Harvest Potluck Entertainment
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We're looking for a band to play at the
Harvest Potluck on Sunday, November 18. The potluck will run about two
hours, with two half-hour time slots for the band. Please email Nathan Weston if you're interested.
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Chestnut Farms Meat Shares Available at Waltham Fields!
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Beginning in January of 2008, we will be partnering with Chestnut Farms
in Hardwick to offer sustainably raised local meat shares. Meat shares
come in several sizes to suit any household. They can include a range
of delicious cuts of beef, lamb, pork and chicken, or choose lamb- or
pork-free shares. Shares will be distributed once a month, on the
first Sunday of each month at Waltham Fields Community Farm. Visit
Chestnut Farms' website
for more information, and to take advantage of the one-month exclusive
sign-up period for Waltham Fields Community Farm shareholders.
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Third Sunday Gatherings
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Third Sunday Gatherings are back this season! For those of you who are new to the
farm or to Third Sunday Gatherings, they are a great opportunity to meet fellow
shareholders and learn about various topics related to our mission. Each
time, we will start with a farm-fresh potluck at five o'clock followed by a
guest speaker.
October 21st - Fermented Foods Demonstration -
WFCF Shareholder David Pazmino and Test Cook and Editor
for Cook's Illustrated will give a demo on fermentation as a
method of preparation. He
will discuss vegetable ferments like sauerkraut and kimch'i and grain ferments like sourdough and dairy ferments like yogurt and kefir.
November 18th
- Harvest Potluck - Join us for a celebration of the 2007 growing season! The potluck starts at 6PM inside the field station, and the evening includes live music and a tribute to the bounty of the year. Details to follow.
December 16th
- Winter Solstice - Experience the farm at (almost) the darkest time of the year, and help our farm staff put the fields to sleep for the winter. More details coming.
January 20th, 2008 - CFO Annual Meeting - Get to know the good people on the slate for our 2008 Board of Directors, vote on the slate if you are a member, and hear a review of our 2007 and our plans for 2008. Stay tuned for more details.
For more information...
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Sweet Potato, Broccoli, and Tomato Stew |
From Angelic Organics Kitchen.
Serves 4
2 T olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 28-ounce can stewed tomatoes
2 cups cooked or canned garbanzo
beans, drained
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock or water
3 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), cubed
1 medium head broccoli, cut into large chunks (about 2 cups)
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1. Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion; cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1
more minute.
2. Add the tomatoes, garbanzo beans, stock, and sweet potatoes. Simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes. Add the broccoli, cover, and simmer until the sweet potatoes and broccoli are tender,
about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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| Welcome to the 2007 Harvest Season! |
Share pickups at the farm are:
- Tuesday, October 9, 3-7:30 PM
- Thursday, October 11, 3-7:30 PM
- Sunday, October 14, 3-7:30 PM
Share pickups in Somerville are Tuesday October 9 from 5-7 PM. Have you noticed that Sunday pickups at the farm are very busy? Would you like a quieter, more intimate farm experience? Try out our Tuesday and Thursday pickups if you can!
 The final pickups of the season will be October 23, 25 and 28 at the farm and October 23 in Davis Square.
Winter CSA share pickups will be Sunday, November 18 and Sunday,
December 16 from 3-6 PM at the farm. Winter shares are sold out for the season.
If you have a fruit share
(from Autumn Hills Orchard)
please remember to pick yours up when you come get your vegetables. Bring your own household compost if you don't mind the walk to the compost piles.
Thanks to everyone who has brought compost! Bring bags for pickup if you have them. |
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What's in the shares
this week
Please
note:this list is prepared the week before we harvest your share. Some guesswork is
involved: some things may be in the share that are not on the
list, and some listed things may not be in the share.
- Sweet Potatoes
- Potatoes
- Acorn Squash
- Lettuce
- Braising Mix
- Arugula
- Swiss Chard
- Beets
- Choice of Fennel or Bok Choy
- Peppers
- Eggplant
- Radishes or Salad Turnips
Have
you checked out our Recipe pages?
