THIS WEEK’S HARVEST
Aglio Secco Hardneck Garlic, Black Futsu Winter Squash, Assorted other Winter Squash, Purple Cabbage, Beets, Celeriac, Harvest Moon Potatoes, Calibra Yellow Onions, Monastrell Red Onions, Carrots, Black Magic Dino Kale, Dandelion Greens, Indigo Radicchio, Red Salanova Oakleaf & Butter Lettuce
U-PICK
Check the u-pick board in the barn for weekly u-pick limits.
Frying Peppers:
Shishitos | Gleanings
Padróns | Gleanings
Hot Peppers:
Jalapeños | Gleanings
Habanero | Gleanings
Thai Chilis | Gleanings | Spicy!
Wilson’s Vietnamese Devil Pepper | Gleanings
Flowers! There are still some flowers to be had after the rains, particularly zinnias, marigolds (the solid orange ones are all the way to the north — towards Winter Sister Farm) and some late-season curios.
HARVEST NOTES
Aglio Secco Garlic: Originating in Sicily, this garlic seed was lovingly saved and passed to us by Sara McAmant via a local network of heirloom garlic seed exchangers. We’ve loved it and are growing it out further for next year.
Black Futsu Winter Squash: A beloved Japanese delicacy, this mini Butternut relative has bright orange flesh with a delicate fruity flavor and edible skin. Black Futsu store extremely well and with their beautiful frosted appearance, can double as decoration until you’re ready to eat them.
WHEN DOES THE CSA END?
The last pick-ups of our 2025 CSA program are approaching: The last Saturday pickup is Saturday, December 6th and the last Tuesday pickup is, Tuesday, December 9th.
WHEN CAN I RESERVE MY SPOT FOR 2026?
We plan to open sign-ups in mid-to-late January 2026. 2025 CSA program members will be given the first chance to reserve a spot for 2025. Please encourage family or friends who would like to join next year to sign-up for the waitlist posted on the homepage of our website!
fagioli, cicoria e salsicce (medley of beans, dandelion greens, and sausages)
From the James Beard Foundation
This is a play on our of our favorite winter meals — beans and greens. Feel free to substitute kale for all or some of the dandelion if you prefer it, but we find that the bitterness of dandelion is a delicious counterpart to the savoriness of the rest of the dish. This is delicious with or without sausage — think of it as a template to play around with. When making a vegetarian version, we sometimes grate some parmesan into the broth or on top of the dish, and it is also wonderful with the addition of a little lemon at the end of cooking.
Yields 4 servings
3 bunches dandelion greens (1 1/2 pounds), washed and drained thoroughly
4 to 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5 to 6 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
1 14-ounce can cannellini beans, washed and drained thoroughly
1 pound fresh pork sausage, skin removed, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Pinch crushed red pepper (optional)
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the dandelion greens and boil for 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly and roughly chop. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add the garlic and chopped dandelion greens and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the beans and cook for another 5 minutes.
In a separate pan set over medium heat, slowly sauté the crumbled fresh pork sausage in an additional tablespoon or so of olive oil. Cook for 10 minutes, until all of the pink color disappears and most of the fat has rendered. Using a slotted spoon, lift the sausage out of the fat and add to the dandelion greens. Mix thoroughly and cook for an additional 5 minutes. If the ingredients get too dry, add a little chicken broth or water to keep them moist. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and add the crushed red pepper, if desired.
The farm has been run on leased land for the entirety of its existence, and now, in order to continue existing, and to preserve the land for farming into the future, they face a hard deadline — the Sonoma County Agriculture and Open Space District which owns their farmland, needs them to purchase it by the end of the year. They’re currently asking for help from the community to raise $200,000 by December 1st, and they’re more than halfway there.
If you feel moved to donate or share, you can find their fundraiser here.
