This weekend we'll be hosting "Free Sample Saturday and Sunday" in our store. Come in on Saturday, June 8th from 9 to 2 and Sunday, June 9th from 10 to 2 and sample a ton of different products that we sell in the store. Please note: the samples will be available during slightly shorter hours than we are open so we have ample time to clean up afterward.)
Here's what we plan to offer:
Cross Culture Kombucha
Dash 'n Drizzle oil and vinegar
Dragon's Blood Elixir hot sauce
Durante's Pasta sauce
Gracious Gourmet pesto
Oui Charcuterie salami
Redding Roaster's coffee
Rose Sister's Chips tortilla chips
Savor cookies
Seasonal Catering iced tea
Shaggy Coos Farm chocolate milk
Sugar Maple Farms blueberry honey
Telios tzatziki (a representative will also be available from 9-11 a.m. Saturday)
Twin Pines Farm hot pepper relish and strawberry jam
Wave Hill Bread
White Oak Farm & Table salsa
And, super exciting news! We'll be stocking Wave Hill Breads products this weekend, too! Wave Hill Breads is an award-winning bakery out of Norwalk. So many of you are familiar with them from certain farmers' markets and the former Common Bond Market. We asked our subscription members if they would be interested in a bread share, but unfortunately Wave Hill doesn't deliver on one of our pickup days - Tuesday - and we feel that that would exclude a large portion of our members, so we have decided to forego the idea.
However, we've decided to stock some of their breads in our store on certain weekends, this coming weekend being one of them. We will have the following available in limited quantities (come early on Saturday and Sunday!)
Artisan 3-grain baguette
Artisan 3-grain boule
Buttermilk pan loaf (pre-sliced for sandwiches)
Chocolate chip muffins (individual)
Blueberry muffins (individual)
Frozen margherita flatbreads
Frozen chocolate chip cookie logs
Depending upon how successful this is, we'll increase our ordering from Wave Hill - however, as we are sure you can imagine, we want to sell the bread at the peak of freshness and will therefore order a conservative amount to start. Plan to pick some up this weekend if you'd like to see us continue this!
This past Sunday we hosted a beautiful walking tour of our farm. Despite the humidity, an amazing time was had by all! We talked about our growing practices, succession planting, crop rotation, land restoration projects, the farm's history, daily tasks on the farm, future plans, and SO much more.
After the attendees left, Randy and I reflected on the experience with such gratitude. It means so much to us to have so many people in the community who care about what we do and want to spend their time with us. If you missed the tour, we're planning to partner with two awesome caterers in September to host farm picnics with walking tours.
If you purchased a hanging flower basket from us, be sure to deadhead it to keep it blooming all season long. This means physically picking off any brown, shriveled up flowers as soon as you see them. That will send the message to the plant to continue to produce flowers. Similarly, it might be a good time to water the basket with a little bit of fertilizer. Doing this every so often will keep it thriving.
This week we are welcoming 268 members to our Main Season vegetable subscription program! This is our largest group of members ever, and we're so excited for the 20 weeks ahead. As we begin the program, it's still greens season in Connecticut, so our members can expect to receive mostly greens over the next few weeks.
This week, a treat! Though there aren't enough snap peas for everyone to receive a pint, we're excited to be able to include a half pint in everyone's subscription share. Looking ahead, plenty more are on their way!
We also have the most gorgeous lettuce in season. Everyone's share includes 1 head of lettuce, but because of our BOGO free lettuce deal we are offering to the public, you are welcome to take an extra head of lettuce to go along with your share if you can use it. Keep it for yourself, or pass it on for someone else to enjoy.
Every week, your share will include at least $1 of extra produce as a thank you for your upfront investment in the program. And as we get into the season of squash, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, etc. we always include a weight of product that is at or slightly above the amount we budgeted for. These savings for you really add up over the course of the season.
We are incredibly passionate about teaching our members about seasonality and bonding over shared eating experiences. We love our subscription members and thank you so much for your participation in the program this season!
