Category: CSA Box

2010 CSA Newsletter, Week 3 – July has come!

On The Farm

Recently weeded lettuce, chard, kale and broccoli. Click to enlarge.

So much happens all at once in June, that once July arrives everything at the farm is going full tilt. I’ve got a few more plantings of salad and fall crops, but for the most part we are done planting for the year. Weeding still needs attention for a few more weeks, but the initial push is over and nearly everything looks great! Mostly its just harvest time!

Someone is eating the Shelling Peas!

A sad sight awaited me when we went to harvest the shelling peas this week – for the entire length of the row (250′) on both shelling pea varieties, the peas had been eaten out of the pods! At first I blamed the rabbits, which love to much on lettuce, carrots and beets in the garden, but when I came down to chase the rabbits away that evening I discovered it was birds! A small group of Robins (?) were making their way down the row, eating all the peas!

Whats a farmer to do? I think not much! Partially its too late to do much – with the peas removed and the pods still on the plants, the plants will mostly just stop producing. we may try picking off these pods and possibly covering the row with a row cover, but I’m worried that doing that will just push the birds to the next row, the snow & sugar snap peas which they have so far left un-touched. So, I may just have to let the birds have these first rows of peas, while we focus of the much larger patch of shelling peas that are about to come in the main field (shhh… don’t tell the birds). This type of damage is to be expected in our fields, and those of you who have visited know that the farm is teeming with wildlife – turkeys, rabbits, snakes, frogs, insects, foxes and an occasional mountain lion or bear, to say nothing of the hundreds of deer and elk that move through in the winter. If we lose just a few peas, we are lucky!

Holes in the leaves!

Some of you may notice the bok choi leaves this week have tiny holes in them. This is caused by an early season pest – the flea beetle. I do my best to keep them off the soft crops they love, but some usually manage to do some damage anyway. You will see some similar holes in the salad mix spicy components like arugula and red kale, and in soft leafy crops like napa cabbage – the damage will go away later in the season. Son’t worry about these holes! Just rinse the leaves thoroughly, chop & cook – the holes disappear with cooking!

In The Box

NEW: Garlic – early purple – very spicy, still curing Half 1/4lb. Full 1/2 lb.
NEW: Bok Choi – tender, crunchy stems, mustardy leaves – yum! this is the ONLY time we will have bok choi this summer, enjoy! everyone gets a bundle.
Chard – still picking baby leaves – demand is high so the leaves haven’t had a chance to get to bunching size.
Kale – more baby leaves.
Spinach – new crop baby leaves
note: halfs get 1 bag spinach, kale or chard; fulls get 2 bags
Lettuce – more green romaine, plus red crisp, red butter, green butter, and some showey leaf lettuces like red speckled romaine – halfs 1 head, fulls 2 heads
Peas – snow & sugar snap – 1 bag
Salad – 1 bag
NEW: Parsley – 1 bunch
Radishes – 1 bunch
Beets – continuing to size up – i hope you LOVE beets because we will have them for several more weeks, we haven’t even finished harvesting the 1st bed ad several more beds await picking – half 1 bunch, full 2 bunches

Fruit:

First cherries of the season, certified organic from Domingez Canyon half 2.4 lb, full 4.8 lb. Paonia cherries soon.

Coming Soon:

Squash, cucumbers, beans, carrots, shelling peas, broccoli, napa cabbage & more….

The Box Value

Farm Prices: Spinach #3.50, Salad $3.50, Radishes $1.25, Beets $3, Parsley $1.5, Peas $4, Chard/Kale $3.50, Lettuce $2.25, Garlic $10/lb., Bok Choi, $3. Half Box Value: $24.50, Full Box Value: $37.25!

2010 CSA Newsletter, Week 2 – Summer is On

On The Farm

Final planting and irrigation setup

This week we planted nearly all of the last transplants from the greenhouse out into the field. Compared to previous years, I have far fewer plants left over that aren’t going into the ground. I always plant a little extra in case certain transplants fail, but this year I stuck to a careful plan and everything went out, and nearly everything made it (so far)! The only planting I have left is the regular salad mix planting that continues all summer.

Along with the new planting comes the need for water. Water, water everywhere… irrigation is a full time job in the heat of summer. Established beds get lines of drop tape, other beds – recently seeded – get water every day. Salad greens and head lettuce like water several times a day to keep them cool. Other areas need to get try for hoeing or remain dry to let weeding take effect.

