Hello members!
We cannot believe that this is the final week of the Main Season program! The whole end of the season feels like it's been moving full steam ahead, and despite the weird weather this year, the fact that we haven't had a frost yet makes it feel so much earlier. We would love to thank you all for your participation, as always. The CSA program is the bread and butter of our farm. Not only is it personally our favorite aspect to run, but it's also the primary source of income for the farm and the main reason we are in business. Your support means the world to us, and we're so grateful for all of the positivity it brings to our lives and to our community.
On Saturday, member Corey G. shared that his kids have been eating more and more vegetables thanks to the farm, and success stories like these are truly why we farm. Family members broadening their palates, learning experiences, new favorite dishes... these are the reasons why we run our subscription program. We love to hear your stories!
Our farm store at 247 Waverly Rd. in Shelton stays open through Saturday, December 9th before we close up shop for 2023.
If you purchased a share for next season, please remember to submit your payment. Technically, at least a 50% deposit is due within 7 days of enrollment, but we know how busy life gets, so we ask that you kindly turn them in this week if you haven't already.
Tuesday members continuing on with the Extended Season:
We are closing at 4:30 p.m. on Halloween due to lessening crowds as the evening goes on. Tuesday subscription pickup members can come on Monday after 4:00 if needed, or we'll hold the share through Wednesday as always.
This week, we've got a unique lineup for the share contents, and we're super excited to change it up. As Randy and I walked the field on Saturday to come up with this week's list, we found a lot of disappointing discoveries (aside from just a ton of water...)
Take this arugula, for example, in the middle row of this photo.
What's happening is that the roots are so wet that the leaves are actually starving for oxygen. The leaves become stunted and discolored, rendering the arugula unusable. This has happened with countless other crops this season, from discolored broccoli rabe to moldy broccoli. It's heartbreaking when there's nothing you can do to prevent the rain from destroying crops. We wanted to use the broccoli rabe for everyone this week, but there won't be enough because it's in the same condition as the arugula.
Similarly, we're tossing squash left and right on the compost pile because it's not holding up in storage. For every spaghetti and delicata squash we keep, we need to toss 3 or 4. The skin of the squashes are so delicate (hence "delicata") that can't hold up to the heavy rains from when they were in the field this season. The last of our delicata and spaghetti squashes are currently out for sale with the rest of the varieties dwindling, too. We recommend getting yours ASAP if you'd like more. We did save enough for everyone in the Extended Season to have one of each kind, but we are nervous about it not storing...
Granted, we've been lucky overall. So many Connecticut (and New England) farms were completely underwater earlier this year. All things considered, we're hanging on and have been able to forge ahead with most of the crops we've seeded.
Speaking of, once the field planting slows down, the greenhouse planting picks up. We fill all of our raised beds and hanging pots with greens to last into December. Today Emily was filling up pots for microgreens and tulip and daffodil planting, which will take place soon!
Microgreens will be used later in our Extended Season program subscription boxes, and we'll also have trays out for sale in November. Every year around the first week of December, we tuck tulip and daffodil bulbs into pots. We then store them in our dark cooler for a long winter's nap. When the days start getting warm again, they reemerge and we have a potted flower sale in April. We picked out all new varieties for this season, like dark purple almost black tulips (called Queen of Night) and white and gold daffodils (called Golden Echo)... I get super into the names of these flowers.
Right around this time, we start going on "Frost Watch." We check the forecast overnight to see if the temperatures will dip into the 30s. If there are any crops we want to save, sometimes we cover them with a big blanket called Reemay cloth, which insulates them from frost. It looks like this.
That photo was taken on September 20, 2020, when we weren't ready to lose our summer crops. At this point in the season, we're probably okay with losing the tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers, but would probably want to cover the beans and certainly the lettuces, which are not frost-tolerant. (And guess what? Beans are FINALLY ready!) Once the frost happens, we'll usually bulk harvest all of those summer crops and have a Stuff-a-Bag sale.
Believe it or not, we're actually already starting to plan for and dream about next season. We've got a couple of new planting endeavors and some excavation projects underway at Booth Hill. Our field crew's last day will be this Friday, and then you'll see me in the store on Saturdays more often. We have 7 more weeks to go, which amounts to SO much produce. We hope to see you later this season or next year in some capacity!
