Digging Potatoes by Tractor

Today was the first day we used our new potato digger - an implement which connects to the 3-point behind the tractor with a furrower that digs into the ground just below the spuds  This may not sound like a big deal, but I assure you this is like reaching the 21st century for us.  Until this point digging potatoes was a medieval endeavor where I jumped as high as I could on a 5-tine potato fork and then throw my back into popping potato plants out of hard August ground.  As I wrenched on the potato fork (2 years ago I broke 4 of them), Mar burrowed through the dirt behind me like a badger.  This was always the job that we never really wanted to do.  On a harvest day, we typically only tackled the job after having a few cups of coffee and it typically took us about 2 hours to get a bin by hand.

Today was quite a difference.  We still had to burrow through the ground searching for potatoes, but digging with the tractor took a grand total of about 10 minutes.

In the Box:

Cherry Tomatoes: It's luck of the draw if you got 'Sakura' Grape tomatoes, 'Sungold' cherry tomatoes, or 'black cherry' tomatoes. 

Red Cabbage: See recipe below. 

Green Onions

Summer Squash: Everyone has a zucchini plus either a straightneck summer squash or yellow zucchini - you can use straightneck the same as zucchini.  Try as a fritter (grated squash with a couple eggs - fry in a pan).

Purple Kohlrabi

Greens: Most people got swiss chard, but some got collards 

Cilantro

Italian Parsley 

Yellow 'Elfy' Potatoes: I'm impressed with these potatoes as the first time growing them...we simply boiled them and found them to be really creamy.  

'Provider' Green Beans  

Spicy Mexican Slaw with Lime and Cilantro from KalynsKitchen.com

(Makes about 4 servings, recipe can be easily doubled. Recipe adapted slightly from Fine Cooking Annual 2008.)

4 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
(You can use all green or all red cabbage.)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (or more)
4 T mayo
3 T fresh lime juice (more or less to taste)
hot sauce to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp. green Tabasco sauce)
salt to taste (I used Vege-Sal)

Thinly slice cabbage, using a mandoline or food processor if desired. Slice green onions, and wash, dry and chop cilantro. (I use a Mini salad spinner to wash herbs and spin them dry.) Combine cabbage, green onions and cilantro in large salad bowl.

In small bowl, whisk together, mayo, lime juice, and hot sauce. (You may want to start with less than the full amount of lime juice and hot sauce and keep adding until you have the desired blend of sour/hot flavor.)

Use a wooden spoon to mix dressing into cabbage mixture. Season to taste with salt and serve immediately, or chill for a few hours.

This salad will keep well overnight in the refrigerator, but the lime juice will cause the red cabbage to bleed color and turn the salad slightly pink. If you're making extra you might want to use all green cabbage, although I didn't mind the pink color at all when I ate the leftovers!

A Change of Weather

It a wonder what a change in the weather brings.  The difference between this week and last week is remarkable. Last week we had 100+ heat index and a couple days ago I swear I woke up in October!  Canada sending us some cool temps is a nice change, but I'm surprised on how much it effects the growth of produce.

The beans are one example.  Last week I was looking at our second planting and saying to myself, "That planting will be readily easily by next week" as flowers were turning to small beans.  But when Maree and I went out last night to pick beans for the box, the crop was just not there since their growth slowed in the cool temps, so we ended up scouring our first planting of beans for this week.  On the other hand, the slowdown was really nice for cool-loving crops.  We have a third variety of broccoli called Imperial which has been putting on heads and this weather allows them to mature more slowly so you get a better formed head with nice tight kernals.  This is unlike our second variety of broccoli which went form little buds to loose heads in about 2 days of really hot humid weather.

This change in the weather is just a small example of how vegetable farming and CSA is particular is tough beast to plan for.  We have a lot of well-laid plans in the spring, but generally you have to roll with the punches.  Our trick is to raise a crazy variety of things, which, in the end, save us from bringing you a mostly-empty box one week.  Something is bound to come in well no matter the weather.

In the box:
Radishes: Most got French Breakfast variety (look like long fishing bobbers).  Not unlike the French, Mar and I like these things cooked.  Check out this recipe: http://www.tastespotting.com/features/braised-radishes-recipe
Norland Potatoes
Fennel: I always feel like I'm challenging people on this one.  I can just see people say, "What do I do with that?"  Well, below we have a recipe which is really good.  Still, you'll also see fresh fennel listed in salads and soups.
Fresh Thyme
Green Beans
Beets
A mix of tomatoes: Hey, first of the season, so there aren't a lot of any single variety.  So there's a smattering of different kinds.
Sweet onions

Greek Fennel Skillet

from Simply in Season

Serve plain as a side dish or over pasta.  Can also be served over Italian bread that has been brushed with olive oil and toasted.
2 cloves garlic (minced)
In a medium frypan saute in 2 T. olive oil for a minute.

2 fennel bulbs (sliced thin)
1 large onion (sliced)
Add and saute until tender, 5-10 minutes.

1 T. lemon juice
3 medium tomatoes (chopped)
Add and cook over medium heat until part of the liquid evaporates, 10 minutes.  Salt and pepper to taste.