The Weeding Continues

This time of year, the weeding becomes a huge, pressing priority. Its hard work, and we are fortunate to have a solid crew able to put in the long hours required to clean up the beds. We often have people visit the farm to work for a bag of produce, and CSA members are always welcome to come visit the farm!

Harvest in full swing!

Harvest Going Strong, but We Still Need More Members!

Harvest has begun and the vegetables are flying in! I also have plenty of orders and demand to sell every bit of produce we can pick, but I still want more CSA members, especially for our Crested Butte and Marble/Redstone/Carbondale runs.

We need a certain minimum number (around 15) in each area in order to have the delivery fee we charge cover the cost of driving the truck and paying. Right now we have just 10 on the Marble/Redstone/Carbondale run and 14 on the Crested Butte run. Please help spread the word and if you are getting this email and considering signing up, please call to get on next week’s delivery.

Read about Big Box CSAs

I thought this article was fascinating about the newish phenomena of ‘Big Box’ CSAs serving hundreds or even thousands of customers. This one caught my interest especially because it covers Grant Family Farms, a Colorado CSA with over 2,000 members that serves much of Colorado, including the Roaring Fork Valley. http://www.localharvest.org/newsletter/20100622/1/big-box-csa.html?r=nl

Where is the Fruit?

This week saw the very first cherries being picked, but we haven’t gotten ahold of any organic local cherries yet – we expect to have them for fruit members next week. The first organic peaches are only a couple of weeks away as well. Once we start with fruit, we should have something different every week.

Questions about the Produce?!

Why are there holes in the bok choi leaves? why didn’t I get peas this week? when will the tomatoes be ready? you have questions – i have answers! email me your questions and i will try to address them in this regular post.

Whats In the Box?

NEW: Head lettuce – romaine and red crisp – full 2 heads, half 1 head
NEW: Baby Beets – 1 bunch – three kinds of beets in this weeks bunches ~ red ace round red beets, golden beets and cylindrical ‘forno’ beets. these early thinning pickings are the sweetest beets of the ear, just boil them whole! the greens are also good for cooking, visit the recipe page, or  try searching epicurious.com
NEW: Peas – sugar snaps – Just starting this week, full box only for some areas – more next week!
NEW: Chard & Kale –  Full – 2 bags / Half – 1 bags – tender baby cooking greens

Spinach ~ -1 bag
Salad Mix – 1 bag
Radishes – 1 bunch
Dill / Cilantro ~ Full – 2 bunches / Half 1 bunch
4″ potted herbs ~ Full 4 plants / Half 2 plants – your pick from a large variety,

Coming Soon (1-3 weeks)

Head Lettuce – More varieties
Bok Choi (with some holes in the leaves…)
Bunched Chard
Bunched Kale
Bunched Spinach
Shelling Peas

What is the Box Worth?

This weeks value: spinach $3.50, salad $3.50, chard/kale – 3.5, lettuce $1.50, radishes $1.25, peas $4, dill/cilantro $1.50, potted herbs $3.50, beets, $3: Total value ~ Half – $24.50 / Full – $38.50. thats what you would pay to buy the same bag of produce (& plants) at the farm!

2010 CSA Newsletter, Week 1 – Harvest Time!

Harvest begins in earnest this week

The spinach, recently weeded, ready to pick, but slightly hail damaged

There isn’t a huge amount of variety, but the Salad and Spinach is abundant! We also picked some early green garlic this week, plus cilantro and dill and radishes. Box details below.

Hailstorms in June

Last week we experienced a very unusual storm that brought around a minute of pea sized hail to our mesa: we were fortunate, some growers in Paonia reported dime size hail that lasted several minutes. Our crops were mostly spared, the only real damage was some torn up spinach leaves, you will notice this in your boxes this week – fortunately the flavor is still great! Spinach only does well in the early or late part of the season here, so enjoy it while we have it.

Planting Nearly Complete

Outside the greenhouse: waiting to go in the ground.
Outside the greenhouse, a few plants left are ready to go in the ground!

The last push for planting is now happening –  the photo at left shows how little is left to transplant from the greenhouse to the field – just a few more winter squash and the last wave of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and chard for fall.

