Coming Up For Air by Matt Steiman
From May to October farming is like an endurance race. Once the first crops are in the ground, the weeds have begun to sprout, the calves and lambs are all born, and the early harvests start coming in, we are off and running in a high speed contest requiring hustle, skill and perseverance. The workload mushrooms late in Spring and keeps piling on. Irrigation systems and tillage machines break and need to be fixed at all costs. Animals jump their fences and threaten to wander through the crops, requiring immediate action to avert a food safety disaster. Different vegetable crops are planted, tended, harvested, washed, stored, sorted and delivered every week of the CSA season. Our months are punctuated with farm events, major one-time harvests (garlic, sweet potatoes, hard squash, big carrot waves, cabbage, etc.) and the coming and going of our rotating student crew members. A friend from a bigger organic farm likened the major fall harvests to a scavenger hunt, as if someone has scattered thousands of nickels throughout the crop fields and said “they’re all yours if you can pick them up before frost”.
Suddenly, November is upon us and we are coming up for air. Stunned but happy, we find the to-do list getting a little bit shorter day by day. The recent rains have put an end to the long irrigation season until next summer. Next year’s garlic and strawberries are in the ground, and there’s nothing left to plant in 2019. We are selling lambs, sheep, and cows, trimming the herd down to our core producers who will winter over on hay. Cleaning up, making compost, fixing machines and recording our farm data points are rising to the top of our fall list. As is celebrating a great season with a fantastic farm crew! Every year is different and in 2019 we’ve been fortunate to be well stocked with eager, up-beat, hard working apprentices and students. Our new veg manager Will has proven he’s up to the job – we hope you’ve noticed the bountiful yields of his first year’s efforts!
Thanks for hanging with us for the late fall CSA season. Enjoy the veggies to come and we’ll look forward to seeing you at the farm, SHARE or on campus. Bon appetite!
Veggie List:
Beets
Carrots
Lettuce Mix
Lettuce, Romaine
Lettuce, Green
Lettuce, Red
Peppers
Potatoes
Onions
Cabbage
Chinese cabbage
Garlic
Herbs (Sage, Cilantro, Dill)
Winter squash
Fennel
Spinach
Kale
Kohlrabi
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Daikon Radishes
Radishes
Celeriac
Sweet Potatoes
Collards
Escarole
Turnips
Hakurei Turnips
Parsnips
Announcements:
November GATHER - now accepting reservations!
We are delighted to announce that Scott Robinson will return as our guest chef for our November GATHER on Saturday, November 23rd. There will be a lamb or vegetarian option for the entree. Also, Adeline Soldin, Assistant Professor of French will be sharing some readings. For information about the chef, the menu and to reserve your spot, https://dcfarmgather.wordpress.com/whats-in-season-the-november-23rd-menu/
Holiday Gift Boxes
Once again, Dickinson College Farm will be selling delicious, homemade products from the farm harvest. The selection will include favorites like Kosher Pickles, Zucchini Pickles, Sweet Pickles, Salsa, Pickled Beets, Hot Pepper Sauce, soap, yarn and more. Great for gift giving! Order forms will be available soon.
Change in Schedule for Friday CSA for Thanksgiving Week
We are excited to have you staying on as part of our CSA Season Extension! We want to bring to your attention a slight change in CSA protocol that will take place the week of Thanksgiving. Recognizing that many of you will be traveling for the holiday or otherwise off work from November 27th to 29th, we are going to have EVERYONE pick up their CSA share AT THE FARM on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26TH. This means that Friday members will not be asked to customize a box for the week of Thanksgiving. INSTEAD, we will fold Friday CSA members into the Tuesday pick up protocol: "TAKE WHAT YOU NEED" with a one bag limit. If you do not plan to pick up your share at the farm on November 26th, please be sure to email farm@dickinson.edu to let us know. We will go back to the normal CSA share format for the remaining weeks of the CSA in December. Thanks, in advance for your understanding and cooperation.
Lamb Sales:
Also, just in time for some special holiday meals, the farm will soon be taking orders for lamb. For a whole lamb you will get approximately 30 - 35 pounds of meat, half lamb approximately 15 - 20 pounds. Lamb is priced at $12 per pound; weighed as finished, packaged product. Each cut will be individually vacuum sealed and frozen. Butchering will be done by Animal Welfare Approved Warrington Meats in Dillsburg, PA on November 6th. And, you can customize the cuts you would like. Processing takes approximately two weeks - finished meat will be available sometime in late November. Order forms will be out soon.
