End of Randy's Star Hollow posts

Hi anyone,

I've been posting our farm news here for about a year, but haven't seen any activity whatsoever for six months or so, until the Facebook page started this week.

I'm sorry if I'm letting anyone down, but I'm ready to stop taking 10 minutes each Wednesday morning to post here if no one is reading.

No sour grapes; just ready to stop. If anyone else wishes to keep things flowing, I'm perfectly fine with that.

And many thanks to Michelle for setting this up last year. Seemed like a good thing then!

Sayonara,
Farmer Randy

Join Star Hollow Farm's Facebook Page!

Hello everyone!

I'm creating a Facebook fan page for Star Hollow Farm along with fellow CSA member Annie. We thought that creating a Facebook group would be a great way to share information, recipes, and anything else Star Hollow Farm related. I realize that this was the original idea behind this blog, but a Facebook group just seems like such an easier way to connect!

We're just beginning the process of building the page, so if you have suggestions or would like to help out, please let one of us know.

Click here to join!

Farm Message for Saturday, April 24, 2010

Star Hollow Farm News

For the week preceding Saturday, April 24, 2010

Hi folks,

I have a little over an acre of ground all worked up and ready for planting our new crop of potatoes, one of the earliest times in the season that has happened. Many years I can't even drive a tractor into the fields until May. Most of our fields are down by the creek, thus low-lying, and tend to stay wet longer than upper ground. That's one of the reasons we're planning on bringing our one upper fields into production later this year. The soil isn't as good, it's rocky and on a slope, but it does dry out sooner. We want to reconfigure that field so that the patches for vegetables are laid out on the contour and are narrower than usual, so that there is minimal runoff. Once plowed, we'll need to call in a state conservationist who will mark the contours (level) for us so that we can lay things out right.

Produce, in general: Spring is definitely upon us, and it feels to me like the first week's offering that really shows it. The chives, asparagus and rhubarb of last week probably were the start, but now with ramps, radishes and the hothouse cukes and tomatoes, I feel like we're there. While I can – and happily do – eat potatoes year round, I don't really need any more turnips or rutabagas for awhile.

This is certainly an early season for us. Many of the trees have blossomed early, and certain perennials are early coming. Usually plants are smarter than we are when it comes to knowing if it's really time or not, but even they get surprised sometimes. Our local apple blossom festival is scheduled for May 1 and 2, but the trees are already past full blossom now! The orchards have been holding their breath that there's not a hard freeze while the blossoms are on the trees. So far I think they're okay.

Our asparagus is another story. We have a new patch – planted two years ago and left to establish itself until now – that includes our first attempt at purple asparagus. It's ready to start picking, and almost everything that's tried to come up over the last week has been ruined by frost. The spears are very tender, of course, when they first come up. If they have enough moisture and it's a sunny day, they will shoot up 3 or four inches in a day. We harvested several pounds worth of frozen spears and Chris cooked them right away, but each day that goes by we're losing asparagus to sell. Fortunately it's a perennial and as long as it doesn't continue freezing into June, the crop will recover. Once again, I'm thankful that some of our farmer friends over the mountain have not had the frosts that we're still getting and that we can fill in some of our shortages with produce from others.

This week, in addition to our own produce and that from Tuscarora Co-op, we have free-range eggs from the Horsts, greens and hothouse tomatoes from the Martins, asparagus and scallions from the Macks, spinach from the Hostetters, and ramps from the Derstines.

The list, in particular: (New or back-on-the-list items in red.)

*

Greens: arugula, beet greens, chard, dandelion, lambsquarters, microgreens, lettuce (bibb, red leaf, Simpson, Romaine), pea shoots, salad mix, spinach, stinging nettles, stir fry mix.
*

Veggies: asparagus, beets, yellow carrots, English cucumbers, bunched green garlic, Jerusalem artichokes (END), onions, parsnips, potatoes, radishes, ramps!!!, rutabagas (END), scallions, shallots, hothouse tomatoes, turnips.
*

Herbs: basil, chives, cilantro, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, sorrel, spearmint, tarragon, thyme.
*

Mushrooms: crimini, portabella, shiitake, white.
*

Other items: eggs, butter, cheeses and preserves.

CSA-Specific Information

CSA volunteers: Many thanks to Katie, Andy and Alison for their help at the truck last week! We have a calendar at the truck for folks to sign up for a shift handing out CSA boxes. Please consider it if you haven't signed up already.

Planned CSA produce for this week:

This week: ramps, asparagus, spinach, lettuce, crimini mushrooms, onion, seconds potatoes.


Thanks for your support!

Randy, Chris and all at Star Hollow Farm

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Farm Message for Saturday, April 17, 2010

Star Hollow Farm News

For the week preceding Saturday, April 17, 2010

Hi folks,

We're having a different kind of spring. The weather has been amazing: the earliest dry ground and warm temperatures I can remember. The asparagus is up two weeks early. It should be okay, although if it freezes hard at night, everything sticking up will be ruined.

