November 17, 2008

Greetings CSA Family and Friends!

The newsletter appears a day early in order to remind you that TOMORROW is harvest day! With the wonderful weather produce pick up will certainly be at the farm, so I hope to see most of you there.

A friend called this morning to tell me that deer were gobbling away inside the fence. I rushed down and shooed them out. Didn’t see a lot of damage, but they were partial to a few tree collards. In their meanderings they didn’t do a great job staying on the paths, but the ground isn’t too soggy so the impacts are minor. In thwarting the furry beasts, I attempted to look and sound scary, waving the arms hysterically, and making growling, barking and clapping noises to condition them away from the place. If they don’t stay away perhaps you’d enjoy a little venison with your parsnips?

Novelty items for this harvest include the much adored leek, the reliable tree collard, and the Jerusalem Artichoke, considered by many to be a “survival food.” Roasting these with parsnips and potatoes isn’t a bad way to go. Slice and dip a little, but don’t make a meal out of them, especially when eating them raw, and avoid entirely if you are going to be spending a lot of time in crowded elevators the next day. Really, I am serious about the J-choke “issue” and can offer some referrals and testimonials to back me up, but only confidentially.

Life at the farm has been pretty mellow lately. The cover crops are in where beds are planned for next year. I am still awaiting an electric tractor to help sow cover crops in the areas that will be fallow for 2009. This warm weather after the rains will allow for good seed germination, so I am very much hoping that this can all be done within the week. My downtown pick up of food scraps continues, and the worm bins are crawling mad with worms and their fine excrement.

The weather has been great for cover crop establishment and the over-winter vegetables. Garlic is sprouting vigorously and so are the potato onions. I highly recommend potato onions for home gardens. You were getting them in the spring baskets and much earlier than the green onions from seed were available. They are of the same species as shallots and so are propagated from bulbs and grow best over winter here.

Extremely Important Concluding Information. The next date of Brookside Farm harvest will be December 9th. Note that this is a week earlier than previously advertised. This will be the last delivery for the 2008 season and I will give all current members an opportunity at that time to buy shares for 2009 before I advertise to the general public. Details to follow…

Happy Eating!

Jason