Week 1: Hi everyone! Welcome to the first pickup of CSA. Thank you and good to see you to our returning members and welcome and we look forward to meeting all of our new members this year. This is week 1 of 18 weeks to come! Our hope is to try to fill you all in on what is going on on the farm week to week, what’s in the share, and some favorite recipes in this space. We have had this journal going for 15 years now and past copies are in archives on our website.
Our farm is run by Adam and Christine and our two daughters Sadie, 12 and Delia, 9. Besides all the veggies, we have about 30 sheep for wool and meat, chicken for eggs and meat, and 2 jersey cows – Sandy and Skye.r. We also have currently 5 cats and our rescue pup, Daisy, almost 2 yr old – australian shepherd/blue heeler and a tad of german shepherd – she is very loving and caring. Our farm is split into 16 acres on one side of the road and 14 acres on the other.
We are honored to have two new apprentices to our farm this farming pandemic season. Both apprentices had to go into self-quarantine at friends’ summer places to self-quarantine before moving on to the farm – before we even really go to know them. We are grateful to the Brown and Jacoby/Brooks families for helping house them. Claire comes originally from Connecticut and has traveled to Alaska, Wyoming, Colorado, Hawaii, and many other places for amazing experiences and living in the culture of that place. Claire hopes to gain more farming experience and link her health education with local food. Norma is originally from New Jersey and recently as of 3 months ago was in Ecuador in the middle of her Peace Corps mission teaching english when she was evacuated along with all the rest of the peace corps folks around the world when the pandemic hit. With her whole life changed before her, she reached out to us to see if we had an apprentice spot because she wanted to learn more about farming and live in a rural area. Both of these women are passionate and hardworking and we are truly blessed to have them in this historic time.
A note from Adam- Things are growing like CRAZY. Finally after the extremes of cold and hot have settled a bit, the fields are filled with happy, healthy veggies-to-be. The early greens are nice, but we can’t wait for cukes, potatoes, tomatoes, etc. It’s all coming and coming fast. It’s an honor to do this for you-we know that you all, friends new and old, support us and understand the slogan, “eating is an agricultural act.” This is why we enjoy working hard for you every day!
This has been a historic spring. A challenging spring. The thing with farming is that everyday – the sun will come up, the rain will come, seeds if planted in fertile soils will pop up their first leaves and reach for the sun. The sheep will graze, the chickens will peck and scratch and lay eggs, the cows will turn the grass they graze into food, the farmers will harvest and care for the food – pandemic or not. Now more than ever, local food is a source of security, nourishment, and health. We do not take this responsibility lightly. We were so excited that we were able to harvest these amazing greens for you this morning. To know 80 families will be fed just through our CSA program. We are honored. And we are here. Working insync with the land, nature, and weather to grow nutrient dense food for your and our bellies, souls, and minds.
A farm is a living organism – there is no clocking in and out. It breathes. It loves. It nourishes. We are all connected.
Thanks for being part of our farm. We look forward to farming with you this season.
Peace, your farmers, Christine, Adam, Sadie, Delia, Claire and Norma
What’s in the share this week:
This list is what is in a full share this week. Things may change between Monday and Tuesday and Individual and Salad share will get differing amounts and may not get everything on the list. Lettuce mix, Baby Chard, Spinach, Bok Choy, Baby Red Russian Kale, herb plants, tomato or pepper plant
Eggs for sale We have the pretty girls’ eggs for sale – these are free-range, certified organic chicken eggs that are brown eggs– with the brightest yellow/orange yolks you ever seen. The eggs are $6.00 a dozen. $3.00 half dozen
RAW Jersey Milk for Sale: 1/2 gal jars available of Sandy and Skye’s Milk – cream is so creamy and they love all this spring grass. $5 a jar and if you don’t have a half gal jar to swap $3 deposit. Available at on farm pickup on Mondays and Thursdays.
Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette
1 part maple syrup
1 part balsamic vinegar
1/2 part of olive oil
salt and pepper
and shake:)
It keeps well in the fridge – the olive oil may separate in fridge – but just shake and everything mixes together again.
Kale Chips
Fun for kids and adults, high in vitamins!
Ingredients
· 1 or 2 bunches red or green kale
· 3-4 Tablespoons olive oil
· garlic (scapes or cloves) and/or balsamic vinegar
· sea salt & pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350. Rip up kale (with or without stems) into a mixing bowl (or into a ziplock bag if you want to keep your hands clean).
Add olive oil, then chopped garlic and/or balsamic vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste, then use hands to mix in the bowl (or squeeze the bag). Spread out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake 5-10 minutes, watching VERY carefully so they don’t burn. After, keep in a brown paper bag.
Enjoy! Kale chips are a delicious snack and contain tons of vitamins A and C as well as calcium, iron, protein, and fiber. Try making up your own recipe!
The fresh greens you get in your share this week can be eaten raw and put in a salad.
Bok Choy can be sauteed, grilled or steamed. I like to toss tamari on it in the pan for a quick sautee or split in half and grill it.
You can add fresh greens like kale, spinach, chard on pizza, in eggs, in smoothies. so good and very high in vitamins and minerals.