POSTPONED:
The Magic of Corn in the Kitchen with Lindsay Dailey
We’ll be postponing this Saturday’s masa and tortilla making workshop for a later date due to complications from the fire. We’ll let you know as soon as a new date is set.
FARMER’S LOG
Fire evacuation week
We hope this finds you and all your loved ones safe and settling back into some degree of normalcy.
Needless to say, it was a strange week for your Green Valley farmers.
After an eery Saturday harvest pick-up (spent watering ahead of the power outage and buttoning things up for the unthinkable) we headed straight home to pack the car and listen to the radio. We got the evacuation order at about 6pm on Saturday evening, turned off the sprinklers, threw Bilbo the cat in the car and beelined it to my (David’s) childhood home in Sunnyvale.
We spent the next 4 days at my parents, watching the news, killing time, and feeling for everyone feeling the brunt of displacement (like Aubrie and Scott and other livestock tenders who deal in such high stakes during these events). Over those tense days, the fire news was generally heartening (go firefighters!) and our anxiety turned to the projected hard frosts and lack of power for watering the farm.
On Wednesday, we borrowed a 4,500 watt generator from a family friend, scooped up Bilbo, and beelined it back to the farm — still without power.
Thursday morning found us taking stock of every crop and feeling pretty impressed — plants are tough. They all faired quite well, all things considered. The most damage we sustained was from the wind blowing off the row covers and Turkeys eating crops exposed and frost singeing a few things. But everything should recover. And there are some big cauliflower heads from missing Tuesday’s harvest! Power finally returned to our corner of the woods around 8 last night and the watering began.
We spent the rest of Thursday covering and re-covering crops and jumping right back on the horse with cover crop tasks. We are a little behind schedule of where we’d like to be with cover cropping and strawberry/garlic planting because of the lost week, but it all seems minor after being spared the worst of this year’s late October-November Apocalypse Season (knock on wood).
Let’s all pray for rain and a speedy recovery for those most affected by the fires this year.
* * * * *
For the Children
by Gary Snyder
The rising hills, the slopes,
of statistics
lie before us.
The steep climb
of everything, going up,
up, as we all
go down.
In the next century
or the one beyond that,
they say,
are valleys, pastures,
we can meet there in peace
if we make it.
To climb these coming crests
one word to you, to
you and your children:
stay together
learn the flowers
go light
* * * * *
See you in the fields,
David & Kayta
THIS WEEK'S HARVEST
Note: The share this week will be nearly the same as last week because most of you missed out on Week 19’s harvest
Sunshine Kabocha & Delicata Winter Squash (and Jester Acorn Squash for those who missed it last week), Le Reine Fingerling Potatoes, Leeks, Italian Softneck Garlic, Dazzling Blue Dino Kale, Brussels Sprouts Tops, Purple & Green Cabbage, Romanesco & Cauliflower, Fennel, Mixed Loose Beets, Hakurei Japanese Salad Turnips, Loose Rainbow Carrots, Little Gem & Oak Leaf Head Lettuce, Spinach, Fancy Fall Salad Mix (with Shungiku, Mustard Greens, Lettuce, and Radicchio)
U-PICK
Note: There is a considerable amount of ash on the farm from the fire, you might want to wash u-pick herbs and produce
Jack-O-Lantern Pumpkin: Limit 1 per share season limit. (If you are sharing a share, please coordinate with your group as to who takes home your pumpkin.)
Herbs: Tulsi Basil, Thai Basil, Italian Parsley, Rosemary, Lemon balm, Lemon Verbena, Vietnamese Coriander, Cilantro, French Sorrel, Onion Chives, Garlic Chives, Tarragon, Oregano, Thyme, Anise Hyssop, Culinary Lavender, Lemongrass
Flowers: The zinnias by the cherry tomatoes were mostly killed by frost (along with the frying peppers and cherry tomatoes). There are still flowers to be found but it’s time to put our garden to bed for the winter!
Strawberries: Snacks
A preying mantis hunts cucumber beetles on the zinnias
HARVEST NOTES
Jester Acorn Winter Squash: A true gem. The sweetest Acorn squash we've ever tasted. A hard ribbed shell hides pudding-sweet flesh. A good Jester can be among the sweetest of all winter squashes. Try halving long ways, scooping out the seeds, and roasting cut side down at 400 degrees until you can poke a fork in the skin and the flesh is soft and creamy. Add dashes of water to the baking sheet while roasting to keep squash moist. Eat straight out of the shell with a spoon like pudding! See week 18’s Newsletter for a description of each Winter Squash
Hakurei Turnips: Hakurei are back! These beloved, crisp, sweet turnips are meant to be eaten raw, on a salad, or straight as a snack. They can also be roasted, and the greens are also delicious cooked. The Indian dish saag was traditionally prepared with turnip greens.
Brussels Sprouts Tops: The growing tips of young Brussels sprout plants are like sweet delicate collard greens. Try sautéing them with oil, salt and garlic or using them how you would collards.
PRESERVING THE HARVEST
Bulk White Satin Carrots: Don’t underestimate the White Satin Carrot. We feel it is consistently our best tasting, sweetest carrot. It also happens to be extraordinarily vigorous. We’ll be putting out bulk White Satins on the back table for pickling, juicing, etc. Out of bag. Check out this wonderful recipe for pickling carrots… or any vegetable!
FALL COOKING WORKSHOP
COOKING WITH FALL FOODS with Sarah Kate Benjamin
Saturday, November 16th: 10am - 12pm | $15
Join CSA members, herbalist, chef, and cofounder of The Kosmic Kitchen, Sarah Kate Benjamin for a cooking workshop featuring Fall farm produce and herbs. The kitchen has long been seen as the heart of the home and a sanctuary. It is a space to feel nourished, connected and inspired by the magic of healing foods and herbs. Though most of us have busy and full lives, having a foundation of everyday herbs and rituals helps us to feel less overwhelmed about nourishing ourselves and our loved ones. Together, with our hearts and hands, we’ll create simple side dishes and a quick supper with produce and fresh herbs from the farm for the cooler seasons. Cost $15 and includes small meal; please bring your own bowls and utensils to save on waste
NOTES & REMINDERS
Say No to Single Use Plastic: We will no longer be supplying plastic or plastic-substitute bags at farm pick-up. If you have a bunch of extra plastic bags at home could you please bring some to fill our recycled plastic bag station? Remember to please bring your own produce bags and/or participate in our bag recycling station!
CSA Pick-up Schedule: Tuesdays, 1pm - 6pm // Saturdays, 9am - 1pm. Last pickup of the year is December 21st.
Volunteer Wednesday: Interested in some farm therapy? Come out on Wednesday mornings to help us tend the garden and farm together. Come find us in the garden or out in the main fields on Wednesdays from 8:00am 'til 10:00 am. All abilities welcome, we’ll find something comfortable for you to do!
Garlic Poppers wanted
To help us prep for planting 2020’s garlic crop we need to “pop” hundreds of garlic bulbs into their individual cloves. This is a nice chill in-the-barn job for anyone interested in a nice light volunteering task. Come on Wednesday mornings for volunteer morning, or any other time just let us know and we’ll set you up!