We could be off to a record early start, but we're not. My mother, who is 90 and lives with us here on the farm, broke her foot in a fall here 3 weeks ago. She had surgery and then went to a rehab / nursing home until she would be ready to come back home. Unfortunately it's located an hour's drive from here, so we're spending a lot of time on the road between here and there. She's been progressing, then yesterday had a gall bladder attack and had to go to the hospital for surgery to have it removed. She's doing well so far, but many days the farm is more in the back of my mind than in the front. Fortunately many of the other farms we get produce from are having a very early start, so you likely will see things early anyway, even if they're not all from us. I'm glad we have that leeway!

Produce in general: As we have noted the last several weeks, we are right at the end of the winter storage crop season. We have sorted as well as we can, but still ask you to be a little more lenient than usual.

The list: (New or back-on-the-list items in red.)

*

Greens: arugula, beet greens, chard, collard greens, dandelion, lambsquarters, microgreens, lettuce (bibb, red leaf, Romaine), pea shoots, salad mix, spinach, stir fry mix.
*

Veggies: asparagus, beets, yellow and seconds carrots (END), bunched garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, onions, parsnips, potatoes, oyster root (END), scallions, Yellow shallots, turnips, butternut squash (END).
*

Herbs: basil, chives, cilantro, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sorrel, spearmint, tarragon, thyme.
*

Mushrooms: crimini, oyster, portabella, shiitake, white.
*

Fruit: rhubarb, Fuji apples (END).
*

Other items: eggs, butter, cheeses and preserves. Ash and demi-sec goat cheeses are back!
*

On sale: Butterball potatoes-$5.00



CSA-Specific Information

CSA volunteers: Thanks to Shannon, Carla and Adria for their help at the truck last week! We have a calendar at the truck for folks to sign up for a shift handing out CSA boxes. Please consider it if you haven't signed up already.

Planned CSA produce for this week:

This week: Asparagus, a large bag of spinach, a head of Black Simpson lettuce, some arugula, onions, and a root medley.


Thanks for your support!

Randy, Chris and all at Star Hollow Farm

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Farm Message for Saturday, April 10, 2010

Star Hollow Farm News

For the week preceding Saturday, April 10, 2010

Hi folks,

What beautiful weather we've been having! It makes working outside a pleasure. We're working hard to get up to speed here after a pretty tough winter. I spent about 4 hours this afternoon grading our ¾ mile dirt road in from the mailbox, which had become seriously pot-holed and washed out in a few places from the last flood. Having a smoother road also means your orders won't bounce around so much in the back of the truck Saturday morning!

Schedule: We're in our main season now. You can pick up your orders between 9 AM and 1 PM.

Missed orders: We had had a run of lots of missed orders at the end of March. Please note that if you don't come for your box, you can still get it the following week, but it is not automatic! It would be nice if you contacted us and indicated what you want us to do with your order. Else we have to contact you. In the latter case, we need to hear back from you; we don't just bring it back the next week.

Produce in general: As we noted last week, we are right at the end of the winter storage crop season. We have sorted as well as we can, but still ask you to be a little more lenient than usual, as the produce is just not that perfect anymore!

Apples are just about done, but we did sort one last time and came up with a pretty good selection. Several points of interest regarding apples at this time of year. First, the Traceys were telling me several weeks ago that apple trees tend to have a bi-annual (every other year) fluctuation between heavier fruit set and lighter. Last year (2009) was the smaller year, thus apples are winding up earlier than the year before. Another thing about apples at this time of the year had to do with Granny Smiths, in particular. Somebody pointed out that they had apparently been waxed. I asked the Traceys about that, as they have always told me they don't wax their apples. They said that this late in the season, Granny Smiths do seem to “exude” whatever natural waxiness they have, and get practically sticky. It's nothing that the growers have done. Just the apples themselves!

The list: (New or Back on the list items in red.)

*

Greens: arugula, Asian greens mix, beet greens, stir fry mix, cabbage, chard, dandelion, salad mix, microgreens, lettuce (bibb, red leaf, Romaine), pea shoots, spinach.
*

Veggies: beets (red and specialty), mixed carrots, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, onions, parsnips, dried cayenne peppers, potatoes, oyster root, scallions, Yellow shallots, turnips, butternut squash.
*

Herbs: basil, cilantro, parsley, rosemary, sorrel, spearmint, tarragon, thyme.
*

Mushrooms: crimini, oyster, portabella, shiitake, white.
*

Apples: Fuji, Golden, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Red Delicious.
*

Other items: eggs, butter, cheeses and preserves. Ash and demi-sec goat cheeses are back!
*

On Sale: Canned cherries-$5.00



CSA-Specific Information

CSA volunteer sign-ups beginning: We will have a calendar at the truck from now on for folks to sign up for a two hour shift handing out CSA boxes at the truck. Please consider it if you haven't signed up already.

Planned CSA produce for this week:

This week: two heads of lettuce, mixed carrots and potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes, onions, parsley, fuji apples.


Thanks for your support!