Bring on the Fruit

Fruit will start a little late this year. The earliest organic cherries (from Domingez Canyon) will be ready in around two weeks, the first peaches (from Palisade) will arrive a few weeks later. Please don’t worry if you have a fruit membership, the fruit will start soon and we will have plenty of variety to make up for lost time. The overall selection will be limited this year due to winter freeze damage (several nights around -10) and the recent hail. Still, I am confident there will be enough variety to fill your fruit memberships!

Culinary herbs - this section contains thyme, oregano, marjoram, scented basils (like lime, cinnamon & thai basil), parsley, lemongrass and more!

In the Field – Weeding, Watering

Everything is growing like crazy these days out in the field – including the weeds. A once weeded bed seems to sprout a new crop of weeds the moment you turn your back. We tackle the weeds with a few strategies: a few beds are covered with ground fabric that brocks out 95% of the weeds, but most of the beds are open and must be weeded. I use a small tractor (an Allis Chalmers Model G) we call the ‘G’ to cultivate (carefully!) between the rows.

Lots of greens in this recently weeded section: red and green lettuces, orange chard, chinese cabbage and kale (green, 'dino' and red)

The larger tractor takes care of the ‘pathways’  with large blades, then a bit later, a crew of weeders comes through with hoes to go closely along the rows of most of the crops and even between plants. Finally, a few crops get additional hand weeding (onions for example) or tractor cultivation (potatoes, corn) later in the season.

The other big task this time of year in the field is watering. With many newly seeded or planted hours, the water has to be applied regularly. Drip tape is getting laid out on some sections.  Other sections have to be dried out for hoeing, and left dry after hoeing to let the weeds dry out.

Whats In the Box?

This year everything is a little bit late, and our early boxes are always a little light compared to the mid and late season boxes, so please be patient as the season progresses! There isn’t much variety yet, but there will be plenty more to come!

Spinach ~ Full – 2 bags / Half – 1 bags – very tender and yummy this time of year, but a little torn up from the hale
Salad Mix ~ Full – 2 bags / Half – 1 bags – we try to have salad most of the season
Radishes ~ Full 2 bunches / Half – 1 bunch – a bit spicy, try them thinly sliced on a salad
Garlic, green ~ 1 bunch – mild garlic, still a few weeks from maturing, no paper yet inside the heads, clean and peel, chop up the whole thing, including the green top!
Dill / Cilantro ~ Full – 2 bunches / Half 1 bunch – just starting to come in, cilantro only lasts a few weeks
4″ potted herbs ~ Full 3 plants / Half 2 plants – your pick from a large variety, we will have more next week as well. We have lime, cinnamon and thai basil as well as sweet basil, oregano, thyme, parsley and more. These can be planted in a garden, or in a planter so please plan ahead and be ready – these plants will arrive well watered, but need to be transplanted within a few days of delivery. If you keep these plants picked you will have the herbs you choose any time you want all summer long!
Leeks ~ Full members only (don’t worry half members, we will have plenty of leeks this year, we planted a huge crop)!

Coming Soon (1-3 weeks)

Baby Chard & Kale
Peas – Sugar Snaps & Snow Peas
Baby Beets – tender, young beets, golden & red!

What is the Box Worth?

As a new feature of this newsletter, I am going to estimate the approximate farm price of the of the box. Our farm prices are typically a little lower than local retail and much lower than the prices we would charge at a remote market (this accounts for the delivery charge). Based on 18 weeks of boxes, the average price members pay for their box is  Half – $16.66 (400/18), Full – $28.77 (500/18). This weeks value: spinach $3.50, salad $3.50, radishes $1.25, garlic $3.00, dill/cilantro $1.50, herbs, $3.50, leeks, $2.50: Total value ~ Half – $19.75 / Full – $35.50

Turkey Hill CSA Newsletter – Week 15-, 2009

Turkey Hill CSA Newsletter – Week 15-end

Notes From the Farm

The long grass in this week’s box is lemon grass, excellent in thai soup, or dried as a tea. Int he small herb bundles are roasemary and thyme.

As things wind down in the field the box has grown a lot smaller. This week’s box was a bit small, but please try to remember to bounty of just a few weeks ago when you gauge the value of the CSA!

We still had a good variety of items in the box this week, but less overall quantity. We’ll have more qty. of potatoes as well as leeks next week, plus more onions and garlic. The carrots are still coming in and we may have more cukes and squash this week. We should have more broccoli and cabbage as well, plus some parsley this week and still more chard and kale. 

The salad is done, the tomatoes have stopped ripening. Peaches are done for the season. The beans are done. The eggplant are nearly done. 


