2023 Extended Season Week 1 of 32

And just like that, our 11th farming season begins!

Thank you for joining our Extended Season program! We get so excited about the Extended Season because we know how much you all love and crave greens, as we do. We are so grateful to all of you who make a commitment to our farm for as long as possible. You are the backbone of Laurel Glen Farm!

This is me, Victoria. I do all of the newsletter writing, as well as answering all of your emails. You can feel comfortable addressing any emails to me. Randy is your farmer, we have a son Peter who turns 4 on Wednesday and welcomed a baby girl Janina in February!

Some housekeeping before we get into our first updates of the season:

• Don't forget to bring a bag to pickup! If you have gently used brown paper bags that you are willing to donate to our store, we'd love to accept them for those who may forget their bag.

• If you owe a balance for your share, it is due at the time of pickup. Please email us at laurelglenfarm@gmail.com if you are unsure of your balance.

• Sign up for our FREE microgreen seeding event on Saturday, May 13th from 10-11. RSVP here by May 6th.

• Typically we have a swap table where you can switch out one item of your choosing from your share. This will be instituted next week because we don't have a lot of extra to spare this week.

• Our grand opening is this Saturday, May 6th. We’re receiving the last of our shipments this week. If you are shopping on Tuesday and Wednesday, you’re welcome to buy any of the items we have in stock. Next week our store will be fully stocked with additional veggies and perishable products like milk and yogurt. We will have additional veggies available on Saturday.

• There’s a chance there will be a substitution to your share this week. Because so many of the crops in your share were overwintered, quality can vary when we go to harvest. Since we believe in always providing high-quality items, we may need to switch out an item at the last minute. If that’s the case, the crew member in the store will be instructed to communicate this change. (I’ll be there myself on Saturday!)

• Don’t forget to join our Facebook group to share what you’re cooking this week! Our Vegetable Library of Resources has also been updated to include the new crops we’re growing this season! Be sure to check it out – it has information about every crop we grow including what it is and how to use it, how to store it, and recipe links.

• Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @laurelglenfarmllc for daily updates, polls, quizzes, videos and more!

Let’s talk about overwintered crops. These are special! Overwintered crops were planted last season and allowed to stay in the field over the winter. Once they’ve been touched by frost, they store up sugar and are incredibly sweet. This week you’re getting spinach, kale, and leeks, which have all been overwintered. Overwintered greens are some of our members’ favorite items, so we hope you love them! The kale leaves will be very small, which means you probably won’t even need to chop them up other than stripping them off of the stalks.

This week, you’re receiving a tray of microgreens. Microgreens are cute little sprouts that are incredibly flavorful and nutrient-dense. You’ll have a choice of either “confetti mix” or “zesty mix” and they’re both cabbage family crops like mustard, kale, and radishes. They’ll provide a kick to whatever you’re eating this week. Add them to the top of a stir fry, sandwich, or salad. Simply trim them when you’re ready to use them and store them in a sunny windowsill and spritz them when they’re dry. They will not regenerate, so once you’ve used them, you can compost the dirt.

Obviously this time of year, it's all about planting-palooza! Here are some snaps of the crew. We restored a 1.5 acre field at our Booth Hill Road location, and planted our first crop on it - potatoes! We doubled our potato crop this year because they're so popular.

We're also busy planting thousands of heads of lettuce to have in succession.

And here we are planting cabbage family crops. Anything that's in the ground so far can tolerate a (knock on wood...) frost in case we see some major dips in temperature. Summer favorites will be transplanted this month, though greenhouse tomatoes have been going strong for a couple of months now.

Springtime is such a beautiful time of year on the farm. Personally, I prefer it to the fall because of the bright green and promise of a new year. Even without the sun, crops are coming along (rain does help compared to last year!) Without further ado, let’s wrap up the newsletter with some pretty shots from around the farm.

(Our seedling sale is on Saturday, May 20th!)

Have a wonderful first week of May!

In Your Share (Listed approximately from shortest shelf life to longest)

Large:

• 1 bunch of spinach

• 1 head of lettuce

• 1/2 lb. of Asian greens mix

• 1 bunch of kale

• 1 lb. of leeks

• 1 tray of microgreens

Small:

• 1 bunch of spinach

• 1 head of lettuce

• 1/4 lb. of Asian greens mix

• 1 bunch of kale

• 1 tray of microgreens

Caring For Your Share (All of this information, plus long-term storage info, can also be found in our Vegetable Library of Resources).

• Store lettuce, leeks, and kale in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of the fridge. Wash when ready to use.

• Keep Asian mix in the plastic bag in the fridge. When ready to use, wash in cold water and spin out in a salad spinner. Use within the week.

• Store microgreens in a sunny spot on your windowsill. Water lightly when the soil is dry. Snip and rinse greens when you're ready to use.

The LGF Cooking Club (Recipes to try in addition to those in the Library of Resources!)

• Spicy Pork & Mustard Greens Soup (use your Asian greens mix)

• Asian Salad (use your Asian greens mix)

• Spinach and Kale Bites

• Italian Orzo Spinach Soup

• 30 of the Best Microgreens Recipe Ideas

• Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

• Big Mac Salad (use your butterhead lettuce!)

• Cheddar Mushroom Kale Frittata

• Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

• 5-Minute Kale and Spinach Smoothie

Large Share Additional Ingredients:

• Pan-Roasted Chicken with Leeks

• Seared Fish with Creamed Kale and Leeks