In the Share: Week 16

In the Share: 

CELERY: A new crop for us! Our farmer friend Liz grows some spectacular celery and we decided to try to follow her lead. Celery’s long growing season means we start it in the green house in the summer, and plant it in the high tunnel in September so we can harvest it in November. It is doing great so far!  We are cutting the outside stalks from the plant so that it will continue to grow. Eat it while it’s fresh for a crunchy treat. Let us know what you think. 

SPINACH: Big, dark green leaves! 

LETTUCE: Butterhead and red leaf varieties. 

SALAD TURNIPS: While you can cook these turnips, these babies are great just raw and naked. 

WATERMELON RADISHES: A beautiful storage radish with a pink interior. They will store for a couple months or more in a crisper, so you can save it for when you want an especially colorful dish. 

SPROUTING BROCCOLI: Chop and cook with some spinach, garlic and oil, and you have a delicious and savory dish. 

GARLIC: We dug these heads in July, cured them in the barn, and have been storing them in the cooler to keep their freshness. Enjoy. 

PEA SHOOTS: Straight out of the cover crops, these shoots are sweet and fresh. The leaves are tender, while the stems are a bit tougher and are best chopped. Enjoy the same meal that we feed our soil! Can you spy the pea shoots?

Farm report: 

The last week of the CSA season is here! We hope you all enjoyed your shares this season. The farm thrived in the midst of a pandemic, thanks to the support from you!! THANK YOU!! 

In a year like no other, the farm pivoted from a participatory CSA model to one that relied on a small crew of trained staff to deliver on our promise to feed the community. Since March, we have been big on social distancing and safety protocols to the point where perhaps some CSA members thought we were being overly cautious. But in the end we got through the entire season with no exposure to the virus on the farm. PHEW!! 

Of course, the virus remains a threat and we are determined to stay vigilant through the coming winter. What is in store for next season is yet to be determined. As usual for us winter is a time for reflection and tinkering with things, so no doubt you will be hearing from us in the not-too-distant future with more thoughts from us and a survey for the membership. 

After a week off for Thanksgiving, the farm crew will return to a full cooler of cabbages and radishes to be chopped and fermented. The fermentation kitchen allows us to provide work for our crew year round, which is critical to keep trained staff. Live culture ferments feed our guts with healthy microbes and provide winter salads in a jar during the dark side of the calendar. We encourage you to ask for Fair Share Farm Ferments wherever you shop. 

The last two weeks gave us great weather to wrap up the field work. On Election Day, the crew planted the first 20 chestnut trees on the farm. Our theme, "A New Hope".   

The trees are all enclosed in tubes made from recycled milk jugs to protect them from deer. The tree planting was the latest step in the project that we began last fall, using permaculture principles to manage water on the farm. In the Spring we built berms that allow water to slowly move through the farm instead of rushing down our sloping fields. The next step is to create an alley-cropping system where trees are planted along the berms for perennial food crops and eventually shade for grazing livestock. Chickens, for instance, descend from forest dwelling birds and prefer the shade. Here’s the latest drone shot showing the berms and you can see the tree tubes on the left.

We are still working on the final layout and how many trees we will plant. We will keep you posted, of course.  Until then, we wish you a safe and healthy Thanksgiving.  We are very thankful for the land that sustains us and the community that supports us! THANK YOU!!