June 17, 2008

Big Ag, Small Ag
This is taken from the December 2007 issue of Small Farm Canada; Editor Tom Henry identifies the differences between big farms and small farms. This is his list edited down to those relevant to market farmers.

Big Ag Small Farm
Barn is bigger than house house is bigger than barn
Marketing boards roadside stand
Battery cage free range
Big round bales small square bales
Bio-security suit boot scraper
Sprays weeds pulls weeds
Thinks in quarter sections thinks in acres
Commodity markets farmers markets
Plants GMOs drives old GMS
Dreams of subdividing nightmares of subdividing
Needs government subsidy needs off-farm income
Buys seeds saves seeds
Nutrient management plan manure pile
Thinks ethanol cuts firewood
Ulcers back pain
Lives in fear of banker lives next door to banker

Hello again. Hope you are all LOVING this weather as much as we are! What a relief.

The Harvest
½# baby spinach
¾# salad mix
Pak Choi
Herbs (dill, chives, mint, or tarragon)
2 oz Basil (not everyone will get this week)
1 bunch radish (if you didn’t get them last week, you’ll get them this week)

Pak Choi – Pac Choi, Pak Choi, Bai Tsai, and Bok Choy are names for basically the same vegetable. All these names came into being due to Pak Choi’s area of origin – Asia. Because Asia has so many different regional dialects with different spellings and pronunciations Pak Choi = Bai Tsai = Shanghai boc choy. The different names may correspond with slight variations to the leafy vegetable that have developed to fit into specific growing conditions of a region.
Bok Choy literally means white vegetable. It has been a dietary staple in Asia for 1500 years – mostly as a poor people’s food. Only recently has it become a trendy vegetable. Pak Choi came to America with the young Chinese male immigrants who came with hopes of getting rich during the gold rush. Bai Tsai is a good source of Calcium, fiber, vitamin A and C.

The News
Let’s see…..really glad it’s warming up. Should encourage the tomatoes to start coloring up, the beets, carrots and onions to resume growing, and the flowers to start growing! It feels like we are about 3 weeks behind last year out in the field, and about 3 weeks ahead of last year in the greenhouse.

We’ve got variegated cutworms in the greenhouse. Bad news…..they are eating the tomato plants, and the fruit – they are also doing some damage to the basil. We have been hard at it hand picking them off the plants (the ducks have been reaping the rewards of that). We are knocking their numbers back, and hopefully will soon have them eradicated. We are doing our best to protect the tomato harvest.

Baggies – feels like we go through a lot of plastic bags here. And we do, but right now it’s the best option. I would re-use baggies for your greens if I could – but I can’t. I hope you get a chance to re-use them at home before they get recycled. If you are splitting a share, and like to do the dividing here at the farm, it would be great if you could bring in used baggies from home to do your re-packaging. I have bags here if you need them…..but we should try to reduce where we can. Thanks.

There are still a few people out there who need to bring their forms back in….

The Recipe
This comes from Debbie Leung from 9th Heaven Farm in Olympia, WA. She specializes in Asian greens. Although this is now a dish fashionable in restaurants, it is a typical way to prepare pac choi in rural Asia.

Bok Choy with Ham and Ginger

1 large bok choy 1 tbsp thinly sliced 1” long slivers of ginger
1 or 2 slices of thinly-sliced ham Canola oil
1 tsp salt few drops toasted sesame oil
Cornstarch ¼-1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tsp soy, fish or oyster sauce pinch sugar

Chop bok choy diagonally into ¼ by ½ inch pieces. Cut leaves in half and then into ¼ inch ribbons.
Make thin, one inch long slivers of the ham.
Heat a wok or skillet and coat with canola oil. Sprinkle in a few drops of toasted sesame oil and the salt. Throw in the ginger, coat it with oil for a few seconds, then add the bok choy and toss. When the bok choy begins to wilt, throw in the ham. Toss quickly and when the ham is hot, put it all into a plate or bowl.
Dissolve cornstarch into cold water to make a thin paste. Put about ¼ to ½ cup of unsalted chicken broth into the unwashed wok. Season to taste with soy, fish or oyster sauce and a pinch of sugar. When the broth simmers, thicken it by slowly drizzling in the cornstarch liquid while stirring the broth until it reaches the desired consistency. Let it summer another minute. Throw the vegetables back in, toss, and season with white pepper to taste. Serve over hot rice.


That’s all for this week, hope you enjoy the food. I’m off to join the others, picking variegated cutworms off the tomatoes…..
Daisy

June 11, 2008

You can’t solve a problem
with the same thinking that created it.
Albert Einstein


Hello everyone, hope the fresh greens provided some sort of emotional relief from the cold rainy weather last week, maybe they can help again this week..

