What happens to excess produce?
- Victoria & Randy Rogowski
- Aug 1
- 5 min read
FARM STORIES & UPDATES
Last week we talked about the share packing process and specifically noted that the highest quality produce is used for subscription boxes. So what do we do with the rest of the produce?
First of all, this isn't to say that the subscription shares are the only place you can find high quality produce. We follow the same harvesting and washing protocols across the board. Our store, wholesale orders, and markets each have their own column on our harvest sheet, meaning that when we're harvesting bunches of kale for example, they're just as fresh for everyone.
However, it would be unrealistic to expect that everything coming off of the farm is completely perfect. In many cases, we have to reduce our expectations slightly.
"Seconds" tomatoes, which are cracked, blemished, or have soft spots, like this one, aren't fit for the garbage, though.
In most cases, you can certainly cut out that bad spot and enjoy the rest of the tomato. Personally, we do! We just don't expect our shareholders, who paid for the best, to lose half of a tomato when they have to cut it apart.
This is where our "$5 bags of seconds" come into play. As we're packing produce for different reasons, we put together $5 bags of seconds that you can grab from our display cooler in the store.
We can also sell these in bulk at a discount for canning or wholesale. Or, if there are 1,000 lbs., we can turn them into Sunday Sauce!
Every morning, we go through our store with a careful eye. We take out greens to be perked up in water, we check items to make sure they're not too soft, we restock with high quality produce that wasn't used for shares, we box up items to donate if they're still good enough to eat. And when all else fails, we set the items aside for chicken food or compost.
Our friends at Real Food CT are an indispensable part of our donation efforts. They're a non-profit out of Newtown who specifically grows and rescues fresh produce for donation.
About once a week they visit the farm and sort through excess items from our cooler that we don't plan to use. They take what can still be eaten and distribute it to local food pantries in neighboring towns. They have a circuit of centers that they visit on a rotation.
If we have a bumper crop of items to harvest, they'll also send a team to come and "glean" it from the fields. For example, they'll harvest a ton of eggplant, weigh it, and take it straight to the pantries. And, by the way, they're always looking for volunteers to help with the gleanings! Here's their event calendar, which you can consult if you're looking for a way to get involved. You can attend just once or regularly.
Last November, we hosted a gleaning on the farm, and welcomed TONS of volunteers to help clear our fields right before Thanksgiving. We harvested over 800 lbs. of produce in one morning!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Bulk boxes of pickling cucumbers are now available!
Walk in during open hours and let us know that you would like a bulk box. We will bring one out to you until they sell out for the day. No pre-orders.
Bulk boxes are 25 lbs. for $34.50.
You are welcome to buy more than one box if available.
Boxes are expected to be available through August. Subscribe to our mailing list for up-to-date information.
Seeking box donations!
Please bring in your gently used, clean boxes. We'll reuse them for farm orders! Simply rip off your address label first and drop them off during store hours. Think Chewy, Amazon, wine, unscented diapers, Target, small appliances, etc.
IMPORTANT DATES
Stay tuned for updates surrounding pick-your-own opportunities at The Fields at Laurel Glen Farm.
Put your thinking caps on! Our Year of the Cabbage Cook-Off will launch in September. We're looking for innovative photo submissions of your cabbage creations!
The Shelton Farmers' Market runs on Saturday mornings from 9-12 at 100 Canal Street. The Monroe Farmers' Market runs on Friday afternoons from 3-6 p.m. at 7 Fan Hill Road. Come visit us!
Our farm store will be CLOSED for Labor Day on Monday, September 7, 2026.
STORE INFORMATION
Here is the fresh produce we plan to have in stock while supplies last (through Sunday, August 8th)
Arugula
Basil
Beets (limited quantities - the last of them until the fall)
Bok choy
Cabbage (red and green)
Carrots
Collard greens
Cucumbers (slicing and pickling)
Eggplant
Grape tomatoes
Hot peppers
Kale
Kohlrabi
Napa cabbage
Onions (fresh)
Scallions
Shishitos
Swiss chard
Tomatoes
Yellow squash
Zucchini
CURRENT STORE HOURS:
Monday: 10:30 to 3 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.
Cash or check is our preferred method of payment as it allows our family's farm to keep 100% of the profits. However, we also gladly accept credit cards and Venmo.
VEGETABLE SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
MAIN SEASON WEEK 9 OF 32
PEAK SEASON WEEK 5 OF 13
(Tuesday, August 4th through August 8th)
Share Contents (Listed approximately from shortest shelf life to longest)
Large:
· 1 lb. of tomatoes
· 1 pint of grape tomatoes
· 1 lb. of cucumbers
· 1 pint of tomatillos
· 1 pint of shishito peppers
· 1 head of Napa cabbage or bok choy (farmer’s choice)
· 1 onion
· 1 free choice item: TBD, but will include cilantro!
Small:
· 1 lb. of tomatoes
· 1 lb. of cucumbers
· 1 pint of tomatillos
· 1 head of Napa cabbage or bok choy (farmer’s choice)
· 1 onion
· 1 free choice item: TBD, but will include cilantro!
Storage tips and recipes for all of the vegetables in this week's share can be located on our website, here.
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. We can not have shares ready on any other days.
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 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 an anticipated 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 without proof of a request, you will be billed for an additional share.
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