CSA Newsletter // Week 8

Greetings All!

I hope your week was a fun one- I know we are all trying to fit in as much as we can before school starts. Birthday parties for kids, trips out of town with Grandparents for fishing, school shopping, so much to do here at the farm in August!

I am happy to share I am feeling a lot better- not back to normal yet but I do feel like I have come out of the worst of the concussion symptoms but my back is really bad so I have physical therapy coming up here for a few weeks to get aligned better and train my muscles back to normal. Life feels a lot more exciting now that I have the energy back to share with you about all the fun stuff happening on the farm!!!

CHICKENS!!!! As many of you know we started raising chickens here for the first time ever...

We knew we wanted to have control over our proteins because you never know what you'll get at the stores (or what marketing ploys are on the packaging to fool us) and I haven't bought chicken in a store in years because of it. All of us just want NATURAL healthy food, so that's what we're offering to you here :) We move our chickens every day in their chicken tractors (they're 10ft by 20ft long) and they get their non-gmo transitional organic grains in addition to whatever they find hiding in the grass! They are professionally butchered at a shop in Kerkhoven which is a haul for us, but it is important to us to have them professionally processed. I'm not throwing shade at folks who do it at home, but we aren't set up to butcher hundreds of chickens here, we don't have the $ to invest in the equipment and the most important factor: we want to offer a very high quality, safe product that is packaged professionally for longevity as well.

YOU ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO US.

As CSA Members, you have invested in our farming operation and we will always do what we can to offer you the first of everything, special sales, opportunities to have access to these products so you get first dibs. That's why we are offering this sale ahead of the Fall Sale- because we want to give you an opportunity to get whatever you'd like before it's gone (because it will sell very quickly!)

That said, we are hosting a farm sale here next Saturday on the 16th! From noon to 4, come stop in and get some chicken, heritage hog pork products, tons of produce, canned goods (my home-made pickles!) we'll have a little bit of everything here. I also have some farm apparel I am going to put out, in case you want to rep your CSA farm :)

We are happy to share that we will have individual packages if folks just one one or two things, but we will also have some bulk packages available as well for our chickens! It's a package of 3 parted chickens, so you get all of those 3 birds individually packaged (breasts, tenderloins, wings, dummies and thighs) AND my favorite part is that you also get the frames included as well. For those of us out there who want to make wild rice soup in big batches, or you want to make up your own chicken broth. Nothing is wasted on the farm and I am so excited to use these frames!

You can pre-order the chicken packages on the website here.

We aren't doing any pre-sale on whole birds, but we will have some here too.

Bell Peppers!!! This picture is from last year- we haven't harvested ANY bell peppers this season so far, except for the two that Grace brought to me in my office on Friday morning. They're nice sized (finally) and we're looking forward to starting to add these to our CSA Shares for ya'll! We grow a LOT of peppers, so this is just the beginning. The first week here we are going to give peppers to the Jumbo & Family Shares because we know we'll have plenty for the bigger boxes. We will be adding them to the Single Shares the following week. Peppers are a staple, so you'll be seeing a lot more varieties of peppers this season, which I am very excited for!! I can't wait to make some of my pickled peppers- it's been so long since we've had those on my canning shelves.

MATER UPDATE

We are starting to see some tomatoes turning!!! We picked off all the ripe grape tomatoes which was about a peck- not much considering when the time comes we will be harvesting about 20x that in one day. We grow THOUSANDS of tomato plants and just FYI- they look good but there aren't as many tomatoes on there as we'd like. It might be the same in your home garden; everyone I have talked to has had the same experience which I believe has direct ties to the weird weather. We had 90 degree days in May for almost 2 weeks and then it dropped off so fast that we were in the 40s overnights in June, we just don't have the heat for great tomatoes yet. And the heat we do have right now is always humid which is not great. Needless to say- we will have as many tomatoes for you as you could want- you get priority! We aren't going to start selling canning tomatoes for a couple weeks I would guess but when the time comes I put it on the online store for Members so you can order all your canning needs at one time and put up your salsa, sauces, spaghetti sauce, etc! We have a lot to look forward to :)

CUKES looking very good right now!! They're all pollinated well so they don't have funny shapes quite yet- but as the plants get older the flowers that they produce aren't as strong and they don't produce the nicest shapes. For now- this is like PRIME TIME in the cucumber patch!!