The Harvest
½# salad mix
¾# baby spinach
¼# arugula (if you didn’t get it last week you will get it this week)
1 bunch herbs (Dill or Cilantro)
1 bunch radish (if you don’t get them this week, you will get them next week)

Arugula – Eruca sativa. Arugula is a native of the Mediterranean and has been grown there since the Roman times. They believed it to be an aphrodisiac. Beyond the romantic powers of arugula, it is also rich in vitamin C and Potassium. Before the 1990’s arugula was usually collected from the wild and not cultivated on a large scale. Now it can be found cultivated throughout the world, Veneto Italy being a very productive area. On the island of Ischia in the Gulf of Naples, they make it into a digestive called Rucolino. The liquor, with its sweet peppery flavor, is a local specialty enjoyed in the same manner as Limoncello or Grappa.

The News
Although the greens have been doing just fine with the cooler temps, many of our crops are being held back by the weather – including the flowers. I guess in some ways it’s a relief not to have any control over the weather, but it’s hard to watch your crops stall out (or get set back) while waiting for warmer weather…..which seems like it should have been here by now. But it’s not, so moving on. What moving on means to me is doing everything I can to keep the crops happy in this stressful weather, and what I hope that means to you (as far as the CSA is concerned) is understanding that the crops are limited right now. Maybe this will be the last abnormally cool week?
We have a few bags of extra baby spinach again this week. I am going to start a new little system for all this: there will be a jar on the counter that you can just drop your money in if you are taking an extra bag of spinach (or what ever may be available). We also offer monthly billing – so there will be a sheet of paper next to the jar that you can write your name on. The extra produce will be in a grey bin in the walk-in cooler, labeled. I think this will also come in handy if and when we have extra flower bouquets (for those of you that didn’t sign up for the flower share and find that you would like to take a bouquet home at some point). I will make it all very obvious and easy to figure out.

The Recipe
This comes from the New York Times - thanks to Pam Herskovitz of Pam’s Healthy Kitchen for finding it. She is a new CSA member and we are so excited to have her share tidbits of her knowledge whenever she feels like it!

Garlicky Spinach Salad with Pine Nuts and Raisins

¼ cup pine nuts 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 anchovy fillet chopped kosher salt to taste
Pinch red pepper flakes 2 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 6 oz spinach leaves (about 1 cup)
¼ cup golden or black raisins

In a small skillet over medium heat, toast pine nuts, shaking pan and stirring often, until they are barely golden and fragrant, about 3 min. Pour onto a plate to cool.

Using a mortar and pestle, mash garlic, anchovy, a pinch of slat and red pepper flakes into a paste. Transfer to a small bowl. Whisk in vinegar, then slowly whisk in oil.

Place spinach in a large bowl; add vinaigrette and toss well to combine. Add pine nuts and raisins. Toss once more and serve.

Makes 2 to 4 servings

From the New York Times


Now one that I found in ACRES USA, The Voice of Eco-Agriculture.

Cilantro Chelation Pesto

4 cloves garlic
1/3 cup Brazil nuts (for selenium)
1/3 cup sunflower seeds (for cystine)
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds (for zinc and magnesium)
2 cups freshly picked cilantro
2/3 cup flax seed oil
4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp of dulse powder or sea kelp (for iodine and ocean minerals)
Sea salt to taste

Pop it all in the blender and let the blender do its job.

This cilantro concoction will help your body detoxify, especially increasing the urinary disposal of mercury and lead.

*This came from researcher Yoshiaki Omura. Omura analyzed the Vietnamese diet and took note of the fact that it was high in cilantro. He also found that the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease there was the lowest in the Eastern Bloc. For more information find the article (Aluminum: Valued Servant, Dangerous Master) in the June 2008 issue of ACRES U.S.A.

Events
Inza from Recycle Utah wanted me to tell you all that there will be a composting class at the recycling center Wednesday the 11th from 9-10am and Saturday the 14th from 9-10am.

Copper Moose Farm will be attending Savor The Summit’s Grand Picnic on Saturday the 21st in City Park. We hope to see some of you there also! For more info go to: http://parkcityjazzfoundation.vpweb.com.


That’s all for this week - enjoy the food!
Daisy


Ps - If you took the form from last week home to sign, please drop it off at pick-up tomorrow. Thanks.

June 4, 2008

The agricultural industry is the second largest consumer of energy in this country. Where have we placed our priorities? When soil degenerates, the growing plants degenerate and the consumers degenerate. This in turn creates a demand for the production and sale of products to combat the symptoms degenerated soil creates. There are chemicals to fumigate the soil for insects and diseases, chemicals for weeds, and finally chemicals for doctors to give to sick consumers to cover up new maladies and disease.
Dr. Arden B. Anderson from The Anatomy of Life & Energy in Agriculture


I can’t believe it’s that time of year again. Between the on-again, off-again spring we’ve had and just the way time flies in general, it doesn’t seem possible that tomorrow is the first CSA pick-up. But it is! Let’s get down to business:

The Harvest
½# salad mix
½(ish)# baby spinach
1.5 oz basil
¼# arugula
1-bunch herbs

