Week 10 Share!

An older farming friend told me once that life is all about the people around you. He was older than I and when I heard that statement at the time, it did not hold a lot of weight for me. He followed his remark by explaining that as I enter my 40’s as he was then, I will begin to see this as true. And that has stuck with me over the past 8 years. I am not in my 40s yet, this being my final year of my 30s decade (this October is 40!!), but I am beginning to understand his sentiment through my own experience.

Yesterday I was finally able to just hang out for a little bit at the Waterbury Center drop location. I didn’t get to see everyone because I had a big bag full of kale for a restaurant getting hotter by the minute that I needed to deliver, but I did get to meet some new members I had not met yet and see some old faces from my Waterbury days. Whether it was talking about politics and covid-sabotaged travels plans, or about connecting with a mother who’s health is declining, or plans to go back to teaching and what that will look like while being a new dad, or heading off to college in the fall, or about one member’s stand-up comedy routine, I ended the day grateful that you all are a part of my life and work here on the farm. During a time of year where my energy and enthusiasm is waning yet there is so much work left to be done, it is revitalizing to connect with CSA members and being able to spend a few minutes not rushing, not working, and talking with you all who are central to the success and weekly routine of the farm.

After pick-ups, I reflected on these relationships. Genica and I both feel fortunate to have so many great people in our lives especially during a time where connection is challenging yet so vital during the pandemic. From our tiny farm bubble which is inside the only slightly bigger Vermont bubble, I feel like I am looking out into a country where divisiveness and hatred seem so prevalent - you don’t often hear the stories on the news about how people got together, had a good time, accepted each other’s differences, and enjoyed each others company. And so during this unique and odd slice of history we are living through, whether it is my loving partner Genica, my family from afar, all the people who have helped us get this farm off the ground, or all of you who support us here that we get to visit with every week, it is easy to understand the truth in my friend’s words.

On to the share!!!

Week 10!!!!!!

Some summer goodies this week! I had harvested the last of the purple top turnips for the share but I couldn’t stretch it enough to fit all the shares. It didn't seem worth it for folks to get two small to medium sized turnips - I’m sure people won’t be too disappointed about that. And Genica and I will have our work cut out for us to eat 60-80 odd turnips over the coming weeks.

Heirloom Tomatoes - the first of the season. They are very ripe and should probably be eaten soon. For the most part everyone for a “Brandywine,” (red) one or two “Black Prince” (small reddish/purple) and either a “Black Krim” (red/green shoulders, personal fav) or Valencia (orange). They are tasty this year.

Arugula - for all your salad needs. Arugula can be wilted/sautéed as well.

New potatoes - red norland and red gold potatoes, maybe a few All Blue tossed in there too. We boil them for about 10-15 minutes or so and add butter and salt and pepper. Thats it.

Green Beans - raw or you can boil or sauté. Yum. Or try dicing into the arugula and heirloom tomatoes for a summer salad!!

A summer squash and a zucchini - last night we finely sliced zucchini and onions (included) and cooked in oil and butter and bacon fat (hey, we need the fat and calories ok!!) with some diced, previously cooked bacon (from LeBlanc Family Farm in East Hardwick - sooooo good) and made a quick, fresh tomato sauce to put over pasta. It was so good and while this is a vegetarians nightmare, I believe it would still be good holding all the bacon stuff.

A couple onions - sweet and yellow - these are the last of the overwintered onions planted last November. The field onions are sizing up now and should be coming out of the field in the coming weeks!

Scallions - these look good! Diced into a veggie stir-fry too!

The Big share saw a bigger bag of arugula, double green beans, and an extra Green Cherokee tomato

Here are some views from the farm this week:

Prepping the hoop house winter beds by adding compost to help improve and build soil structure.

All raked out and ready to be incorporated.

38 wheelbarrows and 3.5 yards of compost later, it all ended up in the beds.

One among many and certainly many to come - wheelbarrows of rocks from the hoop house and field heading to the tree line.

potatoes galore!!!

Indi tuckered out after CSA day. Its her busiest day of the week making sure everyone who comes to the farm is aware that you are entering HER farm.