What a week! As we're sure most of you know and experienced firsthand, the unexpected strong storm on Saturday evening left us without power into Monday.
The number one question we've been asked is, "How did the farm do in the storm?" We're lucky that we had very minimal damage. Some of the squash and zucchini was marked up by the hail, but overall, most of the plants survived. The flowers took a pretty big hit and most of them are laying down now.
If you haven't done Build-a-Bouquet yet this year and wanted to, we encourage you to do it this weekend before the opportunity passes. Dahlias survived and some are blooming, so they'll be included this weekend.
We are so grateful to all of you who checked in on us, generously offered to help or loan us a generator, and gave us your well wishes. It's always so humbling to know that so many people in our community care about us - and each other! We'd like to thank you for continuing to support our business. We know you go out of your way to do it when the supermarket is far more convenient, and for that we are so grateful!
Because of the commotion over the last week and the continued rain, this newsletter will be short and sweet this week. We hope you all make out okay after these continued projected rain storms this week.
Some grapes are ready!
We harvested our first batch of red grapes on Saturday, but there are SO many more out there! These are red, seedless grapes for eating. They'll be in the store as we continue to harvest them over the next month.
Peaches are coming in now, too! We'll be stocking them in the store as we harvest them.
Plum tomatoes are finally ready, too!
Boxes are 25 lbs. for $45. Walk in each day that we are open and ask for a box - no pre-orders. We have never run out, but we encourage you to plan to get yours within the next few weeks as we have no idea what September will bring.
Spotlight on tomatillos!
Tomatillos are a relative of tomatoes and ground cherries, also called the husk tomato. Small round fruits are protected by a husk; peel it back to enjoy. Tomatillos are typically used in Mexican cooking and to make sauces and salsas, but can be enjoyed on their own as they have a sweet, fruity, yet tart taste. If you're familiar with the idea of salsa verde, tomatillos are the base.
Tomatillos will be in members' shares this week, and we challenge you to post what you're making with them in the Facebook group! We'd love to share your posts and inspire others.
Here are some recipes from our Library of Resources on our website.
Members are also receiving a cantaloupe in your share this week! Coyotes: 0, Us: Victory! Yes, we lost so many melons, but we've been saving them up in the cooler and have enough to distribute this week. Make sure you remember to grab one after you head inside for pickup. Whatever is left over will be stocked in the store for purchase by the end of the week.
In case you missed last week's update...
Summer produce is coming in steadily now, which means we have lots of "firsts" and "seconds." Seconds are veggies that aren't quite our highest quality, but are still safe to eat. Think of a soft spot, a crack, or other physical blemishes.
We donate excess or "seconds" produce when we can, but we also want to pass the opportunity to save money onto you.
So, we're doing two things:
We're selling $5 bags of "seconds" - these are discounted bags of produce such as tomatoes, onions, squash, peppers, and eggplant that are perfectly good aside from a blemish or two. These will be available intermittently in our store as inventory allows, already pre-packed in certain quantities. So, as you're shopping, you can grab a quick bag of seconds off the shelf in addition to our firsts that are already there. We'll continue this as long as interest allows.
2. This week again from Friday, August 9th through Thursday, August 15th, all squash, zucchini, and cucumbers will be $1.50/lb. (In store only - not at markets, as the amount of crates required would become excessive for our market staff.) Admittedly, we planted way more than we needed this year, so now is a good time to consider pickling and freezing.
Build-a-Bouquet will take place again on Saturday (9-4) and Sunday (10-3). As a reminder, it works like this:
Visit the farm and the display of flowers is out front
Each bucket is tagged with instructions: limit X amount of sunflowers, or take any 10 stems from this row, etc. We provide a basket and you can fill it with your selection of blooms.
Head to the nearby table to do your arranging. We have clippers and rubber bands there.
After you make your bouquet, come into our store to pay: $20 plus tax.
We will have single stems of sunflowers available if you'd like to just purchase a few.
Bulk boxes of pickling cucumbers are still available! Boxes are 25 lbs. for $32. Walk in each day that we are open and ask for a box - no pre-orders. We have never run out, but we encourage you to plan to get yours within the next week or two. Bulk boxes should be available into August, but will be slowing down soon.
We also have boxes of tomato "seconds" - 25 lbs. for $35. Walk in each day that we are open and ask for a box - no pre-orders. Now that we are harvesting field tomatoes regularly, these boxes are readily available.