1 1/2 cups feta cheese or mozzarella cheese (shredded)
1/2 cup black olives (optional)
Stir in.

Peas Came and Went

I'm glad some members were able to make it out last week to pick some of the many peas still on the vine.  That field is now being prepared for fall carrots.

Pea Field - yes, there are actually peas growing in there!

15 minutes with a flail mower and the field is transformed

Growing on Plastic

Example of Melons on Plastic Mulch

A very popular way of growing vegetables commercially today is in a plastic mulch.  Sometimes called IRT for InfraRed Transmitting, it is a thin plastic which allows light through and it wide enough to to spread over a standard 6-foot bed.  Maybe you've seen this.  

In our climate plastic mulches are used not only because you don't have to worry about weeds, but, more importantly in my mind, they warm up the soil, and, hence, speed up the growth of plants.  In an area with a really short growing season, this is pretty important, especially with heat-loving crops like melons.  For me, however, I always "had it in" for plastic mulches because there is no way currently of recycling or re-using it; the plastic always ends up being a messy pile of muddy slop each fall which just needs to be thrown away.  That's why I haven't use the stuff for the past 5 years.  But this year I ended up planting some melon seeds really late and decided to use some plastic mulch because I was afraid they would never mature.  Compared to the plants that went in the ground three weeks earlier, it's no contest.  The ones in the plastic mulch have about 5-foot vines which are now flowering and they others are sitting there only about twice as big as the day I planted them.  A lot of this is still a symptom of the cool and wet spring, but I may just have to change my mind and accept the plastic in my life as a necessary evil to do melons and get them in the box that much earlier.  

In the box: 

Zucchini

Snap Peas: Edible pods, so don't shell them. 

Grenoble Green Beans

Green Cabbage: See recipe below.

Spring Onions: Hard to believe I'm using the term 'spring' in middle July. 

A Kohlrabi: If you haven't dealt with before, the most common thing is simply to peel, slice and eat as a little appetizer before supper - that's how we do kohlrabi. Also the greens can be used in stir fry.

A Sprig of Fresh Basil 

Broccoli

Small bag of Salad Mix

We often make roasted cabbage in the oven at a high temp when it is cool in the fall. For summer, if you're already firing up the grill, why not throw the cabbage on too?

Grilled Cabbage 

Taken from The St. Paul Farmers Market Produce Cookbook

1 small head green cabbage

2-4 T. butter

seasoned salt

Aluminum foil, heavy duty

Preheat grill.  Cut cabbage into 8 wedges.  Place a cabbage wedge on a 12 in. square piece of foil.  Dot with butter and sprinkle with seasoned salt.  Fold in edges of foil to seal.  Repeat with remaining wedges. Cook for 20-30 minutes, turning severeal times, until tender.

Seasonal Transition Stress

Mar and I relaxed last fall after the craziness of summer

This time of year on the farm really gets to be a blur where Maree and I head towards total exhaustion.  Harvesting produce has started, so we are harvesting Tuesday night, Wednesday morning, Thursday night, all day Friday, plus Saturday morning.  Between the harvesting times we both spend about 3 hours delivering boxes on Fridays and invest about 5 hours every Saturday in the Lakes Area Farmers Market in
Detroit Lakes.  As you can see simply harvesting and driving around produce takes a fair amount of time, but, over and above all this, we have this time-crunch where we still need to weed, trellis tomatoes, feed and tend animals, and also plant for the fall.  How do we keep track of all this, especially since I have a full-time job on top of all this?  I have no idea.  Thinking about it, I'm kind of surprised we make it though each year, although I don't reflect when doing the work.

Speaking of planting...it's hard to believe, but we did start planting seeds for fall this week.  I planted all our our fall brassicas like cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower.  At lot of times people only think of these crops as products of spring, but, in actuality, brassicas and other cool-season crops like spinach and lettuce do much better in the fall where the days get shorter and we have consistently cool temps.  Since it's the summer, one trick we employ is laying burlap and row covers over the planted ground to get plants started in this hot and dry conditions.  I just checked under the burlap this morning, and those fall brassicas are popping up out of the ground like crazy.  It's a long way to October it seems, but the plants are off to a great start.

In the box:
A bit more Broccoli
Green Cabbage
Kale: A majority received Lacinato (Dino) Kale which is dark green and bumpy in texture.  Others received Red Russian Kale which is kind of frilly but red-green in color with purple stems.  You use either type the same way (See recipe below).
Green Garlic: This is fresh garlic before it has been dried down or cured.  You can use the garlic fresh or simply leave in a dry location like your kitchen counter to dry and use later. Green garlic is a bit stronger in flavor than cured garlic and you'll have to peel a bit more to find the clove.
Snap Peas: Snap peas are an edible-pod variety, so please don't shell them...it would be quite a waste.  Just eat them.
A couple Zucchini
A Sprig of Basil
Kohlrabi
Romaine Lettuce: I know people are probably tired of lettuce...I promise to lay off as we move into summer crops.