Randy, Chris and all at Star Hollow Farm

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Farm Message for Saturday, April 3, 2010

Star Hollow Farm News

For the week preceding Saturday, April 3, 2010

Hi folks,

First of all, I think I should thank all of you for helping us get through another winter. As for the every-other-week schedule, I don't think I could have taken many more stressful driving trips to and from DC due to weather. Most of you eventually got onto track with the schedule, and it certainly gave us a little break from the routine. Thank you!

We do have some new CSA members joining us, folks that ordered online as COD members during the winter. Welcome to you all! (But please remember, no COD orders now except for long-standing customers in that category!) We will have our hands full with the farmers market, and don't want to add complications.

Schedule: We're starting a new season this week, with our outdoor farmers market opening in Adams Morgan at 9 AM this Saturday. That means several things will change at the truck in Adams Morgan. First, you will be able to pick up your orders beginning at 9 AM instead of the 10 AM that it is during winter. Second is that CSA volunteers will be handing out the CSA boxes at the truck instead of me! This is your chance to meet other people in the CSA and have a reason to hang out at 18th and Columbia for awhile (in the daylight!). Please consider volunteering for a two hour shift. A calendar for sign-ups is at the truck-- ask a volunteer!

Produce in general: We are right on that cusp between the end of the winter storage crop season and the start of a new year. Before you get all excited and think strawberries will be in the store, realize that it's still very early in the season, and the things that are making their annual return are either the very first perennials or items that have been wintered over in the greenhouse. Nothing is planted outside yet, and zucchini and corn are still a good while off. That said, it's a pretty nice list for the beginning of April. Ten years ago, before the emphasis on storage crops and greenhouse production began, we wouldn't have even felt it was possible to do a market at this time of year!

Apples are just about all done. There were only a small number in the store to begin with, so don't be surprised if you come in later and the page is blank!

The list: (New or Back on the list items in red.)

*

Greens: arugula, Asian greens mix, braising greens mix, cabbage, chard, claytonia, catalogna dandelion, mesclun, microgreens, lettuce (bibb, green leaf, red leaf, Romaine), pea shoots, spinach.
*

Veggies: beets (red and mixed), mixed carrots, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, onions, parsnips, dried cayenne peppers, potatoes, oyster root, scallions, Yellow shallots, turnips, butternut squash.
*

Herbs: basil, chives, cilantro, dill, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme.
*

Mushrooms: crimini, oyster, portabella, shiitake, white.
*

Apples: Fuji, Pink Lady, Red Delicious.
*

Other items: eggs (no free range this week), butter, cheeses and preserves. Back on the list are pickles and chow chow.



CSA-Specific Information

CSA volunteer sign-ups beginning: We will have a calendar at the truck from now on for folks to sign up for a two hour shift handing out CSA boxes at the truck. The shifts are 9 to 11 and 11 to 1. All CSA members are asked to do one shift per year: some happily sign up for several shifts and a some act like they have never heard of such a thing. Please consider it! Bring your own calendar so you can figure out a date that will work for you.

Planned CSA produce for this week:

This week's box includes an Asian greens mix, miners lettuce (Claytonia), heads of bibb and Romaine lettuce, mixed carrots, parsnips and onions, fingerling potatoes, and three apples (Golden, Granny and a small Honey Crisp).


Thanks for your support!

Randy, Chris and all at Star Hollow Farm

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Farm Message for Saturday, March 27, 2010

Star Hollow Farm News

For the week preceding Saturday, March 27th, 2010

Hi folks,

I'm running a bit late this morning, and want to be sure to get the store open and email out by 7, so I'll try to be brief here. Basically, it's spring and our pace is noticeably quickening, my list of “to-do” items is growing rapidly, particularly as regards seed-starting in the greenhouse, prepping the henhouse for our new flock, and it's time to get out the market paraphernalia and clean it up for the beginning of markets again in April. No more sleeping 'til noon for me! (That was a joke... I don't think I could anymore even if I tried!)

Schedule: We are down to our last “winter” market week (even though the calendar says it is now spring, and it sometimes feels like summer). We simply defined our winter as January, February and March, the months our outdoor market is closed. All that the change from winter to “main season” really means to you – with regards to us and your orders – is that pickup at Adams Morgan is extended to 9 to 1 instead of the 10 to 1 that it is for winter (and one more week). What it means for me is No More Saturdays Off until Thanksgiving, and the return of 2 and 3 AM alarms on Saturdays. Sob.

Produce: We are at that time of the year where storage crops are finishing up, one by one, and there are fewer and fewer to choose from. Fortunately, at the same time, some of the first spring crops have started to appear, albeit from the greenhouse where the heat of those warm days has been concentrated. So each week for the next month the storage crops will disappear from our list while more new items appear. The first field crops to appear are the perennials: asparagus, rhubarb, chives, mint, sorrel, to be followed by the fastest growing of the spring-planted crops: radishes, scallions, new potatoes, zucchini, but I'm getting ahead of myself. It is still March, in spite of feeling at times like late June. The forsythia hasn't even bloomed yet. (Trees and plants are pretty smart, most of the time, and don't get fooled too often by weather anomalies.)

