What an incredible turnout for our gleaning

STORIES & UPDATES

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Last week ended with some bad news, but this week ended with some great news!

Last week I shared that we found out that the grant funding used to purchase our produce for low income residents in the City of Bridgeport was abruptly cut. Sadly, that still remains the case, although the East End Market still plans to use the funds they do have to continue to purchase from us through the end of our season.

Though we are so grateful for this, we also wish that the overall cuts weren't the case at a time when so many people need assistance. I recently shared in a newsletter that being in business has allowed us to donate thousands of pounds of produce every season.

We donate what we can. This past week, Emily and I boxed up 123 lbs. of green peppers, cauliflower, and eggplant for donation to a food pantry in Bridgeport - this was excess produce from our cooler that we wouldn't have sold.

However, it also takes a lot of effort from our field crew to harvest all of the food that we do. So, we are grateful that there is grant funding to be able to purchase from local farms for food pantries. This strengthens the local economy and our local food system.

This week, I was reading about how a food distributor in Connecticut wasn't able to receive their usual supply of produce from California so that it could be wholesaled to grocery stores. Sardilli Produce in Hartford shared that their lettuce and strawberry shipments were delayed due to heavy rain in California. I don't think many people realize what could happen to our food system if local farms disappeared. Imagine if we all relied on food from the grocery store?

But, you do understand this, and it's why you're here. We thank you for that - you're the reason that local farms can continue to exist!

In case you're interested, here's a quick video I made that talks about our partnership with the City of Bridgeport and how much work it is to fulfill these orders. Though we wish we could donate every last bit of food we grow, our staff also needs to be paid for their work. Here's just one quick snippet of what that looks like:

On Saturday, we also leaned in to the power of community at our gleaning. It was an INCREDIBLE morning!

In just one hour, we harvested 848 pounds of lettuce, escarole, salad turnips, and mustard greens, which was delivered to Fridgeport, a food pantry in Bridgeport, thanks to Real Food CT. There were truly too many people in attendance to count.

When Sean pulled up to Fridgeport, he said the line was around the block, music was playing, and all hands were on deck to help distribute it. The only bad thing: they were told it would all be gone by 3:00.

The need is great, and we are so thankful to be able to help our neighbors. Having so many people's support to harvest the food was heartwarming - we couldn't have done it alone! We open up our farm to gleanings for Real Food CT throughout the year, and the truth is that sometimes we are too busy to coordinate big events. But you can guarantee we'll be looking for ways to expand these opportunities next season.

Please follow our friends at Real Food CT to see their calendar of events if you'd like to get involved in the future.

We're in Thanksgiving prep mode now. This week we'll be furiously harvesting fresh veggies to stock the store for holiday meal shopping. Check out the list of veggies that will be available below - none of that will change for the holiday.

We also picked up our order of cranberries from Killingworth Cranberries - CT's only cranberry bog! They're $5.99 quart and will be available through Thanksgiving week.

All lettuce and escarole is BOGO free through Friday. Sorry, no mix and match.

Everything in your share should be familiar this week, but one thing we love to teach people is the difference between turnips and rutabaga.

Turnips are purple and white, and they're white on the inside when you peel them. They tend to be squatty and round in shape. The flavor is zesty like a radish.

In contrast, rutabaga is more orange-y and purple, and the shape is more oblong. Rutabaga is a pale orange on the inside, and its flavor is sweeter than a radish - not peppery.

Both are members of the cabbage family and have a cabbage flavor. Note that the grocery store often labels rutabagas as turnips, and they're heavily waxed.

This week, you're receiving rutabaga in your share. Next week, you'll receive turnips. Don't forget to check out the Library of Resources for ideas about how to cook them. From apples and pork, to soups, knockoff fries, and even tacos, we've got tons of ideas for how to use them.

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Considering we got good news about our grant funding this week, we are in need of more clean, gently used boxes. No need to break them down; simply rip off your address label and bring them into the store. Think wine boxes, Chewy, unscented diapers and wipes, Amazon, Target, small appliances, etc.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

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• Wednesday, November 26th: 10:30 to 4 (closing early the day before Thanksgiving!) Thursday, November 27th: CLOSED for Thanksgiving Friday, November 28th: 10:30 to 3 (Black Friday - our liquidation sale begins!)

  
  

• Our final day of operation for the season is Saturday, December 6th.

  
  

• Pick-your-own has concluded for the 2025 season. Thank you for making beautiful memories with us at The Fields at Laurel Glen Farm!

• The Shelton and Monroe Farmers' Markets have concluded for the season. We're grateful to our market customers, crew member Steve, and the market managers for another great year.

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STORE INFORMATION

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Here is the fresh produce we plan to have in stock while supplies last (through Friday, November 21st):

• Acorn squash

• Arugula

• Bok choy

• Broccoli

• Broccoli rabe

• Brussels sprouts

• Butternut squash

• Cabbage

• Carrots

• Cauliflower

• Celery (leafy variety)

• Collard greens

• Delicata squash

• Escarole (BOGO FREE!)

• Garlic

• Kale

• Kohlrabi

• Leeks

• Lettuce (BOGO FREE!)

• Mashed potato squash

• Mustard greens

• Napa cabbage

• Onions

• Parsley

• Potatoes

• Radishes

• Romaine

• Salad turnips

• Spaghetti squash

• Sweet potatoes

• Swiss chard

• Tatsoi

• Tokyo bekana

CURRENT STORE HOURS:

Monday: 10:30 to 4 p.m.

Tuesday: 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Wednesday: 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Thursday: 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Friday: 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

​​Saturday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sunday: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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VEGETABLE SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

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EXTENDED SEASON WEEK 30 OF 32

(Tuesday, November 18th through Saturday, November 22nd)

Share Contents (Listed approximately from shortest shelf life to longest)

Large:

• 1 head of lettuce

• 1 bunch of Tokyo bekana

• 1 quart of Brussels sprouts

• 2 lbs. of rutabaga

• 1 onion

• 1 butternut squash

• 1 free choice item: herbs and more

  
  

Small:

• 1 bunch of Tokyo bekana

• 1 quart of Brussels sprouts

• 1 lb. of rutabaga

• 1 butternut squash

• 1 free choice item: herbs and more

Storage tips and recipes for all of the vegetables in this week's share can be located on our website, here.

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Vegetable Subscription Pickup Policies

• All pickups must take place within store operating hours. For many reasons, we can't leave shares outside the store. Pickup days are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.

• 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 change or 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 pickup day in a given week: we offer share pickup on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday only.

• 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.

• Please send us an email to laurelglenfarm@gmail.com 48 hours before your anticipated pickup in order to make a change. You must submit your request in writing in order to leave a paper trail. This allows you to show proof to our store staff at pickup in the event that we need clarification.

• If a share is picked up outside of your scheduled time (aside from an approved change) or the 24 hour holding period, you will be billed for an additional share.