News letter
on Jul 08 in CSA News, Farm News by JosieWhat a spring and early summer this has been for the farm. Really it is July? Feels like June. The crops are starting to size up. Carrots and beets are plumping up and so is the summer squash. Our beets got hit this year by leaf minor, that is why the greens are not the best but we are trying to work it out and in about a month the greens should be beautiful again.
Fava beans click here to find out more? These big beans are such a treat this time of year. Many people are allergic to them so if you have never had them before keep that in mind. Favas can be boiled whole pods and eaten just like edamame. Here is some links to wonderful ideas
Sauted Fava Beans click for recipe
Roman Favas click for recipe
Grilled Fava beans click for recipe
I love Chard, my favorite chard is creamed chard. Try it, you will like it. Separate the leaves of the chard from the stems. Chop us leaves and steam separate. In a pan put 1 Tbl olive oil and 3 cloves chopped garlic add chopped stem and cook on medium heat until stems are soft. Add the leaves to the pan and a pinch of salt and white pepper, cook until greens are wilted. Add 1/2 of cream, cook over low heat until cream is reduced by half, add a little salt andpepper for taste. serve over rice.
Flower Shares will start in Two Weeks with Wine Shares
Fruit Shares will start the 2nd week of August-read Linda’s Fruit Blog
Summer is finally here and with it came the hot weather we’ve been hopping for. It’s been a long cool and wet spring, which brought all the challenges associated with it, molds, fungus and slow growth and fruit development. Because of this slow development we will be delayed with our first CSA delivery by a week or so. We’re on the other side of all that cool weather now and the fruit is starting to really grow in size every day. It will be another wonderful crop which will nourish and please us all.
This year through the long hours of frost protection, pruning, thinning and all our other tasks we’ve had a very welcome partner helping us along. That partner is you, our CSA fruit share customers. You are right here with us every step of the way growing your fruit. The fertilizer used to feed the soils was paid for by you, the pruning and thinning crew of three locals was paid by you, the fuel for the tractor was paid for by you, the Lady bugs we released to help control aphids were paid for by you and so many other things were paid by you. The income we received from CSA Fruit Shares has allowed us to operate this spring with out having to barrow from the bank, something we are loath to do. We thank you and the trees thank you.
Supporting your farmer through a CSA is a way to be involved in your food production, you could have shopped at some big box store but you chose to know where your food comes from. Every time you buy anything you support whom ever and where ever the product came from. You vote with your dollar and you have chosen to vote for fresh, local and organic. Because of you Organic foods are the fastest growing segment in food production, 5% last year, a year which gave us the worst recession ever faced by the people of this country which saw many business fail.
So we are busy here with moving our irrigation twice daily, our beautiful veggie garden, and monitoring the fruit, pest and weeds. Eagle Creek has settled down after this springs flood. We didn’t have any damage because of the well vegetated riparian flood zone that nature built for just this kind of event. We will plant more willows this fall to replace what the creek took out at high water. We did lose some fruit to natures crazy spring weather that last freeze in May took a lot of apricots. With natural events there is always next year, unlike the fishermen and women in the Gulf who have lost their way of life for who knows how long. I think of the people, animals, sea life, plants of the Gulf Coast allot, and know that people want desperately to help change things for the better. For Robert and I who are trying to purchase our land and grow organic food our CSA fruit shares have done just that.