Lots of fruit varieties coming in – we had asian pears, bosc pears and red & green bartletts this week, as well as gala and some jonathan apples. 

How many more weeks?
This is a quick fall and we are trying to finish up the season in early October. The last week will be week 17 – the last farm pickup day will be Oct 2, the last delivery date for cb/gunnison will be Sun Oct. 4th. The last Marble delivery will be Saturday Oct. 3rd. This will be an extra huger box, with extra greens, potatoes, carrots, etc – all stuff that can last for several weeks or more in storage.

Returning the totes
If possible, meet the truck and return your totes the day of the final delivery. If not, you can leave your totes at the delivery location (please collapse 1st) and we will come back the following week for a final tote pickup.  Once we have your totes back we will send a check for the deposit money, or we can just hold your totes if you plan to join next year.

Questions and Answers

Please send me your questions, let me know what you want to know!
Send me your questions! Need a recipe? We have a recipe page on the website, or try  allrecipes.com. Want to know when a certain vegetable is coming in? confused about something in your box? email me! 

The next few Week’s Boxs

Parsley 
Cucumbers – until it freezes
Broccoli – until the end.
Carrots – lots more
Rainbow Chard, Collards or Kale – still look good

Salad Mix – last week

Eggplant  – until it freezes
Peppers – until it freezes
Tomatoes –  if they ripen
Garlic – for the last few weeks
Onions – at the end
Leeks – at the end
Zucchini  – second planting now coming in – won’t last long
  
Fruit

 

pears & apples

Turkey Hill CSA Newsletter – Week 13/14, 2009

Turkey Hill CSA Newsletter – Week 13/14

Notes From the Farm

As things wind down this fall on the farm, my newsletters will become less frequent. This one covers last week (13) and this week (14). I’ll send another in a week or two. The boxes are packed full these days, but will diminsh over the next few weeks, my box summary at the end covers the next few weeks.
Last delivery day coming soon: the last farm pickup day will be Oct 2, the last delivery date for cb/gunnison will be Sun Oct. 4th. This last week we will deliver a big box, enough to last several weeks. Its possible that if the freeze holds off long enough we may go one extra week, watch this newsletter for details!

 

Trouble on the road

Last week (week 12) was a tough one for our delivery! The farm truck died outside crested butte with a dead transmission, and the produce arrived late to the delivery spot. One box was lost during the transfer to a new vehicle, and we wound up towing the truck to the shop for repairs. At least nobody was hurt and it looks like the truck will be ready in time for this weeks delivery, thanks to Lara for covering the last delivery in her own vehicle.

Questions and Answers

Please send me your questions, let me know what you want to know!
Send me your questions! Need a recipe? We have a recipe page on the website, or try  allrecipes.com. Want to know when a certain vegetable is coming in? confused about something in your box? email me! 

The next few Week’s Boxs

Cucumbers – until it freezes
Beans – last week
Broccoli – until the end.
Carrots – lots more
Rainbow Chard, Collards or Kale – still look good

Salad Mix – last week

Eggplant  – until it freezes
Peppers – until it freezes
Tomatoes –  until it freezes 
Garlic – for the last few weeks
Onions – at the end
Leeks – at the end
Zucchini  – second planting now coming in – won’t last long
  
Fruit

 

last week we had blackberries and raspberries from Austin Family Farms and some very ripe peaches from First Fruits. Plus the rest of the nectarines, some pears and small early gala apples.

this week we start into apples and pears, and the end of the peaches. we’ll have a variety of types of apples and pears until the end of the season.

Coming Soon (1-3 weeks)

Potatoes – started digging this week

Parsley – still picking this, some boxes get it each week.

Beyond 3 weeks
Fall Onions, Leeks
Winter Squash – if i can find some!