The list: (New or Back on the list items in red.)

*

Greens: arugula, cabbage, chard, claytonia, mesclun, microgreens, lettuce (bibb, red leaf, Romaine), pea shoots, spinach.
*

Veggies: beets, carrots, celeriac, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, onions, parsnips, potatoes, salsify (oyster root), scallions, shallots, turnips, butternut squash.
*

Herbs: basil, cilantro, dill, parsley, rosemary, thyme.
*

Mushrooms: crimini, oyster, portabella, shiitake, white.
*

Apples: Fuji, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Pink Lady, Red Delicious.
*

Other items: the usual eggs, butter, cheeses and preserves. Back on the list are goat cheese (chevre) and maple syrup.
*

On sale: All of our potatoes.



CSA-Specific Information

CSA volunteer sign-ups beginning: We will have a calendar at the truck this Saturday for folks to start signing up for a two hour “stint” handing out CSA boxes at the truck. The shifts are 9 to 11 and 11 to 1. All CSA members are asked to do one shift per year: some happily sign up for several shifts and a some act like they have never heard of such a thing. Please consider it!

Planned CSA produce for this week:

Two-week box includes Lolla Bionda and Cherokee red leaf lettuce, a small head of cabbage, onions and garlic, a 3 lb. potato mix, turnips, parsley, apple sauce and assorted apples.


Thanks for your support!

Randy, Chris and all at Star Hollow Farm

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Farm Message for Saturday, March 13, 2010

Star Hollow Farm News

For the week preceding Saturday, March 13th, 2010

Hi folks,

We've had several glorious days here lately, with most of the snow now melted (except in the piles where I dumped them with the tractor). I've taken some time to clean up and organize the shop in the barn, and just completed repainting our office. I built some new shelves and repainted some old ones, brightening things up a bit.

Some new crops are jumping to life in the greenhouse in this warmth and sunshine, notably garlic, scallions, and miners lettuce. We'll soon be getting seeds started. With this weather it feels like we should already be out doing things, but then I look at the thermometer, see it's still 19 degrees in the morning, and know that we have had some of our biggest snowfalls in March. (Seems impossible now, but isn't!)

Yeah spring!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Winter storage crops: We remind you that our storage crops are getting near their end – each has a slightly different storage life – so please be a bit more tolerant than usual.

Winter Schedule (we're in our last month of the “winter” schedule):

Delivery dates remaining are Mar. 13 & 27. Orders are placed on the Wednesdays prior to delivery. Mark your calendars, and remember to order for two weeks instead of just one.

This week's produce:

*

Greens: arugula, mesclun, microgreens, cabbage, lettuce (bibb, red leaf, Romaine).
*

Veggies: beets, carrots, celeriac, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, onions, parsnips, potatoes, black Spanish radishes, rutabagas, salsify (oyster root), shallots, turnips, butternut squash.
*

Herbs: basil, cilantro, parsley, rosemary, thyme.
*

Mushrooms: crimini, oyster, portabella, shiitake, white.
*

Apples: Fuji, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Red Delicious.
*

Other items: the usual eggs, chicken, butter, cheeses and preserves.
*

NEW: Spring garlic, Red Delicious apples, yogurt cheese.
*

On sale: All of our potatoes.



CSA-Specific Information

Planned CSA produce for this week:

Two-week box includes Lolla Rossa and bibb lettuce, micro greens and claytonia ("miners lettuce"), mixed beets, carrots, and parsnips, onions, white Atlantic and LaRatte potatoes, pink lady and red delicious apples.


Thanks for your support!

Randy, Chris and all at Star Hollow Farm

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Farm Message for Saturday, February 27, 2010

