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CSA PICKUP DATES AND TIMES
COME ONCE EACH WEEK ON ANY OF THESE PICK UP DAYS
Wednesday, July 5-Oct. 18, 2:00-6:30PM
Thursday, July 6-Oct. 19, 2:00-6:30PM
Saturday, July 8-Oct. 21, 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.
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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):
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PYO Parsley
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Lettuce
Bok Choy
Escarole
Radishes
Summer Squash
Zucchini
Fennel
Cabbage
Napa Cabbage
Swiss Chard
Beets
Scallions
Pick Your Own (PYO):
Fava beans, shelling peas, sugar Snap Peas, snow peas, basil, parsley, dill, cilantro & Perennial Garden herbs & flowers.
SPRING RECIPES
We have a ton of great recipes on our website, including many different suggestions for fennel! Click here to check them out! |
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Savor Your Share Workshop
Making the Most of your CSA!
WHEN: Thursday, July 13, 6:00-8:00pm
WHERE: At the farm
WHAT: Join former farm staff and CSA expert Stacey Daley to explore the most efficient use of your CSA share. From weekly meal planning to strategic preservation, we'll find the way for you to get the most out of this season's bounty! Hands on preparation of a light picnic-style dinner to be expected.
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NOTES FROM THE FIELD
Week Five: A Little Bit of Luck and a Lot of Hard Work
by Anna Kelchlin
One of my most peaceful moments on the farm this past week was my Monday morning field walk. It's a special time on the farm. It's when my mind is fresh and clear and there is a quiet that I think even the plants experience. The dew glistens in the gentle light on the fennel and scallions in the West field. The breeze feels soft against my skin and it's still a little bit cool. For me it's a time to see a full picture, to take some time to really observe and to listen, two extremely important qualities that a farmer must have. Lately, these kinds of moments are rare for me, but when they happen it's absolutely precious.
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| | Baby brassicas growing in the greenhouse. |
It's July and farm activities are in full motion. This week the education programs will begin, so there will be all ages around. The greenhouses are slowly beginning to empty. Weeds are growing at impressive rates. I noticed that the geese have finally gone away to their home near the water for the summer. I recently learned that they lose their feathers this time of year and can't fly so they must be near water. Fortunately, the flea beetles are starting to subside. Baby bunnies are everywhere, always in a hurry. And next time you come to the farm take a look around and see how many dragonflies you can see. It's busy out there!
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Summer squash, pattipan squash & zucchini
brought in from the fields.
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All of our summer crops are now in the ground including the watermelons that are planted at our fields in Weston this year.
This week was a major growth spurt for our tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and summer squash. You can tell they are working as hard as we are. These crops are summer ones for a reason: they are heat lovers. Summer squash and zucchini are starting to come on so you should see these crops in the barn more and more. Cucumbers are not far from being in the share, but we got hit pretty hard by the striped cucumber beetle, so you might see some scaring on their skin. Our first round of carrots and beets are sizing up nicely so those will be harvested soon, too. However, the leaf miners have done their mining work and tunneled through the beet leaves so the foliage isn't as full as our fall beets will be. The pests have not been shy this season. We have no end to cabbage worms and leaf hoppers. The kohlrabi was attacked by the flea beetles and is taking its time to bounce back. The first round of haukeri turnips did not germinate well and was also eaten by flea beetles, but we seeded another round and will hope for the best.
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Ebony & Bekah tying up tomatoes.
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It's been a rough road these past couple months without Erinn by my side. However, I would say I have had a bit of luck overall for my first season managing the farm. We are now with warmth, sunshine, and fairly consistent moisture (knock on wood). The field crew is doing amazing work with a positive attitude and a fiery motivation that is subtle yet contagious. They are finding their flow of harvesting and transplanting. Allison, Ivory, and Zoe pounded all of the tomato stakes within a couple days, while Ebony and Bekah have found their rhythm tying tomatoes for trellising. We are a strong group of women and three men. As Naomi would say, "Farmers, we get the job done!" This altered quote from the Broadway Musical, Hamilton, has been a popular slogan among the crews this year.
I guess what I am trying to convey here is that farming as a profession is extremely challenging work on not just a physical level, but a mental and emotional level as well. It is intense work that can be satisfying but is always coupled with a to do list that just gets longer every time you cross something off. So much is dependent upon what we can't control and then the things you can control usually break at some point. It is all or nothing work. You get up, have breakfast and coffee, go to work, shower, eat, sleep and do it over again and again. There isn't much in between at this point in the season. But it is a unique lifestyle. In a way it brings you into the present moment and allows you to fully appreciate the basic needs of living and the beauty of giving and receiving life.
Enjoy the Harvest,
Anna
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Allison, Zoe, Ivory & Anna seeding in the greenhouse.
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WHAT'S IN THE BARN
Horseradish & Mustard Horseradish from Saw Mill Site Farm in Deerfield, MA
Frankie's Original-style Horseradish is a huge hit with those who like their condiment unadulterated, whether served with kielbasa, ham, roast beef, roast turkey, or another cut of meat. It also makes a superb base for cocktail sauce and Bloody Mary's. Marge's Mustard Horseradish is an especially wonderful garnish for traditional American fare, including cold meats, bratwurst, and other hot and cold sausages. Mixed with mayonnaise it gives egg salad an extra-special spark; add some breadcrumbs to a mayo/horseradish mixture and you've got a delicious "crust" for fish and lamb. All Saw Mill Site Farm's products are hand-prepared in small batches from US-grown #1 horseradish roots.
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)
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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.
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Ingredients:  4 servings
- 2 large fennel bulbs, tough outer leaves discarded, bulbs, stems, and fronds separated
- 1 cup Castelvetrano olives
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Chardonnay or white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lemon
- 3 ounces thinly shaved aged provolone cheese (about 1 cup)
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
Slice fennel stems crosswise (not too thin) and place in a medium bowl. Coarsely chop fennel fronds (you want about ⅓ cup) and add to bowl. Crush olives with a flat-bottomed cup or side of a chef's knife and remove pit. Coarsely chop olives (you want big, chunky pieces). Add olives, oil, vinegar, orange zest, and red pepper to bowl; season with kosher salt and black pepper, then toss to coat. Halve fennel bulbs lengthwise. Using a mandoline, shave fennel crosswise (you can use a knife, but you want the slices to be no thicker than ⅛"). Transfer fennel to a large bowl. Zest one-quarter of lemon over. Halve lemon and squeeze in juice from both halves; season with kosher salt and toss to coat. Taste and adjust with more lemon juice, if needed. Divide olive mixture among plates. Top with cheese to just cover olives. Arrange shaved fennel over so olive mixture is covered, then season with flaky sea salt.
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Waltham Fields Community Farm Staff
Year-Round Staff:
Seasonal Staff:
Assistant Grower: Janelle Plummer
Greenhouse Production Supervisor: Naomi Shea
Equipment Supervisor: Dan Roberts
Tractor Operator: Tim Cooke
Field Crew: Zoe Flavin, Ebony Nava, Ivory Nava, Allison Ostrowski, Bekah Waller
Weed Crew: Luna Goddard, Zane MacFarlane, Cristin Sloan, Clare Stephens
Distribution & Outreach Assistant: Owen Weitzman
Learning Garden Educators: Autumn Cutting, Annie Fortnow, Jack Leng, Zack Lennon-Simon, Lauren McDermott
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