Turkey Hill CSA Newsletter – Week 12, 2009

Turkey Hill CSA Newsletter – Week 12

Notes From the Farm

This is Valentin and Lizzie’s last week at the farm, a big thanks for all their help this summer! 
We have lots of summer crops coming in now and everything really looks great. The beans are past their peak, but the cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes are really just starting to produce. If the frost holds off for a few weeks we should have plenty more of these crops.
We added up the value of this weeks full box (may vary slightly from what you got, this was the farm box) and got to $45! The full share cost is $500/year for an average of around $26/week. While some of the early and late boxes may be closer to $25 in value, the average is certainly higher. Here is what we added up for this weeks box, these are our farm prices (if we were selling these items at the crested butte or gunnison farmers market we would charge about 20-30% higher prices, which offsets the delivery fee you pay):
Salad – $3.75; Beans – $3; Thyme – $1.50; Chard – $2.50; Kale – $2.50; Collards – $2.50; Artichokes – $3; Tomatoes – $7; Corn – $3; Cucumber – $1.25; Broccoli & Cauliflower – $6; Bulb Fennel – $1.50;  Carrots – $2.50; Eggplant – $2; Peppers – $1.5;  Parsley – $1.5

I hope this helps illustrate the value you are getting with the CSA, and I want to let you know that the farm appreciates your financial support and the fact that you are taking and using all our produce. We hope you enjoy the last upcoming seven final weeks of the season. Box sizes will begin to decline over the next few weeks as cooler weather prevails and the days shorten

 

More Notes:

Last chance to reply to Valentin’s CSA survey. You can fill it out online.

Questions and Answers

Please send me your questions, let me know what you want to know!
Send me your questions! Need a recipe? We have a recipe page on the website, or try  allrecipes.com. Want to know when a certain vegetable is coming in? confused about something in your box? email me! 

This Week’s Box

Cucumbers – still more to come – call or email for special orders pickling cukes
Bulb Fennel – we harvested the rest of the crop this week- great sliced thinly in a salad
Corn  – Olathe Sweet Corn, Certified Organic
Beans – Green, Yellow & Purple –
Cauliflower – more coming in.
Broccoli – lots more to come.
Carrots – more coming in now
Collards – slight damage, trim the edges if it looks bad.
Rainbow Chard, Collards or Kale – still look good

Salad Mix – a high quality crop at the moment – a few more weeks of salad left

Eggplant  – some boxes, more to come
Peppers – still producing
Tomatoes –  from the hoop house and from Thistle Whistle 
Thyme, Parsley or Savory;
  
Fruit

 

A bit of a lull qty wise in fruit this week, plenty more coming!

Peaches – outstanding, nectarines and pears – First Fruits, Paonia

leave pears out for a day or two to ripen

coming soon: Apples, many varieties

Coming Soon (1-3 weeks)

Potatoes – we will start digging these for the boxes over the next few weeks,  but leave most of the patch for the last few weeks of the season.

Parsley – Starting to be large enough to pick

Tomatoes – starting to really ripen in the hoop house

Beyond 3 weeks
Fall Onions, Leeks
Winter Squash – if i can find some!

2009 Round Earth / Turkey Hill CSA Farm Festival

Schedule of Events

Please call ahead at 970-872-4413 to reserve a spot for the following events – space is limited.

  • 8 am-10 am – Early Tour/Harvest – Tour the fields at Round Earth with farmer Adam Silverstein. We will explore the vegetables, and flowers, learn about interplanting and witness a real pest – grasshoppers! We will sample veggies as we go, and also harvest crops for the day’s meals; We will harvest salad, cucumbers, potatoes, beans and whatever else is needed and ready. Learn how we harvest the veggies at their ripest and see where and how we wash and process produce from the field. Plan on getting muddy (at least your shoes). $10/person, limited to 20 participants, reservations required.

  • 11 am-2 pm – Cooking workshop with Valentin & brunch – We’ll prepare the food we harvest and then enjoy a light brunch – we will transform the morning’s harvest into lunch and have some pre-prepared dishes as well. $15/person, limited to 2 0 participants, reservations required.
  • 1 – 4 pm – Regular farm tours through the fields – learn about the farm, the crops, the season and plans for the future. Free, drop ins welcome!
  • 4 pm – 8:30 pm – Cooking workshop with Valentin & Dinner – We will continue to prepare and process produce from the morning and previous harvests and prepare dishes for the dinner, which will also be accompanied by dishes prepared in advance. $25/person + drinks – limited to 20 participants, reservations required.

  • Please leave your dogs at home!

Turkey Hill CSA Newsletter – Week 10

Turkey Hill CSA Newsletter – Week 10    

Notes From the Farm

This weeks newsletter is going out very late – sorry for that. I am just returning from a short river trip (gates of Lodore) and Valentin filled the CSA boxes.  As you can tell from the boxes, summer has hit – lots of everything is coming in. 
The website recipe page was just updated with new recipe sheets including bulb fennel. Are you missing something? Remember, if we  run short on something, we sometimes substitute a different vegetable. If you didn’t get a certain vegetable or item and are missing it please let me know!

