CSA Newsletter // Week 1

Good evening All!

This is the first edition of our Farm Newsletter for 2025!! We are happy to welcome our Members for another season of sharing farm fresh goodies every week! We've got a big season ahead and can't wait to show you what's in store for you ;)

Every morning starts the same around here during CSA Harvest Season. I give Ben a honey-do list. Except it's really like a honey-harvest list, haha! We harvest, pack and deliver CSAs for 3 days a week and every day has a different number of shares and different sizes. So I'll give Ben a list for 125 heads of romaine, 5 bushels of kale to bunch, 75 heads of broccoli, for example. Ben has a handful of helpers in the field and I have a handful of helpers in the pack shed. We rinse the produce lightly and then pack the CSAs, and then load and deliver your produce!

The purpose of explaining that was to express how fresh everything is going to be. We don't harvest a week's worth of anything at a time. We harvest what we need each day, and then start the process over the next day. Ultimately, this is what's going to get the best, fresh produce into your kitchen!

Here is a pic of the cabbages, they're looking great! The broccoli is getting ready to start heading. Ben thinks by the end of the week we'll see some baby broccolis out there-which means they're just a couple weeks from your CSA Boxes!

HOW THIS ALL WORKS

We look at the fields and make decisions about what produce to harvest every week for CSAs. Ben & I will take a field walk together and discuss how things are looking, what's ready for this week and what we have to look forward to in the coming weeks.

Then I send you this dandy newsletter every week on Friday with the list of crops that you can expect the following week. As you can imagine, it's not always 100% accurate, though we are pretty darn good at predicting what we'll be harvesting! For our NEW Members, I want to give you an idea of what to expect this summer. The harvest season is broken down into 3 sub-seasons basically. The spring is for the leafy greens and delicate crops like snap peas, the summer is for the hearty rockstars- tomatoes, melons, peppers, cukes, etc. and then in the fall you'll see a lot of root crops, dried onions, winter squash, apples, etc.

Certain crops grow best in certain circumstances. For example, these lettuces you'll be seeing over the next couple of weeks! These are so healthy and fun to grow- but they're also pretty delicate. They don't like the heat; they get bitter if they're grown mid-summer. So we grow them in the spring to open up our harvest season- and we only have a few weeks with them all season! There are greens that we intentionally grow all season long, the swiss chard and kale are both greens that are nutrient dense but their flavor/ value doesn't diminish when it gets hot outside. So you'll still see greenery, but these lettuces are special for the spring.

I'm explaining this in an effort to help explain why I get so excited for certain crops, haha!!

HOUSEKEEPING

To make sure the season goes smoothly, I have a couple reminders!

1. The boxes are on a rotation, so when you pick up a box you need to bring back your empty box from the week before. This first week you won't have a box to return. Some people bring reusable bags and empty their CSA contents into their bags and leave their boxes at the site. However you want to do it is great, we just need to have one of your boxes back every week.

2. Your name is on your CSA Share box. It’s a safety precaution to make sure that we have the least number of people handling your CSA boxes and it's more hygienic knowing that the boxes are yours and that no one else is using them. Please take the box with your name(s) on it.

3. Please do not pull into the driveway at our hosts' homes. There are exceptions to this, for example here at the farm where we live, you have to pull into the driveway. If you are handicapped and require special accommodations please let me know and I can communicate that with the hosts. If none of these apply to you, please park on the street and walk up the driveway.

4. Please make sure to pick up within the time frame your site has assigned. If you don’t pick up in that time frame your CSA is considered forfeited, unless you make arrangements with me in advance, in which case we’re happy to help communicate that with your host! If you’re looking for your pickup time frame, it’ll be in your handbook at the top of the second page.

The lettuces are growing nicely! This is one of the patches with the green romaine and green buttercrunches!

CSAs are our specialty for many reasons. Most notably because it's an efficient way to plan our fields and be able to produce the maximum yields during our fairly short MN growing season!

We plan our entire season around your CSAs and we seed in accordance to when we want to harvest. Every year we reflect on the season and make little updates for the following season. For example, updated quantities of seeds, new varieties or changes in the planting dates.

