At least once a season I like to take a little time to explain our growing practices. I'm always asked if we're organic, and I have to explain that the term has become pretty confusing since the national organic standards were put in place by USDA. Since I'm not certified by an official third-party, I cannot use the term "organic" without being subject to a fine, so I just explain a bunch of details about our practices. I've found eaters are most concerned about individual practices anyway and are not too concerned that I don't have the official USDA organic logo.First and foremost we NEVER use any synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers. The only bug we do control is the Colorado Potato Beetle with a natural spray with an active ingredient called Spinosad, which is a bacteria which affects the bug's nervous system. This spray is approved under organic certification, which, I know sounds kind of confusing, but there is a family of natural organic pesticides. Since we don't have much recourse for bugs, sometimes we will use a physical barriers. We will put a row cover (kind of like a big dryer sheet) over some greens, for example, that are really susceptible to flea beetles, so the bugs just can't get at the plants.
For fertility we use good old fashioned manure we procure from our neighbors and manure from our chickens and sheep. Last year we had nearly 20 loads spread from my neighbor's dairy herd besides the bedding from last year's broilers and a good fall cleaning of the barn where the egg layers and sheep hang out. Corn is a heavy feeder, so we sidedress the young plants with a composed chicken manure in pelletized form. Also this year we are experimenting with using worm castings on our celery and lettuce, which are both heavy feeders but need a fertilizer which is gentle and safe. We actually get this from one of our CSA members, Betty and Leroy Fiedler, who just started their worm composting business last year called Genesis on Lake Franklin.
For weeds, it's a 3 stage process. We do our best to take out as many as possible by mechanical cultivation with the tractor, next we hoe, and, we always end up pulling weeds by hand. If a person is really good at timing stage 1 and 2, you never need to get to stage 3, but that hasn't been the case with us so far.
Bottom line, we raise our stuff as best we can to make sure the farm and plants are healthy which produces good food which makes your family and our own family healthy. Let me know if there's anything you want to know more about.
Important Note: We will have to deliver on Saturday, July 23 instead of Friday, July 22 since I have to be out of town for my other job. Let me know if this is an issue and we'll try to work something out.
In the box:
Strawberries: the heavy rains last week did splash dirt a bit on them, so I advise washing.
Kohlrabi
Salad Mix (see recipe below)
Swiss Chard
French Breakfast Radishes
Braising Mix (colorful greens) or Green Lance (small broccoli plants): Either are good for adding to a stir fry right at the end.
Spinach
Garlic scapes (funny curly onions): these are shoots that garlic put up this time of year. Think of them as a garlic-y green onion and use where you would garlic.
Recipe
If you haven't read Barbara Kingsolver's book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, you may just want to check it out during this CSA season. It's a good read with recipes included that may help you out when stumped on how to use something in the box. Here's a recipe for this week on using greens: http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/EGGS%20IN%20A%20NEST.pdf
This recipe also uses eggs...you are able to add on Lida Farm eggs through Local Dirt as they are available throughout the season!
