Hi everyone!
Being stuck inside for another week, I didn't have a chance to get out and take photos, and truthfully, I still feel pretty disconnected to all of the happenings here.
But, what I can tell you is how our crew really held it down this week and kept things running smoothly, kept making sure that shares were harvested for and packed, and that our store and markets stayed stocked. We're really grateful for everyone who pitched in.
Thank you all for the well-wishes, too! We're happy to be on the mend and back in action. This week, I should be able to do a better job of providing updates in the newsletter and on our social media.
I asked the crew to send over some photos of their week, so I will share them here. First up is Carly:
Hannah had a pretty genius idea for harvesting beans.
Monster onions!
Felicia's shots:
A baby currant tomato
Katelyn's flowers. As she continues to harvest more, we should have a steady supply of fresh bouquets here. The lack of rain interfered with her harvest schedule this week.
A mosaic of tomatoes that are coming in a little faster from the greenhouse now. Our hose broke while we were out sick and Randy was able to repair it ASAP on his first day back. Crisis averted!
Laina's photos
Dumping stinky compost is a necessary evil. What we can donate, Real Food CT comes to pick up weekly for distribution to local food pantries. What is inedible heads to our compost pile. We use the compost in our herb gardens, greenhouse tomato bags, and greenhouse pots.
A new fall crop this year: burdock! It looks very healthy. We can't wait to try it!
Pepper progress! We harvested a handful of hot peppers this week. We anticipate harvesting green peppers in a couple of weeks.
It's hard to tell by the photo, but this is Randy's prized cabbage because it's huge!
A praying mantis buddy in the kale patch. We love finding critters. Sometimes they're spiders and snakes, and other times they're a little more harmless, like caterpillars and bunnies. Thank goodness we never see deer anymore - we haven't for years since we were able to put up deer fencing. They're cute and magestic, but they are pesky to crops. Recently, we've also seen turkeys and a snapping turtle. Turkeys can be so noisy!
This week, you're receiving kohlrabi again. We know you have received it a couple of times already, but we want to encourage you to prepare it in a new way. This is especially true if you didn't think that you liked it previously. In my opinion, kohlrabi is one of the most drastically different crops in flavor, between being cooked and raw. When you cook it, it becomes immensely sweeter and loses that radish-y "bite." Member Linda shared this unique recipe in our Facebook group last time she cooked the kohlrabi: Kohlrabi "Noodles" with Bacon and Parmesan.
We've also seen lots of variations of kohlrabi fries with dipping sauce, either breaded or not. Believe it or not, it's my favorite veggie on white pizza. I saute it with garlic and olive oil and top it, just like you would with broccoli. Our neighbor Frannie loves to mash it like potatoes and add a little drizzle of honey!
This week, I'd like to challenge you to post a photo of your kohlrabi creations in the Facebook group. The submission that wows us the most - sent in by 7/30 - will win a prize.
FYI, we have a couple of upcoming contests and challenges:
In August, subscription BINGO. Fill up your card to be entered to win a prize! (More info to come!)
In September, our Spectacular Spuds contest (cooking with potatoes!)
If anyone is interested, the Shelton Farmers' Market is having a dinner to raise money for advertising and events. Here is the flyer with more information.
If you'd like to attend we also have tickets available in our store (cash or check only. Sorry, no credit card for these!)
On the agenda this week:
Prepping fields for fall crops
Harvesting garlic so we can plant beets where the garlic is now
Have an awesome week, everyone! We desperately need rain... the downpour on Saturday was great, but technically we are still in a drought and have a long way to go. Most crops need one inch of rain per week! We only got a 1/4 inch on Saturday, and we are weeks behind.
In Your Share (Listed approximately from shortest shelf life to longest)
Large:
1 bunch of basil
1 lb. of beans
1 lb. of cucumbers
1 bunch of collard greens
1 zucchini
1 bunch of salad turnips
2 kohlrabi
1 onion
Small:
1 bunch of basil
2/3 lb. of beans
1 lb. of cucumbers
1 zucchini
2 kohlrabi
1 onion
Caring For Your Share (All of this information, plus long-term storage info, can also be found in our Vegetable Library of Resources)
Remove the greens from the salad turnips and kohlrabi and store them in plastic bags in the vegetable crisper. Use greens within the week, but the roots may last for weeks when stored properly.
Store beans in a plastic bag in the fridge. Wash and blot dry when ready to use.
Store fresh onions in the fridge. You can use the tops like scallions.
Store basil stems in a glass of water. Keep it out of the fridge or it will begin to turn brown.
Store collard greens in a plastic bag in the fridge. Wash when ready to use.
Store your cucumbers and zucchini in the crisper drawer in the refrigerator.
The LGF Cooking Club
30 Minutes or Less:
Large Share Additional Ingredients:
Biweekly Catch-Up (A copy of last week's updates)
Hi friends!
We are going to keep this really short and sweet this week because all 3 of us at home have Covid. On that note, we are really disappointed but we will need to cancel the Great Garlic Harvest next Saturday 7/16. Thank you for your understanding!
Just a reminder that we pack shares for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday pickups. If you need to change your pickup day, we must know 48 hours ahead of the day. For example, if you will be away for your Wednesday pickup and would like to come Saturday, we need to know by Monday night (because we start harvesting early Tuesday morning for your Wednesday pickup). Remember, too, that skipping a week and doubling your share the following week is always an option, but we still need 48 hours notice ahead of your typical day. Thanks so much!
Black raspberries are here in the store!
Our family is in the middle of quarantining and the crew is keeping everything afloat, including friends, neighbors, and family who aren’t even pictured here. So many people behind the scenes make this farm successful - right down to the family members who provide essential child care during the season. We are so lucky to have a crew who takes pride in everything they do here, and especially lucky to have them as friends, too. Farming at this scale takes a village!
In case you missed it...
If you had told us 10 years ago that we’d someday be voted Connecticut’s number one farm stand, we would have shaken our heads in disbelief. But in 2020, I joined Randy in being committed to it full-time, and we began to see a glimmer of how this farm just might catch on after all. We are certainly not the biggest or busiest farm stand in the state, but we have - without a doubt - the most engaged, enthusiastic, supportive, and loyal customer base there is. This year, we were awarded the 2022 Reader’s Choice Best Farm Stand in Connecticut Magazine, but we think that’s certainly more a testament to the power of our community than to us. Thank you for all the love we receive, awards or not. We love being your farmers!
Last call for our bulk order waiting list! It's heading into August and September at this point for cucumbers, and potentially October for the plum tomatoes, depending on availability. Add your name to the list here! Plums are coming along nicely.
While quarantining I've been making some fun dishes. My best success was this black raspberry lemon zucchini bread. What are you making lately? Let's share in the group! Since I won't be out on the farm over the next week taking photos, I'd love to share some of your dishes on our social media.
Take care, everyone!
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