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.)

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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.
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Veggies: beets (red and mixed), mixed carrots, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, onions, parsnips, dried cayenne peppers, potatoes, oyster root, scallions, Yellow shallots, turnips, butternut squash.
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Herbs: basil, chives, cilantro, dill, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme.
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Mushrooms: crimini, oyster, portabella, shiitake, white.
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Apples: Fuji, Pink Lady, Red Delicious.
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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.)

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Greens: arugula, cabbage, chard, claytonia, mesclun, microgreens, lettuce (bibb, red leaf, Romaine), pea shoots, spinach.
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Veggies: beets, carrots, celeriac, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, onions, parsnips, potatoes, salsify (oyster root), scallions, shallots, turnips, butternut squash.
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Herbs: basil, cilantro, dill, parsley, rosemary, thyme.
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Mushrooms: crimini, oyster, portabella, shiitake, white.
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Apples: Fuji, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Pink Lady, Red Delicious.
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Other items: the usual eggs, butter, cheeses and preserves. Back on the list are goat cheese (chevre) and maple syrup.
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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:

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Greens: arugula, mesclun, microgreens, cabbage, lettuce (bibb, red leaf, Romaine).
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Veggies: beets, carrots, celeriac, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, onions, parsnips, potatoes, black Spanish radishes, rutabagas, salsify (oyster root), shallots, 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, Red Delicious.
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Other items: the usual eggs, chicken, butter, cheeses and preserves.
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NEW: Spring garlic, Red Delicious apples, yogurt cheese.
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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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