July Twentieth

High Summer on the farm feels hot and muggy.  We received a perfect rain last Friday with exactly one inch that fell in the morning.  We were planning on getting some weeding done that morning, but were happy to find a little inside work to stay out of the lightning and thunder and pouring rain. 

I have learned that I tolerate the heat a little better than I have in previous summers for some reason.  I wonder if a person can build up to this kind of thing or if my mental stamina for working in the heat has increased.  I watch the crew power though with their water bottles, sun hats and using their positive attitudes and lively conversation to help endure the sauna.  I’m endlessly thankful for such a hardy crew of helpers that value using their bodies and doing this kind of work. 

Cucumber harvest hit fast and strong this week.  We were able to give everyone 4 cucumbers this week which always feels good.  Cucumber harvest will mellow out a little now until our next succession comes on.  Zucchini and Summer squash harvest is going steady.  The plants will continue to produce generously for several more weeks.  Dust off your zucchini and cucumber recipes!  Farmer Adam is picking broccoli, cauliflower and Romanesco every two days still so that we all have florettes for roasting, steaming or stir-frying all week long! 

This week we are hoping to catch up on some weeding projects that have gotten away from us before we begin garlic harvest next week.  Garlic harvest usually consumes all of the crew time for a couple weeks other than when we need to shift into harvesting mode for cukes, zuccs, and broccoli harvest.  We’re excited because we have an extra big crew of helpers this year to help us get the harvest in in a timely manner. 

My mother took the kids down to my sister’s house this week so Adam and I had a couple days home on the farm to ourselves this week for the first time ever.  I noticed this week how loud the birds are around out house.  How did I not hear all of that ruckus before?   The farm was an Eden of butterflies, birds, and bees that I was able to slow down to see and hear this week.  Such a strange calmness for Adam and I to experience the farm quite and alone in the evenings when the children were away from home. 

What’s in the Box???

Curly Green Kale-  A hefty bunch of green kale to keep you eating your greens. 

Carrots-  Gorgeous bunches of carrots this week with 8-10 carrots per bunch.  We were excited to give them with their green tops on.  Carrot tops are edible if you’re up for a challenge!

Cucumbers-  4 Cucumbers per member this week.  Our kids love to eat these as a snack, but we also love to make cucumber sandwiches and creamy cucumber salad!  Nothing like a cucumber to help you cool off!

Zucchini and Summer Squash-  3-7 per member.  We had a little mis-count and most members received 7 squash, but we were running out towards the end of packing and had to cut the number down.  The plants are still producing generously.  We’re expecting the harvest to slow a little.  Zucchini and Summer Squash harvest will slow down in cooler temperatures and as the plants get older. 

Broccoli-  One broccoli per member this week.  Broccoli is a cool season plant, so it’s a blessing to still be harvesting it in late July.  We know you love broccoli, so we plant a lot of it! 

Lettuce x2-  Lettuce is another tricky one to have in the heat of the summer like this.  We aim for a lettuce harvest every week because everyone loves to make their salads or have lettuce for sandwiches. 

Dill-  The dill is all flowered out.  We thought you might like to use the flowers if you make refrigerator pickles.  The flowers could also make a nice bouquet for your table if they handle the transport okay- we put the dill in the bottom of the box so that the other veggies don’t get pollen all over them.  The fronds can be added to salads of all kinds! 

Beets-  These are overwintered beets that we wanted to give to clean out the cooler before we start harvesting the fresh ones in a couple weeks! 

Fennel-  Fennel are difficult to grown in the heat as well.  Enjoy this rare gem of a vegetable! 

Green Onions-  This is the final green onion harvest of the season. Next week will be able to begin harvesting the fresh bulb onions. 

Garlic Scapes-  This is also the final garlic scape week.  We will be able to send fresh cut garlic next week.  Scapes can be used from the blunt end of the scape up to the nodule. 

Next Week’s Best Guess:  Celery, Cucumber, Squash, Lettuce, Kale, Carrots, Broccoli or Cauliflower?, Red Cabbage?, Onion?, Beet?, Basil or sage?