 

More Notes:

Valentin and Lizzy leave for france in two weeks! As we head into fall, we will have to fill the gaps in our harvest crew. Please come down and visit the farm next Saturday to meet them and at least tour the farm. We are offering several workshops in harvesting and cooking throughout the day, as well as lunch and dinner. I will be posting complete details on the farm festival activities on the website soon and I will email you again then. Bring your friends or family, but please let me know as soon as possible if you plan to attend (how many and for what part of the day). (Also, please leave your dogs at home).

Please don’t forget to reply to Valentin’s CSA survey. You can return the printed survey, or you can fill it out online.

Questions and Answers

Please send me your questions, let me know what you want to know!
  
Send me your questions! Need a recipe? We have a recipe page on the website, or try  allrecipes.com. Want to know when a certain vegetable is coming in? confused about something in your box? email me! 


This Week’s Box

Cucumbers – just beginning this week, lots more next week.
Corn  – Olathe Sweet Certified Organic – our corn is still weeks away
Scallions – purple and green, the last of these for the season
Beans – Green, Yellow & Purple – really starting to come in, we will have even more next week.
Cauliflower – just starting to come in.
Romanesco – this green, fractal/spiral vegetable is in the same family as cauliflower and cabbage, but has its own unique appearance and flavor. 
Broccoli – a little bit coming in now, the big crop arrives in september.
Cabbage – purple and green now coming in.
Carrots – some got artichokes instead – more carrots for everyone in the next few weeks – and more artichokes!
Rainbow Chard, Collards or Kale – its good for you! if you can’t use it all, just prep, boil briefly, cool, bag and freeze! You can use it in December and remember the summer.  

Salad Mix – more coming

Onions – more varieties coming in over the next few weeks
Basil –  A small bag each, call or email about pesto qty. NOW available.

Eggplant  – a bit more coming in now, lots more setting fruit

Peppers – hot peppers trickling it now, lots of variety, some are hotter than others. the bell peppers are sill a few weeks away
Bulb Fennel
 
Fruit

 

Peaches – Pruett Orchards (Powell Mesa)

Apples from the Kropps – the first apples of the season, crisp and tart! many varieties to come!

coming soon: Nectarines

Coming Soon (1-3 weeks)

Potatoes – we will start digging these for the boxes over the next few weeks,  but leave most of the patch for the last few weeks of the season.

Carrots –  the fall crop will kick in and we’ll have carrots for the rest of the season.
Squash – new crop just a few weeks away, but may not make it. Some trickling in from the field next week.
Parsley – Starting to be large enough to pick

Tomatoes -a few at the farm festival, then some in the boxes the following week.
More salad, greens

Beyond 3 weeks
Fall Onions, Leeks
Winter Squash – also heavily hit by squash bugs and the cool spring

Turkey Hill CSA Newsletter – 2009-9

Turkey Hill CSA Newsletter – Week 9   

Notes From the Farm

Life is full on the farm. Tons of cucumbers just ready to be picked next week, flowers are going crazy… We have sunflowers this week – beautiful yellow to orange heads with no pollen. They almost look fake! We have had some summer heat, but still lots of overcast, cooler weather. The summer crops aren’t faring well this year, but the broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and romanesco are really kicking in. I’ll try to take and post some photos soon. 
Squash – The worst crop of the year has to be the summer squash and winter squash. I did a second planting after realizing how bad the first crop was doing, but it will come in late and maybe not at all if we get an early freeze. I’m on the lookout for these crops from other growers, but a lot of the local valley growers are in the same squash deficient position we are in! 

Basil – Just a reminder that we don’t wash the basil, its too sensitive to water damage. Just rinse before using! We are offering basil to CSA customers at our wholesale price which is $12/lb. A recipe calling for four packed cups requires close to a pound.

 

More Notes:

 

Accounts due! At this point all accounts are due – please send your balance in full ASAP! We need these funds to pay works and the farm bills. I sent statements out last week by email – if you aren’t sure about your balance, please call or email me. I will also mail statements and call, but please save me the trouble by sending a check immediately to PO Box 969, Hotchkiss CO 81419

 

Questions and Answers

Please send me your questions, let me know what you want to know!
  