I know kale chips seem to be all the rage lately, but Maree and I just got into them last fall and they really area great!

Crispy Kale Chips from Eat Greens Seasonal Recipes to Enjoy in Abundance

by Barbara Scott-Goodman & Liz Trovato

1 bunch kale, stemmed, rinsed and thoroughly dried

2 to 3 T. olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 250°F.

2. Tear the kale into 3 inch pieces and put them in a large bowl.  Toss with the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste, making sure the leaves are well coated with the oil.  Arrange the leaves in a single layer on 2 baking sheets.

3. Bake until crisp, tossing once or twice, for 30 to 35 minutes.  Serve at once.

Getting Fields Under Control

Keeping weeds under control is priority number one at Lida Farm this time of year.  Now that the heat has finally come, all those weed seeds sitting in the wet ground have germinated, and, voila, a weed explosion hit the farm.  Foxtail, lambsquarters, red root pigweed, wild buckwheat are popping up all over, so we've been throwing everything we have to keep the little barbarians from taking over.  First we cultivate by tractor, then wheel hoe, then hand hoe, then, finally, weed by hand.  If you've ever feel like you can't keep your garden free of weeds, imagine trying to do that over two and half acres where an acre is about 3/4 the size of a football field.

Still, the battle against weeds isn't constant drudgery; there are little things to celebrate along the way.  One such milestone each year is the hilling of potatoes.  Typically this is done in June before the plants think about flowering, but, this year being what it was, I only got the job done yesterday; the field was too wet and the plants were too small all June.  For organic potatoes, we cultivate the crop twice by tractor and hoe so that the field is pretty clean of weeds before hilling.  Since a lot of farming is a real mind game, it's that image that matters most and why I just love hilling potatoes.  When done, it just doesn't feel like a little victory, but it's a real beautiful sight.  

In the box: 

Napa Cabbage:

Radishes 

Greenleaf Lettuce 

Salad Mix 

A Little Broccoli: This is just coming in, so some of these heads are not what I want them to be, but, hey. 

Spinach

Green Onions
Cilantro

We have been eating a lot of spinach the past few weeks, both raw and cooked.  Here is a recipe I found online that uses ground lamb and spinach in stew form.  All three kids ate everything in their bowls! No lamb?  I'm sure beef would work just fine too:
http://happyvalleylocavore.blogspot.com/2012/01/turkish-style-lamb-stew-with-tomatoes.html

Crazy Weather and Vegetable Production

Well, this is week one of the CSA season.  I'm excited to get going and start pulling some harvest out of the fields we've been tending.  Or trying to tend is a little more like it this year.  I think our volatile weather has everybody a bit worked up but I thought I would explain just how this extended cool wet spring weather and  frequent storms have effected our vegetable operation in particular.

Our first major issue is planting.  Although we plant all seeds with a hand-pushed Earthway Seeder, we put most of our crops in the ground with a Holland Transplanter which is pulled behind a tractor - me driving and Maree on the transplanter feeding the plants into the machine which are placed in the ground.  With saturated soils like we've had, there have been very few opportunities to till the ground (with a big heavy tractor) and afterwards plant (with a big heavy tractor).  We still have 6 flats of tomatoes and a couple flats of squash just sitting by the greenhouse ready to be planted - nobody knows when.  Pushing our luck a bit when we planted in pretty wet soils a couple weeks ago, we left some seriously deep ruts out in the field.  These ruts retain water like little ponds, making it impossible to cultivate and will probably leave this part of the field compacted for a couple years to come.

Which brings us to the second major issue - weeds!  We cultivate our crops with a tractor where we pull an implement which cuts off weeds below the soil and disturbs germinating weed seeds to keep them from setting root.  Normally we would have cultivated crops 3 times by the Forth of July, whereas this year we've cultivated once.  Not only that, but anytime I starting looking at a hoe to go kills some weeds, the sky opens up and dumps a few more inches of rain.  Regardless to say, sitting on the sidelines just watching weeds take over a field without even a chance to get into the fight is pretty frustrating.  On a normal year I get physically exhausted this time of year combating weeds by hoe and by hand, but I would much rather be tired than have what I'm calling "weeding anxiety" like I have.  Lying in bed at night, I keep running through my list of things to do but no ability to get them done.

The last major issue with this season is more related to the cold temperatures than the rain and that's slow growth.  Even if planted on time with low weed pressure, many plants are just sitting there doing nothing.  I have eggplant and pepper plants that are maybe an inch taller than when I planted them 3-4 weeks ago.  Heat-loving plants have an especially hard time, although everything could have done with warmer soil temps a month ago.  Take a potato, for instance.  When we planted them in mid-May we might as well have put them into a refrigerator and expected them to sprout; the soil was just so cold, plants emerged after 2-3 weeks, whereas, last year ,they just shot out of the ground in a week.

Any which way, the CSA season is starting and we're in it for the duration.  I'm hoping after this slow start things will start to turn around and we'll kind of get back to normal.  Something is bound to grow well.

