September 30th, 2026
This time of year reminds me of my mortality. It’s a spiritual experience when I slow down enough to observe it. The increasing darkness. My increased need for sleep. The quieting. The trees loosing their leaves that are slowly being stripped down to their naked selves, the way we humans loose our athstetic appeal and we are slowly stripped down to our raw, unabashed selves in the final stages of our lives. Life itself is diminishing. And when I see the harvest moon rising up orange in the night, I feel a kinship in the blaze.
On the days when we get a golden, sunny day amidst a string of cloudy, rainy days, I feel young again. I see the world with a renewed sense of life. This must be the way that our elders feel towards the end of their lives. They know the end is coming soon, so they observe the world in it’s divinity. The physical world becomes abstract. Life is philosophized. Those at the end are more like mystics. But for very brief moments, amid my chaotic and busy life on a very lively and animated, organic vegetable farm, I get to be a mystic for a moment in the fall. I get to experience glimpses of what life must look and feel like at the end.
We know we’re getting close to the end when farmer Adam is whistling Christmas tunes in the packing shed. Things are getting easier. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Adam, who carries the burden of the farm on his shoulders wherever he goes, is feeling the weight lifting. The weeding is done. The planting is done. Many of the significant fall harvests are done. Now we simply harvest, wash and pack for the last couple weeks of Summer Shares.
There is also garlic to plant and mulch, Fall Shares and Thanksgiving Shares to harvest, wash and pack for, and Farmer’s Markets to prepare for. But on the scheme of the ‘bell curve’, we’re on the home stretch.
On Sunday we had our annual Fall Farm Potluck with wagon ride tours of the farm, cider pressing and an amazing potluck dinner. We made lots of warming chili to share and the cider was delicious. The fresh apple cider felt festive and celebratory. It tasted like Fall and Summer at the same time. Sweet and spicy and altogether delicious. We got the farm cleaned up, everyone came together and celebration ensued. Because endings are worthy of celebration!
What’s in the Box?
Tomatoes- Bags weighing between 6 and 7 lbs this week. Tomato production has long-ago peaked. We’re still picking every couple days, but we’re getting much less tomatoes now.
Gold Potatoes- 2.5 lbs of fresh, gold potatoes. We didn’t wash them this week again so as not to damage them. Stores best in an area that is cold, dark and dry. The golds did very nice this year!
Spaghetti Squash- These are the large, yellow, hard ‘thing’ in your box. Spaghetti squash is all the rage in the gluten free world! Some very unique recipes out there! They store best a room temperature. Do not refrigerate.
Celeriac Root- These are a special celery cultivar where the root grows large instead of the celery stalks. Celeriac Root is a fabulous keeper. Remove the greens and add them to soups or stocks if you like. The root itself will keep for months in a plastic bag in the fridge. To cook with it, peel the rough, outer skin off. The inner flesh is dense like a potato and can be boiled and mashed with potatoes for a Celeriac Mashed Potato. Celeriacs are also delicious if you cut them into small cubes and add them to a chicken noodle soup or any kind of stew.
Collards or Lacinato Kale- We’re getting back into the season of enjoying our cooking greens. Kale is lovely in soups, casseroles, on pizza, in egg bakes or toasted with a little oil in the oven!
Carrots- 1lb per member!
Onion- One White onion per box.
Green Cabbage- One head of Green Cabbage per member
Cilantro- One bunch of cilantro! Keeps best in a plastic bag in the fridge.
Peppers- 1-2 bell peppers per member. Pepper production was down a bit this week. We’re hoping that we don’t get any early frosts this year and we can continue to pick peppers until Week 20 for you!
Kohlrabi- 1 Kohlrabi per member. From all the kohlrabi’s that we harvested this Spring, you should be pros at how to use them now! Delicious peeled and eaten raw, but kohlrabi can also be cooked too!
Broccoli or Cauliflower- Either one head of broccoli or cauliflower per box this week! Some very fun purple broccoli in some boxes this week!
Next Week’s Best Guess: Butternut Squash, brussels Sprouts, sweet potatoes, celeriac Root, tomatoes, pepper, parsnip, leek, broccoli or cauliflower, fennel? Radish? Parsley?
Recipes
Chicken and Root Vegetable Soup with Wild Rice (with Celeriac Root)
Tuscan Chicken and Spaghetti Squash
Southen Style Hot Collard Greens Dip
Come on out to the Farm this Sunday!
Sunday, September 27th, 2026 from 2:00-6:00
A Free Family-Friendly Event for our CSA members and their families! We want you and your kids to come out to the farm! We invite you to join in the fun of tossing apples into the press and drinking fresh pressed organic apple cider in the fall on the farm ade from our old fashioned cider press! Farmer Adam will meanwhile also be offering wagon ride tours of the farm. We will top off the evening with a Pot-Luck dinner that is always amazing from 5-6pm. Bring your own beverages and a dish to pass! We always make a couple roasters of chili, one with beef and one vegetarian. No RSVP necessary, just come! The weather looks fine!
Apple Cider Pressing from 2:00-4:00
Farm Tour Via Hay-Wagon Ride from 3:00-5:00pm
Pot Luck dinner from 5:00-6:00pm
Farm Address is: S 2958 W Salem Ridge Road
La Farge, WI. 54639