Recipes

Just Keeps Getting Better Kale Salad by Bon Appetit

Spiced Summer Squash and Chickpea Bisque from Dishing Up the Dirt

Broccoli and Fennel Soup with Sunflower Seed Dukkah from With Food and Love

Asian Cucumber Salad from Lemon Tree Dwelling

Balsamic Roasted Beet Salad with Walnuts and Feta from Walder Wellness

July Thirteenth

In these full summer days of endless to-do lists with the demands of the farm getting heavier and stronger, our bodies begin to feel like they’re moving with less briskness and pep.  All the stored energy from a winter’s rest feel like it was used up already somehow.  The broccoli, zucchini and now cucumber harvests need to happen every two days.  The weed pressure gets more and more intense while the thermostat rises.  Adam and I work around the clock trying to keep the farm functioning like a well-oiled machine.  The children, the yard, the kitchen, the laundry-all need attention as well. 

Sustainability is a buzz word in the world of organic farming.  With the emphasis on soil health we are focused on sustainability.  We’re thinking about the monarchs, the nesting birds, the soil microbes, the worms and critters of all kinds whether we see them or not, we aim to coexist harmoniously.  The plants are happy, the crops look amazing, the CSA boxes are full and we have help.  But somehow the lifestyle for the farmer does not feel quite so.  It’s just that we’re tired.  The kind of tired you feel when you’ve poured all of heart and soul into something because you believe it in deeply.  We’re holding onto our ideals with our teeth, be it foolish or admirable, I still haven’t figured that one out. 

I do not wish to sound like I am complaining, because I really dislike complaining.  Everything we have going in our lives, we asked for and created for ourselves.  We dreamed for, invited and built this life brick by brick.  I actually feel lucky and blessed to be here.  No one makes us do it other than me, the mad-woman behind the scenes who thought this was all a really good idea.  I’m just mad enough to continue believing that it is a good idea and to hit the restart button every year.  My amazing, hardworking husband obliges me and together we jump in with both feet. 

The truth it, it is a good life and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.  The rewards are much greater than the sacrifices.  But I guess it helps a little to share the fact that it’s really, really hard with you.  I write these newsletters like a journal entry in the quite of the evenings when the children are sleeping and mommy has a little time to herself after a busy day on the farm.  I sit here wondering what to write about and these are the words I find myself typing. 

But sometimes, on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, I sneak out to my flower beds for a little while.  I have some Lillys, Echinesia, Gladiolas, Irises, Poppys, Calendulas, a few Zinnias and this year I tried to start some Daisys.  The Daisy’s are still pretty little and I’m not sure if they’re going to take off.  I really want Daisys.  They possess a simplicity that is so contrasting to my life, I feel drawn to them.  I feel guilty when I’m weeding my flowers when there is so much weeding to be done in the fields and I know Adam is out there trellising tomatoes.  But the children play in the yard when I’m weeding flowers and we’re together in a way.  I feel guilty when I’m farming and I’m not with my kids.  I feel guilty when I’m with my kids and I’m not farming.  I have learned that I cannot escape some level of guilt wherever I am.  So I just go weed some flowers for a little bit when I can afford to.  It nurtures me in a different kind of way.  Maybe I will learn to let go of my guilt in these flower beds and trust that I am doing enough. 

What’s in the Box?

Green Cabbage- This is a variety called Quickstart.  An early season cabbage that isn’t quite as dense as a storage cabbage.  It’s a little lighter and airier of a cabbage, but crispy all the same! 

Cucumber-  The very first cucumber harvest of the season!  I was SO excited for cucumbers this year!  Just one thes week, but be ready for more next week!  

Zucchini and Summer Squash-  4 squash per member.  We tried to give everyone two zucchinis and two summer squashes, but you may have received three summer squashes and one zucchini.  Time to dust off all of those zucchini and summer squash recipes because the squashes are rolling in heavy these days!  Zucchini pancakes, zucchini fritters, zucchini bread, zucchini ricotta roll ups!  Sub summer squash in almost any zucchini recipe. 

Broccoli or Cauliflower-  Either a broccoli or cauliflower per member this week.  I hope you got the one you love to eat the most!  

Romanesco-  Success!  We have been attempthing to grow romanesco for a very many years with varying success.  We usually time it so that we get a late season harvest and then it never matures in time to acutally share with you!  This year we shot for a summer harvest and hit it on the bullseye!  

Fennel-  Fennel is in the same family of plants as celery, carrots, dill and parsley.  It has a lovely licorice flavor that is wonerful when eaten raw.  Use a mandolin and shave fennel thinly raw onto salads.  When fennel is cooked it generally looses its licorice flavor and will caramelize like an onion, so it can be snuck into just about and dish!  Remember to cut out the woody core in the center by the base.  The frawns can be used for garnish or nibbling on while you’re cooking for fun! 

