Waltham Fields Community Farm
local food for everyone
Waltham Fields Community Farm
CSA Newsletter 2018
Week 13 of 20
PICKUP DATES & TIMES

COME ONCE ON ANY OF THESE PICK UP DAYS
Wednesday, September 5th, 2-6:30pm
Thursday, September 6th, 2-6:30pm
Saturday, September 8th, 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.
2018 WINTER SHARES

$225 for three pick-ups. You need to be able to come to Waltham Fields on these three dates (or have someone who can pick up for you):
Pick Up Dates: Sat. Nov. 3 ; Sat. Nov. 17; Sat. Dec. 1, 12-4pm
Enjoy the bounty of early winter in New England with 3 Saturday pickups of greens, root vegetables and more!
WHAT'S IN THE CSA SHARE THIS WEEK?
Our Best Guess...
This is our goal for harvest for the week. Actual crops may vary from what's listed here due to a variety of impacts on the farm week.

In the Barn This Week and Picked for You!
Lettuce
Celery
Potatoes
Collards
Kale
Chard
Eggplant
Tomatoes
Radishes
Onions
Scallions
Winter squash--spaghetti or delicata
Watermelon
Beets
Carrots

PYO (pick your own crops this week)
Cherry Tomatoes, Plum Tomatoes, Green Beans, Tomatillos,
Chile Peppers, Husk Cherries, Parsley, Basil (Purple, Thai, Italian), Dill & Cilantro.
Perennial Garden
Please don’t cut more than 1/3-1/2 of Perennial Garden herb stems. View the Perennial Garden Handbook here.)
NOTES FROM THE FIELD
Week 13: Middle Ground
By: Anna Kelchlin

Last Wednesday, in my opinion, was the hottest day of the summer. The heat index was well over 100 degrees with humidity and yet the harvest continues. It’s a physical and mental challenge to keep going on those days, especially towards the end of the season with the accumulation of heat waves within us. Our bodies are tired, but we are a hardy bunch and the show must go on.

For most of the season, we haven’t had to worry too much about irrigation. But now is the time to keep water on the lettuces to prevent bolting, as well as, the fall brassicas, which are beginning to put on sizable growth. It’s the time of year when we really need to appreciate these warm days since, soon, they will be a distant memory. In the near future we will be harvesting in sweaters and rain bibs dreaming of these hot summer days. Isn’t that the challenge though to be present in that moment and absorb the essence of the here? This week got me thinking a lot about this concept and how we are so influenced by our immediate surroundings. At times, it’s a huge challenge to keep even the weather in perspective. One day it's violently hot and two days later it's cool and calm. I guess it's that balance of being in the moment but still having perspective of the larger world around us. At some point, one has to let go completely and surrender to the greater world around us. Easier said than done.

When we are out in the fields harvesting, it's very task oriented, and this assists me in staying with the moment. It's Tuesday and we have 170 watermelon to harvest. Its go, go, go! Load the bulk bin on white truck. Add some large black crates so they are stackable. Divide the total number of watermelon between the 5 of us. Be coordinated with which beds we are picking. Remember where we left off the previous harvest. Use multiple senses for the three signs of harvest: the brown tendril, the yellow spot, the deep vibrating sound. Make piles with the yellow spot up as to not lose any we have picked. Finally, bucket brigade as a team and load. Don’t forget to count. Unload back at the field station, record, and off to the next crop. We must be focused and steady.
Although this time of year harvest takes priority, we must also reserve time for the final field seedings of radishes, turnips, and loose greens like arugula and mustard greens. We transplanted another round of spinach and bok choy that will be ready toward the end of the share. And, thanks to Saturday’s volunteers, we were able to get to some much needed weeding of kohlrabi, fennel, and scallions. Mowing, disking, and preparing the fields for cover crop is also on the horizon, which at this point seems like a treat to be able to do a bit of tractor work.

One highlight of the week I would like to share with you all was our Mobile Outreach Market last Tuesday. The Market is now in its 8th week and we are serving about 80 families each week. In case you are unfamiliar with our food access work, this market is just one part of the work we do to make our organic and local food available to people of all income levels. We set up a market on the corner of Cherry and Crescent Streets and run it similar to our CSA. Families can come and pay $5 for a large bag of vegetables, which have designated quantities so there will be enough for all. This year we have been able to offer a wider variety of vegetables and fruits in part to the favorable growing conditions and also due to the Boston Area Gleaners donating corn, peaches, and apples. We are starting to build up a core group of regulars who depend on this produce every week. The atmosphere is lively with music and kids playing. There is talk of summer meals that were made with the eggplant and tomatoes of last week. There are people of all backgrounds who speak many different languages, all coming together to eat nutritious vegetables. This market is something I really look forward to each week and am grateful to be a part of it.
I hope you all enjoy the end of the summer bounty. It’s a special part of the season where summer and fall collide allowing for the creation of endless meals of all colors, shapes, and sizes. And maybe even find time to preserve a bit of this essence from the land we grow upon here in Waltham.