You'll notice that we offer 3 sizes of CSAs. The Single Share is the smallest portion, then there is the Family Share and then the Jumbo Share (exactly 2x the Family Share). Not every share size will get the same varieties every week. Some weeks, like this week, you will. I keep very meticulous records on what goes into your CSA- even down to the detail of what color the zucchini is that you're getting on a particular week. We do this to make sure that everyone, no matter what CSA size, will see ALL of the varieties we grow throughout the season.

This week for example though, all of the boxes will have the same varieties, but they will all have different quantities of course!

The tomato patch looks amazing! Ben sent me this picture today after he was done cultivating. He uses an implement to go in between the rows and knock all the weeds down. It also opens up the soil and lets air flow in- which is important with tomatoes especially (and it's been really wet/rainy here!)

FARM TO TABLE HANDBOOK

This is a dandy. It's the handbook that will show you every variety we grow, explain how we enjoy using it, giving you some inspiration and also talking about how to store your produce so that it stays nice. *Even tips on how to revive produce if your green beans get soft after being in the fridge for too long, for example. I have spent years compiling tips and tricks from my own kitchen & others from what I read online and learn from friends. I hope you enjoy!!

2025 Farm to Table Storage Guide.pdf

Download PDF • 3.86MB

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT IN YOUR CSA SHARES:

This is where you'll come every week to see what you are getting in your boxes. The Jumbo and Family Shares always receive the same varieties. The Jumbo Shares get 2x everything that is in the Family Share.

The Single Shares aren't always exactly what the Family & Jumbo Shares receive. We often alternate varieties so that one week our Jumbo/Family Share Members get Kale & the Single Shares get Swiss Chard. Then the following week the varieties are flip flopped and the Single Shares get Kale for example. The quantity in the Single Shares is smaller too, that's how we designed it- so that it's an appropriate amount of produce for 1-2 people (or more depending on how often you cook/ how big your eaters are).

JUMBO & FAMILY SHARES: Rhubarb, Red Romaine, Green Romaine, Kohlrabi, Kale & Green Onions!

SINGLE SHARES: Rhubarb, Red Romaine, Green Romaine, Kohlrabi, Kale & Green Onions!

Lettuces

Let's start by talking about the lettuces and greens. Most folks aren't used to getting them literally straight out of the field. We rinse them to cool them down and then pack them into your shares. That being said, they will come with some dirt. They're not dirty but they do have residual dirt around the base of the leaves.

At this time of year you'll be getting greens every week for a few weeks, so I'd suggest micro-prepping because it just makes it that much easier to use during the week when we're all so busy.

Have you ever stood in the fridge with the door open? Think of reaching for a baggie with washed/prepped lettuce vs a head of lettuce you need to wash..

***Biggest tip I can give you this season is to care for all the produce you get right away. Don't leave the box on the ground in the entry way for a couple of days... it certainly won't look like the produce we harvested for you.

The Red Romaine is gorgeous!

To prep the lettuces and greens I always start with a clean sink that I rinsed out wish dish soap. I have a clean dish towel to the side of the sink ready for the fresh goodies! I start by running water into the sink and then carefully breaking off the leaves from the head one at a time. Discard the core. As the sink is filling up with water I start rinsing the leaves individually. Make sure you're running your fingers along the center rib and all over the leaves through the creases so that there isn't any hidden dirt. Make sure to rinse once under running water and then lay out your lettuce and greens on your clean dish towel or paper towels.

When they've dripped dry as much as possible, add a paper towel to the bottom of a plastic baggie and put your greens in there. If you have a lot of greens, I suggest adding a couple paper towels throughout. You don't need them to be 100% dry, but you also don't want a lot of residual moisture sitting on the leaves because it'll make it deteriorate faster.

Please keep in mind that these greens are the way nature intended them; they're not sprayed with anything. While we don't see damage on there from pests, if you see a spot, simply cut away that bit.