Kohlrabi-  Two kohlrabi per member.  We tried to give everyone 1 purple kohlrabi and 1 while kohlrabi, but towards the end of packing we had only white left and some folks received two white kohlrabi.  We’re coming to an end on kohlrabi season. 

Green Onions-  One bunch of green onions per member.  The green onions can be used from the tip of the whites and most the way up into the greens.  Use as much of the green onion as you like! 

Red Leaf lettuce-  These red oakleaf lettuces are so special!  It takes a couple extra minutes to clean up, but such a lovely texture and color on the plate! 

Collard Greens-  Your challenge for the week!  If you eat meat, time to thaw out some bacon.  They’re AMAZING cooked in broth and then fried with a little bacon.  But if meat isn’t your thing, stem the until they’re pliable and use them as a wrap. 

Next Weeks best guess:  Summer Squash, zucchini, cucumber, kale, broccoli and/or romanesco, carrots, celery, bunching onions, garlic scapes, fennel, lettuce.  

July Sixth

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture.  One of the foundational concepts of CSA farming is how farmers and community members share the risks and the bounty of farming with the community.  We share the bounty when the harvest is plentiful and the crops are abundant.  We also share the hardships when there is drought or flood or ‘just a bad year’ for certain crops.  Because we farm hand in hand with Mother Nature herself we are somewhat at the mercy of the cards we are dealt.  How lucky we are to share the risks and blessings of this livelihood with you all! 

This summer one of the hardships that we have all had to endure together are the strawberries.  It breaks my heart to have a poor strawberry season because we all love strawberries SO MUCH!  I want to assure you that your farmers have been doing everything in our power to ensure the success of the strawberry patches this year, but to no avail.  The blossoms were few and small.  The berries were small and bi-colored and the season was very, very short.  The bi-colored berries has a lot to do with the variety we chose which is always an experiment we have going on at our farm.  We are always trying new varieties to see what performs best on our farm. 

Our first year we grew strawberries we harvested 2000 quarts growing Darselect. It was a very encouraging experience.  We were overwhelmed, but decided it was worth the crazy harvest season.  The second year we grew Darselect we had a bad disease problem and all the berries were small.  We then planted a new variety called Honeyoe which produced a lot of very small berries.  We tried again the third year planting more Darselect which did not perform like the first year we grew them.  The fourth year we planted Cavendish which produced nice berries but they were white on one side.  Last year we planted Earliglow which produced very poorly.  The poor production could simply be the season.  We are hearing from other farms across Wisconsin that they are also having very poor Strawberry harvests this year.  This is probably our worst berry year ever and we are harvesting off of two strawberry patches. 

One take away is that fruit is difficult to grow.  Fruits are dependent on blossoms and blossoms are susceptible to frost, pollination, and fertility issues.  I would struggle to believe we had a fertility issue when we are so heavy on inputs and fertility management.  For strawberries will resort to the old farmer adage, “it was just a bad year” for whatever the reason. 

Next year we are excited to try a new variety of strawberries called Galletta.  Which is said to “produce large, bountiful, picture-perfect strawberries that are disease resistant, cold-hardy- and ripen in June“.  (I love the catalog descriptions that are SO alluring to a farmer in December dreaming of their upcoming season and hungry for fresh fruit!). 

We may not miss so terribly a poor year for celeriac root or zucchini, but a poor year for Strawberries is a little extra sad.  We want you to know that we're all feeling it together!  Thank you so much for sharing in the risks and the blessings through the fate of a the highly unpredictable growing season!  Fortunately, it's looking like it's shaping up to be an excellent broccoli and zucchini season, so we should be in good shape for green foods this year!  Cheers friends!

(So Peas-ful picking peas in the morning!)

What's in the Box?

Green Cabbage-  This variety is called Quickstart.  It earns it's name well.  Quickstart early cabbages are a lighter, airier, fluffier head of cabbage.  They aren't as dense as the storage varieties, but they get us through just!  You can make egg rolls, coleslaw, cabbage rolls or sauerkraut.  Store in the fridge.

Kohlrabi-  We gave everyone a white kohlrabi or a purple kohlrabi this week.  All kohlrabi are delicious, no matter their skin color.  Just peel them and enjoy their crunchy, juicy insides.  Always rememer you can use your kohlrabi greens like you would use kale if you want more GREEN in your life!  Store in the fridge.

