Our garlic project is (almost!) complete!
Henry took the 115 lbs. of garlic seed that we set aside and broke each little clove off of the heads. Randy estimates that we ended up planting 7,000 cloves of garlic. Each will become its own bulb next July.
Randy pounded each hole in the ground by hand.
Then Ethan and Laina placed the cloves into the holes and covered them up with dirt. It took about a day and a half worth of planting to complete.
Even Peter got involved! Here he is carrying the basket with some cloves of garlic in it.
On Saturday morning, we had leaves delivered from some local landscapers. This week, we'll use the big bucket on the tractor to move them onto the garlic, cover, and spread them over the garlic as insulation.
We actually have quite a bit of garlic left over from our planting project, and we'll put it out for sale in the store. It's just regular garlic and can be used for either eating or planting.
Over the next week, we'll be on Thanksgiving week prep. This is the last of the spaghetti, acorn, and delicata squash and we won't have more to restock for the remainder of the season. We do have some more honeynut and butternut in storage. It's not too early to pick up squash for Thanksgiving - just leave it out on your counter until the holiday.
Speaking of squash in storage, we moved all of the remaining squash out of the tractor barn and crated it due to the hard freeze we got on Saturday night. The barn can be heated with a furnace if needed, but Randy and I decided that we'd rather not waste the fuel to preserve the squash. So, Randy, Laina, and I crated up all of the squash and moved it into the store for safe keeping overnight. We'll move it back and forth so it's out of the store, but at least it's energy efficient this way.
This week, you're all receiving honeynut, which is like a mini butternut with the same flavor profile, just more intense. It's delicious as a side dish stuffed with quinoa or just roasted plain.
Thanksgiving prep for us entails harvesting a ton of veggies for the end of the week. We anticipate an awesome turnout on Saturday and the week of Thanksgiving. We'll also begin harvesting greenery for our wreath making projects (our own and the upcoming workshop on Black Friday).
We're having a bunch of different sales through Thanksgiving. First is gourds for $1.00/lb.
My aunt sent me this GOURD-geous photo of a simple centerpiece that she made for her table using herbs, gourds, and squashes. Could this be any easier?
Second is pie pumpkins on sale for $4 each. Here's a recipe for how to make your own puree for baking and cooking.
Next up is potato "seconds" for $1.50/lb. These will be out front of the store. Cut away the blemishes and enjoy!
And finally, Savor cookies and fruit are $3 off. (Cookies are regularly $12 each, fruit is usually $9 each). We just got our last delivery. These make great gifts and we won't be restocking flavors through the end of the season.
Ethan and Eric have still been coming in to help in the field to harvest for all of the shares. Here they are with a huge basket of leeks, before we trim up the tops and roots on each and every one.
On Friday, Randy sent them to the dump with a load of the drip irrigation line. We wind it up at the end of the season and unfortunately it does need to be disposed of. Still more eco-friendly than using sprinklers, though. Anyway, they got all the way to the dump and then we all realized that it was the observed Veteran's Day and it was closed... oops! We'll try again this week. Thank you so much to all of our veterans.
And with Tuesday as Election Day, we played a polling game on our social media stories to vote for veggies. There are no right or wrong answers, but we'll leave them here to end the newsletter and you can play along yourself.
First up... which do you like better, lettuce or romaine?
Bok choy or choy sum?
Celeriac or escarole?
Rutabaga or turnip?
Cauliflower or broccoli?
Here are the veggies expected to be in the store through Friday, November 17th... A new list will be emailed out on Thursday night or Friday morning. Most will be the same until our closing date on December 9th.
Acorn squash (the last of it!)
Arugula
Beets
Bok choy
Broccoli rabe
Brussels sprouts
Butternut squash
Cabbage (red, green, napa)
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery root (celeriac)
Cutting celery
Choy sum
Collard greens
Escarole
Garlic
Herbs (sage, thyme, rosemary, parsley)
Honeynut squash
Kabocha squash
Kale
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Lettuce
Potatoes
Radishes and salad turnips
Romaine
Rutabaga
Spaghetti squash (the last of it!)
Spinach
Sugar pumpkins (on sale for $4 each!)
Turnips
Gather a group of friends or treat yourself to some solo fun!
We'll show you how to make a holiday wreath using foraged greens from our farm. You'll have access to pine, cedar, yew, hemlock, and holly to build a personalized wreath that suits your tastes.
You'll receive an 18" wreath frame that you can fill as narrow or full as you'd like, plus the wire and greens you'll need to complete this project. Please bring a pair of garden clippers with your name on them, which you'll use to prune greenery for the wreath.
Where & when?
Friday, November 24, 2023 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Laurel Glen Farm.
Things to consider:
We'll be standing at tables for the workshop - please wear comfortable shoes for standing during this extended period of time. The barn is not heated and we will be using tent space outside, so we recommend dressing for outdoor elements (thin gloves are helpful).
Tables can fit 2 people, but table arrangements can not be reserved, so we recommend arriving a few minutes early to claim a spot. The demonstration will begin promptly and you're welcome to use the remaining time frame to build your wreath.
TERMS & CONDITIONS: The event ticket is non-refundable.
Purchase tickets at this link: https://www.laurelglenfarm.com/product-page/2024-wreath-making-workshop
MORE FARM UPDATES
New Fall Hours
Effective through our
season’s closing date on
Saturday, December 9, 2023
Monday: 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday: 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Thursday: 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Friday: 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
In Your Share (Listed approximately from shortest shelf life to longest)
Large:
1 head of lettuce
1 bunch of arugula
1 head of cauliflower
1 bunch of mustard greens
2 lbs. of beets
2 honeynut squash
1 herb of your choice (sage, thyme, rosemary, parsley)
Small:
1 bunch of arugula
1 head of cauliflower
1 bunch of mustard greens
1 lb. of beets
1 honeynut squash
1 herb of your choice (sage, thyme, rosemary, parsley)
Caring For Your Share (All of this information, plus long-term storage info, can also be found in our Vegetable Library of Resources).
Store your head of cauliflower in an open plastic bag in the fridge. Wash and use within the week.
Store beets in a plastic bag in the fridge. Will last for about a month if stored properly.
Shake out any excess water in the head of lettuce, then store in a plastic bag in the fridge. Wash and spin out when ready to use.
Store mustard greens and arugula in a plastic bag in the fridge. Or, snip the ends and store in a glass of water, like a bouquet. Wash and spin out when ready to use, within a few days.
Store honeynut squash in a cool, dark place such as a pantry, cabinet, or cellar where it will get air flow.
Store herbs in a glass of water in the fridge, like a bouquet. Cover the leaves with a plastic bag. Or, put it in a damp paper towel in a plastic bag in the fridge.
The LGF Cooking Club (Recipes to try in addition to those in the Library of Resources!)
Please note that Victoria does not work on Thursdays this season. Emails received on Wednesday night through Thursday will be answered on Fridays.
How to Change Your Pickup Day
If you need to skip your share for the week, or change your pickup day, you must provide us with 48 hours notice since we pack shares the day before pickup. Once your share has been harvested and packed, we can not cancel your pickup.
For Tuesday pickups being changed, we need to know by Sunday. Wednesday pickups, we need to know by Monday. Saturday pickups, we need to know by Thursday. You have the option to choose another of those pickup days: Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday. Or, you can skip a pickup and double the following week.
If you miss your pickup, we will hold your share for 24 hours after your pickup day (Monday for Saturday members), and then it will be donated to a local food pantry. With more members than ever before, we don't have the cooler space to hold onto shares longer than this. This is a great option if you accidentally miss your pickup - just come the next day.