Here’s the WEEK 13 NEWSLETTER
See you Sunday!

A book recommendation from CSA member Janet, and duly seconded by us:
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. Link It follows one family through a year of eating locally and growing most of their own food. It’s a great look at the food industry and the garden’s seasonal rhythms.
It also features this wonderful picture that conjures up all sorts of interesting ideas:

Hope you’re enjoying the boxes this week! It was a bounty!


Check out the Wright County 4-H exhibits at the State Fair, along with my mom’s sheep in the Miracle of Birth Center, and Amelia’s uncanny talents as a judge in the 4-H BBQ Chicken Contest!

http://sfa-mn.org/garlicfest/

See you Sunday for Week 10!

Tomato plants have that smell to them.  I’ve been sensing it all year, but it especially hit me tonight – I could smell them from a few rows away.  They’re getting huge, and we’ve fallen behind in trellising them.  Instead of using cages this year, we are trellising most of our tomatoes using rebar posts and twine, supporting them as they grow up.  It’s cheaper than buying or making tomato cages, and it’s easier to store in the winter.  But it takes a lot of time keeping up with the plant growth.  We put about 300 tomato plants in the fields this year.  Even by our standards, that’s a lotta tomaters.

Tonight, we planted some black radishes (“Great with beer and dip!” according to the seed packet)  I found them on a trip to the nursery with my in-laws up in Pequot Lakes, MN, and thought they looked fun.  We’ll see.  They’re a “winter” radish, which, along with daikons, do best after a mild frost.  Plus – they’re black radishes!  Also planted another round of cilantro, mustard greens, Swiss chard, and purple top white globe turnips.  Part of growing for a CSA is that we have to keep planting new rounds of veggies to keep the boxes fresh.  Someone last weekend said that growing for a CSA is one of the most challenging methods of market-growing.  I don’t know what I think about that.  I guess if we’re starting out this way, it’s probably easier than transitioning to this system.

A few items of note:

WEEK FIVE NEWSLETTER Smokin’ hot off the press!

Also, I wanted to plug Minnesota Garlic Festival , happening Saturday, August 14, at the Mcleod County Fairgrounds in Hutchinson.  It’s a celebration of all local food and farmers, and GARLIC of course!  Nick and Amelia are part of the Crow River Sustainable Farming Association, which hosts the event.  It’s a family-friendly event, and it’s a great place to learn all about the people growing your food around here.  We will have 2-for-1 tickets available at the farm on your pickup days.

Hope you’re eating well!

Nick & Amelia

http://allrecipes.com/recipes/everyday-cooking/seasonal/winter/kale/top.aspx

Many are soup recipes – summer is not top soup season, so consider freezing some kale for the chillier months. It’ll be a welcome scent of summer in your kitchen.

This recipe also looks great: Mashed-Potato Cakes with Onions and Kale It’s a healthier hamburger!

And, just for fun, check out this website. Eat More Kale There aren’t many recipes on here, but you can buy a sticker or t-shirt that says “EAT MORE KALE.” What a great idea!

Hope you’re enjoying the veggies!
Vitamins N & A