Thank you for all of the box donations! We can still use more! As we head into bulk tomato box season, we are actually in need of medium-sized boxes. Think wine boxes, diaper boxes, etc. We don't need anything smaller than this, but we'll always take boxes larger than this, too. No need to break them down - just rip off your address label first.
Thank you, Joy, for sharing this photo of your LGF shirt in Westerly, RI!
Shirt inventory is getting low and we're still undecided about whether or not to do a re-order or to keep this one a limited edition for 2024. So, with that being said, if you'd like one, we encourage you to pick one up sooner rather than later - even thinking ahead to the holidays. They're unisex and $22 each. The front is the Laurel Glen Farm logo and the back says "Keep your friends close and your farmers closer."
WHAT'S IN STORE
Here is the fresh produce we plan to have in stock while supplies last (through Friday, 8/16):
Beets
Bell peppers
Cabbage (green & red)
Carrots
Collard greens
Cucumbers (slicing and pickling)
Eggplant
Fresh herbs (sage, thyme, parsley, rosemary, mint, and basil)
Garlic
Grape tomatoes
Grapes
Green & wax beans
Hot peppers (assorted)
Husk cherries (not available every day, but they are in season and we pick them up every few days, most likely for the weekend)
Kale
Onions
Scallions
Shishito peppers
Swiss chard
Tomatillos
Tomatoes
Yellow squash
Zucchini
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
So sorry, but we can't accommodate early or late arrivals even if we are around. Our staff is scheduled to work on prepping the store with the freshest products right up until we open. We also try to honor personal lives by closing promptly.
** Vegetable subscription pickup occurs during all open hours on members' scheduled pickup day and we hold shares for 24 hours afterward.
MARKET HOURS
Shelton Farmers' Market - Saturdays from 9 to 12 at 100 Canal Street.
Monroe Farmers' Market - Fridays from 3 to 6 at 7 Fan Hill Road.
THIS WEEK'S VEGGIE SUBSCRIPTIONS
MAIN SEASON WEEK 10 OF 20
(Tuesday, August 13th through Saturday, August 17th)
Biweekly pickup occurs on all odd-numbered weeks - 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19. (Next week.)
Share Contents (Listed approximately from shortest shelf life to longest)
Large:
1 cantaloupe
1/2 quart of tomatillos
2 lbs. of tomatoes
1 lb. of cucumbers
1 yellow squash
1 pint of shishitos OR grape tomatoes (you choose!)
1/2 lb. of bell peppers
1 onion
1 hot pepper (Optional: provided at pickup if you'd like to take one. Perfect for salsa verde during tomatillo week!)
Small:
1 cantaloupe
1/2 quart of tomatillos
1 lb. of tomatoes
1 lb. of cucumbers
1 pint of shishitos OR grape tomatoes (you choose!)
1 onion
1 hot pepper (Optional: provided at pickup if you'd like to take one. Perfect for salsa verde during tomatillo week!)
Caring For Your Share (All of this information, plus long-term storage info, can also be found in our Vegetable Library of Resources).
Leave the cantaloupe out on the counter, where it will continue to ripen. Use quickly within a few days. Or, cut up the cantaloupe and store it in the fridge in a container to make it last longer.
Store your cucumbers and squash in the crisper drawer in the refrigerator.
Store peppers in a plastic bag in the fridge. Wash and blot dry when ready to use.
Keep tomatoes out on the counter and out of direct sunlight, where they will get plenty of air flow. Do not put them in the fridge; it will dry out the tomatoes and change their consistency. Tomatoes continue to ripen after harvested, so use within a few days. To ripen a tomato quickly, put it in a paper bag in a dark place, like a cabinet.
Store dry onions in a cool, dark, dry place, such as a pantry, cabinet, or cellar. Ensure that they have plenty of airflow; you can store them in a mesh bag. Keep them away from potatoes.
Store grape or cherry tomatoes in a bowl with lots of airflow on your counter. If stems are still attached, don't pull them off until you're ready to eat the tomatoes. Wash before using and enjoy within a few days.
Keep tomatillos in a paper bag in the fridge. Peel the husk and wash when ready to eat. Can be stored for a few weeks.
The LGF Cooking Club (Recipes to try in addition to those in the Library of Resources!)
How to Change Your Vegetable Subscription 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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