Hi folks! A reminder to mark your calendars for the upcoming farm tour on July 31 from 6:30-8:30. Click here for a link to our farm location! Visiting our farm is an opportunity to see how your food is grown. We want you to know and understand the unique food system that you've plugged into by becoming a farm box member of Sundog! Our next and final tour will be on Sunday, Sept. 15.
Common Mistakes with Vegetable Storage:
In talking to customers at the markets, we know that many people don't know the optimal storage for produce. If you get roots (carrots, beets, summer turnips, radishes, kohlrabi...) with their leaves attached, it is best to separate the leaves from the roots and refrigerate each in its own plastic bag or sealable glass container. The leaves of most veggies are edible, including carrots!! Storing them in sealed containers or bags will ensure they stay crisp and fresh for much longer. We also recommend refrigerating your potatoes. Storing potatoes in the pantry is a thing of the past - when pantries were cold rooms in basements! The pantries of today are not kept at the optimal temperature, especially for new potatoes.
Farm news...
I sure hope you don't get tired of photos of long rows of vegetables! Keep scrolling to see a bunch, and to read some ramblings about things happening on the farm...
The squash and corn fields have really enjoyed the heat, even if we haven't!
James recording just how many bunches we can get from this beautiful Tuscan kale.
Having ALL the ground covered - including pathways and roadways - is one of our strategies in creating a more resilient farm. We really felt that this past week with the extreme heat. In the above photo we are surveying the fields early this morning to make a plan for the week ahead. One thing we plan for is where we need to mow. We do quite a bit of mowing, having decided that mowing is a better energy expenditure than weeding! Mowing at the right time and the right height also stimulates root growth in many plants.
The whole crew was out picking spinach early this morning to beat the heat! You can see that the pathways in this area are not growing clover anymore. Some areas died off because of last winter's cold snap (remember when it was -45 degrees??) We just got some more clover seed and sowing it in the pathways here is on our list for this week.
We hope you enjoy the harvest this week! XOXO ~ Jenny
REMINDERS AND GENERAL TIPS/INFORMATION
Have questions about your Harvie account and how to navigate Harvie? Here is a link to the many help documents that Harvie has compiled for you: https://harvie.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/categories/115000048773-Harvie-University-Members
What To Do if You Are Away
You have three options:
1) BEST OPTION - Reschedule your share. This is our recommended option because it means you get your full value. We suggest rescheduling your share to a week near the end when you will get more storage-friendly items that will last longer, though you're welcome to reschedule to any date that works best for you. When you reschedule, you will get double your share for the week.
2) Cancel your share for the week. This can be managed on your Harvie account page. It must be done before the Wednesday morning cutoff time of 6 a.m. The disadvantage here is that you lose whatever you have invested into that share. So if you've paid 50%, then you forfeit that amount.
3) Have someone else pick up for you. In our experience, friends assigned this job sometimes forget, so just give them a friendly reminder!
Location Options and Info
King's University (East Edmonton) Friday pickups, 12-4, some flex if you have to come later. We will not retrieve any shares left here. Also, the main entrance is different than previous years. You will have to enter on the east side of Kings.
Breadlove Artisan Bakery (St. Albert) Saturday pickups, 10-2, no flex & closed on Sunday. We will not retrieve shares left here.
Awn Kitchen (Southwest Edmonton) Saturday pickups, 10-2, no flex. James will be here handing out your shares.
Uproot Food Collective (Central Edmonton)
Saturday pickups, 10-2, some flex, but let's respect the hours as best we can.
Strathcona Farmer's Market (Edmonton) Saturday pickups, 8-3, no flex.
The Butcher Block (Sherwood Park) Saturday pickup, 9:30-4, some flex, open till 5.
Get Real Natural (Fort Saskatchewan) Saturday pickup, 10-5, no flex
Sundog Organic Farm (near Gibbons) Saturday, 9-2, flexible
A few more tips in case you haven't read them yet...
*When picking up your bin at King's, Awn, Breadlove, Butcher Block, Get Real Natural or the farm, please make sure that you are getting the bin with your name on the label as we don't have anyone handing out the correct veggie boxes. We want to make sure that everyone gets the correct bin!
*Make sure that you set your preferences on your Harvie account. This ensures that you receive boxes tailored to you. Save the 5 star rating for things that you really love and don't give everything 5 stars because that skews the algorithm that the software relies on for building the boxes.
*Take advantage of the swapping and adding extras to further customize your shares! Remember to do it before Wednesday morning, 5:00 a.m.(basically Tuesday night unless you are a very early riser). Sometimes popular items sell out really quickly, so if you miss your chance on Monday, try again later on Tuesday after more customizing. Sometimes things that you want get put back on the options list.
If you miss the swap deadline, we can no longer make changes for you. We've tried to accommodate late requests in the past, but it's a lot of extra administration for us.
*Let us know if you ever want help navigating Harvie. You can send in a note via your Harvie account, or email us directly at jamesandjenny@sundogorganicfarm.ca. If it is a more urgent concern, call us at 780-447-3025 or 780-974-6249. We are here for you!
