CSA Sign-Ups Opening Soon!

Dear 2023 CSA program members,

We just wanted to send a quick update that we plan on opening CSA sign-ups for our 2024 season next week!

We are a couple weeks behind on our planning (turns out things move a little slower with a little 8-month old) but we are getting very excited for the season ahead. (Think 75% bigger flower garden.)

Returning members will have 2-weeks to reserve a spot before we open it up to folks on the waitlist and to the public. We expect demand to be high for next season to please sign-up soon to reserve your spot.

If you have friends or family who think would enjoy the experience of our CSA program, please encourage them to sign up for the waitlist on our website!

WE’RE HIRING!

If you know of an ag professional or someone looking to get into farming, we’re looking for a few more passionate farmers to join our amazing team. We are accepting applications for an entry level and managerial positions now. Click here for details.

See you in the fields,
David & Kayta

Harvest Week 26 - Treasure

THIS WEEK’S HARVEST

In a nutshell: Heavy bags of hardy roots and squash to send you off and stock up your larder.

Hopi Blue Cornmeal, Assorted Braising Greens, Celery Root, Assorted Radishes, Bolero Carrots, Beets, Kohlrabi, Bodega Red Potatoes, Bintje Potatoes, Assorted Onions, Lorz Softneck Garlic, Assorted Winter Squash

Your 2023 farm crew! Asa, Paige, Tristan, David, Kayta & Alice, Aisling and Anna.

HARVEST NOTES

• Hopi Blue Cornmeal: This beautiful corn originates from the Hopi people of the Four Corners region. This a fresh corn flour, ground this week from whole kernels. We recommend eating it soon to savor its freshness and flavor, but if you don’t get around to it you can store it in the freezer to keep the fats fresh. Delicious in pancakes (check out Week 1’s Newsletter for our go-to Hopi Blue Corn pancake recipe), cornbread (recipe below), or as a beautiful purple polenta.

SIGNING UP FOR 2024

We will open sign-ups for our 2024 CSA program in January. Returning members will have the first chance to sign-up to reserve a spot before we open it up to folks on the waitlist and to the public. We expect demand to be high for next season to please sign up pronto to reserve your spot.

If you have friends or family who’d be interested in enjoying the farm experience with you next year, please encourage them to sign up for the waitlist on our website (and to mention you in the comments!)

WINTER SISTER FARM

Gonna miss us this winter? Fear not, Winter Sister Farm, right next door has you covered! They will be running a farm-stand this winter, as well as their 2024 Winter CSA program. Check out Winter Sister Farm, for more info on obtaining the highest quality specialty winter veggies, flowers, and herbs all picked up free-choice market style, on their beautiful farm here on Cooper Rd! Sign-up today!

Skillet Cornbread

Recipe by Yewande Komolafe for NYTimes Cooking

Our favorite new cornbread recipe is one we learned from our good friends at Winter Sister Farm. It’s moist and sweet and incredibly comforting alongside a bowl of soup or on its own slathered in honey.

Ingredients

(Yield: 6 to 8 servings)

• 8 tablespoons/115 grams unsalted butter, melted, plus more for brushing the pan

• 1½ cups/250 grams medium-coarse yellow cornmeal

• ¾ cup/114 grams all-purpose flour

• ¼ cup/55 grams granulated sugar

• 3½ teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)

• ¼ teaspoon baking soda

• 2 cups/470 milliliters buttermilk (or 3/4 cup full-fat yogurt, 3/4 cup milk, 1/2 cup water)

• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a 10-inch skillet or cast-iron pan and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk and eggs. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir until incorporated. Fold in the melted butter. Pour the batter into the prepared skillet and smooth the top.

3. Bake until the top is lightly browned and the sides pull away cleanly from the skillet, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely and serve warm or room temperature, or reserve to make cornbread dressing.

Local Honey & handmade gifts for sale this week! 

We’re delighted that we’ll have a couple more pop-ups from CSA members selling handmade and hand-tended goods this week!

Please join Swarm & Tender on Tuesday the 19th for the final day of the magic CSA pickup. 

There will be a limited amount of honey available in an array of glass jars and they can accept cash and Venmo. 

Swarm & Tender is a Sonoma County Local Honey Bee Rescue, Education and Relocation business run by a couple of bee forward feminists doing their part to help support honeybees in a time of need. 

After the ample rain last winter and spring, the hard working little ladies were able to produce an over abundance of honey this year, beyond what they need to thrive overwinter. Due to this bountiful honey production Mariah and Spencer were able to sustainably harvest a honey crop for the first time in a number of years. 