In the box:

• Salad Mix
• Green Onions 
• 'Red Sails' Lettuce
• 'Cherry Belle' Radishes
• Bok Choy 
• 'Emu' Spinach - you can really see the hail we got last week on these big leaves, but, I assure you, they will taste the same :) 

Bok Choy Salad Recipe (from www.food.com ) 

This recipe was suggested by our friend Amy who is now a huge fan of this underappreciated Asian staple; she made a special trip out here last weekend in her hunt for more bok choy.  

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 2 (3 ounce) packages ramen noodles ( uncooked, broken up, & do not use seasoning packs)
• 1 (3 ounce) packages sliced almonds
• 1 (2 lb) bok choy
• 4 stalks green onions with tops
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions

1. In large pan melt butter and add sesame seeds, sugar, broken ramen noodles, almonds.
2. Brown and set aside to cool. After cooled, break up and set aside in small bowl.
3. Wash and chop bok choy (smaller is better) and green onions in large salad bowl.
4. Dressing
5. Mix vegetable oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce.
6. Just prior to serving the salad, (plan for this salad to be the last thing you pull together for the event), mix bok choy and ramen noodles mixture. Drizzle dressing over salad or pass dressing around in small bowl.

Miraculous - 4 days without rain!

We typically shoot to put frost-sensitive crops in the ground around June 1.  This year, as is plain to see, was not going to cooperate with our plans.  We planted our pumpkin plants and some other squash Thursday night (June 13), only about two weeks too late.  It's been a real struggle to not only get plants in the ground, but also do all the other necessary things to get them to produce: cultivate, hoe, and fertilize.  Instead, plants just sit there looking short and weak, unable to grow in cold rainy weather where saturated ground chokes plants of necessary oxygen.

So, you can imagine my surprise yesterday when I woke up and it hadn't rained!  REALLY?  Ever since the snow melted, whenever there has been even a 40% chance of rain, we got rain.  Since there was a 60% change of rain on Friday, I thought for sure I'd be spending another Saturday looking at weeds growing in the fields and thinking about how far behind I've gotten.  There would have been nothing new in that; I've had a number of days worrying about work I have to get done without being able to do anything about it.

Instead, we finally started to make some headway yesterday.  I was able to hoe and fertilize a number of crops like onions, brassicas (cabbages, broccoli), and garlic.  We also got the pea trellis up, which is always a nice image.  Some jobs on the farm are hard to see, but putting up trellis makes me feel like I've really accomplished something since it's so visible.

 

Pea Trellis on Lida Farm

Winter weather does not stop Lida Farm

No matter the weather, we are determined to get things planted this spring.  I'm not used to working in a coat when in the greenhouse, but I keep it a bit cooler than normal to keep propane use somewhat reasonable.   

The only consolation is that the wind turbine is making power today :)

Looking for Local Produce Delivery?

If you're looking for fresh local produce delivered to your home or business in the Detroit Lakes, Pelican Rapids, Vergas, or Cormorant areas, check out Lida Farm CSA.

2013 will be our 8th year as a CSA operation where we deliver only the freshest produce in season each week.  Forget traveling across town to the farmers market before it closes on Saturday morning or making sure you get to the CSA dropsite in time, we deliver right to your doorstep on Friday afternoons.  

To see what our boxes looked like last year, see our Facebook photostream at https://www.facebook.com/lidafarm/photos_stream 

Check out our 2013 CSA information page for details.  Fill out the order form to sign up but confirm that we still have space with Ryan or Maree at 218-342-2619 or lidafarmer@gmail.com

Coming out of Hibernation

If you follow this blog, you'll see a big gap between my last post at the end of September and today.  Maree and I typically collapse at the end of the produce season and fall into a hibernation state, I like to say.  I don't think about farming through the winter months at all, which is tough since my home gardener friends like to talk about planting as soon as they receive their first seed catalog and I'd rather talk about just about anything else - it's a defense mechanism to keep myself sane since produce takes over my life the rest of the year.

Still, just this past week, my mind has begun to turn and I've come out of hibernation.  Not only am I actively assembling seed orders, but, when this happens, I get this burst of energy to make some things happen like shoveling the winter's manure pack out of the barn.

One of the surest signs of spring and a favorite spring ritual is shearing day.  I finally got smart a couple years back and starting hiring this done instead of myself torturing the poor animals with sheep shearing "amateur hour."  We have a small flock of North Country Cheviot Sheep, a hardy breed you might know from their appearance in the movie "Babe"-you know, the talking pig?  The whole operation from start to finish takes just 90 minutes.

Curious Sheep - "Before Shearing"

In the Act 

Cheviot Sheep Ready for Spring - "After Shearing"

   

Farms and Community

Last Saturday night we had about 70 CSA members and friends at the farm for our harvest dinner - a great turn out!  We spent a couple days clearing out our hayloft to set up tables for the event to squeeze everybody in.  I have to say it looked pretty cool.

