Week 5 CSA Newsletter

Wait, what?! Week 5!!? How can we be half way through our Summer CSA season already?! That’s just crazy!

Well, we are here in the middle of July with the heat rising and crops starting to really pop! This week’s bag looks a little different than the last few weeks which is an indication of a shift on the farm. The mid-way point of summer here on the farm is always marked by the harvest of garlic which you will find in your bag this week!

The arrival of beets, a beloved root crop, is always a gentle reminder of fall, just around the next corner, which is the heart and soul for root crops. But we won’t worry about that…we’ll just enjoy these fresh, tender beets!

Mid summer on the farm is the height of haying. Our middle son started a hay business when he was a sophomore in high school. He is now heading into his senior year of college. With uncertainty about his placement after graduation, we aren’t sure if this will be the last summer of late nights following him in a truck while he drives his tractor and equipment down Reserve Street, or beautiful views of sunsets as we drive the truck while he and his brothers buck bales or washing loads of sweaty, dirty, hay-filled clothes. Logan completed his last field this weekend and has all the hay off the ground and stacked in his customers’ barns! Hay season is a lot of work for not a lot of pay, but the thrill of making hay is such a reward and Logan thrives on that reward!

We are in our last week of Farm Camp this week. This is week 5 of our summer farm experience for kiddos! It’s been a great summer with camps full to the brim with kids wanting to learn about farming and spending the day with animals! We have loved all energy this camps bring the farm each day! If you’ve been around when the Farm Camp is in session, you know how lively things are around here! It’s the best!

Okay, here is what is in your bags today:

~Garlic: Fresh picked today! These haven’t been cured so you’ll want to use it soon or just pop it in your refridge to keep it fresh!

~Beets: There is a mixture of red and golden beets. The greens may or may not be useable due to the hail damage. But if your greens look decent, don’t forget to saute them up in a little butter with salt, pepper and fresh garlic! MMMM!

~Raspberries: The best part of July! Red little gems! These were freshly picked by our interns this morning! Enjoy!

~Radish Pods: Okay, these are so fun! These are the seed pods on the big daikon radish plants. We love them so much! They are perfect to throw into a salad. They have a burst of radish flavor! Such a fun and unique item!

~Romaine Lettuce: Fresh romaine is perfect for a meal on a hot summer night! Crisp and fresh!

~Mint: With the hot temps, there is nothing more refreshing than a sprig of mint in your water. Or if you are so inclined…an ice cold mojito! But a little chopped mint in a salad gives a great burst of flavor in a summer salad!

~Spanish White Onions: These are our very favorite onions! We grow a lot of onions but these are hands down our favorite! First, they get really big and second, their flavor is second to none! Not too spicy, crisp and juicy! Yum! Again, the tops have been damaged by hail so they aren’t too pretty but thankfully no damage to the onions themselves!

-Cauliflower: Yup, we grow ‘em! People are always amazed we can grow cauliflower to a decent and sometimes big size in our climate. We have huge success with it and it tastes sooo good!

Enjoy your produce this week! And remember if you need more produce, our Farm Store is always open. We run it as a self-serve, honor system store! So stop by if you need more produce, our grass fed beef, pork or lamb meat, eggs, and lots more great farm items!

Logan at his last haying job! He was tired and sweaty, but oh, so happy and pretty dang proud!

FArm Camp Kids enjoying fresh picked Raspberries!