Star Hollow Farm News
For the week preceding Saturday, February 27th, 2010
Hi folks,
Is it Spring yet? I haven't talked to one person yet that hadn't had enough of winter already. That snow that blanketed DC two weeks ago (and our farm as well) is still on the ground, but it has been melting here for a day or two, and while everything is still white, it is now only six inches or so deep in most places. The piles of snow – where I piled it while cleaning the roads – will probably be here until April though. One part of our house roof – over our bed, unfortunately – did spring a leak where the 24 inches of snow has just sat continuously, trapped there by a valley and the snow-birds on the roof, and I am not going up there to try to free it up, as it is sloping, wet metal on the second floor, so we're just hoping the snow melts off soon. Hope you all made it through without any serious problems.
Winter storage crops: We occasionally are asked – in the middle of the winter – if our storage crops are fresh. I usually take a deep breath and ask the person what they mean, since they certainly realize that we're not digging down through two feet of snow to harvest our potatoes. Most of the roots that we are offering were harvested sometime between September and December. Occasionally, if there is a warm spell without snow and, if the ground isn't frozen, some things left in the ground can still be dug, but not most. So you realize if you order rutabagas or carrots or potatoes that they have been sitting in our cooler for months, and while we try to keep them as best we can, their quality certainly is not improving over time.
Some storage crops are starting to show their age. We hope that your “tolerance quotient” will increase over the next month or so, realizing that it's lower quality or nothing! Thank you in advance. We don't mean that we're intending to start sending you junk and you have to take it; just that hopefully you won't mind trimming a little more than usual. If you get something that requires trimming more than say, a third of the total, please let us know and we'll give you credit.
Winter Schedule (NOTE: deliveries are every other week):
Delivery dates remaining: Feb. 27, Mar. 13 & 27. Orders are placed on the Wednesdays prior to delivery. Mark your calendars, and remember to order for two weeks instead of just one.
Star Hollow produce: Last time we delivered our own farm's storage crops from last Fall they were CERTIFIED ORGANIC; now, two weeks later, they aren't. I don't really know how they determined the Feb. 15 deadline, but that was it, so now our crops are magically different!
I thought I should re-state or clarify that we still think of ourselves as organic farmers; it's just that now that we're not certified, the USDA says we can't even use the word “O word” in conjunction with our produce. That seems not quite fair, but we certainly realize and appreciate the problems of mis-representation.
Our commitment to raising tasty, healthy, safe produce has not changed, nor has our commitment to produce it in a way that is safe – even beneficial – for the environment. One particular area that we hope to move even further forward with is our use of cover crops and new cover cropping methods to build fertility and improve soil structure, eliminating any need for store-bought fertilizers. FYI, in 18 years farming we've probably used 5 truckloads of imported manure and maybe five 50-lb. bags of organic fertilizers for our crops. So if you know about the problems of fertilizer runoff, the cost of converting petroleum to nitrogen-based fertilizers, and other such concerns, I believe that supporting a farm like ours eliminates all those negatives. And we're trying to take it even further, improving what we have by what and how we grow. (Sorry if that sounds like bragging, I didn't mean to, just wanted you to know what we're about here, in case you thought that us dropping organic status meant that somehow we didn't care any more!)
CSA-Specific Information
Planned CSA produce for this week:
This week: Two-week box includes Romaine and bibb lettuce, carrots, onions, garlic, 2# gold potatoes, a salsify / scorzonera mix, rutabagas, white sweet potatoes, fruit jam and a mix of apples.


Thanks for your support!
Randy, Chris and all at Star Hollow Farm
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Farm Message for Saturday, February 13, 2010

Star Hollow Farm News

For the week preceding Saturday, February 13th, 2010

Hi folks,

Well, we're having some fun with the weather this winter, aren't we? While Chris, Sam and I were away at our annual PA Sustainable Agriculture conference last weekend we got the “big snow” -- for us about 20-24 inches. I spent all day Sunday plowing. Monday we took Sam to the Altoona Hospital for a scheduled operation (reconstructive jaw surgery). He did well, but he and Chris will be there until near the end of the week. I'm now back home, trying to keep the house warm, the pets fed, the roads plowed, and my mother checked on, (as well as run a business). Chris wanted us to cancel everything, but I put up a fight. We canceled the Tenleytown delivery location because that is harder to get to, and we purposely limited our availability to keep things simpler, as Sam won't be helping pack orders as he usually does, Chris will only be available a bit on Friday, and Chris' sister Kathy may not be able to make it in to work at all. So it's going to be mostly Randy, and any mistakes will surely be mine.

We're going to go ahead and take some orders, and try to make it in on Saturday. Hopefully the roads will be clear enough by then, and I'll be able to get my usual spot by the bank.

This is definitely going to be tricky, so I hope it all works out. If there are any problems, let us know, but please try to be understanding, as we know we're pushing things here to try at all. (Mostly it's my ego wanting to continue to be able to say: “I've never missed a market.”) I hope I don't make a mess trying, and I hope it's not more trouble than it's worth!!!

Tenleytown site: No delivery this week due to the weather. PLEASE do not place an order for pickup there. If you wish, you are welcome to order and pick up at Adams Morgan.

This week's planned produce: We have purposely greatly reduced the variety of items in the store this week for the reasons mentioned above.

Why are some pages blank? If you go to a page (“Greens,” for example) and there is no produce available to buy there, it is not because there is something wrong with the store. It is because whatever produce we had there initially is already sold!

Winter Schedule (NOTE: deliveries are every other week):

Delivery dates remaining: Feb. 13 & 27. Mar. 13 & 27. Orders are placed on the Wednesdays prior to delivery. Mark your calendars, and remember to order for two weeks instead of just one. Pick-up hours in the winter are 10 AM until 1 PM.

CSA-Specific Information

Planned CSA produce for this week:

This week: red and green leaf lettuce, purple carrots, celeriac, turnips, shallots, red potatoes, garlic, vegetable preserves, apples.


Thanks for your support!