I do wish all our CSA members were able to attend since the harvest party was just one small way to thank you for being members for the season.  Like I told those in attendance, we honestly would not be able to do what we do without CSA members.  Your making a decision to get your veggies in a way other than at your local grocery makes our farm viable.  With only a roadside stand or a stall at the farmers market, market gardening is a volatile, and, frankly, brutal business.  However, CSA members across the nation take the risk when writing a check in the spring that a tornado not destroy the crop and trust a local grower to provide an ample harvest.  This makes not only our farm a reality, but also hundreds of other small farms just like our own.  When a couple farms in upstate New York began the first CSAs in the early 1980's, this was time when the family farm seemed doomed, especially here in the Midwest.  Operations were foreclosing left and right in the farm crisis.  Today, however, small family farms are making a comeback, albeit in a different form.  Many of us may not operate traditional 40-head dairies or 160-acre row crop farms, but our heart is in the land just the same.  So, if you are a CSA member, take pride in knowing that you are not just "part" of a movement, you ARE the movement.

In the Box:

• Brussel Sprouts on the Stalk: Simply pull the brussel sprouts off the stalk and put to work.  I don't know what to do with the stalk afterwards...croquet mallet? 
• Parsnips: Look like white carrots.  
• Napa Cabbage
• Acorn Squash
• Butternut Squash: These turned out really well this year.  Good color, good size.  
• Red Kuri Squash: Cook as you would any other winter squash (buttercup, etc).  We made a coconut squash soup last night with Red Kuri and it was excellent.  We thought a good description for the squash was nutty, almost chestnut like.  
• Russet Potatoes 
• Swiss Chard
• HaralRed Apples: These are pretty good for fresh eating (a bit sweeter than a Haralson), but, like a Haralson, are great for baking and sauce.  

When it rains...it doesn't rain that much

There is an old saying that goes something like "When it rains, it pours."  Well, not lately.  When it rains, it sputters is probably a more accurate statement.  As you can imagine, I'm always checking into the NOAA weather website.  When I see anything above a 40% chance of rain, I get all giddy; visions of a tropical downpour fill my mind...I get all excited because I'm getting tired of moving irrigation around.  So, when it comes, it's one big disappointment.  I really am thankful for anything at this point, but my mind builds up every possible rain event to be something it isn't.

I know a couple years time is far from a trend, but I'm terribly worried that the weather pattern of the last two years is our new normal.  Sometime in July the spigot gets turned off followed by weeks of dry heat.  Tomatoes ripen up nice in this, which is a plus, but, if this year tracks last year, the big issue is not having enough moisture in the ground before freeze up.  Typically ground moisture works the ground through freezing, but last year the same big dirt chunk in the fall was just as hard in the spring.

In the box:
Pontiac Potatoes
Napa Cabbage: The big green cabbage.  You can use much the same as you would a traditional green cabbage in a slaw or something, but it's ideal in a stirfry.
Rutabaga: Yes, I know you may have gotten one of these big monsters last week too, but I assure you this will last in your crisper til January.
A mix of Peppers: if you still have a bunch sitting around from previous weeks, you can easily preserve peppers by cutting into strips and freezing in a freezer bag (no need to blanch or anything).
Tomatoes: The end of the line on these guys.
Eggplant
Small Beet Bunch
Parsley
Eggplant
Butternut Squash: The big tan one.  You can bake as you would any winter squash like buttercup: cut in half, scoop out the guts, and bake flesh-side up on a cookie sheet with a little water in the pan. Store all winter squash in a dry, sunny place.  Butternut keeps under these conditions for months, so no hurry (the flavor actually improves with time).  You may try this recipe below for a glazed/caramelized squash recipe.
Delicata Squash: The little stripy ones.  These are also called "sweet potato squash."  The shell is thinner than a lot of winter squash, so you shouldn't put in a water bath like butternut, but bake dry instead.

Caramelized Butternut Squash from food.com 

Ingredients

• 2 medium butternut squash ( 4 to 5 pounds total)
• 6 -8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2-1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Cut off the ends of each butternut squash and discard.
3. Peel the squash and cut in half lengthwise.
4. Using a spoon, remove the seeds.
5. Cut the squash into 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" cubes (large and uniform is best), and place them on a baking sheet.
6. Add the melted butter, brown sugar, salt and pepper.
7. With clean hands, toss all of the ingredients together and spread out in a single layer on the baking sheet.
8. Roast for 45 minutes to 55 minutes, until the squash is tender and the glaze begins to caramelize.
9. Turn the squash while roasting a few times with a spatula to be sure it browns evenly.
10. Adjust seasonings if needed.
11. Serve hot.
12. Enjoy!

Covering Winter Squash for Frost Protection

This has been a annual night-time ritual for me - covering winter squash and pumpkins in the field to save the crop from frost.  While you were getting ready for bed last night, I was outside laying a row cover fabric over big piles of squash in the field.  My only light to work by was two headlights from a van pointed in my direction and the only sound that whiny whirl of a van with too many miles on it.  I don't know why and it seem strange to say, but it's such a peaceful and magical ritual for me.  As I'm outside tramping around these dried up and crunchy squash vines and the temperature dropping minute by minute, I feel the presence of those who worked the fields before me; they look over my shoulder, trying to get close to the fall harvest they miss being a part of.