They would love to share this liquid gold with you and yours this holiday season! Thank you for supporting local pollinators!

The Wool Witch will also be back hosting a table this Saturday. She will offer a mix of homemade soaps, tinctures, essential oil rollers and wool/alpaca rugs as well as local Eric Kent wine at 50% off!  Come get your gifts, some made with herbs from our garden, or treat yourself!

FARMER’S LOG

TREASURE

It was a bittersweet day today — the last Friday harvest of our 2023 harvest season. This Tuesday’s pick-up will be the last pick-up of our harvest season. 

Each harvest season is like a voyage — with us farmers & CSA members striking out together on a grand adventure. The community supported agriculture model that we practice here, that we ask you to practice here, is not a gimmick or a fad. It is a powerful and functional alliance between a human community and their farmers.

We are one crew on this voyage. And that bond allows us to farm well; to farm intentionally; to farm for the future.

So what did we, as a community, just do? What did we accomplish together?

First and foremost it was our biggest voyage yet. We planted 8 acres and grew produce for over 390 Sonoma County adults and 170 Sonoma County kiddos. It was our most bountiful year and our nets came up full — 14,000 lbs of potatoes, 9,000 lbs of carrots, 8,000 lbs of onions — just to name a few figures. 

But the catch is never the most valuable part of a voyage. The real treasures are the intangibles: The adventures you had, the lessons you learned, and the friends you made along the way. 

This year we welcomed 85 new households to the farm — many of whom said coming to the farm was the highlight of their week.

We welcomed three amazing new crew members to our team who taught us new knots and new shanties and kept the farm in ship-shape throughout the long voyage, even in the gales.

We raised $7,200 in share price assistance funds, which helped members in our community enjoy a share they otherwise couldn’t have afforded. We raised $2,300 to tend the wild habitat of the farm, which went toward the planting of a 200 ft hedgerow of Elderberry, Toyon, Coffee Berry, Wax Myrtle, and other native shrubs on the northern edge of Highgarden. 

We took care of our blessed soil. We put down 48 tons of compost and seeded 1,500 lbs of cover crop seed. Those seeds sprouted well, and if they continues to grow as well as they have, they’ll become over 40,000 lbs of carbonaceous biomass that will feed the soil for years to come.

It was a year of immense growth for the capability of our ship and within the business itself. We were able to take on loans to purchase some key pieces of equipment that drastically improved our efficiency in the field. We also built better digital and physical systems for capturing and communicating the information we use in the field.

It was your ship owners most work-life balanced year yet. The farm was able to support us while we brought our sweet Alice into the world and became new parents.

Finally, and perhaps most gratifying of all for us, the farm seemed to become, more than ever before, a place where people spent time. Whether alone, with friends, or with family, it was a presence in peoples lives — a place to gather, to read, to hang out with friends, to let the kids run free. We swore we’d never tell, but one evening Kayta and I stumbled upon a couple making out next to the flowering potato field as the sun set.

That single moment was all the treasure we needed from this year’s voyage.

* * * * *

Our one hope for your experience of the farm this year, it is that it included moments of connection between this place, the bounty it gave, and your heart.

This connection is so important for human beings and so hard to find in this world. Without it we are fragmented, lost. It ties us to this beautiful planet and to each other. 

Thank you for joining us on the voyage this year and helping to build a place where that connection can be felt and lived.

And now for our customary parting words…

If, in the dark season ahead, you feel pent up, like you need to get out of the house and stretch your legs, come visit the farm and stand still for a moment in a field.

There you will find silence, broken only by the screech of a hawk or the singing of the blackbirds. A coolness will emanate up from the wet soil, chilling your knees. Before you will lay the sleeping farm, the soft contours of the land draped in a blanket of green. 

But listen closely...

For within that slumber next season churns. The cover crop stretches its living roots deep into the soil where subterranean creatures break down this year's roots and residue, processing them — like so many memories — into the raw materials that will make up next year’s stories, next year’s voyage, next year's bounty.

Listen closely and you’ll hear the land dreaming.

Now, it is time for your farmers to rest, to reflect, and to do a little dreaming ourselves. Thank you all so much for the memories this harvest season. Here is to many more to come.