Randy, Chris and all at Star Hollow Farm

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Farm Message for Saturday, January 30, 2010

Star Hollow Farm News

For the week preceding Saturday, January 30, 2010

Hi folks,

Well, it's been a quiet week at Star Hollow, my home farm. Actually, it's quiet now, but it wasn't 4 or 5 nights ago when a day's rain caused the six-inch layer of ice over the creek to break up and be heaved up along the sides. There it sat for several days until this Monday evening, when it rained and rained again, about 2 to 3 inches all through the night. As the ground was already saturated, it all ran off into the creek. We awoke Tuesday morning to a torrent just a foot or so shy of coming into our road and fields. Chris had an appointment at the vet's for our cat, which she got out to, but within an hour of her leaving our road looked more like a canal. She came back as far as the mailbox by noon, then Sam and I hiked out to meet her and carry groceries in, ¾ mile across the fields. By evening the water was back mostly where it belongs, and I spent several hours today regrading the road. Ah, country living!

Winter Schedule (NOTE: deliveries are every other week):

Delivery dates remaining: Jan. 30. Feb. 13 & 27. Mar. 13 & 27. Orders are placed on the Wednesdays prior to delivery. Mark your calendars, and remember to order for two weeks instead of just one. And note that during these winter months, the Adams Morgan order pick-up hours are changed to 10 AM until 1 PM.

Storing your produce: We've been meaning to prepare a section for you with the full rundown on how to store your produce (especially since it's the storage time of year!). For me to start from scratch, however, would be a pretty big job, so I've got a plan: give you some general guidelines, then list several online references for you to check out, and you can print out the one you like. How's that?

Something to keep in mind is that – as with anything – there are differing opinions on some items. We have always kept potatoes in the cooler (our “big” 'fridge), though many say not to. They usually last 6-7 months. That seems pretty good to me. We also refrigerate onions, but the key there is aeration. Point: use these notes and references as guidelines, but most are not “hard and fast” rules. Ask me at the truck if you have a particular concern.

*

Leafy greens: The trick here is to keep them cold (refrigerated) and keep them from drying out (plastic bag). They want to be humidified, but not dripping wet.
*

Root veggies: Assuming you don't have a root cellar, the 'fridge is the place for your roots. (Some people argue that it's too cold for spuds, but that's where we keep ours, all winter long, so it makes sense for you to keep potatoes from us in your 'fridge too.) Most roots will eventually dry out in the 'fridge, which is why the crisper is a good place for them, away from the fan.
*

Herbs: We pack herbs in plastic bags, and if you want to keep them fresh, you should keep them there also. For most, we recommend keeping them in the 'fridge, for longest shelf-life. (Basil also, but you have to be careful, as the 'fridge is colder than it really likes.) If you want to dry them, just lay them out on a plate or rack in the kitchen and most will dry on their own.
*

Mushrooms: Keep them in the 'fridge also, but most important is keep them in paper bags, not plastic bags. Plastic bags will cause condensation to form, the 'shrooms will absorb it and get slimy. Yuck!
*

Apples: The 'fridge is best, but they'll last for days in a bowl on the counter, if you are likely to eat them faster that way, or just because they look nice.

Some websites to check out include:

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Angelic Organics CSA page (www.angelicorganics.com/Vegetables). They are the farm featured in the movie “The Real Dirt on Farmer John,” an entertaining film about a CSA that's not much like ours – or us!
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What's Cooking America (www.whatscookingamerica.net/Information/FreezerChart.htm) site includes lots besides veggies, which are down at the bottom of the page.
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Harvesting and Storing Home Garden Vegetables (www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG1424.html) is an extension publication that seems thorough.
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Have a favorite that's not listed here? How about sending me a link, and if it seems appropriate, perhaps I'll mount it permanently on this page or in the “store open” email.

This week's planned produce: New items are underlined.

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Greens: arugula, Asian greens mix, cabbage, chard, lettuce (bibb, romaine and red leaf), mesclun, microgreens, spinach.
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Veggies: beets, carrots, celeriac, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, onions, parsnips, cayenne peppers, potatoes, winter radishes, rutabagas, salsify (oyster root) & scorzonera, shallots, sweet potatoes, turnips, winter squash
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Herbs: basil, cilantro, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, thyme
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Mushrooms: crimini, oyster, portabella, shiitake, white
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Apples: Fuji, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Stayman
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Other items: the usual eggs, chicken, butter, cheeses and preserves.

Blog update: In case you weren't aware of it, we do have a blog where I post this message each week, so that if you wanted to refer back to something that was in here after the store closes, it would be there.

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Star Hollow Farm blog (www.starhollowfarmcsa.blogspot.com)

Also, one of our new CSA members is also contributing to a blog where she writes about what she's doing with her CSA box contents.

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Sustainable in the City blog (http://sustainableinthecity.wordpress.com/)

Let us know if there are other blog links we should be aware of and listing here.

CSA-Specific Information

Planned CSA produce for this week:

This week: baby arugula, two heads of lettuce, carrots, garlic, onions, Austrian Crescent fingerling potatoes, crimini mushrooms, pepper relish, assorted apples.

