On week 18, as we reach the end of the season I am aware of everything it takes to bring all of this food to the table. I feel the responsibility of reminding you all about the people behind the food. There is an arsenal of really hard-working and committed folks showing up early in the morning and working all day long in the heat, the, rain, the cold, or whatever unknown conditions may arise for the day.
If I close my eyes I can imagine all of their hands, sometimes 10 pairs of hands, moving efficiently, swiftly, and smoothly at the same time while picking cherry tomatoes that roll into their palm while they pick a few more before they go back to their bin. Many of them confidently reaching for fruit with their bodies moving and their minds carrying on a conversation while continuing to harvest, a surprisingly difficult thing to do.
It’s interesting as well to watch new people, ones who bodies have not done these movements struggle to learn how-the way a child learn to holds a pencil or to balance on one foot. At times there is an awkwardness to these primal movements that not everyone has learned. How to squat, kneel, or ergonomically carry a bin or lift a bin or push a bin. There is a strength in the body that needs to develop from working and walking on uneven ground. A strength that needs to develop in the core, the legs, the back and the wrists and hands. Strength needs to develop in the eyes, the feet, the knuckles, the shoulders. Often times we are working with young people or people from vastly different backgrounds who are still stumbling into their capabilities.
But the work is meaningful, and even though muscles get sore, the mind feels alive, the heart feels full and the gut activated. This is what keeps them coming back.
Especially admirable is that many of these people earn lower wages than many other American workers choosing to work for large companies, institutions, the state or the government or government subsidized contract work. This is just real, unsubsidized, small business work. The job is seasonal and there are not a lot of opportunities for higher ‘growth’ in our small business. So I humbly awknowledge these things publically while also grabbing the lime light and putting it on them for a minute so you can see the joyful, selfless, hardworking community members that contribute to your share. I would wager that none of them are here solely for the paycheck. There are benefits that go beyond the American dollar. The workout, the sunshine, the good food, the good company and the feeling of contributing to a community much larger than themselves. For this they deserve recognition and so, so, so much respect!
These also happen to be the people that make up our friend-group. Of course our only friends are those who are closely related to the farm as neither Adam or I ever actually leave the farm unless it’s related to one of the kid’s sports or musical events. They’re our closest friends, our kid’s friends, our extended community. The people we call when we need help, and in turn we become the people they call when they need help. Because asking for help is how we build community. Never needing help or asking for help does nothing to build community. On this day, at the end of a long season, with so many heavy harvests coming in, I am especially grateful for all of our fantastic help!
Tomatoes- 4.75 lbs per member. A reminder that we pick any tomato with a ‘blush’. This means we pick any tomato showing any signs of color at all because they ripen so fast once they begin to turn colors. We recommend putting them out on your counter to ripen until they have reached the desired ripeness. Do not refrigerate your tomatoes unless the are getting over-ripe and you need to buy yourself some time. We also recommend removing them from the plastic bag as soon as you receive them. Condensation can build up in the plastic bag and cause the tomatoes to go bad. Herilooms of all colors, romas, slicers, oh my! It’s finally tomato season!
Cabbage- Artost is a lovely fall cabbage. It is not technically a storage variety but Artost are pretty solid and will keep for awhile yet in the fridge.
Acorn Squash- A classic winter squash variety. Will keep best on your countertop until you get a chance to use it up. Do not refrigerate.
Kohlrabi- 2 Kohlrabi per member. You may have received two purple kohlrabi or one white kohlrabi and one purple kohlrabi.
Peppers- 4-5 peppers per box. It seems like pepper production has peaked and some plants have had all of the peppers picked off of them. There are still a lot out there, but some are a little smaller in size now. Still all the amazing flavor and color that we love in sweet peppers. Peppers freeze very well, just slice them up and stick them in freezer bags if it’s too much for you now and enjoy them on home-made pizza this winter!
Broccoli and Cauliflower- 1 cauliflower and 2-3 Broccoli heads depending on size and room in the box.
Garlic- A wide selection of garlic varieties went out this week. One head per member.
Mini-sweet peppers- 1/2 pound mini-sweets in a small brown paper bag in your box. These are excellent snacking peppers.
Onion– One onion per member.
Potatoes- 2 lbs gold potatoes. We have had a very nice potato harvest this year! Golds are nice for mashing!
Next Week’s Best Guess: brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, leeks, celeraic root, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, peppers, winter squash, thyme or sage
Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
Broccoli Cheddar Potato Casserole
Mediterranian Inspired Stuffed Tomatoes