Send me your questions! Need a recipe? We have a recipe page on the website, or try  allrecipes.com. Want to know when a certain vegetable is coming in? confused about something in your box? email me! 


This Week’s Box

Corn  – Olathe Sweet Certified Organic – we’ll have this on and off for the next 3-4 weeks
Scallions – purple and green, the last of these for the season
Beans – Green, Yellow & Purple – really starting to come in, we will have even more next week.
Cauliflower – just starting to come in.
Romanesco – this green, fractal/spiral vegetable is in the same family as cauliflower and cabbage, but has its own unique appearance and flavor. 
Broccoli – a little bit coming in now, the big crop arrives in september.
Cabbage – purple and green now coming in.
Carrots – some got artichokes instead – more carrots for everyone in the next few weeks – and more artichokes!
Rainbow Chard, Collards or Kale – its good for you! if you can’t use it all, just prep, boil briefly, cool, bag and freeze! You can use it in December and remember the summer.  

Salad Mix – moving into a new patch next week.

Onions – white ‘candy’ onions
Herbs –  A small bag each, call or email about pesto qty. NOW available.

Eggplant  – just starting to come in from the hoop house – a portion of you will get these each week!

Peppers – hot peppers trickling it now

 
Fruit

 

Peaches – Red Havens – First of the season from Paonia – First Fruits

Coming Soon (1-3 weeks)

Carrots –  the fall crop will kick in and we’ll have carrots for the rest of the season.
Cucumbers – we have a huge crop of these coming in NEXT WEEK
Squash – a poor main crop, we’ll have a few squash, but not enough. I did plant a second crop that looks great right now, but might not have enough time to ripen. I will also try to find another local organic source.
Parsley – Starting to be large enough to pick

Bulb Fennel – sizing up, ready next week
Tomatoes – whenever they start to ripen!
More salad, greens

Beyond 3 weeks
Potatoes
Fall Onions
Winter Squash – also heavily hit by squash bugs and the cool spring

Farm Festival Events

Don’t forget the farm festival! We have a great menu and day of activities planned, so please try to attend! All of the details will be posted soon at RoundEarth.com and I will email you again to remind you. August 22nd. is the date, activities all day. In the morning we will harvest and wash crops, then we’ll have a cooking workshop and lunch. After an afternoon siesta we will resume with a cooking workshop and then dinner.  Cost is by suggested donation, the entire day is suggested $50, or $10-15 for each workshop/meal. 
I need to rent and purchase supplies for this event so please let me know as soon as possible if you plan to attend (and the number attending which part!)… thanks.

Turkey Hill CSA Newsletter – 2009-8

Turkey Hill CSA Newsletter – Week 8   

Notes From the Farm

Sorry for the delay in getting this newsletter out. Fruit members, this is a break week, we will resume peaches next week. Note smaller boxes this week as summer crops are all just about to come in – cucumbers, beans, corn all in the next week or two, thanks for your patience!

This week the farm is swinging into summer big time. I took a short break to visit my mother in North Carlina with the kids over last weekend, and in the six nights I was gone, things grew like crazy. Its amazing the changes that happen every day on the farm and there is nothing like being away for more than a few days to make me appreciate this.

Valentin ran the show in my absence, making critical decisions like what was ready to be picked for the Tuesday harvest! Thanks to him for keeping the ball rolling (and to the rest of the harvest crew who happily come out every harvest to pick and process).

 

More Notes:

 

The flowers are in full swing this week. We have beautiful snapdragons and statice and offer them in convenient ‘bundles’ at $10. We don’t have the time or labor to make bouquets this year, but the bundles can be easily coaxed into bouquets once you have them. The glads are really kicking in and I really want you to check them out, so this week i’m offering 8 stems (instead of the usual 5) for $10. Regular stems are also on sale: 12 stems for $10.We will have flowers at the farm (friday) and on the truck sunday to purchase, but its best if you order ahead (just email or call). When you get them, cut the bottoms and put them in water asap. change the water and trim the bottoms every day or two and your flowers should last 1-2 weeks.

Upcoming boxes will contain little bags of basil – perfect for a sauce or dressing, but not enough to make pesto. For pesto quantity, please call or email. If you visit the farm, we also offer pick your own basil at a greatly reduced price – its very labor intensive to pick!

