Oh, winter squash!  So delicious, and so versatile.  We love to slice them in half, bake them, and sprinkle them with butter and brown sugar.  We also love to make them into wonderful creamy soups, or dice them up, sauté them in butter, and top them with maple syrup or brown sugar.  Another hearty and delicious way to prepare them is to make Stuffed Winter Squash.  Check out this mouthwatering recipe and give it a try!