Fresh and Value-Added Items:
- Carrots
- Potatoes
- Celery Root: peel outer layer, use like celery in soups, baked dishes, etc
- Onions
- Garlic
- Fresh Winter Spinach
- Cabbage
- Eggs-1 dozen
- Pickles
- Raspberry Jam 1 pint
Frozen Items:
- Vegetable Stock 1 Qt: water, onions, carrots, potatoes, celery, rosemary, sage, thyme, bay leaf, salt & pepper.
- 2 Soups, or substituted items (Winter CSA Store)
- Green Beans 1 Qt: Blanched and frozen green beans
- Colored Peppers 1/2 Pt: Cubed and frozen sweet peppers
- Rhubarb 1 Qt: Chopped and frozen rhubarb
- Spaghetti Sauce 1 Quart: tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic, olive oil, spices
The weather was warm and sunny enough for our spinach to recover from the chilly temperates a couple of weeks ago. It’s a wonderful thing to be able to go inside the high tunnel this time of year and immerse myself in an oasis of green growing plants, as well as know that no fossil fuels are used to heat that tunnel for our food. As the day length slowly begins to extend, the plants will begin to actively grow again (most likely in February). Until that time, we harvest the leaves that have grown before December that sit in a state of suspension throughout the winter.
Some of you may have noticed a slight modification to the Winter CSA store this week. In order to help curb our prices of the total cost of goods in the winter CSA box, we modified the soup prices in the store to be $7.50 per quart. So the weekly flex account will now equal $15 instead of $20. That means you still get to choose the two soups or use that $15 dollar amount to substitute other items from the farm. What we are trying to do by offering the Winter CSA store is give people more choice and flexibility if they want it. This is a work in progress so minor tweaks may occur along the way. If you have any feedback, always feel to share it so we can make this a system that works for all of us.
It is the time of year to renew your CSA memberships for the next growing season. I did not automatically renew everyone as I felt I’d prefer you to be able to make any adjustments to your membership as you see fit. To renew, go to the CSA sign up page and follow the directives from there. I do prefer that people use our online dwolla system if you choose to make multiple payments over the season as this takes out a lot of bookworm and tracking for me during the busy season.
Our seeds have all been ordered along with a few hand tools for the garden. We are also looking at purchasing a new piece of equipment to help us with potato digging this year. When we now hand dig over 3000 pounds of potatoes each year, an upgrade to some mechanization is quite dreamy. We hope this tool helps save some wear on our bodies.
The commitment between growers and CSA members is one of mutual dependence, appreciation, and confidence. We believe in each other; we believe in good healthy local food; we believe by working together, we can create a stronger local food system where we know our food and our farmers. I appreciate your confidence in me and our team at Suncrest Gardens Farm to be able to grow and provide food for you and your families. By renewing your membership now, your commitment to the CSA model helps me to pay for those seeds, supplies, and tools needed for the upcoming season.
Eat Well. Smile Often.
Your Farmer,
Heather