Waltham Fields Community Farm
CSA NEWSLETTER 2017
Week 19 of 20
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In This Issue
CSA PICKUP DATES AND TIMES
*Final pick-up week for Odd-Shareholders
*Only 2 more pick-ups (including this week) for 20-week shareholders

COME ONCE EACH WEEK ON ANY OF THESE PICK UP DAYS
Wednesday, October 11th, 2-6:30pm
Thursday, October 12th, 2-6:30pm 
Saturday, October 14th, 9am-2pm 

Any shareholder is welcome to pick up on any of the above days! You don't have to let us know when you're coming. Feel free to switch back and forth from week to week if that works best for you, or choose a day and stick to it for most of the season. We'll be happy to see you whatever day you come to the farm.
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): 



arugula
beets
bok choy
broccoli raab
cabbage--green and napa
carrots
celery
collards
frisee
escarole
fennel
green wave mustard
kale
kohlrabi
lettuce
storage onions
sweet potatoes from Picadilly
scallions
spinach
swiss chard
salad turnips

Pick Your Own (PYO):
 
Last of tomatillos, chiles, cilantro, parsley, herbs from the Perennial Garden & flowers from the Flower Share fields.

RECIPES
We have a ton of great recipes on our website, including many different suggestions for bok choy! Click here to check them out!
HARVEST POTLUCK & ANNUAL MEETING
WHEN: Thursday, November 9th, 5:30-7:30pm, FREE
WHERE: In the farm greenhouse. Park & follow the lit path by foot.
WHAT: Bring a dish to share & celebrate the bounty & success of the season. All are welcome!
NOTES FROM THE FIELD
Week Nineteen: Fall Landscapes
by: Anna Kelchlin, Assistant Farm Manager

As challenging as it can be to wake up at what feels like the middle of the night, it is uplifting to see the sun rise above the farm fields at 6:30 in the morning.  The rotation of the Earth gives us practice in adaptation and allows us to see a perspective we might not be able to see if we were living on the equator.  You might have noticed some changes in the landscape of the fields this week on your way through the pick your own crops.  There is a bit more space both above and below the ground as we harvest the deep rooted vegetables.  The skies seem to have opened up a little wider too with the leaves just ever so slightly beginning to color.  Volunteers have taken down many of the tomato stakes, which is a defining moment on the farm.  Dan has been mowing crops that have given all they can give as well as the weeds that still strive to live their lasting legacy.  Lush cover crop is rising like the tide.  At the property in Weston, we have almost removed all of the drip lines as well as the irrigation pump and filter.  A rich spectrum of greens is making their way on the stand; it's time for broccoli raab and green wave mustard greens!   
Fog over fields.
  
This time of year, as farmers we must balance a steady harvest of roots and storage crops with the benefits of sowing cover crops and cleaning up before the winter months.  This week we have spent most of our precious afternoons harvesting one of my favorite vegetables, the sweet potato.  They are one of the few crops that we do not start from seed.  We order slips, or small seedlings, from a farm in South Carolina.  They usually arrive and look like a twig with sometimes a heart shaped leaf.  I remember the first time I planted them 5 years ago and thought to myself that this would never work.  But sure enough it does!  This year they are at our Lyman Fields and we are slowly chipping away at the harvest.  They are delicate tots that are deeply connected to the earth, so we must dig deep and dig with care.  So far we have found them to be average.  Not the best year for us, but not the worst.  But I'll take average over nothing.  We have had the usual battle with the weeds but also with bunnies.  They decimated an entire row early on, which we tried to mitigate with a chicken wire fence.  The curing process has now begun in the greenhouse where they will sweeten up over the course of a couple weeks.  We are hopeful though that there will be some in the final share.
Sweet Potatoes.

Finally, the landscape of people is also changing.  This marks the final week of our Field Crew who began the second week of June.  To be totally honest, but also a bit sappy, each farm season is truly a journey and no season is ever alike.  It's amazing to me how much life can happen over the course of just a few short months.  We are able to know each other and ourselves through rain, sun, and wind.   Through repetitive motions and through life stories, and yes through talking about what's for dinner.  I feel lucky to work alongside such a dedicated group of people who each have their specialty, but are all hard working, strong, positive, and passionate people.  I personally feel thankful to have known and worked closely with each of them.
 
Farmers Naomi & Janelle.
Soon we will be bulk harvesting root vegetables for the winter share, rolling up blue layflat, pulling out remay and hoops to protect lettuce from frost, and taking soil samples for the season to come.  It is also the time to fill our bellies and be grateful for the bounty upon us.
 
Enjoy the Earth's abundance and this beautiful time of year,
 
Anna
For the Farm Crew

WHAT'S IN THE BARN

Ginger & Turmeric Grown By Us
If you haven't already, now is your chance to try the fresh ginger & turmeric (pictured) grown by Farmer Anna. We are selling it during CSA pick ups and you can find it at the cash register. If you've tried it already, now is your chance to experiment with more recipes!

Fresh ginger is great steeped in tea, caramelized, and added to stir fry. Turmeric contains many health-promoting & disease preventing properties. It's more versatile than you think! Try in your egg scrambles or frittatas, add to rice for a pop of color, use in soups or smoothies, and you can always add to your favorite curry recipe with your Waltham Fields veggies. 

Raspberry Infusion from Silferleaf Farm in Concord
The old favorite is back on the shelves after this year's raspberry season. This certified organic sweet vinegar is handcrafted at Silferleaf from their own organic raspberries. The concoction goes great on ice cream, in salad dressings and in seltzer beverages. You can also use it as a vegetable glaze or meat marinade. 

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).
Cold French Lentil and Kohlrabi Salad

Ingredients
1 cup French lentils
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 bay leaf
1 medium kohlrabi
1 medium carrot
2 scallions
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
3 oz goat cheese
Salad Dressing
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/4 tsp cumin
kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the lentils, salt, and bay leaf. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but not falling apart. Drain and blot dry and then transfer them to a medium bowl.
While the lentils are cooking, prepare the rest of the salad. Peel the kohlrabi, making sure to remove any tough or woody parts, and cut it into 1/2 inch dice. 

Scrub the carrot and cut it into 1/2 inch dice as well. Thinly slice the scallions right up into the dark green.

Heat the oven to 350F. Spread out the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast them for 5 minutes.

Add the kohlrabi, carrots,scallions, and parsley to the bowl with the lentils.
Mix together the dressing ingredients. Toss the salad with the dressing and then top with the toasted walnuts and crumbled goat cheese.
Quick Links
Waltham Fields Community Farm Staff

Year-Round Staff:
Marla Rhodes, Volunteer & Development Coordinator
Erinn Roberts, Farm Manager
Anna Kelchlin, Assistant Farm Manager
Alexandra Lennon-Simon, Education & Outreach Manager
Lauren Trotogott, Distribution Coordinator
Kamelia Aly, Bookkeeper & Office Coordinator

Seasonal Staff:
Assistant Grower: Janelle Plummer
Greenhouse Production Supervisor: Naomi Shea
Equipment Supervisor: Dan Roberts
Tractor Operator: Tim Cooke
Field Crew: Stacey Daley, Ebony Nava, Ivory Nava, Allison Ostrowski
Distribution & Outreach Assistant: Owen Weitzman
Learning Garden Educators: Autumn Cutting, Jack Leng, Lauren McDermott