We will have these tasty treats in your CSA again this week- cukes and pickles are alternating again so we make sure everyone gets a variety of everything we've got for you!! I have had folks ask about getting boxes of pickles and I want to share here that we don't harvest them very small because it pulls so much energy from the plants. If you want to get a box full of 'chubs' as we call them, feel free to reach out and I can get you info and send them along with your CSA in the coming weeks.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT NEXT WEEK:

Jumbo and Family Shares: Sweet Corn, Red Potatoes, Slicers/ Pickles, Green Beans, & Bell Peppers!

Single Shares: Sweet Corn, Red Potatoes, Slicers/ Pickles, Green Beans, & Leeks!

Sweet Corn! This is such an exciting time of year and we'll still have corn for a long time yet- we're working on the second patch out of 4 separate plantings so we'll have sweet corn into the end of September if not later, I would guess!

Now is a great time to process corn for the winter! I want to announce that from now on we will have sweet corn on our website for extra orders. So you can order an extra dozen for a weekend party or you can order an extra gunny sack (4 dozen) for processing. I have friends who freeze it on the cob and swear by it, but I also personally prefer the off-the-cob method because freezer space is always an issue here. With all of our own personal meats and also the Farm's for sale products, we never have enough space to freeze it on the cob.

To freeze sweet corn: blanch the cobs for a few minutes until there is a slight change in color and then cut it off the cob with a sharp knife. I have bought every fancy knife and gadgets there is, and I have to say- none of them work better than my standard big knife from my knife block in the kitchen. If you've never processed anything from a farm for your freezer before, this would be a great place to start because there are basically no food safety concerns; it's fool proof. Blanch and cut off the cob and put into bags and squish out as much air as you can, and pop it in the freezer! We lay all of our ziplock bags flat so they stack nicely, that way we can fit more. We do about 3 cups per quart ziplock bags. I want you to know I learned the hard way: buy the name brand freezer storage quart bags; if you get the off brands, all of your hard work is at risk because they're more prone to cracking a seal or not protecting your veggies from the deep freezer.

Red Potatoes! Quick reminder that these are LOW in starch, which means they hold their shape really well when they're cooked. They work great for potato salad and fried breakfast potatoes. To be noted- there has never been a potato that we don't use for whatever we're making at that time.... If I am making mashed potatoes and all I have is reds- I still make mashed potatoes!!! Even though they're not the best potato, we use what we have on hand. Waste not, want not!

Our son swears by them, but I convinced him to clean up half reds and half yukons this last time. Because we have a little of both in the house already. He eats so much of the mashed potatoes he gets sick, but then does the same thing next time too!! I guess it's a compliment of sorts!

LEEKS I am so sorry I totally forgot to add these to the blog post last week! I never even mentioned them (except in the list you'd be receiving)- I apologize, that's not normal!

You can use all parts of the leek! The white part at the bottom and the lighter green stem part is the most desirable. The dark green leaves at the top are usually reserved for either soups/stews or to add to your veggie stock.

They do taste very comparable to an onion but they're a softer flavor, not so pungent. They are almost always cooked, not served as raw leeks unless they're sliced very thin to add a delicate flavor. They're most often used by either sauteeing, braising, or roasting. Commonly paired with broth or wine when braising. Consider slicing the long way and adding them to a cookie sheet of mixed veggies for roasting. Their flavor is almost sweet if they're roasted slowly. When in doubt; use them like an onion lol. If you don't have time to look up new recipes this week, see where they could fit into one of your already planned meals.