Covering squash also seems like some kind of strange early Halloween ritual.  If you drove by our place in the evening, all would appear normal, only to find a field of white ghosts the next morning.  Almost like I was out playing a trick on passer-bys.

After all that work, however, it looks as if the yesterday's frost bell was a false alarm.  Maybe there was some frost in really low-lying areas, but everything looks just fine.  I think yesterday's heat and sun really helped warm the ground which protected us with some extra night-time degrees.  Still, next week looks quite cold, so the rush to continue pulling in produce will continue through the weekend.

I invite all CSA member out this Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon and evening to glean tomatoes and peppers.  There are a lot out there and I want to give them a home instead of rotting on the vine.  At the end of the season, these aren't the prettiest, but this is a good opportunity to get a good amount of peppers for freezing or tomatoes for canning.  No charge - it's a perk for being a CSA member!

A reminder to CSA members to RSVP for the harvest dinner on the 22nd.  I do thank those of you who offered to make something, but this is not a potluck, so I do not expect people to bring something to pass; we're making arrangements.  We'll be working to transform our hayloft into a dining room, so let's see if we can pull it off!

In the box:

• Acorn Squash 
• A Buttercup Squash 
• Rutebega: The thing the size of a bowling ball.  Don't worry though, rutebegas, unlike other veggies like turnips, can get really big without getting woody.  They will also keep in your fridge for 6 mos.  
• Bunch of Carrots 
• Summer Squash: You could see green zucchini, yellow zucchini, or pattypan squash.  However you prepare zucchini, you prepare other summer squash the same way.  
• One White onion and One Red Onion
• Tomatoes 
• A mix of Peppers 
• Fresh Rosemary 
• Celery or Celeriac: Most people got celery, but some got celeriac, which looks like an ugly hairy root with a little stalk on top.  You use celeriac the same as you would celery (tastes the same). 

School Year and Farm Season

On Tuesday Willem had his first day of kindergarten and Sylvia her first day of second grade.  Each year this always brings a new vibe to the weekly harvest schedule.  Typically I get up early, down some coffee, and trounce out the door before 7 to harvest produce for the box.  But now, I get up early to first argue with some kids about getting dressed and driven into town before getting down to work.

Sure, this slows me down a bit, but the change of pace seems to fit the season.  I think we all feel this change this time of year, whether you have kids in school or not.  Mornings are cool, leaves take on a certain crunch, and, at least on the farm, the work schedule slows a bit.  We still have a lot of work to do, but get more relaxed about it.  Summer, especially late July through Labor Day, is total madness on a produce farm, a constant fever-pitched fight day in and day out, dragging in crazy amounts of veggies in uncomfortable heat while trying to plant, battle weeds, irrigate, and juggle animals, special orders, pick ups, a farm stand, farmers market...you get the picture.  I go on about summer work not to say I hate high season.  On the other hand, I relish it.  I love the "let's-roll-up-our-sleeves" attitude necessary and adrenaline-powered feeling I get jumping into the whole craziness of it all, knowing all well that it's a 6-8 week push which has an end.

Here at the end of high season is the time to take on canning tomatoes or freezing peppers in bulk if you're going to preserve.  In about a week, frost is very much possible and it's game over.  So don't call me in a week, it's best to make arrangements now.  We sell full bushels of tomatoes for $35 (about 50 lbs).  We also have peppers which are seconds which we'll sell for a discount.  Let us know by contacting us at lidafarmer@gmail.com or 218-342-2619.

Announcement: All members should have received a flyer in the mail about our upcoming Harvest Dinner at the farm on September 22.  Please feel free to bring family members, spouses, or a guest along to the dinner.  Simply RSVP by September 15th so we know how many to prepare for.

In the Box:

• Sweet Corn: The last hurrah from this little patch I planted late.  
• Slicing Tomatoes: Standard Celebrity tomatoes 
• Green Zebra Tomatoes: We typically mix reds and zebras together for salsa. 
• Sweet Peppers: A whole mix yellow, red, green, and Italia-type since we have so many coming on the plants. If you are unable to use them and want peppers deep in the winter, simply slice, put into a freezer bag, and throw in the freezer.  Peppers are the easiest of veggies to preserve and blanching is not necessary.  
• Cippolini Onions: You ever see those long braids of onions at an Italian restaurant?  Typically those are Cippolinis, a nice-flavored onion you cook with.    
• Salad mix
• Cucumbers
• Cilantro
• Thyme
• Snap Peas: Edible pod, so don't shell them. 
• Bunch of Carrots
• Bok Choy: See video below on how to prepare.  Generally this is a basic stir fry recipe, so feel free to adopt to include the veggies you like (those peas would good well with this). 

Video of us Laboring for Labor Day

Trying to squeeze in some fall crops, Maree, Graham, and I were out a couple weeks ago transplanting cole crops or brassicas.  Here you'll see me adding fish emulsion (ground up fish parts we mix with water for an organic starter fertilizer):

Minnesota Labor Day

I've always been interested in Minnesota history in large part because this state has been not only my home my whole life, but also the home of my parents, grandparents, and, on my dad's side of the family, ancestors back to the Minnesota Territory and before.  My dad's family is Meti or of French-Native American descent more well known in Canada than the US - my relative Cuthbert Grant organized the Meti to fight the British in 1840's and Antoine Gingras helped keep St. Paul our capitol while serving in the territorial legislature.  