 

Questions and Answers

Some of you asked how these compare to the flood of glads hitting city market last week – which are selling for something like $10 for 20 stems. Quite simple, there is NO comparison! our glads are HUGE, thick stemmed and freshly picked. Their grown without chemicals here on our farm, hand weeded and planted with loving care. The flowers at the supermarket are still glads, but they are thinner and smaller, they are grown in chemically intensive monocrop mega farms in places like equador where cheap labor and lax regulations mean easy business conditions. They were picked days and days or a week or more ago and they are probably coated with pesticides. 

Please send me your questions, let me know what you want to know!
  
Send me your questions! Need a recipe? We have a recipe page on the website, or try  allrecipes.com. Want to know when a certain vegetable is coming in? confused about something in your box? email me! 


This Week’s Box

Artichokes – we’ll have even more of these as the season continues…
Cauliflower – we’ll have Orange & Purple cauliflower 1st, and white cauliflower later. The orange cheddar variety is partictularly delicious.
Romanesco – this green, fractal/spiral vegetable is in the same family as cauliflower and cabbage, but has its own unique appearance and flavor. 
Broccoli – a little bit coming in now, the big crop arrives in september.Cabbage – purple and green now coming in.
Beets
–  cylindrical beets this week – the last beets we will have for a while – great for canning, or just store in the fridge.
Chard, Collards or Kale – bunched – always plenty of greens, look for extras this week, take as much as you want from the ‘extras’. (I found the collards hiding in the cabbage, that was the mysterious greens some of you got last week!)
Head Lettuce – red curly – this may be the last of the head lettuce, there is one more patch, but they look like they may never size up – going from baby stage to seeding directly in the heat of summer.

Salad Mix – still coming in

Onions – We are picking thru the onions to get the largest ones. We’ll have more later in the season.
Garlic
– hard neck variety this week, a little smaller heads than the soft necks, and with a slightly different flavor – can you tell the difference?
Herbs – Cilantro and Dill this week, the last we will have for a while (except dill heads which are available for canning all season by special order).  
 
Fruit

 

None… Fruit break this week! We will have peaches next week (or possibly the week after)

Coming Soon (1-3 weeks)

Carrots – returning intermittently over the few weeks, then the fall crop will kick in and we’ll have carrots for the rest of the season.
Cucumbers – we have a huge crop of these coming in over the next few weeks
Squash – More on varieties as i assess the field

Bulb Fennel – sizing up, ready this week or next.
Beans – we have purple, yellow and green beans this year – these are just starting this week, we’ll have an abundance in the next few weeks. Great as a side dish sauteed in butter.
Eggplant  -starting to come in from the hoop house
Peppers – hot peppers trickling it now

Farm Festival Events

In a few weeks, we will be hosting a day of tours, workshops and eating! The day starts early and CSA members are invited to come camp on the farm the night before so you be here in the morning.  The date for the event is Saturday, August 22; the preliminary schedule of events is:

  • 8am-10am  – Early Tour/Harvest – Tour the fields with the farmer (me) and help harvest crops for the day’s meals; We’ll harvest salad, cucumbers, beans, squash and whatever else is needed for the days meals. Learn how we harvest the veggies and see where and how we wash and process produce from the field. Plan on getting muddy (at least your shoes). $10 suggested donation.

  • 11am-1pm  – Cooking workshop with Valentin & brunch – We’ll prepare the food we harvest and then enjoy a light brunch – we will transform the morning’s harvest into lunch and have some pre-prepared dishes as well. $10 suggested donation.
  • 1-2pm – I’ll lead a tour through the fields and talk about the farm, the season and plans for the future. No charge.
  • 5pm-8:30pm – Cooking workshop with Valentin & Dinner – We will continue to prepare and process produce from the morning and previous harvests and prepare dishes for the dinner, which will also be accompanied by dishes prepared in advance. $25 suggested donation, or $20 for dinner alone (starts around 7pm).

We are still finalizing the menus for the two meals we will be preparing (more info soon), but there will be plenty to eat and drink. The meals will be heavy on the veggies, but we will have some (local, natural) meats and cheeses as well. We’ll have iced herbal tea and water to drink, and coffee with dessert after dinner.  We are asking for donations to cover our expenses and pay Valentin for his cooking workshops; I strongly encourage you all make the time to visit during the event, even you can only come for the morning or evening. Its the perfect excuse to come visit the farm at the peak of the harvest. I also need to know in advance how many are coming to the day’s events so we can plan the food. The cooking workshops are limited to 12 participants, and the meals are also limited in number. Please email or call if you plan to come.