Salad Mix – our salad mix is a combination of 7 different lettuces, Tat Soi, Red Russian Kale, Bright Lights Swiss Chard, Mizuna, Giant Red Mustard, and Bull’s Blood Beet Greens.
Arugula – not everyone will get arugula this week. When I have something that is ready to harvest, but I don’t have enough for the whole CSA, I still harvest it and send it out. I keep diligent track of who gets what, and I will make sure that everyone gets the same amount and variety of produce throughout the weeks.
Herbs – this week you will either get mint, tarragon, or chives – and yes, the chive blossoms are edible and beautiful!
Basil – you will either get Lettuce Leaf basil (giant crinkly leaves), Red Rubin basil (purple color), Genovese Sweet basil (standard gorgeous basil) or a mix of Lettuce Leaf and Lemon basil (smaller leaves, more pungent, amazing lemony aroma and flavor).

I have a couple extra bags of baby spinach. If you would like to buy one let me know when you are there tomorrow - $4.

The News
You’ll see some familiar faces around this summer and some new faces. Alayne will be working full time this summer, so you should see her quite a bit. Caroline is a recent graduate from Virginia Tech in Horticulture and will be working part-time with us. And then we have 5 work-share members: Joyce, Tim, Michelle, Inge, and Rob. They will all know their way around the farm pretty well so feel free to ask any of them any questions you may have.

Veggie Processing:
Most of the greens you receive from us will be double washed and dried. The only two greens we don’t wash are arugula and basil. They are both too delicate for our greens spinner, and damaging the leaves means they won’t last as long, so I choose not to process them; I’ll leave that to you. (I usually don’t even wash my basil at home).

I do not use any disinfectant in the water I use to wash the greens. I do disinfect the sinks and all surfaces that come in contact with the greens, but the water I use for washing is just good clean water. If you feel the need to clean your greens further – please go ahead. If you have any questions about this please ask me.

Keeping your produce fresh:
We do all that we can on our end to make sure that you get the freshest produce. We harvest at the right time and in the correct manner. We quickly get all the produce in the cooler. We wash gently, dry as thoroughly as we can and then put them right back in the cooler. Now it’s your turn: get your produce home and into the fridge as soon as you can (unless, of course, it’s tomatoes, potatoes, or garlic…more on that in a few weeks). Cut the tops off of any root crops (carrots, beets, turnips, radish) that still have them. Many of those tops are edible and that’s why we send them home, but they should not remain attached to the root (dehydrates the root crop faster). For herb bunches you can place them in a glass with water, put a plastic bag over them and then pop them in the fridge. If you want to dry your herbs right away just hang them upside down from the rubber band they are bunched with. It’s best not to do this right over the stove or any other hot place. Herbs that are good to dry and store in a plastic bag or small jar for later use are: tarragon, oregano, thyme, dill, lavender, and sage. Do not seal basil in the bag – basil has got to breath, whether in the fridge or on the counter, so leave a little opening in the bag. Make sure the basil is dry before storing.

Flowers:
If you have a flower share you will be picking up a bunch of flowers each week also (starting mid/end of June). Your flowers will be bunched with a rubber band. When you get them home you should re-cut the stems under running water and then get them in a vase right away. The best way to keep your flowers fresh is to change the water every day…good luck with that one.

Eggs:
Yes, eggs. We have some chickens. They lay some eggs. You will get some eggs every once in a while throughout the season. I do not wash the eggs. Eggs have a natural protective membrane on the outside of the shell that seals them from any outside invasions. Once you get the egg wet (or wet and soapy) that membrane breaks down and the inside of the egg is less protected from outside bacteria. I recommend you wash your eggs right before you use them. (I don’t do this at home, but that is a personal choice and I am sure you are starting to see a trend here.) Enjoy the eggs!

I will leave notes on the cooler door indicating who should take eggs each week. Same goes with early season flowers for our flower share members. Keep an eye on the cooler door for any perks!

The Recipe
It’s a simple one this week, and it’s coming from me. You will get lots of basil this year, and it’s great to know how to make pesto. It’s sooooo easy, and in my house we like to freeze it in single serving sizes for easy use throughout the whole year.

Fresh Pesto
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed (any kind will work, but if you are making it with the Lemon basil, I would use ½ Lemon basil and ½ Sweet or Lettuce Leaf)
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup olive oil
3 tbsp nuts (any kind will work, but Pine Nuts are the classic)
3 garlic cloves
Place basil leaves in small batches in food processor and whip until well chopped (do about 3/4 cup at a time). Add about 1/3 the nuts and garlic, blend again.Add about 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese; blend while slowly adding about 1/3 of the olive oil, stopping to scrape down sides of container.Process basil pesto it forms a thick smooth paste. Repeat until all ingredients are used, mix all batches together well.

I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow – and meeting those of you I don’t know yet. I have a form for everyone to sign tomorrow, and need to get you set up with t-shirt and bag if you are a new member, so plan on a little extra time at pick-up.
Snow tomorrow? Really?
Daisy