   

I remember reading a biography of Bob Dylan some years back and one picture which struck me was an old black and white photo of a labor day parade in Bob's hometown of Hibbing.  The streets were packed with hundreds of people carrying the tools of their trade; miners with headlamps with pickaxes in tow.  That picture still sticks in my mind not only because of the pride people must have had in their work to take to the streets but also because its an image for me of Minnesota's rich history of common people working together to make great things happen.  And those prizes were hard won.  Even though I know it's unfashionable to talk about unions, organizing labor in places like the Iron Range was a violent decades-long struggle.  In a similar way, farmers and communities worked hard organizing cooperatives to get electricity, better milk prices, or a good food supply.  We've seen this cooperative spirit more recently in such organizations as the NFO (National Farm Organization) which organized the dairy strikes in the 1980s where farmers dumped their milk in fields instead of taking a loss.  These were not easy times and many of those challenges stick with us still.

I like to think our current local foods movement fits into this progressive history.  Really members and farmers are part of a cooperative venture through a CSA.  Some things you may not see behind he scenes, however, are fellow growers cooperating to build new farmers markets, food hubs, and networks or organizing through organizations like Land Stewardship Project or Sustainable Farming Association for the betterment of growers and eaters alike.   

So, on this Labor Day, appreciating the struggles of those farmers who came before me, I'll consider how I can better cooperate with my peers to help get them a fair shake and their work respected.  I hope you'd do the same.  

In the Box:

• All Blue Potato: treat as you would any potato...they are best baked or boiled.
• Edamame: The soybean plants loose in the box.  I know, why am I throwing in whole soybean plants?  You eat the pods, not the leaves.  Take off all the pods, boil in saltwater for a few minutes and eat with some beer - you're good.  Visual instructions here.
• A Couple Yellow Onions
• Arugula 
• Cilantro 
• Some San Marzano Roma Tomatoes: Don't worry if there are some black spots on them...these are only skin deep and gone with a little peeling.  Great for saucing. 
• Some Celebrity Slicing Tomatoes
• Red and Yellow Pepper 
• Hungarian Hot Wax Pepper: Typically these don't have too much heat, but not this year.  
• Contender Green Beans: Hey, back to standard green beans after wondering through the desert of yellow, Roma, and Purple beans.  
• Mixed Cherry Tomatoes 

State Fair Bound

Each year we go down to check out the state fair.  What I've found is that the more I farm, the more I appreciate the place.  I never really cared much for hogs until we raised a few last year, then I was wondering all over the swine barn; I also have a much keener eye for what makes a good-looking ewe or sheep.  When you can a lot like we do, you really appreciate the home economics building too.  I could go on and on.

Gopher from State Fair 

I'm making this point about us at the fair not so I can brag about all the things we're into, but because I feel that this local food movement that I'm a part of and you're a part of (you are reading this blog) is moving us to rediscover agriculture and food.  I remember being at the fair over ten years ago and thinking "How much longer is this thing going to keep going?  Sooner or later it's only going to be a Midway and fried food as all the number of farm families keep dwindling away."  I was also getting a bit weary at the time when I only met people who "grew up" on a farm, not people who actually farmed.  These folks were always really proud of their farming heritage and supportive of agriculture, but it really made me worried that farming was just becoming all nostalgia, no reality.

Buy since that time I've met so many who have gone into agriculture in one way or another and people who took the plunge into this whole local food movement and discovered whole foods at the food cooperative or through a CSA like us.  Now everywhere I turn I hear people talking about the tomatoes they are going to can this weekend instead of talking about how their grandma used to can.  Folks are putting some chicken layers in their backyard instead of just hunting big box stores for the cheapest eggs they can find.  I'm really heartened by what I'm observing, and, to my original point, I think this rediscovery of food and agriculture is real.  I hope that in some small way your own connection with our farm has brought you some greater appreciation for all those 4-H exhibits as well.

In the Box:
Eggplant
A White Onion
A Couple Cukes
A Couple Summer Squash - Everybody got one Yellow Pattypan Squash (you prepare the same way as zucchini or other summer squash) and a Green Zucchini.
Bunch of Carrots
A Couple Daikon Radishes - The big long white things.  You can prepare the same way you prepare a regular red radish, but this is great as an Asian slaw grated with sugar, soy sauce, and a little rice vinegar.
Roma Tomatoes - Romas are best as a sauce
A Couple Heirloom Tomatoes - most are a variety called "Cherokee Purple."  These are best eaten fresh, not cooked.
Lacinato Kale
Yukon Gold Potatoes
A Couple Italia Peppers - Yes, they are long and shaped like the Anaheim peppers last week, but these are a sweet pepper with great flavor.
Fresh Sage
A sprig of Red Basil
Melon - Again, a mix of melons in the boxes. Most will find traditional canteloupe, but some will find these little Chanterais melons (small with a greenish color).  These are my favorite melons ever with a real distinct flavor.

