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.

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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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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