Remember that you can find all of our subscription program FAQs and policies at this link to get you even more acclimated.
Spotlight on choy sum!
This week, members are receiving a bunch of choy sum. We pride ourselves on growing over 80 varieties of vegetables, and this one is quite unique, but very well-loved and looked forward to by those who know of it! I like to describe choy sum as a cross between asparagus and broccoli, like an elongated and tender bok choy. Believe me when I say it's SO easy to prepare!
Here's what I do: Put it in a pan with a little bit of water and a lid and steam it for a few minutes. Once it becomes tender, remove the lid and add your oil and seasonings of choice to saute it and finish it off. I love sesame oil, soy sauce, and crushed red pepper. Feel free to improvise with a dash of honey, ginger, garlic, or just olive oil and salt and pepper. It takes about 10 minutes from start to finish.
We're asking for donations of clean, gently used boxes to pack orders into. Please use the photos below for size references - anything in that range would be so appreciated. No need to break the boxes down either. Simply rip off your address label and bring them into our store. We can also use some clean paper bags at this time - no cloth, please. Thank you so much for your help with recycling!
I have heard from a few of you that you're having a harder time reading our most recent book club selection: Stuffed and Starved by Raj Patel, either due to busyness or lack of interest in the book. For this reason, we'd like to gauge interest in meeting for a book club discussion in July. If participation would be low, we might decide to forego the meeting, but we will make that determination with your input. Please respond to our weekly email to let us know if you're reading the book and still interested in meeting in July. The date is still TBD and based around other farm events and we understand that you can't make a commitment without an exact date. At this time we are just trying to gauge interest and understand more clearly who is reading the book. Please don't let this message dissuade you from continuing on!
HOUSEKEEPING
The Main Season subscription program begins on June 11th. It is a weekly and biweekly member pickup week.
Balances are due upon your first subscription pickup. If you qualified for the early bird cash or check discount, you must pay your balance by cash or check to keep the discount. Please ask in advance if you aren't sure of what you owe.
The best way to reach us quickly is always by email - laurelglenfarm@gmail.com
Please note that Victoria does not work on Thursdays. Emails or phone calls received on Wednesday night through Thursday will be answered on Fridays.
WHAT VEGGIES ARE IN THE STORE?
Here are the fresh veggies we plan to have in stock while supplies last (through Friday, 6/14):
Arugula
Bok choy (BOGO free through 6/14)
Choy sum (like a cross between bok choy and asparagus)
Collard greens
Escarole (BOGO free through 6/14)
Fresh herbs (sage, thyme, rosemary, mint, dill)
Garlic scapes (limited quantities for now)
Kale
Lettuce (BOGO free continues through 6/14 - can mix and match with romaine)
Mustard greens
Radishes
Romaine (BOGO free continues through 6/14 - can mix and match with lettuce)
Scallions
Spinach (the last of it until the fall!)
Sugar snap peas
Swiss chard
BOGO free lettuce, romaine, bok choy, and escarole through Friday, June 14th in our store and at the Shelton Farmers' Market.
ALL SEEDLINGS AND DAHLIAS MUST GO!
$2 EACH NO MATTER THE SIZE
(SINGLES, 2-PACKS, AND 4-PACKS)
Sold as singles:
Heirloom slicing tomatoes (Black Krim, Striped German, Brandywine, and Cherokee Purple)
Red and yellow slicing tomatoes (we don't label the specific varieties, but these are all of the same globe tomatoes we grow on the farm)
Red and yellow grape tomatoes
Red cherry tomatoes
Eggplant
Red bell peppers
Jalapenos
Sold in 2-packs:
Slicing cucumbers
Zucchini
Yellow squash
Broccoli
Kale
Watermelon
Cantaloupe
Sold in 4-packs:
Green and red lettuce
Green beans
Basil, cilantro, dill, thyme, parsley, mint, oregano, and sage
Sunflowers, snapdragons, and zinnias
SHIRTS ARE IN STOCK
Shirts are $22, unisex, and available in S, M, L, XL, and XXL. They're 100% cotton, incredibly soft, and slightly baggy for a trendy, lived-in feel for stepping out at your favorite casual establishment.
