In the Share: Week 15

SALAD TURNIPS: We can’t grow these turnips any better. Eat these fresh with a little salt for a wonderful appetizer or snack.

SPINACH: The spinach has flourished in the protection of the high tunnel. Enjoy it with some fresh cheese or with some free-range organic eggs.

CABBAGE: Fresh fall cabbage is always a treat. The harvest always coincides with the coming of cold autumn nights. To keep cabbage crisp and tender, salt it after cutting.

KALE AND BROCCOLI BUNCHES: Tender tops of the kale rescued from the field before the freeze. Bundled with some hefty sprouting broccoli, they make a great greens combo.

GARLIC: This softneck garlic stores best in the vegetable crisper. And if you have a garden, you can plant the larger cloves in your garden now to get a head of garlic next July.

LETTUCE/ARUGULA: Wednesday pickup will be lettuce, Satuday and Monday will get the arugula.

FARM REPORT
With the onset of wintery weather, the best work environment on the farm is the high tunnel.

The first picking of the spinach crop is outstanding. If we are lucky, we will continue to pick it every few weeks throughout the winter into next Spring. For the next several months, our harvest field has been reduced to this 30 ft. by 96 ft. space. While buttoning up the end wall, we got a bird’s eye view.

Left to Right:  Swiss Chard, sprouting broccoli, spinach, salad turnips, lettuce.  Outside is another story, with the fields headed towards a winter slumber.

This was on a lovely fall day last week when we got out the big ladders and buttoned up the end of the high tunnel.  Since then, we have just a few tasks left to complete before we can settle in to the winter routine. We could use a few more sunny, dry days to plant and mulch the garlic, wind up the remaining irrigation tape and chop down the sunflower stalks. As the season draws to a close, nature dresses herself in her own Halloween decorations.

In the Share: Week 14

BULB FENNEL: Chop the white part of a couple stalks along with some fronds and add to any fresh salad.

SWEET POTATOES: Dug several weeks ago and cured in the greenhouse. We’ve cutting them into wedges and covering with a cumin, coriander, paprika and garlic rub. Toss in olive oil, then the spice mix, and bake at 425 30 minutes or until browned and tender.

LEEKS: Started in the greenhouse in February and in the ground since March, these slow growing cousins of onions are worth the wait. Check out this recipe from our first season in 2004. www.fairsharefarm.com/archive/info/Newsletter/2004/week_18_september22.pdf

LETTUCE: Big, leafy heads from the high tunnel.

ASIAN GREENS: It’s a great time of year for a fresh stir fry. Check out these recipes from our first blog of 2011 https://fairsharenews.blogspot.com/2011/05/welcome-to-vegetables.html

KALE OR CHARD: happy, leafy greens

GREEN PEPPERS: Summer’s swan song, a great stir fry addition.

SAGE: Chop the sage leaves fine and add them to the sweet potato rub described above.

RECIPE: Going through old blogs checking for leek recipes, I came across the final blog of 2016. https://fairsharenews.blogspot.com/2016/10/what-to-do-with-your-share-week-24.html. Leeks and fennel were center stage, just as they are this week. It’s a nice tradition to carry on.

FARM REPORT:
Just two weeks ago, the summer sizzled and the fields were full of flowers and a buzz with insects including a migrating monarch who is hopefully far to the south by now.

Saturday morning, frost laid a heavy blanket over the farm. In a few hours, the heat-loving plants were gone and our fields turned into a graveyard. Only the hardiest roots and leafy greens survive. In anticipation for the big event, the farm crew worked quickly to dig the sweet potatoes and pick crate after crate of green peppers.

Meanwhile, inside the protected high tunnel the plants are happily oblivious to the drama.

Nature puts on quite a show out here. You never know what you are going to see next. After one little shower last week, this was the view from the farm house.

In the Share---Week 13

Zucchini and summer squash

SUMMER SQUASH: Our late summer planting is producing as well as any patch we have ever had. Enjoy these in fritters (see below.)


CARROTS: Their time in the cooler has only served to sweeten them up. Enjoy these crunchy delights.


LETTUCE: It’s been a scramble to keep the harvest the lettuce before it “bolts,” something that is normally not a problem in October.