Zucchini and Summer Squash-  4 or 5 per member.   These two squashes can mostly be used interchangeably.  The color is the big difference between the two.  They do have subtle texture and obvious shape differences, but flavor is almost exactly the same.  Squash prefer storage temps around 50 degrees.  The fridge is almost too cool and the counter is too warm, so you might just have to pick your preferred storage location and go with that.  Squashes are SO versatile!  You can spiralize them into noodles, you can grill them, you can bake them, you can steam them, sautee them.  There are probably hundreds of different ways to prepare them and nature offers them in abundance this time of year, so have fun!  

Garlic Scapes-  These adorable scapes are actually the garlic plant's attempt at making a seed head.  The garlic plant sends up a little nodule that would grow and swell into a bulbous roud head with small garlic 'seeds' inside.  But we snap them off early to tell the garlic plant to put more of it's energy into making a larger garlic bulb below ground and not to bother putting energy into making a seed head.  It just so happens that they are delicious to eat!  We chop up the scape from the base of each stalk up to the tiny little nodule.  Everythig above the nodule is just a little tougher and chewier to eat, so not as ideal for cooking.  Use garlic scapes in your cooking like you would garlic in almost any dish! 

Broccoli-  This is about the last of the second succession of broccoli. We thought they did pretty well considering all of the stresses of the spring weather changes.  The next plantings are looking great and were hoping for a good supply of broccoli this year!  Store in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Cauliflower-  Yay!  The first cauliflower of the season.  It’s very simple and healthy to steam cauliflower and toss with a little butter for dinner!  Store in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Peas-   .8 lbs per member. A hearty giving of sugar snap peas this week! Picking peas takes up lots of time! But we feel that they’re worth every minute of it. Everyone loves to snack on peas. The entire pod is edible. They’re a wonderful addition to salads of all kinds!  Store in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Red Curly Kale-  Red kale bunches to keep you stocked in cooking greens.   Store in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Bunching Onions-  Bunching onions are a wonderful replacement for onions until we have them in a few weeks. Green onions, scallion or bunching onions, whatever you like to call them can be eaten from root to tip. Use up the white part and the green part! They make a nice addition to egg salads, potato salads or any kind of summer salad!  Store in the fridge.

Strawberry-  ½ pint for everyone.  Eat them up quick.  This is the last of our strawberry patches for the year.  Fingers crossed for next year!

Romaine Lettuce-  The lettuce this week is so tender and crunchy! We’re so happy to have such tender lettuce this far into summer! We’re also happy to be keeping the deer away from our lettuce patch finally this year as well!  Store in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Red Lettuce-  Sneak a small salad into every meal and stay feeling alive and hydrated!  Store in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Next Week’s best guess- Summer squash and zucchini, kohlrabi, fennel, collards, bunching onion, garlic scapes, broccoli/romanesco/cauliflower, green cabbage, lettuce.

(Sweet Corn is just Knee High by the Forth of July!)

Recipes

Broccoli Cranberry Salad with Walnuts and Bacon

Kale Chips

Zucchini and Summer Squash Risotto

June Twenty-Nineth

This week I feel especially appreciative for our farm helpers.  We have had a difficult time finding helpers to help on the farm this year.  But this week we had an expanded crew of people from the community show up to help get the work done in tandem which relieved pressure on your farmers and allowed us to get more veggies harvested for your box this week. 

Farm work isn’t easy work either.  It’s physically challenging and takes endurance.  At times there is heavy lifting, repetitive motions, and it takes a little grit to get through the heat, rain, mud or tolerating some gnats and lots of socializing.  Interestingly there is a lot of diversity in our farm crew.  We have people ranging from 15 to 65.  We have a few local teenagers looking for summer jobs, retired professionals, current professionals doing the Worker-Share program, a handful of 20-somethings looking for meaningful work outside of large buildings and working intimately with the land and their bodies.  We have moms and dad looking to pick up a day or two for a little money and to satisfy a social urge.  While Adam and I pour our hearts and souls into keeping the farm productive and functioning. 

Somehow the farm offers something to everyone.  Clearly the farm benefits from all the helping hands, but it is also clear that they’re all here because the farm means something to them in their lives.  The farm is alive with a community of people who show up with smiling faces, able bodies and willing minds.  Without this highly diverse group of people, we would not be able to get the veggies harvested, washed, packed and delivered to you! 

