Wow, this winter is flying by! We have just two more distributions remaining. This one, and one more the first week of February.
- If you have any extras credits in your account, please remember they expire at the end of the winter season, so be sure to use them up this distribution or next. You can access information about your credits by clicking My Profile > Credits.
- We would like to take a moment to acknowledge the violence at our nation's Capitol last week. And to note that we will be delivering shares next week, the day of the inauguration and the day after. State capitols are considered potential targets, so please stay safe out there!
This week’s newsletter comes to you from Packshed Manager Sarah:
The warmer weather and sunshine these past two weeks has been greatly enjoyed by farmers and greenhouse greens alike. Everyone has found time to get out and enjoy nature, from cross country skiing to snowshoeing, snow fort building, and beyond. The greenhouse greens are performing marvelously, and we found last week that the spinach is producing more than anticipated. That means we have both spinach AND salad mix available for shares this week!
We’ve also been enjoying the frosted winter wonderland we’ve had most days of late. Views of ice encrusted trees and landscapes haven’t grown old yet, especially when backed by a colorful sunset. I discovered while hiking out to take the landscape picture (posted above), that there is a major deer migration path along the perimeter of the deer fence, on the outside. So far, so good (mwahaha!). Don’t worry- there is plenty of corn and soy- left behind during late fall harvests- on our neighbors’ land to keep the deer fed this winter.
In other news, we are excited to announce we hired a new Field Crew Leader for this season, so our management team is now full. We’ll introduce her in the next newsletter, as she’s still working on getting settled in the area (she hails from California). We’re still hiring field crew members for the summer and fall. Do you know a hardworking individual who might be a good fit? Feel free to pass along our job announcement (available on our website). 
Notes on items in this week’s share:
Butternut squash was grown organically by our friends at Featherstone Farm. Quantity is limited. Some shares will receive either one large (4 pounds or more) or one small (3 pounds) fruit. Size is specified on your order.
Tetsukabuto Squash: This is a Japanese squash that is a cross between kabocha and butternut. It has a sweet and nutty flavor and is popular in curries and tempura. Johnny’s Seeds previously described it as the squash of the zombie apocalypse, for it’s prolific disease resistance and storage ability. In any case, this quirky squash was new-to-us this year, and we found we liked it!
Onions are our standard yellows. Limited quantity. Expect the same volume box as last week (just a little smaller than usual).
Spinach: Greenhouse grown and frost-sweetened. Leaf size will be larger this week.
Salad mix: Greenhouse grown, extra sweet and tender.
There are two types of potatoes this week. Because our own potato crop is nearly sold out, we bought in these potatoes from our friends at Driftless Organics. You’ll receive either a gold skin, gold flesh variety, or a red skin white flesh one. Color is specified on your order.
Turnips: Expect one larger root.
Garlic comes to you from our friends at Grinnell Heritage Farm.
Sweet Potatoes: Since we’ve sold out of our own crop, these will also be coming from Driftless Organics.
Watermelon Radish: Looking for a bright, citrusy dish to chase away the winter blues? Try this Watermelon, Orange and Goat Cheese Salad. Sub in feta if you’re not a fan of goat cheese. Don’t forget to peel your radishes- they taste better that way.
This week's Hot Sauce/Salsa Add-on is Cry Baby Craig's Pickled Habanero & Garlic Hot Sauce. It’s described on their website like this: “This hot sauce features habanero peppers which are not cooked—they're pickled to create a unique, bright and refreshing flavor that pairs with just about anything. Garlic and cumin peek around the corner to offer words of encouragement. Each 5 oz. bottle is guaranteed to have you weeping with joyous abandon. All natural, vegan, gluten free and no added fillers.”
Not signed up for a hot sauce share but interested in this sauce? It’s available for purchase on the extras page (It’s part of our usual add-ons, but is a farm favorite and so delicious we just had to include it in our hot sauce shares, too!).
Subscribers to the Kimchi Add-on Share will receive a quart of their chosen spice level in their share.
This week we’re offering some seconds sweet potatoes at a discounted price. What does this mean? They have cosmetic issues (nicks from harvesting or handling, or some disease spots) that make them less desirable than firsts (the high quality we include in your shares), but they still taste great. Expect to slice off some of the fruit/root. And plan to use them quickly. Available for additional purchase outside of your normal share.
New this week, we’re offering some petite garlic pints at a discounted price. Expect small cloves and small bulbs, about 8-10 heads per pint. Available for additional purchase outside of your normal share.
Final logistics notes:
- We have one more delivery scheduled after this week: Feb 3-4.
- Home delivery members: just a reminder to please leave out your bag and ice packs on the morning of delivery for us to pick up for re-use. Right now the forecast for next week looks cold, so plan to bring your share inside ASAP so it does not get cold damaged.
