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 Barn: July 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. 

Notes from Your Farm

In this newsletter:

What's happening this week
Homefields work day July 9
Berry Season and Amounts


This week were able to get the pumpkins planted, including some Atlantic Giants and also snuck a few giant watermelon plants in as well.  We've been continuing with the garlic harvest, and this has been made much smoother with the use of the undercutter bar that we built last season to loosen them prior to pulling.  We're also eager to get the fall broccoli, cabbage, broccoli, and brussels sprouts tranplanted as soon as the fields are no longer muddy.  A group from South Carolina vistited this week--they are starting a similar farm program to help people with disabilites and grow organic produce.  We've also been getting heavily into weed weeding the crops that are not able to compete with weeds. Despite many delays in planting this spring, we are just about caught up with a lot of crops


 Merry with Berries: Season Berry Amount 

We're happy to say that the electronic bird scare system works great once again to keep the birds from wiping out the blueberries.  Berry season starts this week with both blueberries and black raspberries available.   We are introducing the Season Berry Amount thanks to Paul Martin and Evangeline Sarat, who use this on their Sweet Land Farm CSA successfully.

The Berry Amount for this season is: 
Full Shares 4 half-pint berry boxes total per season  (mix and match blueberries, blackberries, black raspberries)
Half Shares 2 half-pint berry boxes total per season (mix and match blueberries, blackberries, black raspberries)

This helps with the ebb and flow of berries starting one week, peaking the next, and waning the following.  Please mark your boxes following picking on the Berry Sheet here at the Welcome Table--it will help us understand the volume of different berries picked per week.

Work Day at Homefields New Barn: July 9th 9am
On  Saturday, July 9th beginning at 9:00am, join us for a Homefields work day.  We’ll be at the new property, 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.  

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 
 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...
 scallions: great for kebabs, marinating, grilling, salads
 napa cabbage: on sandwiches, kimchee, stir fries and see kimchee recipe below
 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.

                      

QUICK & EASY KIMCHI RECIPE 

With the new found American interest in probiotics, this Korean staple is finding its way to the American plate and palate.
Kimchi is Korea's most celebrated dish, and is the general term given to a group of fermented vegetables.
There are over 200 different kinds of Kimchi. In fact there is even a kimchi museum in Seoul, S. Korea.
According to the Korea Food Research Institute, correctly fermented kimchi contains higher amounts of lactic acid and lactic acid bacteria than dairy fermented products such as yogurt.
Kimchi contains protein, calcium, phosphorous, vitamins C, B1, B2, and niacin.
Kimchi is a must serve at Korean meals.
The following recipe uses common ingredients usually kept on hand or easily found. The ingredients are cut into small pieces for easy eating and quicker fermentation.
QUICK KIMCHI RECIPE
1 head Chinese cabbage, 2 ½ - 3lbs. (also known as Napa cabbage)
1 medium Asian radish
¼ cup coarse sea salt
4 scallions (cut into 1" pieces)
4 garlic cloves (minced)
2 tablespoons fresh ginger (minced)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 Teaspoon sesame seeds (optional - a personal preference)
Water
To prepare:
1 - Dissolve salt in 1 cup water/set aside.
2 - Thoroughly wash the cabbage/then cut into 2 inch lengths/peel Asian radish and halve it lengthwise, then halve lengthwise again - then slice thinly into ½" squares.
3 - Place cabbage and radish in a large bowl and pour salt water over them.
4 - Let soak overnight or at least 5 hours.
5 - After soaking drain vegetables BUT RETAIN SALTED WATER.
6 - Add scallions, garlic, ginger, chili powder (and optional sesame seeds).
7 - Mix all vegetables, thoroughly, by hand
(using gloves as chili powder may sting)
Pack all in a large jar (about 2 quart size)/pour the salted water over the mixture.
Leave an inch of space at the top of the jar.
Cover tightly.
Let sit for 2-3 days depending on how fermented you like your kimchi.
Refrigerate after opening.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Easy-Korean-Kimchi

Share and Enjoy!


Thank You:  
 Thank you to each of the trainees and staff for outstanding work this week coping with the mud, heat and humidity.  A special welcome back and thanks to Del for joining us with gusto again this week after a season away from the farm.

 Scott

Notes from Your Farm June 16

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


Hello from the farm,

We hope you enjoyed last week's harvest. It's great to be eating fresh from the field lettuce and vegetables once again.   This week we relished the crisp cool weather and abundant sunshine.In organic growing weed control is always a great challenge, and we've been mulching the aisles with straw to deter weeds.  We tranplanted a mighty lot of winter squash yesterday--the hard squash like butternuts and Long Island Cheese, not to be confused with summer squash like zucchini.  The harvest outlook is very good with melons, tomatoes, peppers and potatoes in particular growing outstandingly well.

From the fertile fields:

Garlic scapes--great for pesto or any recipe calling for garlic
Lettuce heads: Cherokeee and Tropicana lettuces-crisp and delicious for salads, sandwiches
Red Romaine salad mix--salads or sandwiches
Greens: chard, kale and collards--highly  nutritious and some say delicious ;-) see recipe below
Asian Cabbages:  Bok Choi is great sauteed--olive oil, soy sauce, ginger, peanut butter etc, while Napa cabbage is lighter and more lettuce-like, used for making spicy kimchee or stir-fries.

Shares Available:  we do have shares available--spread the word. 

