Small Family Farm CSA

At the end of the growing season, some farmer’s like to say that they are working on ‘putting their gardens to sleep’.  When all the harvesting is done there is still work to do to prepare the ground for rest before the onslaught of winter and harsh weather.  There is still plastic to be ripped up, trellising to be taken down and cover crops to plant.  Not to mention all of the food that still needs to be harvested!  A responsible gardener or farmer would not simply take the crop and run, because there is still a fair amount of giving back that needs to take place.

When CSA is over, our hurried schedule of meeting harvesting deadlines every week shifts to a different, more casual sort of pace that I happen to enjoy very much.  There is the waxing and the waning of the seasons and the waning is beginning now.  The off season is time to care for your tools and equipment and see that they stay lubricated, sharp and in peak working order.  It’s time to pick up larger miscellaneous projects that help improve the functionality and esthetics of the farm; usually projects too large to tackle in the middle of the growing season when all of our attention and time is spent actually in the field.

Read more: Week 18, 2008

The man born to Farming, by Wendel Berry

The grower of trees, the gardener, the man born to farming,

Whose hands reach into the ground and sprout,

To him the soil is a divine drug.  He enters into death yearly, and comes back rejoicing.  He has seen the light lie down

In the dung heap, and rise again in the corn.

His thought passes along the row ends like a mole.

What miraculous seed has he swallowed

That the unending sentence of his love flows out of his mouth

Like a vine clinging in the sunlight, and like water

Descending in the dark.

So….WHAT’S in the BOX???

Carrots-  We dug a new variety this week.  Can you taste the difference?

Russet Potatoes–  Does not need refrigeration.  The dirt helps the potatoes keep.  Store in a cool dark place, mimicking the underground.

Cippolini Onions— These are an Italian heirloom onion.  Great for caramelizing. 

Swiss Chard-  Beautiful Chard again!  Stores best in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Bell Pepper, Hot Pepper-  Beautiful peppers.

Leeks-  Woops, we never did give these last week, but here they are this week.  Sorry for anyone who thought they didn’t get them.    Use like you would an onion.

Celeriac (or celery) Root-  A different plant than the celery, specially cultivated so the roots grow large and are edible.  A similar texture to a potato with a celery flavor.  Give it a good try.  See some good recipe ideas below, you’ll fall in love with toad just as we did!

Spinach-  Here it is, finally.  Delicious as ever!

Garlic-  Another garlic week.  Does not need refrigeration.

Rutabega-  Another fun one to give a try.  This is in the same family as cabbage and broccoli.  A fun fall root veggie to sweeten your stews.

Next week!  A short list of items that we may have next week, but will not promise to have.  Due to the unexpectedness of the season, anything could pop up or go down hill in no time.  Beets, red cabbage, celery, onions, peppers, buttercup squash, kale, broccoli, kohlrabi, radish, lettuce