The front is the Laurel Glen Farm logo and the back is a beet with the phrase "keep your friends close and your farmers closer."
STORE HOURS
Monday: 10:30 to 6
Tuesday: 10:30 to 6
Wednesday: 10:30 to 6
Thursday: 10:30 to 6
Friday: 10:30 to 5
Saturday: 9 to 4
Sunday: 10 to 3
** Vegetable subscription pickup occurs during all open hours on members' scheduled pickup day and we hold shares for 24 hours afterward.
Shelton Farmers' Market - Saturdays from 9 to 12 at 100 Canal Street.
Monroe Farmers' Market - Fridays beginning June 14th from 3 to 6 at 7 Fan Hill Road.
UPCOMING FARM EVENTS
Book Club
Our next book club meeting will take place on a Saturday or Sunday morning in July. The date is TBD and will be determined based upon other farm events. We'll be able to announce the date in late June, but we recommend trying to complete the book by July 1st just in case (although many of us at the meeting had not yet finished! Don't let that discourage you from attending.) We'll ask you to RSVP once we post the date.
This week's reflection question: How does the author's writing style contribute to or detract from your reading experience?
Meet the Fleet
In May, we featured "Little Massey" and in June, we're featuring the Farmall 200. Catch it outside our farm store on Father's Day weekend and June 22nd and 23rd. Read about its history, snap a photo, and let your little ones sit on it!
Pick-Your-Own Sugar Snap Peas
We will be offering pick-your-own peas on Friday, June 21st, Saturday, June 22nd, and Sunday, June 23rd. $10/quart. 2024 Main Season and Extended Season members will get $1 off. Very little walking required. Come in during our store's open hours - no reservation required. Check back here and on our website in case of a cancellation.
THIS WEEK'S VEGGIE SUBSCRIPTIONS
MAIN SEASON WEEK 1 OF 20
(Tuesday, June 11th through Saturday, June 15th)
Share Contents (Listed approximately from shortest shelf life to longest)
Large:
1 head of lettuce (+1 if you'd like another!)
1 bunch of arugula
1 bunch of choy sum
1 bunch of kale
1 pint of sugar snap peas
2 Grab-a-Green of your choice (Choose any 2 of the following: escarole, Swiss chard, bok choy, romaine, arugula, or kale)
Small:
1 head of lettuce (+1 if you'd like another!)
1 bunch of arugula
1 bunch of choy sum
1/2 pint of sugar snap peas
1 Grab-a-Green of your choice (Choose 1 of the following: escarole, Swiss chard, bok choy, romaine, arugula, or kale)
Caring For Your Share (All of this information, plus long-term storage info, can also be found in our Vegetable Library of Resources).
Store snap peas in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of the fridge. Remove stems and wash when ready to eat, within the week.
Store escarole, bok choy, kale, and lettuce, choy sum, Swiss chard, romaine, and arugula in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of the fridge. Wash and spin out; use within the week.
The LGF Cooking Club (Recipes to try in addition to those in the Library of Resources!)
Snap Pea and Strawberry Salad with Quinoa, Almonds, Feta, and Tarragon
Simple Stir-Fried Choy Sum - no need to boil in my opinion, just steam it first
Chop Suey (Chicken Stir Fry) - uses choy sum
Warm Rice & Pintos Salad (uses lettuce or romaine)
How to Change Your CSA Share 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 for any of the options below. This is because 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 in a given week: Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday.
You can skip a pickup and receive a double the following week.
If you miss your pickup, we will hold your share for 24 hours after your pickup day, 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.
You can always send a guest to pick up in your place by simply notifying us of their name.
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