Full Share: Salad mix, cucumbers, zucchini, Sungold tomatoes….
Partial Share: Salad mix, Cucumbers, Zucchini, Beets…..
Hello CSA members!
It’s the dog days of summer. The mosquitos are giving way to the wildfire smoke, and there is more work at the farm and at The Farmers’ Stand than can be completed. And that’s ok. We are doing the best we can, and sometimes we have to simply accept that that is good enough. When it’s this hot, it’s almost mandatory to go swimming in the river everyday, simply to get ones core temperature down and to wash the dust off. This weekend we had the opportunity to visit with friends in our old community of Eureka, to make new aquaintances, to share good food, to play music, and to enjoy the simple, but meaningful things in life. And it’s always a great reminder that it really is these moments of community, of food, of shared experience, and of being outdoors in nature, that are what make life special (for me at least). To be with people who share your values, or even to introduce new people to the world of good, home grown food, cooked with love. In a time, and in a country, where our narrative is all about doing more, working harder, consuming more….we often fall prey to constantly being in a rush, and never being able to feel present in the moment. Always wanting more, and never feeling content. And while I understand why certain elements of our society want this from us, I think as individuals it’s really our role to find balance for ourselves. As a culture, and as a planet, we have sacrificed way too much at the altar of economic development and wealth maximization, and I think re-visiting these narratives is long overdue. To bring quality and care back into our food and our lives. So, here’s to making time for those seemingly little things. For home cook meals, for hikes in nature, for moments of peace and quiet, for starting a garden and sharing with friends. Those are the things that make our lives rich. Can you tell it’s August?
It’s one of those years where everything is behind normal in the valley….the cherry harvest, the haying season, the ripening of tomatoes, the sizing up of carrots…ugh. But I think we’re finally at the point where there are enough Sungold tomatoes to give out to the CSA. We’ll find out tomorrow.
The cucumbers are coming out our ears, so you’ll get another healthy dose of them. This is also the week we dig our 18,000 garlic bulbs, which is a big undertaking. But my initial inspection is suggesting it’s going to be a bumper crop.
As far as the rest of the share goes, there may be a bit of uncertainty about the exact contents. Given I write the newsletter on Monday, but we don’t finish harvest until Wednesday, sometimes it’s hard to predict. So please recoginize your share contents may differ slightly from the list. And given it’s week #11, there a couple of things I probably should have mentioned back in week #1. First, the bags that you receive you salad mix in are made our of wood fiber. Eucalyptus to be exact. They are not plastic, and can be composted. In case you were wondering. Second, your refrigerator is a huge dehydrator. If you put any vegetable in your fridge without protection (Tupperware, or plastic bag), it will likely wilt down to a rubbery state in a day or two. Even carrots!. Put a carrot in Tupperware with a little water and it will last you months. Just a good all around tip if you are having issues with vegetable longevity and weren’t aware of the dehydration issue.
Well, somehow it got late on me, so I need to go get my beauty sleep. We’ll see you at CSA!
Todd
