Week Sixteen

In the Bag
~Butternut Squash
~Cucumbers
~Cabbage
~Carrots
~Onions
~Cherry Tomatoes (Black Cherries and Sungolds)
~Tomatoes of varying sizes and colors.
~Eggplant
~Green Peppers
~Salad Radishes and Turnips
~Summer Squash
~Basil, Sage

Farm Report
This is week sixteen of our eighteen-week season. If you are not looking forward to revisiting the produce section of your grocery store, I may be able to help. Piney Hill is going to collaborate with another area organic farm to offer a five week add-on share to extend the season. I am still figuring out the cost and details, but I will probably have 15 of these shares to offer and I am hoping to only have one drop site, which would be our Uptown Yoga studio drop site (no danger of freezing anything there and it’s a central location for many people). This will be a greens heavy share (lots of kale, collards, chard and salad greens, but will also include some storage crops like carrots, onions, potatoes and squash (the potatoes and squash are coming from the nearby farm—as you know I am giving out all the Piney Hill squash and potatoes to our current season shares). I’ll be sending out an email maybe later this week with cost and other info.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by the cabbage in your share this week, try making this frozen coleslaw recipe and storing it. You can also try making sauerkraut right in jars or in a larger bucket or crock (chop cabbage finely and pack into jars with layers of pickling salt), then let it ferment in a cool place for several weeks before canning or freezing it. Cabbage will also stay good in your fridge for weeks.


Here is a frozen coleslaw recipe:
1 medium head cabbage, chopped
1 t. salt
3 stalks chopped celery
1 small chopped onion
Mix together and let stand for 1 to 2 hours. Drain and add pepper.
Dressing: 1cup water 1 cup sugar (you can cut this back if you want) 1 cup vinegar 1 t. celery seed 1 t. mustard seed
Mix dressing ingredients together in a suacepan. Boil for one minute. Cool. Mix with drained vegetables. Pack in jars or bags and freeze.

Week Fifteen

In the Bag
~Swiss Chard
~Potatoes (the last of them)
~Cucumbers
~Hakurei Turnips and Cherry Belle Radishes in one bunch
~Carrots
~Onions
~Cherry Tomatoes (Black Cherries and Sungolds)
~Tomatoes of varying sizes and colors.
~Eggplant
~Green Peppers
~Summer Squash
~Salad Mix
~Basil (in with the salad mix)
~Red Celery

Farm Report
So far September has been very un-September-like on the farm. Last year we had a killing frost on Sept. 9th, which put a quick end to our season. This year, we are thinking it feels more like July, and the crops that are left think it’s divine.

We spent Sunday morning digging the last beds of potatoes to great dismay. Some combination of weeds, potato beetles and early drought led our last potatoes down the path of a low-yield. This seems to be a common theme on the farm this year, and once again I find myself thinking about how I’m going to do things right next year.

The bees are bringing in the last of the buckwheat nectar and we are all getting ready to hunker down. We are cutting wood for the wood stove and dreading the days we have to layer to go outside. But not just yet, right?

We’ve had a few complete farm meals this week. May I suggest a zucchini/tomato casserole that our farm volunteer put together? Just layer slices of blanched zucchini with onion and tomato, sprinkle on some salt and oregano and top with parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. “I’ve notices you have all of these in abundance” she said before making it. She’s right, and it’s delicious.
We’ve also had mashed potatoes, steamed edamame, salad greens and kale. Apple crisp for desert of course.

Week Fourteen

In the Bag

~Kale

~Kohlrabi

~Cucumbers

~Hakurei Turnips

~Carrots

~Onions

~Cherry Tomatoes (Black Cherries and Sungolds)

~Tomatoes of varying sizes and colors.

~Eggplant

~Green Peppers

~Potatoes

~Summer Squash

~Salad Mix with edible flowers

~Basil, Rosemary

Farm Report

After much worry and some time spent covering vegetables, we didn’t get that frost last week that I thought we would. This should allow the pumpkins and squash to ripen up.

As we near the end of the season, I have been reflecting on the last few months. Overall, both Matt and I feel like most of the vegetables have done really well despite the June frost, drought and cool weather, then late monsoons. I think that part of our success is due to our hoophouse and irrigation system, without which, we would be having a hard time, though they have been a significant investment from which we might start seeing some return next year.

There are a few CSAs around who have really struggled this year because of the weather. So much so that they have struggled to fill bags and had disappointed members accuse them of fraud and demand refunds. It is somewhat alarming to hear their stories, actually, because as CSA farmers, we rely on the idea that our members are taking part of the risk of the weather and crop failure for good or for bad. It is understandable that members of these struggling farms would be disappointed with the outcome, especially if it is their first year with a CSA. I think that the members who stay with a farm over several years, see the fluctuations from year to year and when hit with a hard year after several good years, understand that there are many factors at play. I hope that as you all tell others about your CSA experience you can convey the idea of “sharing the risk.” This year, there have been no melons for most of you and sweet corn that Matt and I jokingly call “a low-yield” variety. But the tomatoes have been bountiful. Next year will be different to be sure…that’s the deal with farming: there are no givens.