FARMER’S LOG
A FARMER’S THANKSGIVING
Kayta and I both grew up in the suburbs and, like everyone, we encountered those ubiquitous expressions — “make hay while the sun shines,” “three shakes of a lamb's tail,” “like a horse who’s seen the barn,”. It wasn’t until we started farming that we began to understand the visceral poetry of these expressions and the agricultural roots of so many idioms. And it wasn’t until we started farming that we began to understand — like, really understand — the need to give thanks in fall.
The fall is an incredible time of year in the temperate world. It is a season of unimaginable bounty. The plants of the forest and the field have spent all spring and summer harnessing the sun’s energy into their fruits, seeds, roots, and leaves — and we have harvested. In the fall, the root cellar is full, the larder is full, the granary is full — the land has burst forth at its seams and we gathered the overflow.
The farmer, sitting at home with his feet up next to the fire, is keenly aware of the bounty in the root cellar below. He feels a great contentment in this but no pride because he realizes how little he did to create it. Sure, he worked hard all year — moving things here and there — but it was others, present now and before, that filled that cellar. It was others who dug it out and laid the roof. Others who made the tools and taught him how to use them. Others who saved the seeds and taught others, who taught others, who taught him how to care for them. And what (or who) made those seeds sprout? Not he.
For all this, there is nothing to give but thanks.
We’d like to take a moment to give thanks those who made this season possible.
* * * * *
First and foremost to our incredibly experienced, dedicated, and fun crew this year. Their hard work created the bounty we enjoyed this year.
Aisling Okubo, back for her fourth year, who knows the farm and all her quirks so well and who was a cornerstone for us once again.
Asa Black, whose attentiveness and care blessed every seed we sowed this year.
Henry Grady, whose buoyancy, curiosity, and hard work carries so many days for us.
Eric Bueno, whose passion, skill, and get after-it-ness have the fields in such good hands.
Arabella Wood, who so gracefully brings her seasoned wisdom, leadership, and deep love of this work.
Riley Reed, who glued our crew together with so much laughter and good energy.
To our part-timers: Brent Walker, Meg Chambers, Alberto & Anayeli Guzman, your hands and presences made light work.
How lucky we are to spend our days with you and lucky we are to do this work with you amazing people!
To Scott Mathieson, farm family and owner of this amazing place: Scotty pioneered Community Supported Agriculture in Sebastopol, and the farm simply wouldn’t exist in its current form without his vision.
To everyone at Winter Sister Farm, Graham, and Will and Gina at Longer Table Farm, comrades in the field.
To Lee Magner of Sonoma Mountain Breads and Karl Gergel and Ursule Amiot of Zweibel’s for blessing us with your baked goods.
To Lily Schneider at Kitchen Table Advisors; everyone at FEED Cooperative; and everyone at Food For Thought Food Bank, turning our seconds into nourishing meals.
To Hannah Chort and Cassidy Blackwell for bringing their passions to the farm.
To Kate Seely, Ziza, Donna Stusser, our loving families, and everyone who helped care for us during our long season.
And finally, to you, dear members. Whatever bounty we’ve enjoyed this year is because of you. You shared in the real risk of a growing season with your farmers — something rare and important in this crazy world. Your support helped plant each seed, spread every ton of compost, lay each irrigation line, and harvest all the food that nourished so many. You showed up each week with sweet smiles, gifts, and words of encouragement and appreciation that carried us through the days.
You remind us, day after day, week after week, that real, life-sustaining bounty comes from a community rolling up its collective sleeves and building something needful and beautiful together.
Thank you.
See you in the fields,
David & Kayta
CSA BASICS
Slow on Cooper Road! Out of respect for our neighbors and the many kids and animals that live on Cooper Rd., please drive slow (20 mph)!
What time is harvest pick-up?:
Saturday harvest pick-ups run from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Tuesday harvest pick-ups will run from 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm
U-pick hours: Oriented members can come to the farm any time, 7 days a week, sunrise to sunset, to u-pick and enjoy the farm.
2025 CSA program dates: Our harvest season will run from Saturday, June 14th through Tuesday, December 9th this year.
Where is the farm? The member parking lot is located at 1720 Cooper Rd., Sebastopol, CA 95472.