There is a worker shortage just about everywhere, it seems and our little farm is no exception.  We pulled together a crew for the summer, but we will be loosing a good part of our crew come back-to-school time.  We will be back to advertising for helpers in August and will be hoping we can get help to finish out the farming season. I trust that helpers will come when we need them, but it’s always a little worrisome at that time.  We have always been able to pull together help when we have needed it in the past 17 years so I trust it will all work out.   We are, however thinking about and working on finding ways to get stable, reliable and consistent help all season long. 

For today I am simply grateful.  I am thankful for everyone who finds meaning, purpose and fulfillment helping on a community vegetable farm.  I am grateful for those who are interested in an intimate relationship with where their food comes from, be it in the form of a paid CSA membership or an active Worker Share.  I am thankful for a community of people to share the hardships and the bounty with alike.  There is no loneliness or lack of social stimulation on an organic vegetable CSA farm!  Thank you to you ALL for your support of our Small Family Farm!

What’s in the Box?

Strawberry- Only about 2/3 of a pint for everybody this week.  Our strawberry production this year has started off very poor.  We have two patches that we are picking from and we are finding that the berries are smaller and fewer.  One variety only ripens on one side- so if you find berries that are half white, they are still delicious!  We were hoping for pints this week- but found that we had to break up what we had picked into pints to distribute them evenly.  We will continue to pick all that we have and share them with you!  We planted another fresh patch for 2013- and they are looking great so far!  As farmers, we roll the dice with every crop.  Eat the berries up quick!

Kohlrabi– Either a white or purple kohlrabi for everybody this week!  You'll need to peel off the tough outer layer of the kohlrabi to enjoy the crunchy inside.  The leaves of the kohlrabi can be eaten like kale, so don't throw them out!  Kohlrabi can be eaten raw or fried or baked or spiralized or really ANYTHING you can dream up.  They are very versatile!  Store in the fridge.

Turnips- This is our final giving of salad turnips for the year!  They are lovely shaved thinly, sliced or grated onto salads.  They have a sweetness to them that makes them great for snacking.  Store in the fridge.

Broccoli x 2- Wow!  Two heads of beautiful broccoli for everyone this week.  The first succession of broccoli turned out great this spring!  We plant about 9 successions of broccoli every year as it is a crowd pleaser, so we should have lots more to come.  Store in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Snap Peas- A little over a half pound per member!  The sugar snap peas are producing quite well so far!  The heat has been tough on them.  We should have a larger giving next week and we will see how they produce from there!  Store in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Garlic Scapes- These are the long, curly shoots with a little nodule towards the top. Garlic scapes are the garlic plant’s effort at making a seed head. We snap these off to tell the garlic plant to put more effort into making a larger garlic bulb rather than putting energy into making seeds. Lucky for us all, the scapes are edible and delicious. The edible part is the part from the blunt end up to the start of the nodule. The part above the nodule is of course edible, but it gets a little chewier, I usually toss that part out.  Store in the fridge.

Swiss Chard- Swiss Chard never looks as good as it does in the Spring/Early Summer like this!  I love how the leaves look so smooth and healthy and vibrant!  Swiss Chard is in the same family as beets and spinach.  Chard has some of the earthy flavor that beets have and all of the smoothness that spinach offers.  Swiss Chard is most often used as a cooking green either sauteed or baked in a dish.  Store in the fridge in a psatic bag.

Bunching Onions- Because life is so much better with onions and we're still waiting for onion bulbs to size up!  Store in the fridge.

Romaine Lettuce-  Beautiful heads of romaine lettuce.  Romaine is also a Spring treat.  We love to make home-made caesar salads with croutons and a caesar dressing.  Romaine leaves are also a fun gluten-free wrap alternative.  Fill the leaves with rice, hummus, meat, cheese or whatever you like!  Store in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Red Lettuce-  Sneak a small salad into every meal and stay feeling alive and hydrated!  Store in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Dill- Nice bunches of dill!  Dill is lovely in egg salad, with salmon, home made dill salad dressings, veggie dips, soups and so much more!  If you can't use all of this dill this week, you can un-bunch your dill and lay it out on a dehydrator tray and dry the dill.  It could also be dried on a sheet pan in your oven if you don't have a dehydrator.  Once dried, store in a mason jar with a tight lid!  

Next week’s best guess- Cabbage, kohlrabi, Peas, Lettuce, Garlic Scapes, Strawberry, Bunching Onion, Collard Greens or Red Kale, Broccoli, maybe cauliflower, maybe zucchini.

Recipes

Broccoli with Feta and Fried Almonds

Lemon Dill Dressing

Dill Dip

Spicy Chickpeas and Greens Fritatta with Swiss Chard