We've been having some issues with some of our emails being rejected as spam by ISPs. Armstrong's zoominternet.net has began blocking all of our emails recently, and I've spent the last week calling and emailing them about it. We think it's finally fixed, so we hope all of you zoominternet users can see this email. Remember that if you don't receive an email on Friday by noon for some reason, you can go directly to your account on Harvie to customize your share. If you stop receiving emails, please contact me so we can get it fixed.
We have an updated product listing where you can see which farm the item comes from, as well as additional info like growing practices and/or ingredient list for some items. I continually add new products and update existing ones so you have more info.
Produce updates: Zucchini and Summer Squash are abundant. Garlic scape season will finish up this week or next. We have limited quantities of kale, beets, hakurei turnips, and radishes this week, so if you love those check back throughout the weekend to see if anyone has swapped them out of their share. Carrots are almost ready, and we're talking to our early tomatoes asking them to just turn red.
Dinner Bell Farm is back from vacation this week with some new baked goods. 7 Grain Bread and Chocolate Walnut Fudge are available for swapping or extras, along with their delicious Blueberry Scones.
Mushroom Share this week is Lions Mane. Please take a moment to answer this one-question survey about mushroom packaging, whether you have a mushroom share or just order mushrooms in your regular share.
Let's talk about salad greens. Greens are usually harvested early in the morning when they are the coolest, and then they are immediately plunged into cool water to remove any residual heat. They are then rinsed again and spun to remove as much water as we can without damaging the leaves. We had a comment that some of the greens were a little too wet a couple of weeks ago, so Glacial Till Farm changed their practice in response. Here is Derek's reply:
"____, thank you for the feedback. I had also noticed the salad mix was a bit wetter. In response to this I altered some steps in my wash pack process. I have reduced the size of load in my spinner basket, and increased my spin dry time. I also shake up the mix out of the spinner, I noticed this allows leaves to separate and some moisture evaporate. I have tested air drying the mix in the past only to find that when too dry the leaves wilt. I strive for a humid but not wet environment in the bag, this is variable with the humidity of the field environment. Our goal is to have a mix that will last at least 7 days in the refrigerator, many customers report 14 days. I greatly appreciate a customer of your understanding that can adjust the bag conditions to achieve an environment that is stable for maximum storage length. Thank you again for the report, and enjoy the salad!"
I often add a paper towel to my bag of salad greens before I put them in the fridge to absorb extra moisture and prevent slime. Derek made a video last week telling about all of the various leaves in his salad mix. Check it out here.
What is the difference between swaps and extras? During the summer and fall months, we usually only include produce in our initial boxes, but other types of products are also available from our farmers including baked goods, maple syrup, meats, and more. Non-produce items from farmer-members of NWPA Growers Cooperative are available to swap into your share instead of produce if you prefer, or to add as extras for an additional cost. Some items are only available as extras and not swapping, and those come from farms and companies that are not farmer-members, but we purchase their products to offer you additional locally-produced choices.
Share customization period ends at 3 pm Sunday. After that any extra produce will be moved over to the Webstore until Monday morning. Be sure to choose "CSA Member" as your pickup location to avoid the extra delivery fee.
As always, please email me with questions or problems with your share. I will be offline from Friday evening until late Saturday, so I will respond Sunday morning to any emails during that time.
On behalf of your NWPA Growers farmers,
Amy Philson
