CSA Week 17 Newsletter

Greetings from Dancing Hen Farm and Welcome to CSA Week 17.  Week 17 is an egg week.  And yes, finally a newsletter!

First let me apologize for not sending out a newsletter for week 16.   Last weekend’s rain wreaked havoc on both our phone and our internet service.  You don’t realize how much you depend on this connectivity until you need to go several days without.  We are now back up and running, at least until the next rain storm!  (also, please accept my apology for this week’s newsletter being so late……)

Don’t you just love fall?  These recent cooler nights and warm days are perfect to me.  We have also had some rain, which the farm greatly appreciates.  But, I have to admit, it is the fall sun I enjoy.  The trees are starting to change and they just sparkle in the sunshine.  This fall, so far, has actually been relatively mild.  We have not had a frost yet and certainly not a freeze.  In our area, we generally experience a light frost sometime in September, with a hard freeze occurring towards the middle or end of October.  I know the colder temperatures are coming.  For us, the winter months are a time for rest, reflect and rejuvenation, for both us and our fields.  And for planning.

We have already started planning for next year.  Farmer Don and I spend much of our time together discussing the farm and plans for the future.  In the next few months we will be taking a hard look at this growing season and begin planning for next year.  This season has been, to quote Farmer Don, filled with many opportunities.  I fear it will be difficult for us to look at things objectively.   But, we will persevere and we will do our best to look at things objectively.  We will make our lists and plot our plan for 2016, our 9 CSA season.    Watch your email for details coming soon.

However, our 2015 CSA is not over yet.  This is Week 17, so after this week, we have 5 more weeks of delivery.  As I am sure you have already observed, we have started our transition away from summer crops.  We are filling boxes with winter squash, potatoes, and greens.  This trend will continue for the next 5 weeks.  We are still harvesting tomatoes, but our plants are starting to decline and we anticipate tomato season is quickly coming to an end.  Our peppers are looking good right now.  Some are still a bit small, but others have sized up nicely and are starting to show some color.  We are planning on digging our own sweet potatoes this week.  Our sweet potatoes are not cured.  Lack of curing does not affect their taste or nutrition, it simply means they will not store for long periods of time.  We will also be offering sweet potato vines as an item.  Unlike regular potatoes, sweet potatoes are not members of the nightshade family and therefore their greens are edible.  Cook the vines as you would any cooking green.

Along with tomato season, market season is also starting to wind down.  We will be at both the Back Mountain and the Mountain Top markets this week.  This is the last Back Mountain market.  At both markets we will be running a special on our pasture raised chickens.  For this week only we will be discounting our chickens by 50 cents per pound.  This sale price is only valid this week and only available for pick up at market.  If you need directions to market, please contact us at the farm.

With markets coming to an end, our winter buying club will be starting up soon.  This winter buying club is separate from our CSA (and CSA buying club).  Membership in the Winter Buying Club is free and does not require a deposit.  Members order through our website and then meet us at a designated time and place to pay for and pick up their orders.  If you wish to participate in this buying club, you will need to visit our website (www.dancinghefarm.com), create an account and “purchase” a free winter buying club membership.  We are in the process of adding a pick up site in Mountain Top.  Again we will be sending out an email when this new pick up site becomes active on our website.

A quick reminder, to please return your share boxes.   We re-use these waxed produce boxes, as well as any green “berry boxes” and egg cartons.  Speaking of egg cartons, the farm can always use egg cartons.  Any of these items can be given to us at market, returned to your site host or left on your porch, if you are home delivery member. 

Our kitchen is still very quiet.  We have been trying to take advantage of the last of the tomatoes.  This means lots of tomato salads, fresh pasta sauce, chili made with fresh tomatoes and of course Bacon, tomato and lettuce sandwiches.  This is the first season in a very long time that I have not done any canning, preserving or freezing.  It will be strange this winter not to be able to go to the pantry and pull out a jar of our own tomatoes, or salsa or applesauce.   But, there is always next year and hopefully it will not only be bountiful and but also filled with good health!!! 

Well it is getting late, the dogs are begging for a last walk before bed and I still have dinner dishes to wash.  So, have a great week.  “be safe, be well and enjoy those veggies”….  And don’t forget to visit market this weekend for some pastured chicken!