GREENS CHOICE: The high tunnel chard and kale in the field are thriving right now. Our regular use for these healthy greens is to chop it fine and add it to our pasta sauce. We love the color and richness they add to a dish.


SWEET PEPPERS: They go with everything in the share.


GARLIC: The last of the hard neck variety.


SPROUTING BROCCOLI: Eat your broccoli!


HERB CHOICE:  A choice of common chives or rosemary.


When I was a kid we used to travel to South Bend, Indiana to visit my dad’s father and sister. Aunt Betty would always make a batch of zucchini fritters when we were there. Something about the wonderful aroma of them that takes me back to those days. Viva Italia!

Zucchini Fritters

Ingredients:
2 cups shredded zucchini
2 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup grated cheese (parmesan, goat cheese, mozzarella...)
1/2 cup water
flour to make a pancake-like batter (thick)

Method:
Mix together all of the ingredients except the flour. Add flour to form a thick batter.
Heat 1/2 inch frying oil in a pan.
With tablespoon, spoon batter into the oil to form patties. Fry until browned on both sides.



FARM REPORT:

The heat continues on this long summer. We look forward to cooler temps over the next few days and hopefully some more seasonal weather. Our fall plants that have been waiting for cooler days and nights to mature as the days grow shorter. Here’s to a good October.

Equinox sunrise

Work days have turned to days of harvest, collecting irrigation equipment from the field, mulching, and fortifying the high tunnel for the winter. 


On the adjacent Graff Property land the Indian grass is being combined to collect the seed. It has been a great year to see this stand of native grass thrive and produce seed to help establish other farms andconservation areas.

In the Share - Week 12

OKRA/EGGPLANT/SALSA PACK CHOICE: If you like okra, you are in the right place this week as this Ethiopian transplant is thriving. It’s an itchy crop to pick, but the beautiful view is reward enough.

TOMATOES: We are flush in ripe tomatoes right now, but the harvest is on the downslope. This will be the last chance to take advantage of bulk list seconds and the abundant share.

SPROUTING BROCCOLI: The side shoots are sprouting, so we should have a regular harvest of this CSA favorite. It’s nice to have a vegetable that can simply be chopped and cooked, a real fast food.

SWEET PEPPERS: They might be getting even sweeter!

SUMMER SQUASH: Our late summer planting is happy as can be right now and a treat to harvest. We’ve been zoodling at night and saving some to stuff our morning eggs.

RADISHES: Adding a little spice to the share, the radish’s fire is a manifestation of the heat it has been growing in. Salting them will take some of the heat away. They are perfect right now for a radish and butter sandwich.

LETTUCE: So far the lettuce is holding. Enjoy these heat tolerant heads while we got them.

CAULIFLOWER: These plants are too darn hot and are on the small side. The flavor is still quite nice.

FENNEL HEADS&SEEDS: The herb fennel has established itself on our herb bed with very little cultivation on our part. Many of the seed heads are plumped out, fresh and at their peak flavor. They are edible and delicious.

FARM REPORT

The heat has returned and with it the summer plants are ripening loads of fruit. The zucchini and yellow squash are picture perfect right now.

Pepper s continue to dazzle the eyes of the harvester.

Likewise, the tomatoes gave us one last week of tonnage.

The potluck and open house went as planned through the muggy weather. We enjoyed welcoming the die-hard picnickers who braved the heat. It was nice to catch up with those we knew from the CSA and farmers market, plus we met some new folks who had found us through social media. The potluck dinner was delicious as always. One of the Prairie Birthday fruit share members made a tasty wild plum chutney that went really well with the Parker Farms bratwurst.

I love that the ingredient list says "EVERY SPICE"  Delicious and funny!

Fair Share Farm CSA---Week 11

SWEET PEPPERS: A nice crop this year! We grow mostly Italian frying peppers that are great fresh or cooked.

TOMATOES: This week we have been bringing in a bumper crop. Our second planting is kicking in and you will see a lot of red fruits in the shares. These Bella Rosa plants are tolerant of hot summers. They are a firm tomato and take longer to ripen, but if you are patient they repay you with great flavor.

