Week 20 CSA Newsletter

Welcome to Week 20!

Week 20!  The CSA is winding down, only 2 more weeks of deliveries after this week.

Of course, I have to start the newsletter talking about the weather.  As I have said before, as farmers we tend to obsess with the weather!  Today is to be beautiful!  Temperatures in the 70's and beautiful sun.  I hope everyone gets a chance to get outside and enjoy these mild temperatures, because this weekend is predicted to be much different.  Saturday will struggle to get out of the 30's with overnight temperatures predicted to be in the low to mid 20's.  I guess this means our snap and wax beans are finished for the season. 

Many of you will see broccoli rabe in your boxes this week.  This is another Italian green and we grow and heirloom variety.  This variety is known for its edible leaves and stems, rather than its florets.  This raab can be treated like any of the leafy greens.  We like to lightly steam or blanch it and then give it quick saute with olive oil, lots of garlic and some salt and pepper.  This saute is really good served over pasta.  Try adding sausage or white beans for some added protein.

Our apple trees are pretty much finished for the season, but we are still getting some really good apples from our friend and fellow grower Mervin Hoover.  Mervin originally started a small minimum spray apple orchard for his family's consumption.  As these trees did well, he planted more and now offers these apples for sale.  He is currently managing this orchard organically and producing some beautiful and tasty apples!

With the regular season CSA drawing to a close, you will begin to hear more about our winter buying club.  Our winter buying club operates similar to our CSA, in the sense that you log into our website to place your order.  With the buying club, we have limited pick up sites and we meet you to collect payment.  We currently deliver buying club orders to Bloomsburg, Dallas and Forty Fort.  You can also pick your order up on farm.  We are considering adding a Mountain Top site after the CSA ends.  If you would be interested in a buying club delivery to Mountain Top, please send us a quick email so we have an idea of how many people may want to participate.  We are currently operating the buying club and will continue to do so until the weather prevents us from harvesting.  Buying club ordering opens up Tuesday morning and ends Thursday morning.  You must purchase a free winter buying club share to participate.  Purchasing the share does not in any way obligate you to place an order.

Speaking of the buying club, we will soon be adding sustainably produced meats to the buying club.  In addition to pastured poultry we also produce pastured pork on our farm.  In the next few weeks, we will be adding individual cuts of our apple orchard pork to the buying club.  We are also working with a neighboring farm to offer grass fed beef.  Watch your email for when these items are added.

Boxes!  It seems I have talked about boxes in many of our newsletters this year.  Thank you for taking good care of our boxes!  We do re-use our waxed share boxes.  These boxes cost the farm close to two dollars each and our cost in boxes adds up very quickly.  Please remember to return boxes to your pick up site for us.  After the last CSA delivery, return your box to your drop site.  We will make the rounds once more to retrieve boxes and supplies.  If you received you box at home, please drop your last box at one of our drop sites or keep your box for us for next year. 

Are you looking to keep in touch with the farm during the off season?  We do have a facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dancing-Hen-Farm/111155465564952), a blog (http://www.dancinghenfarmcsa.blogspot.com/) and a pinterest page (http://www.pinterest.com/dancinghencsa/).  We do update all three of these sites with farm news, pictures and recipes.  In addition, I will try and occasionally write and off season newsletter and send it out to farm members.

2015, yes we are already preparing for our 2015 season.  We are currently working with our web designer to open the 2015 CSA registration.  We will be sending emails and posting on facebook, once registration opens.  As with other years returning members and members signing up early will receive a discount.

Farmer Neil has already left for deliveries and the coffee pot is already half empty.  Or should I be saying the coffee pot is now half full?  It is all a matter of perspective!  In any event, this means, time to wrap up this ramble and get on to the day's chores.

"Be safe, be well and enjoy those veggies"