BELL PEPPERS I am sure this is one you already have in your 'tool box' but just a reminder that these skins are really nice and thick compared to some of the other peppers you'll be seeing this season! Bell peppers are the best for stuffing, and I think we're going to use some this week for a long overdue favorite: taco stuffed bell peppers! We usually add beef of course, onions, I usually add some kind of salsa and some rice too, usually some black beans mixed in. I think this week I'm going to add some corn as well, that way it's like a chipotle bowl in a bell pepper ;P One of my all time favorite places to eat because it's all fresh.

We are going to harvest a handful of the purple bell peppers this week, too! We know there aren't a ton out there yet but we're going to do our best to mix the purple & green this week so you can try these. The purple ones are definitely sweeter. YOu can see they actually grow white/soft yellow and then turn purple as they get bigger and they ripen. So they're sweeter than their green cousins, and make for a fun salad topper and great conversation starter in the lunch room too ;) Eat the rainbow, as they say!

WRAPPING IT UP

Ben tilled his phone this week (this is NOT the first time, lol!)

Needless to say- we got him a new one so that's taken care of now. He had my phone most of the week as he was out delivering and needs the directions between sites- so I am just now getting back into having my phone on me again. It was freeing but also made me anxious because I don't like keeping customers waiting and Ben wouldn't know how to respond to most of the questions I get, lol! That's ok- we each have our own area of expertise; you'll never see me running the cultivator lol.

I really should have started with an apology for giving you guys a full on cat-o-rama story last week- lol! I just love my kitties and overshared- my bad!! I just got rolling and kept typing because I love talking about my critters. Quick update on the little momma- she still has the buns in the oven! ;) Kelsi has now called her a walking sausage- we keep thinking 'it'll be any day now'! Still no babies, yet!

I made up some pickles! My kids eat a quart at a time, so it's important to get a good stock pile going early. Last year I didn't have time to make ANY pickles, so this year I started strong with 30 quarts. I also have a bunch of pints that we will be selling at the sale here next Saturday! We'll have some up at the Farm Stand in Zimmerman, too!! Hopefully I have time to make more this week because they'll sell quick, I only had time to make a few dozen! I only make spears because it's the best way to get the most in the jars. For myself and for our customers too. If people are spending their hard-earned money on my canned goods, I am going to make sure to get them the biggest bang for their buck!

A normal morning on the farm here consists of about 3 hours worth of chores to do before getting to my own work (i.e. office work). The animals need to be fed and watered, the greenhouse needs to be cared for, the eggs need to be collected, and then I get to start my day with cleaning my kitchen and getting some inside chores started. We have been busier than usual this weekend trying to prep the website for online sales, posting to social media, and most importantly: I took over Ben's job at the farm stand yesterday right after my chores because he needed to attend to some family matters. In an effort to respect their family, I won't share details, but if you have time to pray for Ben I would much appreciate it.

I am still waiting to hear back from progressive, so we are still using the rental van but it's huge. I don't like it being so bulky- it feels like a bus driving down the road. Hopefully the insurance thing is wrapped up soon so we can use that money towards a new (to us) van! They did take 100% liability so they'll pay us what your van is 'worth' but you know that never really covers the loss. This season has been a hard one but I feel the tides changing.. a lot of hope with the upcoming crops we'll be harvesting soon, and I feel like I am finally getting my energy back too which is so crucial. This is the only time of year for us to make our income, so I am very thankful to be feeling better physically and mentally. If you want to support our farm, come out next weekend and get some extra veggies, some canned goods, our pastured poultry and some heritage hog pork products! Just to mention, this isn't a farm tour event, we'll be in the pole shed set up with our goods for sale. Of course, most of our hogs are in the front yard, so they're just right there and they love veggie scraps! The chickens will be in the freezers, but we do have lots of layers running around and nice roosters too :) Come see where it all happens!! Eat Good & Be Well,

~The Farmer's Wife