It has been a pleasure to be your farming family. Victoria, Randy, Peter, and Janina
Enjoy these gorgeous photos taken by Felicia to end the newsletter for the week!
MORE FARM UPDATES
We have decided to once again close at 4:00 on Fridays for the rest of the season. We'll see you on Saturdays from 9 to 4 instead! The Monroe Farmers' Market has concluded for the year.
Saturday, October 28th from 9-12 is the final Shelton Farmers' Market of the season (100 Canal Street downtown). Say "so long" to Steve and Henry as they finish out the year!
On Tuesday, October 24th, tickets will go on sale for BOTH of our wreath making workshops, one a Thanksgiving centerpiece wreath and one a holiday evergreen wreath workshop. Both will take place the week of Thanksgiving. Stay tuned!
Plus, you're invited to our 2023 Jack-o-Lantern Carving Contest this weekend! On Saturday, October 28th from 10-11 a.m., join us in the barn to show off your carved pumpkin! Bring a pumpkin that you've carved prior to the event (our insurance won't allow us to carve on the premises). We'll display them with tea lights and everyone will vote on their favorite. Coffee and cider will be served. If you'd like to bring a coffee cake-like dessert to share, please do! Please park on Farm House Lane and walk up the hill to the farm. The winner who receives the most votes will go home with a trophy (thank you to members Kate & Bill for making this hilarious prize!) Pro-tip, if you want to save the pumpkin for Halloween night, coat the cut edges with vaseline!
All of the remaining mums are BOGO free from now until they're gone. They are $10 each regularly.
We were made aware that someone is posting spam on our Facebook page notifying and tagging people about new apparel. This is not from us and we do not have any apparel for sale. Please do not click this link or purchase from this site!
Did anyone lose this memory card in our parking lot? Please let us know if it belongs to you!
Large orange carving pumpkins are still available for $0.75/lb. We also have orange and white sugar pumpkins available, which you can decorate or bake with. We also have blue hubbard squash available, which is my favorite for baking pumpkin pie with!
In Your Share (Listed approximately from shortest shelf life to longest)
Large:
1 bunch of Asian salad greens (may be mizuna, choy sum, tatsoi, or Asian mix depending on the day's harvest... assume you will be stir frying or using it for a soup)
1 bunch of broccoli rabe
1 bunch of radishes or salad turnips (farmer's choice)
1 bok choy or escarole (member's choice)
3/4 lb. of beans
2 kohlrabi
1 celery root bulb
1 small bulb of garlic
Small:
1 bunch of Asian salad greens (may be mizuna, choy sum, tatsoi, or Asian mix depending on the day's harvest... assume you will be stir frying or using it for a soup)
1 bunch of radishes or salad turnips (farmer's choice)
1 bok choy or escarole (member's choice)
1/2 lb. of beans
1 kohlrabi
1 celery root bulb
Caring For Your Share (All of this information, plus long-term storage info, can also be found in our Vegetable Library of Resources).
Store Asian mix, escarole, bok choy, and broccoli rabe, in plastic bags in the fridge. When ready to use, wash in cold water and spin out in a salad spinner. Use within the week.
Store beans in a plastic bag in the fridge. Wash and blot dry when ready to use.
Store garlic in a cool, dark place out of the refrigerator, like a cabinet or pantry. Ensure that it has air flow. We leave the neck on the garlic to prevent it from rotting at the base of the bulb.
Remove the greens from the kohlrabi, radishes, or salad turnips and store them in separate plastic bags in the fridge. The roots will last longer than the greens.
Remove the tops from the celeriac (celery root) and store the greens and root in plastic bags in the crisper drawer in the fridge. Wash when ready to use, and peel the bulb.
The LGF Cooking Club (Recipes to try in addition to those in the Library of Resources!)
Celery Root Mash (add in the kohlrabi)
Easy Oven Roasted Celeriac (add in the kohlrabi)
Collard Greens with Coconut Milk (we aren't getting collard greens this week, but follow this recipe for using ANY of your greens - turnip or kohlrabi tops, etc.)
Creamy Hungarian Green Bean Soup (use this as inspiration for a flavor profile, not so much with measurements... be creative and add your own ingredients to it!)
Large Share Additional Items
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.