Waltham Fields Community Farm
CSA NEWSLETTER 2015 - Week 11 of 20
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In This Issue
PICK YOUR OWN FLOWER SHARES 
STILL AVAILABLE
Pick two bouquets a week (10-15 stems each) for 5 weeks for $50. Shareholders can expect a diverse offering of flower varieties, including zinnias, cosmos, everlastings, sunflowers and asters. Sign up and pay cash or check at the Distribution Barn cash register this week!
FARM2TABLE FAMILY COOKING WORKSHOP
This Thursday, August 20th, 4:00-6:00PM. 
There are still spots available for this workshop! 
Engage in field-to-fork recipe preparation with our Learning Garden Educators, learning tips and techniques as you go. 
Click here for more information and to register!
WHAT'S IN THE SHARE - Our Best Guess
This is our best guess at this point. Actual crops may vary from what's listed here due to a variety of factors. 
  
In the Barn (Picked for You):
Field Crew member, Roy, and a colorful tomato harvest.

Kale
Swiss chard
Collards
Carrots
Beets
Cucumbers
Zucchini
Summer squash
Tomatoes
Bell peppers
Onions
Scallions

Pick Your Own (PYO):  

Remember to only pick the amount listed on the PYO description sheets found at the PYO Station and follow the signs & directions in the field.  A taste or two is okay while you're picking but in order to have enough for everyone please refrain from snacking extensively out in the fields.  If an area is roped off, it is closed to PYO.

Cherry tomatoes, plum tomatoes, chiles, basil, parsley, dill, cilantro & perennial herbs and flowers.  

SUMMER RECIPES
We have a ton of great recipes on our website, including
eleven different suggestions for bell peppers! Click here to check them out!
NOTES FROM THE FIELD - 
Let the Harvest Roll In
From Anna Kelchlin, Assitant Grower

This season I feel like I can officially call myself a farmer. This is my fourth season growing vegetables, but this year in particular I have formed a deeper connection with the profession. Maybe its because I am constantly checking the weather, going to sleep at 9pm, or that I am realizing the lasting affects of the past on our future. Or even that I am beginning to experience the farm as a whole system and learning to let go of things I cannot change. After work on Wednesday, I decided to just sit down on the grass near our fall brassica fields and take a look around. Seems like a novel idea, but its a rarity for a farmer. The light has become quite soft. The sun seems to be glowing more then shining, sitting just a touch lower in the sky. The dragonflies are zooming like helicopters over the forest land of kale, collards, and broccoli.
 
Like most weeks, last week was a strange one. It was cool, hot, muggy, rainy, and sunny, all in one. Tuesday we finally had a full-on rainy day; actually one of our first of the season, believe it or not. The kind of day where we are in full rain suits: brightly colored overalls, coats, and boots. And somehow our socks still became soggy and caused our toes to wrinkle like you have been in a bathtub way too long. It was glorious, though, from a farmer's perspective; all 15 acres getting water at the same time!  How genius our Earth can be!  Luckily Dan and Erinn were able to get a lot of direct seeding done before the rain. The fall greens, like arugula, braising mix, radishes, and turnips, are germinating beautifully in our far fields. We transplanted the giant kohlrabi and our 10th generation of lettuce. 



These days, most of the working hours are committed to harvesting, washing, packing, and storing. We are moving into that time of year that our challenging, back breaking work of bending to harvest eggplant and peppers, kneeling to pull up on some of the biggest carrots I've ever seen, and standing to bunch the new kale, chard, and collards lasts the entire day. This is when my yoga practice is even more important than I realize. Tomatoes are beginning to ramp up. We harvested around 700 pounds this past Friday.  Zannah even brought a ripe watermelon back from our Weston fields, so they might be on their way soon.
 
Gretta [one of the farm tractors] broke again and Dan, Erinn, and Zannah had to crank start her, but she failed yet again. This meant we had to till a bit more than we would have liked in order to get a smooth bed top and incorporate fertilizer for the direct seeded crops. However, Tim came to work Thursday and she started right up! What are the odds? He must have a magic touch. I guess we all have our fussy days and maybe there is no rhyme or reason. We were then able to cultivate our three row crops nicely so that we all can hopefully enjoy more leafy greens without too many other plants getting in the way. We found some time to begin cleaning and sorting the garlic that has been curing in the greenhouse. It took a team effort, but the field crew also took on the task of tying another line on the tomatillos and tomatoes so that it will be easier for picking. I have been taking some time to care for the hoop houses and the basil in the Big Hoop is looking mighty fine and will be ready to pick soon. We said good-bye to Ali, one of our Forest Foundation interns who brought an amazing energy to our crew. This upcoming week will also be the last week for the other interns, Cassie and Alisa, along with the Weed Crew.  It's going to be a celebratory week for all the hard work everyone has contributed.


