“Democracy is not a spectator sport. Make your voice heard –
vote this election cycle!!”
~Norm the Farmer
Summer Share Box 12 Crop List
- Sweet Corn – All Shares
- Squash/Zucchini – All Shares
- Potatoes – All Shares
- Sweet Onions – All Shares
- Mini Tomatoes – All Shares
- Slicing Tomatoes – All Shares
- Fennel – All Shares
- Peppers – All Shares
- Cilantro – All Shares
- Lemon Basil – All Shares (not pictured)
- Collard Greens – Full & Single Shares Only
- Eggplant – Full & Single Shares Only
- Radishes – Full Shares Only
- Dill – Single Shares Only
Farmer’s Notes
Welcome to September everyone! September is my favorite month of the year. The days begin to shorten and the air begins to cool and my blood begins to slow a bit. I can breathe more easily and more intentionally as the high heat of mid summer begins to ebb. It seems to be the natural flow of things and I certainly feel it too. Here on the farm we have less planting to do, fewer beds to weed, and usually less irrigation to worry about. Our main focus is on harvesting and the storage of many of our fall crops. We butchered 25 meat chickens last weekend and next weekend I have 4 siblings coming up to smoke peppers, make salsa and can tomatoes. It is always good for the soul to bring in the fruits of our labors and process it to nourish our bodies through the winter. We will miss not having our Fall farm gathering this year now, but we trust that you are enjoying all the produce and doing your best to stay healthy.
This week for our crop of the week we bring you the one and only, the marvelous, Fennel! This aromatic plant species belongs to the carrot family, to my surprise, and can be a hardy perennial in warmer regions of the world. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, however it has now naturalized in many other parts of the world, especially on dry soils near the sea-coast and on riverbanks, and has even made its way here to rural Minnesota at Earth Dance Farm(as an annual though of course)! Although Fennel is best known for its herbal uses, there are many other ways to make use of this unique crop. It has a bulb with stalks that extend upward and produce fronds on the ends. Later down the line yellow flowers will develop and eventually turn to seed. The seeds and fronds are the more commonly used parts of the plant; the seeds being used often in meatballs or Italian sausages and the fronds being used as a garnish in a number of dishes and is actually one of the primary ingredients in absinthe. Both of these parts have a flavor that resembles star anise, giving a licorice undertone. Then we have the bulb which is very fresh and crisp with lighter tones of the licorice flavor. The outside of the bulb is a little tough so it is best to peel the outer layers off and use the inner heart for a more tender bite. This part can be prepared many different ways but a few examples for you would be grilling it up, roasting it, or shaving it raw into a salad. Whatever it will be, I challenge you to use both the bulb and the frills! We hope you have fun with it and enjoy!!
~Farmer Vanessa
Some recipes to try:
[ultimate-recipe id=”1723″ template=”default”] [ultimate-recipe id=”6979″ template=”default”] [ultimate-recipe id=”6517″ template=”default”] [ultimate-recipe id=”6886″ template=”default”]