For the Farm Crew,
Anna
What's in the Barn

New Preserves from Doves & Figs in Arlington, MA

New flavors of locally made preserves: Sparkle (Blueberry conserve with Meyer lemon juice & peel & bits of candied ginger) and Peach Nellie (Ripe sweet peaches blended with seedless raspberry puree - spill over vanilla ice cream for a local fruit sundae).

Our farm grown produce is prioritized to give shareholders a good return on their investment and to meet our food assistance goals (20% of what we grow, which should amount to $80,000 of produce for low-income households this year).

All of our retail products are available for sale to the public. Cash, check, Mastercard & Visa ($10 minimum for credit) are all accepted for retail items.
Eggplant Caponata

Serves 4
Ingredients:
  • 2 Italian eggplants, about 2 lbs
  • 6 tbsp. olive oil plus 2 tbsp.
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 4 tomatoes (1 lb), diced
  • 1/2 cup green or black olives, whole or pitted
  • 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 4 tbsp. red wine vinegar
  • salt, to taste
  • handful fresh basil leaves, chopped or hand torn

Instructions:
  1. Cut the eggplants into approximate 1 inch cubes. Place in a large bowl, salt generously and cover with water. Let sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Drain, rinse and pat dry.
  2. Preheat oven to 400F and cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Distribute the eggplant cubes in the pans and toss with 3 tbsp. of olive oil in each pan. Bake for 30 minutes, tossing halfway through cooking.
  3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat 2 tbsp. olive oil on medium-high heat, add onion, cook for 3 minutes. Stir in celery, add a pinch of salt, lower heat, cover the pan and let the celery cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, increase heat to medium-high, add tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the olives, sugar, red wine vinegar and simmer for 5 minutes.
  4. Stir in the roasted eggplant and continue to simmer for 5 more minutes. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
  5. Remove from heat and stir in the basil. Serve hot, at room temperature. Caponata can also be refrigerated for several days. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
IMPORTANT SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

If it's your first time picking up a CSA share with Waltham Fields, let us know when you check in and we'll help guide you through your first pick up. Also, please feel free to ask us questions anytime. We're here to help you!
 
Bring Your Own Bags or a Box 
We don't keep a stock of plastic bags. Please remember to bring your own bags or a box to the farm to pick up your CSA share! We strongly encourage the use of reusable bags/boxes for all vegetables on the farm. If you forget your bags or want some really great ones, we have reusable Waltham Fields Tote Bags for sale in the barn for $4, with proceeds supporting our food assistance and education programs.
  
Pick-Your-Own Crops
All shareholders are welcome to pick-your-own anytime during daylight hours.  10-week shareholders may PYO at anytime during their assigned week and may not switch weeks. Stop by the PYO station for a list of what's available, how much to take, and a map of where to find it in the fields. Take these maps into the fields with you & respect the quantity limits so that there is enough for everyone! When you head out into the fields, a sign will help you to know which rows are ready for picking and will also include harvest tips.  The PYO station will also provide scissors and pint boxes, but it never hurts to bring your own.

Share Pick Up Questions
More questions about share pickup? Check out our CSA FAQs! You can also contact Lauren Trotogott, our Distribution Coordinator.
Waltham Fields Community Farm Staff

Year-Round Staff:
Stacey Daley, Interim Executive Director
Marla Rhodes, Volunteer & Development Coordinator
Erinn Roberts, Farm Manager
Anna Kelchlin, Assistant Farm Manager
Alexandra Lennon-Simon, Education Director
Lauren Trotogott, Farm Stand & Distribution Manager
Rebekah Lea, Finance & Office Coordinator

Seasonal Staff:
Equipment Technician: Tim Cooke
Assistant Grower: Ivory Nava
Field Manager: Janelle Plummer
Greenhouse Manager: Naomi Shea
Field Crew: Ezra Nava, Ebony Nava, Phil Musen, Anastasia Strayton
Distribution & Outreach Assistant: Janet Calcaterra
CSA Distribution Team: Anna Babbin, Joy Grimes, Betsy Hughes, Jessica Kauffman, Olivia Newhall-Thayer, Edward Wakefield & Natalie Zeunges
Learning Garden Educators: Megan Curran, Autumn Cutting, Leslie Kay, Nellie Rodgers, Anna Vellante
Waltham Fields Community Farm
(781) 899-2403
Connect with us
Waltham Fields Community Farm | 240 Beaver Street, Waltham, MA 02452