WFCF CSA Newsletter - CSA Week #3

Waltham Fields Community Farm

local food for everyone

Waltham Fields Community Farm

CSA Newsletter 2018

Week 3 of 20

PICKUP DATES & TIMES

COME ONCE ON ANY OF THESE PICK UP DAYS

Wednesday, June 27th, 2:00-6:30pm

Thursday, June 28th, 2:00-6:30pm

Saturday, June 30th, 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.

Please be prepared to pay check or cash at pick-up if you still have an outstanding balance.

Last Wednesday

Picnic on the Farm:

This Wednesday, June 27th, 5-7pm.

Come to this free event along with friends, family and a picnic dinner and enjoy a meal on the farm! Set up will be on the lawn in front of fields and barn.

Come to any or all of the Last Wednesday Picnics on the Farm

(July 25th, August 29th, September 26th).

Packing lettuce donations into banana boxes for local food relief organizations to distribute. Next time you're at the grocery store, ask an employee in the produce section if they have any banana boxes they'd like to get rid of. We use them to pack our food donations and are always in need of more! Email Lauren if you have some to drop off.

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):

Kale

Lettuce

Collards

Bok choy

Fennel

Escarole

Scallions

Radish and/or salad turnip

Spinach

Pick Your Own (PYO): Perennial Garden & strawberries.

NOTES FROM THE FIELD

Week Three:

by Erinn Roberts

When we are wrapping up a session with a volunteer group on the farm, it’s not uncommon to have someone share the phrase “many hands make light work”. Over and over again, it’s a lesson learned when tasks look daunting or overwhelming, particularly to someone new to the work. These past couple of weeks we’ve had the pleasure of Anna, Ebony, Ezra and Phil, our Field Crew, proving that adage to us once again. They join us with different levels of farming experience, but they each offer great commitment, engagement and fine work. I’m impressed by their beautiful kale bunches and their quick response to a cry for a power hour to get the harvest finished before lunch. They are ready to get the job done, whatever it may be. We’re looking forward to working side by side with them through October.

This past week, we were stretched across all of our sites, getting transplants in the ground and irrigation set up at Lyman and Gateways, harvesting here at the Field Station and catching up on greenhouse work. Sunday’s rain was welcome, as things were starting to get pretty darn dry out there. It was just enough to really saturate, pushing along growing crops and giving encouragement to direct seeded crops to pop the soil line. Walking around on Monday morning there was a renewed lushness and vigor to the plants.

This week in your share you’ll see some beautiful romaine lettuce, various kale varieties, collards, bok choy and the last of the spinach until the fall. Scallions are still going strong and garlic scapes will be around for a final showing. New to the mix will be escarole, fennel and maybe some summer squash or zucchini. We’ll give the beets and the first of the fresh-eating onions another week or so to size up, and carrots won’t be far behind that. And just like that, the season will be moving along and it will be July!

Have you seen that greeting card with the quote “Some people are so much sunshine per square inch.”? That popped into my head as I mentally mapped out the projected harvests of various crops over the coming weeks and the anticipation that comes with each. But instead of people, I was thinking about the joy that food can bring, sometimes in immeasurable ways. That first cherry tomato; young, crunchy cucumbers; sweet, early carrots; tasty pearl onions. We track the dollar value of all the crops that are distributed through the CSA in order to be sure we at least meet the paid value of the share. But participating in the CSA affords an intimate experience with your food, and the cycles and rhythms of nature that don’t hold a column in the ledger. How much of a lift to your day do you get from picking and enjoying a pint of strawberries? What sensory memories does it elicit? How can just a taste of Sun Gold cherry tomato turn a mood from sour to slightly brighter? How do we track that value, what is that worth? I hope that the farm and your time here and as a CSA shareholder provides a buoy in this world. We deal in heartbreak so often these days, and with the hope and effort and potential of a farming season ahead of us, I see brightness and creativity and resilience all around these fields.

Enjoy the harvest, and share what you can’t eat!

-Erinn, for the farm crew

WHAT'S IN THE BARN

Halvah treats from

Halvah Heaven

Halvah is a tahini-based candy loaded with protein and calcium. Halvah Heaven leaves out preservatives, artificial flavorings, is gluten-free, nut-free, vegan and contains only organic sweeteners. We carry Maple, Ginger Lemon, Silk Road, Honey Rose, Cardamom Orange & Fiore di Sicilia.

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). Cash, check, Mastercard & Visa ($10 minimum for credit) are all accepted for retail items.

Fried Eggs with Collard Greens & Mushrooms

Adapted from TheBrookCook.com

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

For the Sage-Chile Butter:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon small sage leaves
1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes

For the Eggs and Greens:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10 ounces white button or cremini mushrooms, sliced
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (or scapes/green garlic)
8-12 cups collard greens (cut into 3/4-inch-wide ribbons)
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large eggs
finely grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
sourdough baguette, for serving, if desired

Instructions:

Make the sage-chile butter: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add sage and red-pepper flakes. Simmer until sage is crisp, about 3 minutes.
Make the eggs and greens: Heat a large, heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) over high heat. Swirl in oil. Cook mushrooms with 1/2 teaspoon salt until golden and tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium. Stir in garlic, then greens and water.
Cook, stirring, until greens wilt. Add unsalted butter, and stir until melted.
Push greens to make 4 wells. Crack 1 egg into each. Season with salt (and pepper, if desired). Cook for 4 minutes. Let stand until whites are set but yolks are still runny, about 4 minutes.
Drizzle with sage-chile butter. Garnish with grated cheese accompanied by baguette slices, as desired.

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.

Balances Due

All fees were due by June 1st, including share balances and maintaining current membership with our non-profit organization. If you're not sure if you still owe money for your CSA share or membership, check your email for a notice from our Bookkeeper and Office Coordinator, Kamelia Aly (or Admin@communityfarms.org). Please be prepared to pay check or cash at pick-up if you still have an outstanding balance.

Share Pick Up Questions

More questions about share pickup? Check out our CSA FAQs! You can also contact Lauren Trotogott, our Distribution Coordinator.