CSA Harvest box: We have increased the contents and value of the box somewhat this winter due to the fact that it is now a “two week box” instead of just one. You can add items to that or skip the box entirely and shop all a la carte if you wish. Your choice.

Thanks for your support!

Randy, Chris and all at Star Hollow Farm

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Farm Message for Saturday, January 16, 2010

Star Hollow Farm News

For the week preceding Saturday, January 16, 2010

Hi folks,

It's been quite a winter for us so far. Our farm is still completely white with the snow that fell the weekend before Christmas, and we haven't seen a temperature above 32 degrees since then. Two mornings ago it was 2 degrees when I came downstairs in the morning. We're going through our firewood pile faster than usual, but fortunately have an extra cord ready if needed, which it looks like it will be.

Winter Schedule (NOTE: every other week):

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Delivery dates will be: Jan. 16, 30. Feb. 13, 27. Mar. 13, 27. Orders are placed on the Wednesdays prior to delivery. Mark your calendars, and remember to order for two weeks instead of just one. And note that during these winter months, the Adams Morgan order pick-up hours are changed to 10 AM until 1 PM.

Our organic status: We have dropped our organic certification in 2010 after 18 years as a certified organic farm. The primary reasons are our decision to stop producing wholesale for Tuscarora Organic Growers Co-op (which required certification), the ever-increasing cost (well over $1000 last year), and mounting paperwork requirements. We do not plan to change how we farm. Thus while no longer able to call ourselves “organic” you should really not see any difference in us. Being ardent stewards of the environment and providing safe, healthy produce for you is still our plan. However, I believe that the USDA Organic Law made it a federal crime to imply that our produce was organic if it was not certified, so after this you won't likely hear so treasonous a statement from us.

After all that, our former certifier has said we can still sell our stored 2009 produce as organic until Feb. 15, so it's still identified as such in the store.

New shoppers in the online store: Welcome to those of you who are here for the first time or back for the first time in awhile! The maroon dialogue boxes are there in response to many folks' questions about something in that part of the store. Feel free to email if something still doesn't make sense. Please review your order before clicking the “submit” button, as we would rather not have folks placing multiple orders – too confusing on this end while packing. Thanks.

This week's planned produce:

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Greens: arugula, Asian greens mix, cabbage, chard, lettuce (bibb, green and red leaf), lettuce mix, spinach. (Large bunched greens are done for the year.)
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Veggies: beets, carrots, celeriac, daikon, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, onions, parsnips, cayenne peppers, potatoes, watermelon radishes, rutabagas, salsify (oyster root), shallots, sweet potatoes, hothouse tomatoes, turnips, butternut squash
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Herbs: basil, cilantro, parsley, rosemary, thyme
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Mushrooms: crimini, oyster, portabella, shiitake, white
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Apples: Fuji, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Stayman
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Other items: the usual eggs, butter, cheeses and preserves.

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On sale:
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juice carrots
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all of our potatoes (we have lots and would like to move them, so have marked down all types for the rest of the winter)

Winter squash website: http://whatscookingamerica.net/squash.htm


CSA-Specific Information

Planned CSA produce for this week:

This week: two small heads of lettuce, micro greens mix, garlic, onions, beets, carrots, mixed potatoes (2.5 lbs.), watermelon radishes, assorted apples.

CSA Harvest box size: We have increased the contents and value of the box somewhat this winter due to the fact that it is now a “two week box” instead of just one. And you know you can still add to that “a la carte” or skip it and shop entirely a la carte if you wish. Your choice.

Thanks for your support!

Randy, Chris and all at Star Hollow Farm

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Farm Message for Saturday, January 2, 2010

