Earth Dance Farm

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Delivering fresh, local, chemical free food to your neighborhood.
We offer Spring, Summer, Fall and Egg shares.

2022 – Summer Week 14 Newsletter

by

 “It is a serious thing just to be alive on this fresh morning in this broken world.”

~Mary Oliver~

 

Summer Share Box 14 Crop List

  • Fennel – All Shares
  • Peppers (Bells, Beaver Dam, Hot Wax, Italian Frying) – All Shares
  • Cucumbers – All Shares
  • Green Beans – All Shares
  • Mini Tomatoes – All Shares
  • Slicing Tomatoes – All Shares
  • Beets – All Shares
  • Kale – Full Shares Only
  • Summer Squash – Full Shares Only
  • Sweet Corn – Flex Shares Only
  • Cabbage – Flex Shares Only
  • Cantaloupe – Flex Shares Only
  • Onions – Full & Flex Shares Only
  • Watermelon – Full & Half Shares Only

 

Farmer Notes

*Our farm gathering here at Earth Dance Farm is in 10 days on Saturday Sept. 24th from 2-7.  It is more like an open house as you can show up whenever and stay for however long.  We will have spaghetti, bread and salad – bring a little something to share and your favorite beverage.  There will be farm tours, a campfire, a children’s activity, lawn games, a hay ride and such stuff.  Please rsvp if you are able, but no worries if it is a last minute show-up
*Our field tomatoes are running their course – some may be a bit soft, others may have a spot of blight on them, and yet others may need to sit on your counter for a couple of days
*It is the end of the line for our sweet corn and sweet onions, the melons, beans and tomatoes have one more week, and the peppers, eggplant and cukes will hang in there until a frost
*We are definitely moving from high summer vegetables and into early fall for our crops.  There is only one month remaining for our summer CSA share season – please read our farm article about our Fall Share season
*Next week you will see summer crisp lettuce, spaghetti squash and cilantro
*The weird-looking fennel is our crop of the week – you will also get some in the next box.  Experiment with this guy and enjoy the flavor
*Please continue to return our boxes and ice packs each week

 

So I am giving a plug this week for our upcoming CSA Fall Share and our CSA Winter Share.  We are only a month away from our Fall shares which begin on Thursday, October 20th and are delivered every other week until Christmas.  This is 5 bi-weekly deliveries of a 3/4 bushel box loaded with goodies.  Most of these crops store well, so there is not a problem with spoilage.  You can find an archived crop list from other years here:  https://earthdancefarm.net/newsletters/ (scroll down to access past year’s posts).  We would love to have you join us for these – grocery prices remain at a 13% increase from last year, so getting fresh local produce is truly a bargain in many ways.

Thank you for your consideration!!  In the meantime, I hope that you continue to enjoy the full, colorful boxes of nutritious goodness in our summer season.
With gratitude,
Farmer Norm

 

Crop of the week – Fennel

It is that time of year again when it seems like so much is in season. The boxes are full, and we’re making decisions about what goes in and what stays out of the weekly boxes. This week we’re happy to introduce fennel into the box, and we decided to make that the crop of the week. A beautiful aromatic vegetable that made our packing area smell wonderfully this week. Originating on the shores of the Mediterranean, fennel has become widely naturalized in many places around the world. It thrives in dry soils that tend to be near the oceans or riverways.

The entirety of the fennel plant is edible, from the bulb to the fronds. Most recipes will call for the bulb, but if you’re wanting a kick of that licorice flavor use the greens as well since they pack more of a flavorful punch. Fennel is good for heart health and lowering inflammation. It can also help lower blood pressure.

You can eat fennel raw or cooked. I like it raw, chopped up coarsely in a salad. It pairs really well with saltier meats such as pork, and can act as a counterbalance to a dish that is too salty. I love it braised or roasted, you really can’t go wrong cooking vegetables using these methods. Simplicity is your friend, and a little olive oil and parmesan can go a long way on jazzing some dishes up. I am excited to see and hear what people make with their boxes this week. We can chat about it at the farm party coming up. Have a great week everybody!

 

-Farmer Dylan

 

Some Recipes To Try:

[ultimate-recipe id=”4874″ template=”default”]

[ultimate-recipe id=”4868″ template=”default”]

[ultimate-recipe id=”4872″ template=”default”]