Feel
free to submit recipes and cooking ideas to us via email. We'd love to include your family's favorite recipes! |
Pick your own crops this week
- Green Tomatoes
- Cherry tomatoes (unless there's a frost)
- Hot peppers (likewise)
- Basil (likewise)
- Parsley
- Dill
- Cilantro
- Perennial Herbs
CSA
shareholders may visit the farm to pick your own Sunday through Thursday
during daylight hours. Check out our red pick-your-own kiosk in the fields for a list of available crops and picking
supplies. |
Why I donate to the Annual Appeal
by Steph Thurrott, CSA Shareholder, Board
Member,
Freelance Writer, Mother of Two
When I was a kid, I never considered
being a farmer. Farmers were far away, in some other part of the country,
or in the past. Now I have kids of my own, and I have no idea what they'll
be when they grow up. But I like the idea that they might grow up to
be farmers. They visit the farm, and it becomes real. They think, "We
eat this food. People work here."
Now, I donate to Waltham Fields Community
Farm because I want kids to be able to learn where their food comes
from, and I want young adults to see farming as a viable career choice.
We're kicking off our annual appeal
on November 5, and our goal this year is to raise $25,000 for educational
programs, hunger relief and outreach. Can you help us reach it? Check
your mail for our fall newsletter with a remittance envelope, or watch
for the kick-off letter in next month's mail. |
Crop updates:
Spotlight on braising greens
The dry weather seems to have passed, but its effects are still with us. Broccoli, cauliflower and brussels sprouts are the crops most affected, with yields below our usual average. Believe it or not, our collards and kale are also slightly less productive than last fall. Root crops are smaller than last season, but their flavor is intense and delicious. Thanks to our irrigation, however, we are harvesting bountiful crops of arugula and braising greens mix. What do we do with braising greens? Great question!
 Braising greens -- a mix of baby kale, red and green mustards, tatsoi and sometimes arugula -- are very versatile and filled with vitamins and minerals. They can be prepared simply or made quite elaborate. When they're young, they are delicious mixed with lettuce and eaten raw for a simple salad. Braising greens can be lightly sauteed with garlic and olive oil and used as a bed for chicken, salmon, polenta or just about anything you can imagine, or by themselves with lemon juice or a simple dressing. They also go very well sauteed right in with scrambled eggs or stirred into soups (ask Natasha on Tuesday nights about her amazing lentil soup with greens). A recipe like this one for braised Kashmiri greens dresses the greens up and makes them a fancy side dish. Our braising greens are also great in a recipe like this one for greens with chipotle and bacon, or use both the beets and greens in this week's share in this red beet risotto with mustard greens.
Still not hungry? How about a frittata? Or a sweet potato and russet potato salad with greens? The possibilities are endless and tasty. We hope you'll send us your ideas for greens as well. Enjoy this week's harvest!
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Comings and goings on the farm
Although we still have two weeks of harvests to go after this one, we have so many people to thank for their help this season that we thought we would start this week. A few dedicated people trade work for a CSA share with Waltham Fields Community Farm each season. We deeply appreciate the incredible help that the following work shares have given to the farm this year. If you see them, please give them your thanks as well!
Susan Cassidy has been both meticulous and creative as our newsletter editor, helping us navigate our new format and provide useful information every week.
Althea Chen pinch-hit and helped coordinate our Somerville pickup site.
Natasha, Gregorian, Boudicca, Aubrey, Cassia and Julian Hawke were our Tuesday evening distribution coordinators at the farm. They shared recipes and treats with everyone and gave new meaning to the concept of a family farm.
David Kricker reprised his role as Thursday night distribution coordinator and made progress on his effort to know each shareholder by name.
Danny MacPhee and Alison Horton split the season as Sunday night distribution coordinators, managing our busiest distribution with grace and good cheer.
Dan Burns and Anne Ramsay split a field work share, helping us harvest and weed for four hours each week throughout the harvest season.
Jim Dailey weeded, watered, organized and mulched our perennial herb and flower garden. Those of you who have been with the farm for a while will appreciate the huge difference Jim has made in the garden this season.
We can't thank these folks enough!
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Warmly,
From all the staff at Waltham Fields Community Farm:
Meg Coward, Executive Director
Amanda Cather, Farm Manager
Andy Scherer, Assistant Farm Manager
Kate Darakjy and Martin Lemos, Assistant Growers
Mark Walter, Children's Learning Garden Coordinator
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