RED ONIONS: Small onions are prevalent this year. The crop was stunted this Spring due to lots of rain and poor drainage. But when life gives you small onions, make like they are a shallot.

GREENS CHOICE: KALE OR ARUGULA: The fall greens are starting to produce, thanks to the cool weather and nice rain. This is a great time of year for a kale salad, or mixing the tomatoes with some arugula.

POTATOES: Freshly dug potatoes are the best. This week we diced them up and fried them into a hash with peppers and onions.

SPROUTING BROCCOLI: I always like this time of year because you can eat fresh veggies from two different seasons. The sprouting broccoli is a first cutting and tender. Good fresh or cooked.

EGGPLANT or SALSA PACK: The eggplant and tomatillo contest is going strong. Both have made lots of fruit and both are loved by about half the membership.

HERB MIX: Basil and garlic chive flower bunch. Keep the whole bunch in a glass of water on your kitchen counter and snip away for garnishes or make a yummy pesto.

FARM REPORT:
Our current abundance of summer fruits is a good problem to have. Sweaty work brings them out of the field to your tables.  CSA is getting a hefty amount of big beautiful fruits in all shapes and colors. The red Italian frying peppers are so sweet you want to just eat them like an apple.

Flowers are also abundant. Between all of the insectaries we planted and the wild coreopsis taking over the edges of the fields, we hear a happy buzzing wherever we go.

Meanwhile, the fall crops are looking good in the far field.

That’s a  cover crop next to a crazy amount of Napa cabbage on the left and radishes, turnips, bok choy and arugula on the right.

The little chicks are now 3 weeks old and getting their first taste of the outdoors. Farmer Luke built a fantastic little run for them to have a safe yard to explore.

Plan to see these little cuties if you have a work shift coming up or, better yet!, see them at the:

 Fair Share Farm Open House and Potluck 

Sunday, September 15, 2019 at 3 PM – 6 PM

Bring a dish and join us at the farm for our annual potluck and open house. All are welcome, including our 100 CSA member families, market customers, friends and family. The potluck provides for us all to eat well and enjoy an afternoon together on the farm. Activities start at 3 pm with farm and kitchen tours, a scavenger hunt and lawn games. Take a walk through our native grasses and soak up the country quiet.

Potluck dinner at 5 pm. Bring a dish to share with a list of ingredients, plus any other picnic attire you would like (camp chairs, blankets, lawn games, musical instruments). We will provide compostable dinner ware, non-alcoholic drinks, Parker Farm dogs and burgers and vegetarian chili.

Please RSVP through email or facebook event.  See you there!!

In the Share: Week 10

GREEN BEANS:  Enjoy round 2 of green beans for this year. Our favorite thing to do on the farm is a good harvest, but we may be approaching too much of a good thing!

KALE: A new planting, this is the first picking, so leaves are fresh as can be - great for a kale salad.
http://fairsharenews.blogspot.com/2015/05/what-to-do-with-your-share-week-2.html 

TOMATOES: Our second planting of tomatoes are kicking in. They are a bit non-descript, round, red and firm.  However, once fully ripe and slightly soft, they have great tomato flavor.

GARLIC: One head of hard neck garlic

SWEET PEPPERS: The long red peppers are sweet fresh. Their thin walls make them perfect for frying.

CARROTS: These tasty roots have sweetened up while stored in our walkin cooler.

EGGPLANT OR SALSA PACK: Tough choice. Hope you have a chance to try each of them a couple times this summer.

CUCUMBER OR SQUASH: This round of cucurbits is waning, but still tasty. If you haven’t yet this year made some gazpacho we recommend it.
https://fairsharenews.blogspot.com/2010/07/what-to-do-with-your-share-week-12.html 

BASIL OR SUMMER SAVORY: The herbs of summer continue.

PURSLANE: This is the weirdest vegetable you will be getting in your CSA share this season.  The leaves of this succulent are mild and sometimes even citrusy. When cooked it can serve as a thickener, but we recommend simply adding it to any fresh salad you might make this time of year.