Kale

KALE

Some people love it and others don't like it- but with a CSA you're going to see a variety throughout the season. I personally like doing chilled salads with kale shreds broken up, or mixing it in with a salad and other greens because I don't really like eating a straight kale salad. Cooking it is really good too- I'll add a recipe for a kale dip to the email! You could also try adding it to a stir fry or to your scrambled eggs/ or a hot dish.

The first time I tried kale chips, I wasn't impressed. Word to the wise Make sure you're massaging the leaves with a little bit of olive oil. It sounds silly and you're probably thinking, well, why can't I just toss them in olive oil, right? By massaging the kale you're getting it into all the little cracks and crevices, and hence you will get the texture you're hoping for. (Without having too much oil- because that takes away from the texture). It'll turn out nice and crispy throughout! I didn't do it right the first time but I'm glad I gave them a second chance, they're so good!!

Rhubarb

This is a seasonal treat that you will see one time. This is it!! It's a cooler weather crop that everyone in MN knows about. If you haven't used it yet- I highly suggest making a dessert with it. The most characteristic feature of Rhubarb (in Minnesota at least) is that we can't help ourselves but to douse it in sugar. Rhubarb tarts are the most popular way to enjoy it and although I like to try to go light on the sugar, it is the most popular recipe for a reason!!

Check out the recipe for the rhubarb cake that I added to the email!

Fun fact about rhubarb- the leaves are POISONOUS. You read that right. The leaves are poisonous, so we cut the greens off and we're left with the nice red thick stems. The leaves have a high amount of oxalic acid that can lead to difficulty breathing, nausea and even kidney stones. Word to the wise, if you see rhubarb when out and about walking your furry friends, make sure they don't ingest any leaves!

kohlrabi

Kohlrabi Every year I get an email asking what these alien looking vegetables are, haha! This is one of the most versatile vegetables that we grow in my opinion.

When using your kohlrabi, peel the outside layer off with a paring knife. Then you can cut them into sticks and use with a veggie tray. One of our favorite ways to use kohlrabi is shredding it and making fritters. Which sounds intimidating if you've never done it but think meatball, haha. It's just shredded kohlrabi, egg, bread crumb and some seasonings basically. There is a recipe for these on our blog too- just search "kohlrabi" in the search bar above (AFTER you get through the rest of this email ;) )

The leaves are porous, they kinda remind me of spinach. They're edible and for those of you who are feeling ambitious: rinse the leaves good and then fold the leaves in half and cut the center stem/rib out. The stems are edible and could be used in a stirfry but I wouldn't add them right into a salad unless you dice them small because they can be tough. Use the leaves anyway that you would use kale, you can cook it or eat it raw, anywhere inbetween.

This same technique where you cut out the center rib should also be applied to kale if it's larger leaves. Smaller kale doesn't have a firm/tough center rib, so there is no need to cut it out.

Green Onions

These are onions- they're just small! The weather has been very cool this spring. Not as wet as last year (thank God) but they're still small. That's ok though- because onions are a variety you can enjoy at any size. Unlike a tomato where you have to wait for it to ripen. I have made a few salad dressings using the small potent bulbs and they turn out really good. Just make sure you have a high quality oil & vinegar if you're making your own salad dressing :) I also like the creamy dressings; like the Green Goddess dressing in the email, that would be fantastic on a wrap!

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS SEASON!!

We've got a big season planned! I'm sure you already know this- but we don't even go to farmers markets anymore. We have one farm stand on the weekends at Hardware Hank in Zimmerman (we open when we have sweet corn). We focus 99% of our produce into our CSA program and curtail what we grow and how much of it, depending on what we're hearing from you guys on a year-to-year basis. Our entire farm is focused on CSA Shares and we hope that's reflected in the amount of care and enthusiasm we have for sharing all of these farm fresh goodies all summer long!!

There is literally no way that I can tell you everything I want to share with you. I hope you come back next week and read some more about the produce you're going to be seeing in your kitchen very soon!!

We look forward to a great first week of CSAs and are hopeful for great harvest weather! Even though you know we're harvesting either way ;) Rain or shine, baby!!

Eat Good & Be Well!

~The Farmer's Wife