See you in the fields,
David for Kayta for Anna, Aisling, Asa, Paige & Tristan

Harvest Week 25 - Putting the Farm to Bed

THIS WEEK’S HARVEST

In the dark season, remember: Popcorns are little kernels of sunlight exploding in your pot

Pennsylvania Dutch Butter Flavored Popcorn, Indigo Radicchio, Dandelion Greens, Dino Kale, Leeks, Celery Root, Mixed Daikon Radishes, Cabbage, Bolero Carrots, Beets, Desiree Red Potatoes, Elsye Yellow Onions, Lorz Softneck Garlic, your choice of Buttercup Bonbon Squash or Marina di Chioggia Pumpkin

HARVEST NOTES

• Pennsylvania Dutch Butter Flavored Popcorn: Quite the name, huh? This is our first year growing this variety and it is a winner. An excellent popper, it looks beautiful in the bowl snow white and flecked with amber butter shells — and it does taste like butter! The trick to stove top popcorn is to use a thick bottomed put like a dutch oven. This distributes the heat evenly and prevents burning. Pour a generous amount of high heat oil into the bottom of your pot. You can be generous with the oil so that it covers the kernels at least half way up. Turn the stove on to medium high and heat the oil a little bit before pouring the kernels in. Put the lid on and enjoy the fireworks!

• Marina di Chioggia Pumpkin: (aka Sea Pumpkin or Suca Braca, "warty pumpkin") is an Italian heirloom from the seaside town of Chioggia and is the staple squash of Venice. This is a versatile pumpkin that can be utilized in any recipe where a traditional pumpkin is called for. It is an excellent dessert pumpkin for pies, muffins and quick bread; it makes an ideal filling for pasta such as ravioli and tortellini; and it can also be used to make gnocchi. The pumpkin itself will keep for up to six months when stored in a cool, dry, and dark place. We love the diverse bounty that can be made from this pumpkin! When we have the time we love to make a big batch of gnocchi (check out this recipe ) for the freezer so that we have many incredibly fast and delicious meals to look forward to. Or consider using it as a show-stopping centerpiece for a big gathering using the recipe below!

• BonBon Buttercup Winter Squash: The other squash to choose from this week is, in your farmers’ opinion, the best squash ever bred. Ultra sweet and flaky, this squash is like a dessert all on its own. Also great for use in any of your favorite winter squash dishes.

WHEN DOES THE CSA END?

Because of the wet Spring and late start we had, our 2023 harvest season will run all the way until the third week of December this year! The last Saturday pickup will be December 16th, and the last Tuesday pick-up of the year will be December, 19th.

WHEN CAN I RESERVE MY SPOT FOR 2024?

We are deep in the planning phases for next season, rest assured, current members will be given the first chance to reserve a spot in our 2024 CSA program! We usually open sign-ups in January.

Savory Stuffed Pumpkin with Sausage and Gruyère

From The Kitchn, who adapted it from the great Dorie Greenspan

This recipe is the epitome of cozy winter cooking. It will work perfectly with either of the winter squash options in the share this week. For a large gathering, we recommend Marina di Chioggia , but keep in mind that it will take a significant amount of baking time in the oven — up to 3 or 4 hours depending on size. If you’re more interested in expediency, and having a smaller meal, the Bonbon will also make a delicious vessel!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large baking pumpkin (approximately 5 to 10 pounds)

• 1 (1-pound) loaf day-old crusty bread, such as sourdough or French baguette

• 1 1/2 cups (about 5 1/2 ounces) grated Gruyère cheese

• 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil, such as canola

• 1 pound uncooked Italian sausage or bulk sausage, any casings removed

• 3 large shallots, thinly sliced

• 2 to 3 large cloves garlic, minced

• 1/4 cup dry white wine

• 2 to 3 heaping cups spinach, Swiss chard or kale, coarsely chopped

• 4 large eggs

• 2 cups half-and-half (or 1 cup heavy cream and 1 cup whole milk)

• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, for the top

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (or for a larger pumpkin, 400°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Place the pumpkin on a flat work surface. Using a heavy-duty knife inserted at a 45-degree angle, carefully cut out a “lid” from the top of the pumpkin. Remove any seeds and cut away any loose strings using kitchen shears. Transfer the pumpkin to the prepared baking sheet and set aside.

2. Combine the bread cubes and Gruyère in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking it into crumbles with a wooden spoon, until it is golden-brown and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to the bowl with the bread and cheeses

4. Reduce the heat to medium and add the shallots, cooking until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Increase heat to high and add the wine, using the wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the wine until it is almost evaporated. Add the spinach or chard and a generous pinch of salt; stir until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the spinach or chard to the bread mixture.

5. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, half-and-half, Dijon, 2 teaspoons salt, thyme, and pepper until combined to make the custard. Pour the custard over the bread mixture and gently toss to coat. Let sit, stirring occasionally, until absorbed, about 10 minutes

6. Transfer the stuffing to the pumpkin, filling it all the way to the top. (If there is extra, you can bake it in a small dish on the side.) Fit the “lid" back onto the pumpkin and transfer to the oven

7. Bake until the filling is bubbling and hot, and the flesh of the pumpkin can be pierced with a knife. This can be anywhere from 1 to 2 (or more) hours, depending on the size and type of your pumpkin. If possible, remove the cap for the last 30 to 45 minutes of baking (sprinkle with grated Parmesan and fluff lightly if the stuffing has smushed down) so the top can crisp up a bit. To ensure that the stuffing is done, look for an internal temp of 165°F.

8. Carefully transfer the pumpkin to a serving platter. Slice the pumpkin into large wedges and serve along with a generous portion of stuffing.

Local Wine, handmade gifts, and meal kits for sale this week! 

We’re excited to be hosting a couple pop-ups from CSA members with goods for sale this week!

Join us on Saturday from 9:30 - 1 for a pop up from Lisa Chatham. Her company, Cookma features a line of one-pot meal kits for nourishing meals that are ridiculously easy to make and are excellent CSA companions. She’ll be giving samples of her Nourishing Kitchari (with veggies from the farm) and selling her full line.  

The Wool Witch, a fellow CSA member, will be hosting a table at this week’s Tuesday and next week’s Saturday pickups. She will offer a mix of homemade soaps, tinctures, essential oil rollers and wool/alpaca rugs as well as local Eric Kent wine at 50% off!  Come get your gifts, some made with herbs from our garden, or treat yourself! 

Hawks Feather Olive Oil will be back this week for both Saturday and Tuesday pickups in case you haven’t had a chance to try their delicious local olive oil.

FARMER’S LOG

HARBOR

It was a bittersweet harvest morning today — the last Friday harvest morning of our 2022 harvest season. This Tuesday’s harvest pick-up will be the last of our 2022 CSA harvest season. 

If each harvest season is like a voyage — with us farmers & CSA members together on a grand harvesting adventure — we have reached our harbor now. 

But what an adventure we had!

We outfitted an entirely new ship this year, with an entirely new crew, and we tested our mettle in uncharted waters. We weathered storms. We battled pirates (mostly deer). There were days when the world was our oyster and there were days when we were caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. But in the end, it was a bounteous voyage.

It was a year of abundant umbellifers and strawberries (once we got rid of the pirates); of radiant flowers and sweet winter squash. Our catch of potatoes would make Forrest Gump and Bubba jealous. In the end we fed over 300 adults and 140 Sonoma County kiddos with regenerative, soil building practices.

All thanks to you, dear members.

You see, the community supported agriculture that we practice here, that we ask you to practice here, is not a gimmick or a fad. It is not a clever way to sell farm produce ahead of time. It is a direct relationship between a human community and the land and the farmers that feed it. We are one crew on this voyage. And that bond allows us to farm well; to farm intentionally; to farm for the future.

Each Spring, human beings all over the world set out on adventures of gathering and growing food. When farmers kick off on their yearly voyage, they know not what awaits them; whether their nets will come up empty; if they’ll make it back to shore. Farming is risky.  As the climate changes, these voyages are only going to get more precarious. 

Vanishingly few farmers have a community with them on their voyages like we do.

So as we close out this Farmer’s Log on 2022, let it be known that any and all the abundance we enjoyed this year was because of your commitment, and our commitment to each other, to take care of each other and the land. There is no safer harbor than that. 

And now for our customary parting words…

If, in the dark season ahead, you feel pent up, like you need to get out of the house and stretch your legs, come visit the farm and stand still for a moment in a field.

There you will find silence, broken only by the screech of a hawk or the singing of the blackbirds. A coolness will emanate up from the wet soil, chilling your knees. Before you will lay the sleeping farm, the soft contours of the land draped in a blanket of green. 

But listen closely...

For within that slumber next season churns. The cover crop stretches its living roots deep into the soil where subterranean creatures break down this year's roots and residue, processing them — like so many memories — into the raw materials that will make up next year’s stories, next year’s voyage, next year's bounty.

Listen closely and you’ll hear the land dreaming.

Now, it is time for your farmers to rest, to reflect, and to do a little dreaming ourselves. Thank you all so much for the memories this harvest season. Here is to many more to come.

See you in the fields,
David for Kayta