The purslane in the share is from an area that we have fallowed from vegetable production the last few years. Since our last cultivation of this plot, the purslane has thrived. When a “weed” is prominent in a field it is often an indication of the condition of the soil. Purslane is said to indicate a rich soil
https://permaculturenews.org/2017/04/14/using-weeds-read-soil-basic-concepts-get-started/

FARM REPORT
Summer is at its peak this week. The green beans are overwhelmingly us with the enormity of the harvest. Our nimble crew of three brought in the majority, with some help from the CSA.

It looks like Rebecca is the only one picking the beans, but no, there were others!  Everyone in the CSA will get a pound this week. The remaining 50+ pounds are on the bulk list. Don't delay your order as this week will be the only opportunity to put some of these in some pickles or freezer bags for those who want to preserve some of the summer harvest.

Whilst out in the fields, we sometimes get the reward of viewing wildlife up close.

Leopard frogs are fairly common on the farm and can eat as many as 100 insects per night. When the weather turns dry, our irrigated fields provide good habitat for amphibians of all kinds. Their presence reminds us to treat their home with care. Their porous skin allows toxins to enter their bodies easily. Growing food organically is the least we can do to protect these beautiful creatures.

Summer is also the hay-making season. Since 2012 the Graff family has worked to establish a native, perennial grasses on the land that surrounds our fields. The bluestems and Indian grasses provide year-round cover, habitat for wildlife and income through seed sales. Hay is cut and baled in areas with poorer stands of pure seed, but plenty nice enough for quality winter food for our neighbors’ cattle or weed-free mulch for our crops. Six of these big beauties are destined for our fields in 2020.

In the Share: Week 9

EGGPLANT OR SALSA PACK: If you haven’t been eating your eggplant you are missing a treat. Today member Dani Hurst brought some homemade baba ganoush. Bake or roast your eggplant until soft enough to puree with some olive oil, lemon juice, mayo or tahini, salt and garlic. Yum!

TOMATOES: We are so happy to be able to provide a nice share of tomatoes this year. We have been making a lot of panzanella salad. A great use for some stale bread, soaking up the dressing and tomato juice. And using cheese and bread from the CSA really adds to the flavor.
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017518-panzanella-with-mozzarella-and-herbs 

SWEET PEPPERS: First ripe peppers of the season! They are starting to ripen and we have a lot of fruit in the patch right now. These peppers are good in a panzanella, fried with onion, or just munched on whole.

CUCUMBERS OR SQUASH: Another week or so of the cucurbits. Enjoy these summer fruits.

GREEN BEANS: How much you get this week will depend on our harvests. They have just now reached the point of needing a picking. We had some fresh beans today at lunch and enjoyed them with some baba ganoush, a nice paring.

DESIREE POTATOES: Freshly dug on Saturday by the CSA. Blushed on the outside, creamy gold on the inside.

SWEET ONIONS: The wet Spring has kept them smaller than usual, but they are still sweet.

HERB: Basil, herb celery, or summer savory/thyme. The basil is essential for panzanella. The latter two herbs go especially great with potatoes.

FARM REPORT
Last week we were able to get away for a few hours and have a date night in the city. We visited the Stonehenge exhibit at Union Station and were especially taken with the role of the first farmers in the construction of the monument.

To bring agriculture to Salisbury, they brought their pigs, stone axes and pebble hammers.

The first job for the first farmers was to clear the fields by cutting down the trees with their beautiful stone adzes. All farm land sits within an ecosystem and often degrades it in the process. One cannot deny the role of agriculture in the demise of our planet’s ecosystems. As the inheritor of this legacy, we have an obligation to find a better way. We don't have all of the answers by any means, but we start by studying nature.

Meanwhile, the fields are looking good. We have a bumper bean crop, the tomatoes are ripening lusciously and the farm is full of flowers.

Tithonia, or Mexican sunflower, is one of my favorites. All sorts of native bees and butterflies eat its pollen and nectar.  It reminds me of the vivid colors of Mexico.

The fall high tunnel is eating its dinner of cowpeas.

After a mow we made the raised beds with our electric Allis Chalmers G, watered it, and then covered it with the silage tarp.  Occultation provides a moist dark environment that makes weed seeds sprout and then die in the darkness, but the real benefit is making a perfect environment for the soil organisms to get to work turning the cover crop into a nutrient-dense food for the leafy greens and roots that we will plant in September.  Until then, happy eating soil friends!