Thursday, June 30, 2011

Notes From Your Farm

Thurs 3-7pm
Fri 11-7pm
Sat 9-1

This week
How it came to be
Homefields Work Day
In the Harvest
Increased Berry Amount

It's a glorious day here at the farm.  As the calendar page changes, so too do the crops that we are harvesting, as cucumbers and summer squash are ready this week.  A cucumber from here at the farm tastes really amazing, and makes us wonder what those green things were that we were eating from the store.  We transplanted like fiends this week, putting in all the fall broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale and collards.  Everyone is hitting their stride as we have a few harvests under our belt for the season. Trainees love that they have the opportunity to work outdoors in farming and enjoy the fruits of their labor, the satisfaction of seed to harvest to table.  Thank you for supporting the farm program by being a shareholder.



How it Came to Be: 


Once upon a time (early 1990s) a group of families was brainstorming about finding a farm for their adult children with disabilities to live at and work on.  They formed a nonprofit called Homefields Inc., purchased this farm at 150 Letort Road and began transforming it by renovating the two homesand the barn, preparing the farm for the CSA.  Community Serves Group (CSG) began staffing the homes, and Goodwill began the farming in 1999.

In a Nutshell:
Homefields Inc: the nonprofit founder and owner of the farm, fund raises to care for the property.
CGS: provides staffing for the two homes here on the farm
Goodwill: runs the CSA farm progran, training and employing people with disabilities in farming and horticulture.

Work Day at Homefields New BarnJuly 9th 9am
On  Saturday, July 9th beginning at 9:00am, join us for a Homefields work day.  We’ll be at the new property, just up the street, at 128 Letort Road.  It's a cleanup effort, so wear appropriate clothing, sturdy shoes; and, please bring gloves, a shovel and your own water, string trimmer, if you have one.
 
Lunch will be provided; come whenever and leave when you need to.  We’ll appreciate all hands…. (please let Homefields know via HawthorneA@csgonline.org  by Thursday, July 7…so we can plan for lunch)
Saturday, July 9th is also Homefields’ 2nd Shot in the Dark night golf outing at Cross Gates golf course.
 

In the Harvest this Week, most likely 
 cucumbers:  these are excellent.  Add to salad, sandwiches, or make an oil, onion and tomato salad. 
 summer squash:  thin slices in salad, stir fry, boil or stream and browned butter and bread crumbs, a childhood favorite. garlic scapes: use like garlic bulbs
 garlic bulbs: continue drying if you like it stronger, otherwise use now
 bok choi: stir fries, great with peanut butter, nuts, soy sauce ginger...
 kale and collards: awesome fried with bacon fat or olive oil, sauteed onions and garlic
 chard: use in salads or as a spinach substitute.
 scallions: great for kebabs, marinating, grilling, salads
 napa cabbage: on sandwiches, kimchee, stir fries, make kimchee
 snow peas: steam or boil for short time, stir fry, not to be confused with hull or English peas, which are shelled out and hulls discarded, or Sugar Snaps, whose fat pods and peas are eaten.

 New Berry Season Amount:  The per Season amount is bumped up:
 Full Shares 4 pints  Half Shares 2 pints total of blueberries, blackberries and black raspberries.

 Enjoy and Happy 4th!  July promises melons, tomatoes peppers, beans and more.

 Your farmers. 

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