LAST WEEK OF THE 2019 CSA HARVEST SEASON
It was a bittersweet harvest morning today — the last Friday morning harvest of our boisterous, bustling, abundant 2019 CSA harvest season. This Tuesday’s pick-up will be the last pick-up of the season.
It has been such a wonderful year for the farm and us farmers. The highlight for us being getting to know you and seeing you and your loved ones interact with the farm and this land. As Kayta said on Sunday, it is a privilege growing food for you and we will miss seeing you each week!
In January we will send you all on email letting you know when sign-ups for next year’s CSA harvest season open. We’ll also be running a self-serve farm stand out of our cooler starting next week with root vegetables, winter squash and other goodies! See below for more details.
We encourage you all to visit the farm at least once this winter to say hello; to pick some hardy winter herbs; and, if you have a moment, to stand still for a moment in the fields…
There you will find silence, broken only by the screech of a hawk or the soft chatter of quail. A coolness will emanate up from the wet soil, chilling your knees. Before you will lay the sleeping farm — the soft curves of the fields and hills draped in a blanket of green.
But listen closely...
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 story, next year’s bounty, next year's life.
Listen closely and you’ll hear the land dreaming.
For 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, Kayta & Anna
THIS WEEK'S HARVEST
Hopi Blue Heirloom Cornflour, Musque de Provence & Assorted Winter Squash, Harvest Moon & Desiree Red Potatoes, Italian Softneck Garlic, Celery Root, Cured Onions, Dazzling Blue Dino Kale, Green & January King Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, Purple Top Turnips, Sweet Bolero Carrots, Loose Beets, Little Gem Lettuce, Salad Mix (with Chicories, Lettuce, and Baby Mustard Greens)
HARVEST NOTES & TIPS
Musque de Provence Winter Squash: Our “feed the village” squash this year, these giants are delicious, and long-storing. Traditionally sold in wedges in French farmers markets. If you aren’t hosting 25 people and can’t use it all at once try roasting it in wedges and freezing the cooked flesh. The stored flesh can then be thawed and used all winter in soups, pies, and any sweet Winter Squash dishes.
Hopi Blue Heirloom Cornflour: We got over 200 lbs of corn from our 3 beds of Hopi Blue Corn this year, so we’re able to have it 2 weeks in a row! This beautiful corn flour is from the tall stand of corn that watched over our cherry tomatoes all season long. Ground Tuesday, then frozen, this cornflour contains fresh oils, fats, and flavor that only fresh ground grain can have. Store frozen to preserve freshness. See last week’s newsletter for our favorite Hopi Blue Corn Recipe.
January King Cabbage: These gorgeous, red tinted cabbage are some of the slowest growing, winter hardy cabbages out there. These have been in the ground growing since August just for this week!
U-PICK
Herbs: Herbs still available in the garden are Rosemary, Lemon balm, Vietnamese Coriander, Oregano, Thyme, Culinary Lavender, and Lemongrass
2020 CSA SIGN-UPS
We will send out an email in January letting you know when sign-ups open for our 2020 CSA program! Current members will have the first shot at joining. If you have friends who are interested in joining the CSA next year, please have them sign-up for our waiting list posted on our website. Folks on the waitlist will have priority right-after current members!
SELF-SERVE FARM STAND
Missing GVCFarm produce already? Don’t despair, we will be setting up a self-serve farmstand for CSA members in the cooler in our barn where we will be selling root vegetables like potatoes, turnips, carrots and beets, as well as cabbage, winter squash, and other goodies as long as they last. We’ll have a ledger and a cash box inside with change. Cash only please.
GREEN VALLEY FARM + MILL
To stay abreast of the many ways to connect to this land this winter and beyond, sign-up for Green Valley Farm + Mill’s newsletter. Green Valley Farm + Mill hosts events, workshops, provides event space, and other offerings that connect people with land. Check out the website and sign-up for the newsletter here.
POTLUCK THANK YOU
We’d like to extend a huge thank you to Carl Jaeger and Sarah Salamon, and their partners Leo Chyi and Cole Bendinelli, for organizing the sweet brunch potluck last Sunday and to everyone who came out. It meant so much to us. “Are you going to Green Valley Farm?”
WILD ROSE KITCHEN
A good friend of ours, Jenny Roberts, runs Wild Rose Kitchen, a small prepared foods business focused on creating nourishing and delicious weekly menus for new mamas and their growing families. Food is created with care and packaged in environmentally conscious materials so that Mother Earth also feels taken care of. Weekly or monthly packages can be made. For more information please contact jenny@thewildrosekitchen.com
MISSING HONEY MONEY
Our beekeeping friend, Darlene Taylor, is missing some payment money for the honey she was selling in the barn. If you took some honey but forgot to pay, please bring cash this week to put in her pay box. The prices were 6 oz for $5, 12 oz for $10, and 16 oz for $13.
FARMER’S LOG
Sung by members at Sunday’s brunch. Lyrics by Susan Bendinelli, with thanks to Simon & Garfunkel
Green Valley Farm
Are you going to Green Valley Farm?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.
A CSA unlike any other.
Choose your favorite, try something new!
Tell us the harvest each Saturday morn,
Onions, squash, tomatoes and cokes.
The Farmers Log poetic and true
Feeds our souls with all that is new.
Flowers seduce bees and help life our hearts,
Statis, dahlias, yellow sunflowers
For lovely bouquets and plant dying workshop
We all share the bounty grown here.
Kayta and David, their days in the fields.
Peppers, chard, potatoes and yams
With Anna’s fine help, and good volunteers
Pulling weeds and harvesting corn.
Are you going to Green Valley Farm?
Carrots, beets, strawberries and kale
Remember how we came here each week?
We all share the bounty grown here.
