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10.30.2012

season closing murmurings

Today is in the 60s.  It's the end of October.
That.  Is.  Weird.
We had a long fall in 2011 as well.  The upside is we're able to do thorough cleanup in the fields without excessive cold and moisture that makes it more difficult to get roots out smoothly.  So the gardens are looking great, with cover crops of oats and rye sown in many plots. The downside is that our cold storage and many people's root cellars are sluggish to cool, which is less than ideal.  We aim to get our root space to hover in the 34-38 degree zone and it has a long way to go.

notable dates:
* The last garden morning is this Saturday from 9a-1p. We'll be working up by the barn.
* There's 3 weeks left of distribution.  The last pickup is Friday November 16th. 
* The pigs went to Willard's yesterday morning.  We'll be in touch with the animal protein shares when we get the call that it's ready for pickup.  This will likely be next week.  The meat will be frozen.
* The chickens will be processed November 12th.  They will NOT be frozen.  It'll be your responsibility to pack it into freezer bags in amounts of your choosing.
* The Fall Storage shares will pick up their vegetables on Friday November 16th anytime 1-6pm. 
* The Wholeshare delivery will be Thursday November 15th.
* The first Kitchen Crafts installment will be the beginning of December.
jenny & calvin topping carrots

10.24.2012

november garden morning (last one!)

ally and relani planting garlic last saturday

Have you gotten a dose of autumn in the garden yet?

Here's some upcoming opportunities:
This Saturday the 27th: anytime 9a-1p
      * we'll be getting the storage carrots out of the ground
      * no organized lunch to follow
         
Next Saturday the 3rd: 9a-1p
      * this is the last group garden morning of the season, chance 
         to spend time with fellow members
      * potluck lunch at the camp
          (we'll provide a sweet potato dish)

Extra info: 
* park smartly in the barnyard, so additional cars can fit
* gloves are miraculous this time of year, saving our hands from the
   chill of both air and soil
fall potatoes














chickens in hard pursuit of bob (and food)

10.15.2012

garlic planting saturday


Late fall has arrived, and thus the time to plant our cloves back into the ground.  The beds will then be mulched for winter protection, and roots will begin to grow and anchor the seed into place.  Come springtime, the shoots will push through the mulch and grow into a full bulb for July harvest.  Planting is a simple and fun group task.  The more folks we have come out this weekend, the quicker it will go!

Planting is this Saturday starting at 9:30a.  If the forecast changes and it's actively raining, we'll postpone.  The soil will likely feel chilly (gloves).  If you can't make Saturday, but want to be involved, there's lots of garlic 'cracking' to do as well as bed preparation beforehand. Get in touch to set up a time.
Hope to see you!

10.09.2012

cherish the beet


The hearty, blood red fall beets are starting to come out of the ground.  Bob and Matt are pulling and topping them as I type (at work! I'm not shirking...).  There's certainly some folks on the fence about these chunky, earthy roots. As I don't have cooking photos with them yet, I've compiled a list of links from other CSA's and their members to give a little inspiration for this week's meals.  The crop did wonderfully, along with the carrots, so I reckong you'll have a few opportunities to experiment beyond the borscht and roasting.
Hope it's an enjoyable journey.

***  Roesti (potato beet pancake)

***  Beet Hummus

***  Raw Beet Salad 
          or try a roasted variation on this with similar flavorings.

***  Carrot-Beet Soup with Ginger Beet Relish

In the you-pick herbs area there's still oregano, thyme, mint, lavender, rosemary and sage.  A little herbs go a long way for flavor.

10.08.2012

we perservered!

unearthing sweet potatoes

sweet job on saturday morning folks.
it was the soggiest of mornings and bob and i wanted to stay in bed as much as anyone, but no! thankfully you came trickling into the field and by lunchtime there were 20+ folks out  harvesting the last of the nightshades, clipping plants bound for the compost pile, taking down fencing, digging sweet potatoes and more. So much cleanup happened in three hours. And it made the food that much tastier. It's not so bad to be, 'full of beans.'

And what an incredible afternoon when the rain subsided and the sun began to shine.
Thanks for the photos Jenny.

molly heading to the compost pile
 ground cherry cleanup

flip clipping tomatoes


10.04.2012

october garden morning


Have you got digging spirit?!

For Saturday's time in the gardens we'll be in the lower river field. 9a-1p. There's sweet potatoes and potatoes to come out of the ground, as well as miscellaneous garden cleanup. The park gate will be open and folks can drive/ride/walk straight down below.  Forecast is saying grey and in the 60's. Remember your rain gear, gloves and waterbottles etc... If you're not able to make it, let's find another time this month to get you involved. 

We'll be making a coconut chickpea curry for the potluck. 

The last first Saturday of the month garden morning is November 3rd. Mark your calendars!

cover crop of oats coming in following the onion harvest
dog play outside river garden