Star Hollow Farm News
For the week preceding Saturday, January 2, 2010
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
NOTE: If you are a person that doesn't usually read the message below, beware that there have been some changes for this winter.
(It would be a good week to take a glance!)
Hi folks,
The next time we see you it will be 2010. That makes me think of all the hoopla that went with the arrival of 2000 – now ancient history. And it led to a discussion at the dinner table if this January 1st marks the start of a new decade or not, and if not – which seems like one of the possibilities – how confusing that is. Do you know the answer?
We hope you all had good holidays – or will have – I guess they're not over yet. This is the first year we've done the online market during this week between Christmas and New Years, so we're a bit out of sorts ourselves with trying to get back on a work schedule after Christmas. We scheduled our winer markets this way as we're going to the “every other week” plan this winter, and didn't want to miss two weeks in a row over the holidays.
We had a very nice Christmas break, much needed after the stress of the last December market during your “Blizzard of '09.” That was a market to remember for me. And I see our weather forecast is for 60% chance of snow and below freezing temperatures on Friday, New Years' Day, which makes me wonder how I'll fare getting out of the farm lane and up the hill early Saturday morning. And DC is not supposed to get above freezing on Saturday. Oh boy!!!!!!!!! (subtext to previous paragraph: “Why most farmers don't market during the winter in the North.”)
Winter changes:
Winter 2010 schedule: every other week. Delivery dates will be: Jan. 2, 16, 30. Feb. 13, 27. Mar. 13, 27. Your orders are placed on the Wednesdays prior to delivery. Mark your calendars, and remember to order for two weeks instead of just one! And note that during those winter months, the Adams Morgan order pick-up hours are changed to 10 AM until 1 PM. Early-birds take note!
Adams Morgan Winter “walk-up” shopper changes: Our primary winter business is delivering online orders. There will be a much more limited array of “off-the-table” items this winter.
Our organic status: There is a more full discussion of this in its own section, but in a nutshell – we're not renewing our own certification for 2010. However, our certifier says that we can still sell our storage crops from 2009 as certified organic until Feb. 15.
Our organic status: It's taking me far longer than usual to get the store open this morning (out of practice and many changes) and now I realize there's not time for a full discussion of this important topic, which I will work up for next time. In the meantime, here's a summary:
We are dropping our organic certification in 2010 after 18 years as a certified organic farm. Reasons are several, including cost and paperwork hassles of doing so, widespread misconceptions of what organic really is, misuse of the label by farms that really aren't, and the confidence that we can talk with you, tell you how we farm and why, and answer any questions you may have. Our commitments to sustainable farming and responsible land use and the environment and food safety have not changed. Our certifier has said we can still sell our stored 2009 produce as organic until Feb. 15.
New shoppers in the online store: Welcome to those of you who are here for the first time, or back for the first time since last winter! Remember that the maroon dialogue boxes are there in response to many folks' questions about something in that part of the store. And feel free to email if something still doesn't make sense. One less obvious thing that happens is people inadvertently place multiple orders by clicking “submit” more than once, or they forget to order something the first time around, so they come back later and add more in a separate order. Please don't do that... it makes it very confusing on this end to have multiple orders for the same person. Thanks.
Where and how should I store my produce? This is the title of a project that we plan to work on soon, but have not got around to yet. Look for it soon.
This week's planned produce: As a result of allowing many of you to cancel orders two weeks ago, due to the storm, we still have some produce items that we appeared to have been sold out of for the winter, principally winter squash. New or back-on-the-list items are underlined. Remember that just because you received an order confirmation it isn't a 100% guarantee that we'll have every item you order. Some of our greenhouse lettuce hasn't been picked yet, and it's 12 degrees outside right now. If the pilot light on the heater goes out – which could happen with the monstrous winds we've had here – it would be “bye-bye” lettuce. My point? Sometimes shortages happen!
Greens: arugula, cabbage, chard, lettuce (bibb, green leaf and baby red bibb), lettuce mix, spinach. (Large bunched greens are done for the year.)
Veggies: beets, broccoli, carrots (orange, mixed and juice), celeriac, daikon, garlic, small leeks, onions, parsnips, cayenne peppers (dried),potatoes (five or six kinds), watermelon radishes, rutabagas, salsify (oyster root), shallots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes (red & yellow), turnips (purple top, sweet white, gold), winter squash (buttercup, butternut, delicata, Gray and Green kabocha)
Herbs: cilantro, parsley, thyme
Mushrooms: crimini, Oyster, portabella, shiitake
Apples: Fuji, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Jonagold, Nittany, Pink Lady, Stayman.
Other items: the usual eggs, butter, cheeses and preserves. Back this week are plum, strawberry and grape jams/jellies. Also we are also offering our frozen stewing hens, for your stews, stock or pets.
On sale or reduced:
beets, cabbage, juice carrots, sweet potatoes, turnips
hothouse tomatoes
most of our potatoes
winter squash seconds
Portabella mushrooms
Potato situation: Those of you who read this message regularly will remember what a challenging year we had with our potato production during the summer, particularly with the late blight that decimated tomatoes and potatoes throughout the Eastern US. We had planted the most potatoes ever, and in the end did pretty well with production. The harvest was a record for us. And since then, sales for potatoes have been down significantly, both at market, online, and wholesale. So we're sitting on top of a pile of potatoes and we've reduced our number of winter sales opportunities by half by switching to every other week. We are limited in offerings from time to time due to the weather – we store our potatoes unwashed and unsorted as they last longer that way – but then we can't always wash up potatoes when we need a particular kind. It's been below freezing for all but one or two days of the last two weeks, and I can't wash potatoes outside in below freezing weather. But we have decided to reduce our potato price for the rest of the winter, with the hopes that you will buy more that way. If you still just buy the same amount, we'll have hurt ourselves even more by lowering the price and still not moving more potatoes.
Winter squash website: http://whatscookingamerica.net/squash.htm

CSA-Specific Information
Planned CSA produce for this week:
This week: bibb lettuce, broccoli florets, mixed carrots, onions (2#), parsnips, purple potatoes, baby potatoes, Confection kabocha (2 #), mixed apples (3-5).
CSA Harvest box size: You will notice that we have increased the contents level and value of the box, due to the fact that this is now a “two week box” instead of just one. And you know you can still add to that “a la carte” or skip it and shop entirely a la carte if you wish. Your choice.
Thanks for your support!
Randy, Chris and all at Star Hollow Farm
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