 
This week also marks a huge milestone for an incredible person who has grown this organization into full bloom. Starting this week, our Executive Director, Claire, will be training Shannon Taylor, who is to replace her, over the next few weeks. I have been able to get to know Claire over the past couple years and look up to her in so many ways. She is such a strong leader, creative thinker, and thoughtful, caring person. I have been lucky to work for and along side her. Thank you Claire.    
 
Looking back to some of former Farm Manager, Amanda Cather's past Notes from the Field, she writes, "During the growing season, farms are never a finished product. Crops and weeds are always growing, flowering, moving past their prime, and being turned under to make room for whatever comes next." The farm is always in constant change. It's a wild and chaotic place, but it's a challenge we like to take, otherwise we wouldn't keep coming back for more. Amanda says, "The most significant hurdle of every farm season is quieting the worries of the mind so that the land and the moment tell us where our efforts are most needed." Hopefully with each day we can adapt to the changes around us and thrive together. Let the harvest roll in and let our bellies be full.
 
Anna, for the Farm Crew 
WHAT'S IN THE BARN 

 

Green Bee Craft Beverages from Brunswick, ME. 

  

Green Bee Sodas are made with whole ingredients and sweetened with honey. No concentrates, extracts, preservatives or artificial flavors are used. We carry Lemon Sting and Ginger Buzz flavors - for $2.75 a bottle.

All of our retail products are available for sale to the public. For our own produce offerings, we prioritize giving shareholders a good return on their investment and meeting our food assistance goals (20% of what we grow - which should amount to $80,000 of produce for low-income households this year)
.
Early in the season, crops for sale to the public will be those that we have an abundance of and later in the season, if production is going well, we hope to operate as a full-fledged farm store with a wide range of vegetables available to the public during our weekly CSA distribution hours.
THAI RED CURRY WITH CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES
Adapted from The Farmer's Kitchen: The Ultimate Guide to Enjoying Your CSA and Farmers' Market Foods cookbook For Sale in the Barn!

Curries are incredibly versatile; you can use whatever vegetables you have in your CSA pick up or find fresh at the farmers market. The key is to add the vegetables to the sauce in order of how long they take to cook. For example, carrots cook more slowly than snap peas. Use this recipe as a guide and feel free to adapt to what you have on hand. 

Ingredients
2 cups jasmine rice
2 cups canola or other plain oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 Tbs red curry paste (use heaping spoons for more spicy, scant spoons for delicate palates)
1 13 ounce can (unsweetened) coconut milk
2 Tbs fish sauce
Optional: 1 tsp brown sugar
3 cups chopped summer vegetables (Options: tomatoes, bell peppers, okra, potatoes, squash and/or eggplant).
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
3-4 scallions, cut into long strips or rounds
salt and pepper

Directions
1. In a large sauce pan, mix rice, 1 tsp oil and 1 1/2 tsp salt, ensuring to coat each grain of rice in oil. Add 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover and reduce heat to low. Let cook for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand for 5 more minutes, covered. 

2. Meanwhile, season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a large saute pan over high heat. Add 1 Tbs oil, and then the chicken and onions. Stir fry for 4 minutes, remove from pan and set aside.

3. In the same pan, heat remaining oil over high heat. Add red curry paste, and stir fry for 1 minute. Add coconut milk, fish sauce (plus 1 tsp brown sugar, if using) and any root vegetables (such as carrots or potatoes). Let simmer for 3-5 minutes. Add green vegetables (okra, cabbage, eggplant, and greens). Just when the greens turn bright green (1-2 minutes) add remaining vegetables (such as tomatoes, bell peppers and summer squash) and chicken. Cook for 1 minute more until everything is heated through. 

4. Serve curry over rice. Garnish with scallions. 
Share Pick Up Questions
More questions about share pickup?  Check out our CSA FAQs!  You can also contact Lauren Trotogott, our Distribution Coordinator.
Quick Links
CSA INFO & PICK UP TIMES
Waltham Fields Community Farm Staff

Year-Round Staff:
Claire Kozower, Executive Director
Marla Rhodes, Volunteer & Development Coordinator
Erinn Roberts, Farm Manager
Zannah Porter, Farm Manager
Alexandra Lennon-Simon, Education & Outreach Coord.
Lauren Trotogott, Distribution Coordinator
Rebekah Lea, Bookkeeper & Office Coordinator

Seasonal Staff:
Assistant Grower: Anna Kelchlin
Farm Assistants: Tim Cooke, Dan Roberts, Naomi Shea
Farm Stand Assistant: Leo Martinez
Field Crew: Anna Hirson-Sagalyn, Roy Kresge, Jack Leng, Claire Penney, Evan Rees
Weed Crew: Anna Blaustein, Leo Martinez, Gina Masciovecchio, Annie Nguyen
Learning Garden Educators: Sadie Brown, Autumn Cutting, Rebecca Fennel, Alannah Glickman
Summer Interns: Cassandra Baker, Alisa Feinswog, Ali Rabideau, Jesse Simmons

www.communityfarms.org
240 Beaver Street
Waltham, MA 02452