NEW CROP: HAKUREI TURNIPS
Peter here thinning the dense stand of hakurei salad turnips, one of the available veggies in this coming week's boxes.
ORGANIC APPLES AVAILABLE FROM HAPPY ROOTS FARM
Dave and Rhonda Bohnhoff planted a wide variety of apples, along with other fruits and berries, on their land a couple miles east of us, and we have been consuming, and making available to our members, their apples and cider for a number of years. They have always been following organic practices in the management of their orchard. This week they have available honey crisp apples, which are excellent! We are making them available to you either in 3 lb. bags, or in 15 lb. totes. If you order a 3 lb. bag, we would simply put that bag into your tote of veggies, while if you order the 15 lb. tote, then it will be a separate tote from your share. (And speaking of 'separate totes' if you do ever order enough items to warrant a second tote, we will always label your totes as "1 of 2", and "2 of 2", so that you will immediately know to be on the lookout for a second tote to take home with you.)
FALL ACTIVITIES AT THE FARM - MUCH HARVESTING!
In September we begin to harvest and put into storage items that we will be making available for the next several months, as well as through the winter. (After our CSA deliveries end with the December storage share, we continue to offer items at a few winter indoor markets, as well as to a few select coops and restaurants.) Items such as potatoes, carrots, cabbage, winter squash, sweet potatoes, and onions, all need to be brought in, and stored according to their own needs. We are also on the lookout for the first major freeze of the season (usually late September or early October), which would put an end to all the tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant, and we harvest as much of them as possible prior to the freeze. We generally are harvesting continuously up until around Thanksgiving, after which we turn only to the hoophouses for fresh harvest of greens, etc. We also like to do some food processing as well, extending the season indefinitely for the produce, in the form of salsa, sauerkraut, kimchi, pickled beets, frozen soups, etc. (In fact, we can use some experienced help here for that in the next few weeks; send us an e-mail if you have the time and knowledge to help us in that capacity!)
OCTOBER 5TH VISIT TO SPRINGDALE FARM
If you would like to come see the farm, and meet your farmers, Saturday October 5th would be a good day! (We hope the weather cooperates; if it doesn't, we will probably try the following Saturday.) We will be busy harvesting something in the morning, and afternoon; perhaps sweet potatoes, or carrots, or fingerling potatoes? You can come anytime between 10 and 4. We will share with you a pot luck lunch at 12:30, and Peter will lead a tour of the facilities and fields starting around 1:30. Sorry, no pigs, or chickens, or horses, for the younger generation to enjoy; just produce! RSVP's welcome!
