Greetings Farm Fans -
All sorts of exciting things to tell you about this week! But first, a little housekeeping:
- Please please please - remember to bring a reusable bag with you to your pickup so we can hold on to our NevadaGrown boxes (and reuse them til they fall apart)! We are committed to keeping our footprint small and reusing all that we can! While we are limited on packaging like single use plastic bags and egg cartons, our boxes and meat bags are something that we value and want to use to their fullest.
- If you need to take your box or red meat bag home, please bring them back to your pickup site at your next available opportunity!
Now to the fun stuff!
Yellow Petal Flower Farm
If you haven't yet seen our amazing floral bouquets, I hope you noticed the photo sent to us by a subscriber in Fallon. She described her first bouquet as the most beautiful flowers she has had in her house! The women at Yellow Petal Flower Farm led by mother-daughter team Kim & Kylie are growing, harvesting, and arranging some beautiful flowers! Just this week they announced their first on-farm events! You can sign up to visit the farm and enjoy one of their floral events. Wander through their fields and cut your own floral bouquet! They have three different on-farm options including morning events, evening events (including guidance on floral arrangements), and family friendly events! To find out more information or to sign up to visit, check out their website HERE
Rwanda Hingakawa Women's Coffee Collaborative
Our coffee for this week (and next) is super special! Abakundakawa ("Those Who Love Coffee") Coffee Cooperative is represented by two women coffee associations: Hingakawa ("Let's Grow Coffee") and Dakundakawa ("We Love Coffee"). The women of Hingakawa are both a witness and victim to some of the darkest periods in Rwanda's history--the 1994 Rwanda Genocide. Since this group includes both ethnic groups that clashed during that devastating period (Hutu and Tutsi), the women made a decision to make poverty their mutual enemy rather than each other--and with this sentiment, they have been avle to move forward and heal a community, and a nation, through their leadership, courage, and bravery. Hingakawa is less about 'growing coffee' and more of a resolution to lock arms and fight a social endemic that has crippled and claimed lives of their brothers and sisters--Poverty. These women have had enough and have come together to yell out loud "Let's Grow Coffee" together - and reclaim their lives!
This coffee is grown at high altitudes (1700-1900 meter elevation) in the northern mountainous region of the district of Gakenke. It is fully washed and parchment dried on raised beds. Tasting notes include: very clean, crisp and balanced cup, with medium to lightly-heavy acidity (not as much as Kenya or Ethiopia). The cup is very well balanced, silky and complex, with jammy, spice, grape and vanilla notes. My friend Crystal roasted it to a even medium roast in Carson City on May 26th.
You are able to add a bag of this delicious whole bean coffee to your box and help support these groundbreaking women producers!
Fruit Bread of the Week
This week, the lovely bakers at Lattin Farms are going to LEMON TOWN!!! Our three breads include: Lemon Lavender, Lemon Raspberry, and Lemon Poppyseed.
Farmer Update
We are nearing the end of the necessity of California produce! Our Nevada farmers made it through the late-May freeze with minimal crop impact. They are assuring me, almost every day, that their crops are "almost there" and when they are ready, we are going to have a ton! We have our first kohlrabi available this week from my friend Scott from Pioneer Farms. Green garlic harvests from Lattin Farms continue unabated. Desert Farming Initiative continues to harvest their delicious YaYa carrots, collard greens, and a variety of kale. Salisha has listed some spicy purple mustard greens this week, as well as a limited amount of turnip greens. Four Ducks Farm has more duck eggs available and we are almost swimming in chicken eggs.
We hope that this update finds you well and, as always, thank you for your support of Nevada Farmers!
Kelli