Why Organic is More Nutritious:
Organic produce have more vitamins and minerals. Why?  "Apparently stress, like fending off bugs or surviving a dry spell triggers plants to generate defensive compounds which enrich their nutritional value.  Crops grown with fertilizer and pesticides have a cushy life and don't produce as many of the stress-induced micronutrients.  Interestingly, some of these defensive compounds add flavor, so that blemished peach is not only healthier for you, but it may taste better too."  --Sandra Anderson



What's Up
When you come up to the barn, check out the pergola with the vine on it--it's a hardy kiwi vine which will eventually yield grape-sized kiwis with smooth edible skin.  The pergola was built five years ago by Eagle Scout Andrew Nguyen to shade the distribution area and provide edible aesthetics.  Success. Thank you Andrew.  I grafted some female branches to the vine this spring, so fruit is possible next spring even though the framework of the vine is male and non-fruiting. There are fifty species of kiwis worldwide, several of which can be grown in our climate and have desirable fruit.

Farmer’s Breakfast (a delicious way to enjoy greens)
1T oil
6 collard, kale, or chard leaves, chopped coarsely
1 scallion, chopped into
½ inch pieces
6 slices pepperoni, cut in fourths (optional)
1 tsp. butter
2 eggs
2 slices smoked cheddar
2 plum tomatoes, diced
Heat a skillet. When hot, add 1T oil. Toss in collard leaves, scallion, and pepperoni. Saute till scallion is tender. Push to one side of the pan and add the butter to the other side. Fry the two eggs in the butter. When done to your liking, put on two plates, top with the cooked collards, scallions and pepperoni. Lay a slice of cheese on top, tuck a tomato each on the side, and broil till golden. Serve with Tabasco Chipotle sauce, coffee and a square of dark chocolate!
--from Lorena Breneman, the farmer’s wife

 Thank You

 Thanks this week to Elizabeth and Law Reh for persevering excellence with carrot weeding, each of the trainees for great work with straw, and Kim for a super job of distribution here at the barn and signs. . Thank you Turner family for getting the bird scare audio working again! and to Bob McClure for fixing the scale and for the sign work for the PYO field

 Enjoy!

Scott Breneman
Farm Manager 

First Harvest of 2011

Welcome to the first harvest,


How does it work?

If this is new to you, come on up to the barn, you will see a sign-in sheet to initial, a friendly farmer or two to greet you, and fresh veggies of course.  We encourage the use of cloth shopping bags, but we also have plastic shopping bags here for you to use as well as produce bags.   Signs will tell you how much of each item is for Half shares and Full shares each week.  You do not need to take the full amount if you don't care for something very much, or know you won't be able to use all of it.
As berries flowers and herbs mature, we will add them to the Pick Your Own board.  We will also answer cooking and nutritional questions that you may have.  Enjoy!


A few Guidelines: 
We want everyone to have a great time here at the farm, there is a lot to enjoy. For everyone to have an excellent experience please observe the following:

--to allow flowers, herbs, ornamentals, berries or fruits to reach proper size please wait to harvest until they are listed on the Pick Your Own Board.

--please keep dogs in your vehicle while at the farm.

-- accompany any children under your care, avoiding all machinery and watch for poison ivy, which tends to pop up under larger trees.

           Red and Green Lettuce doing well 




 Serving Suggestions for the Harvest:

Lettuce heads: great for salad, sandwiches, enough said :-)
Garlic Scapes:  these green garlic necks are tender and can be used in lieu of bulb garlic in any meal,
see pesto recipe below
 Chard: this green is a cousin of the beet and is good for salad and as a spinach substitute in lasnagna or elsewhere.
 Kale and Collards--a little butter or bacon fat or oil and sautee these well--very tasty side dish. My wife serves with eggs and sauteed onions and mushrooms--fabulous.
Bok Choy:  think of this as a crispy cabbage of Asian origin.  Also think of peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and onions as great companions with this vegetable. See recipe below.

Garlic Scape Pesto:
 1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
 3 T. fresh lemon or lime juice
 1/4lb fresh garlic scapes
 1/2 c. olive oil
 Salt to taste

 Puree scapes and olive oil in blender until smooth.  Stir in Parmesan and lemon or lime juice and season to taste.  Serve on bread or crackers.  --courtesy of Mary Jane's Farm

Bully for Bok Choy 

Isa Chandra Moskowitz has this to say about  bok choy:  " It looks like a cute little vase made of green leaves, and the flavor and texture is that of  a very sweet, juicy white cabbage.  We try to find reasons to eat as much of it as possible, not just a piece or two tossed in a stir-fry.  So with that in mind, this is our favorite way to quickly prepare bok choy on a weeknight…"

Baby Bok Choy with Crispy Shallots and Sesame Seeds

1 lb bok choy

2 small shallots, peeled and sliced into very thin rings

1/2 inch cube fresh ginger, peeled and grated

2 Tbsp peanut oil, or other cooking oil

1 Tbsp mirin or apple juice

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp roasted sesame seeds

Slice off the stubby base of the bok choy from the white, thick bottoms.  Slice the white stems away from the leafy tops.  Wash stems and chop  into 2 to 3 inch chunks, and set aside.  Wash the leafy part of the bok choy in a large bowl or salad spinner.  Shake off excess water and set aside.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the sliced shallots and sauté  for 5-6 minutes until golden brown.  Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.  If there is no oil left in the pan, drizzle in extra oil.  Add grated ginger and stir fry for about 15 seconds.  Add the bok chow stems and  sauté them for 2-3 minutes.  Add the leafy greens and stir fry for about 2 minutes until the green leaves start to wilt.  Add the mirin and soy sauce, stir briefly, and cover the pan.  Steam for 2 more minutes, then remove lid.  Stir for about 30 more seconds and remove from heat.  Top with fried shallots and roasted sesame seeds and serve.

Coming up this Month:
Snow peas
Blueberries
 Cilantro
 Green Beans
 Scallions

 Thanks for joining us for the twelfth season of the farm program, we are looking forward to a great season of fruits and vegetables. 

Scott Breneman
 Farm Manager