This looks like a simple grilled eggplant recipe which uses fresh sage:
http://www.epicurean.com/featured/eggplant-grilled-with-sage-recipe.html

Maree also made this recipe using eggplant last week and we were both big fans:
http://www.thenaptimechef.com/2012/03/baked-eggplant-goat-cheese-stacks-with-the-beekman-boys-naptime-everyday/

The Next Crop of Growers

For the last 4 years we've raised chickens (broilers) in addition to produce.  Up until this year we always loaded up chickens into a stock trailer around midnight in order to wake up at 5 am and truck down to Ashby, where there's a federally-inspected plant.  After unloading, I'd get home in time to get harvesting for the CSA box.  Sound like fun, eh?   Not really.  

Anyway, this year we processed our birds on farm which really took down the stress of the birds and myself.    I was able to do this because we rented equipment from former students of mine at the Sustainable Food Production program at M-State, Andy Hayner and Noelle Hardin.  They rent out equipment and help us do the processing right on site, which is a great value and we knew we were getting our birds done right.  Since there isn't a federal inspector on site, you have to pick up your birds from the farm instead of my being able to deliver them.  

When out processing the birds, my thoughts besides plucking feathers was about how great it is to have new energy and people getting into local food production in the area - it's been pretty lonely sometimes being an organic vegetable grower in Otter Tail County.  In the farm marketing and management course I teach as part of the Sustainable Food Production program, I've now seen almost 30 student go through the 2-semester diploma program and I'm thinking about half have started businesses and all are doing something in food production if only for themselves.  It's a great thing to see and certainly something we need more of.  

If you know of somebody interested in small farms, local foods, and learning the ropes of farming, please get them in touch with me.  I'd be happy to give them more details about the program.  There's still time to start this fall!

In the Box: 

• Tomatoes 
• A couple Stuffing Peppers (big ones)
• An Italia Pepper - the green/red one which is sweet, not hot.  This is considered a frying pepper and has a great flavor.  
• A couple Anaheim Peppers - the brighter green skinny peppers which have a mild heat.  This is the pepper behind chile rellenos. 
• Silver King Sweet Corn - an all-white variety with a good mellow corn flavor
• A couple Yellow Summer Squash 
• A Yellow Onion 
• A Red Onion
• A Bulb of Garlic
• Bunch of Carrots - Sorry these are a bit small and should have grown a bit more, but I was determined to get some more carrots in the box since I haven't had them in for quite a while.  The yellow carrots are a variety called Yellow Sun and the orange ones are Scarlet Nantes
• A Melon - I had to scrimp to get the right number of ripe melons, so it's a real mixed bag.  It's not fair, I know, but some of you may find a little Asian melon called Sun Jewel, others will find standard canteloupe, and one lucky duck will get this nice sized watermelon.  
• Purple Queen Purple Beans - these are tricky in that when you cook them, they loose their color.  Otherwise treat as you would any other bean.  
• Parsley

Farm Stand Now Open

Although it gets exhausting to fill every day with picking, packing, and delivering produce every day of the week, I always feel good about opening the farm stand at the end of the driveway, which is did just this morning.  We already have CSA deliveries on Friday and the Farmers Market in Detroit Lakes on Saturday.

Farm Stand with Willem on Bike, 2011

I always like the farm stand because it brings so many people right to our farm and it feels good that we're feeding our neighbors, which is the majority of people who stop.  I think part of the allure of the farm stand for customers (and it is open to everybody, not only CSA members as some people have thought) is that you're looking right at the fields where the produce came from.  There's no wondering "I these guys putting me on...did they really grow all this stuff or are they shipping in some stuff from down the road? (This is something we never do by the way)"  There's also ample evidence that we don't use herbicides since you'll see some weeds taller than me.

Anyway, if you know anybody who isn't interested into the commitment of a CSA membership, but into picking up some good local produce every so often, please let them know about the farm stand.  It's open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from today until October.  The stand is self-serve, so simply stop, pick out what you want, and leave payment in the box on the right side of the stand.

In the CSA box for the week:

• Norvalley White Potatoes
• A couple Mini Heads of Lettuce 
• A dozen ears of Sweet Corn - the variety is either Ambrosia or Paydirt
• Mix of Cherry Tomatoes - If they are a color other than red, they are supposed to be that color:  Sungold (orange), Sweet 100 (red), Black Cherry (purple), White Cherry (white).  
• A couple Japanese Eggplant 
• A couple Leeks 
• Basil - a mix of red and green just to give you some variety.  To give you a little advice on storing basil, do not put in the refrigerator.  Instead, trim the bottoms and leave in a vase with a little water like you would cut flowers or store at room temperature in an open zip lock with a couple damp paper towels.  
• Scarlet Queen Turnips - The pink/red root vegetable with the long greens. Use as you would any turnip.  
• Yellow Wax Beans - These came in really heavy this week, so I put in quite a bunch.  
• A Couple Cukes