Week 3 & 4 of Extended season, November 14, 2011
Farmer John Writes…
Greetings from Angelic Organics!
Welcome to Week 23 (and 24)
This is your final week of the Extended Season share. Thanks for joining us for these last few weeks.
Remember to pick up 2 boxes this final week, if you are signed up for a 4 delivery extended season vegetable share. Pick up only one box if you have a 2 delivery extended season vegetable share.
Vegetables of the Final Two Weeks: All that are in Your Box
Thanksgiving is a special time to celebrate and acknowledge all of the vegetables in your box(es) this week.
Read about Extended Season starting on pg 316 of your cookbook. You’ll find lofty and illuminating indications by Rudolf Steiner and a less reverent exchange between the Nabisco Corporation and myself (Farmer John). I especially appreciate Steiner’s comments on food dogma. Steiner was not a proselytizer.
In general, the cookbook was intended to offer up new perspectives on food, to broaden the idea of what food might be and what it does. I couldn’t undertake such a lofty initiative without plunking in some silliness
Cabbage Collage
Vegetable Storage
To learn about storage of your vegetables, consult the Vegetable Storage Guide starting on pg 339 in your Angelic Organics cookbook or visit http://www.angelicorganics.com/Vegetables/vegetablescontent.php?contentfile=vegstorage .
Free Range Turkey Delivered for Thanksgiving
from Irv and Shelly’s Fresh Picks: http://www.freshpicks.com/cms/?pid=1000079
An Exciting Upcoming Program with the Angelic Organics Learning Center
Thanksgiving Food from the Farm: A Program for Kids! 9 a.m to 4 pm, Wed, Nov 23 Prepare food from the farm to bring home for your family’s Thanksgiving meal. We’ll use squash and eggs to make a delicious pie, cook bread in our earth oven, and learn how to roast vegetables, plus spend time with the animals. For children in 1st to 5th grade, together with an adult. Please bring a sack lunch. Each family unit will bring home their own bread, pie, and vegetables.
Please register on line at least 1 week in advance or call (815) 389-8455. The following takes you to the Learning Center calendar, which has links to all of their programs: http://www.learngrowconnect.org/event
Shareholders Write Thanks
Dear Shelly,
I enjoyed the boxes this year. I signed up after watching movie Farmer John… Thanks for many yummy ingredients for delicious meals!
Shelly,
You all did a fabulous job this year – the selection was better than ever and the veggies were delicious!
Thanks, Shelly
It’s been absolutely wonderful to have the box this fall – our eight month old baby loves the squash! – and we’re looking forward to preparing a vegetarian thanksgiving feast for 13 people!
not quite yet
Thank You from Angelic Organics
Thanks to field crew, equipment operators, office staff,delivery crew, shareholders, and hosts for making possible another season at Angelic Organics.
Weather The Past Few Days
We were blessed to have fairly nice weather for the last harvest of the season.
Nice to have You with us this Season!
Onward,
Farmer John and the Angelic Organics Farm Team
Box Contents
Please Note: this summary is written before you receive your box—please be aware that some guesswork is involved. As always, be sure to thoroughly wash all of your vegetables. As it is the end of the season, there will be variation as to what is in the box.
Fruiting Crops – 2 Butternut squash, Popcorn
Brassicas – 1/2 stalk of Brussels Sprouts, or Broccoli, maybe Cabbage
Alliums –Onions or Garlic
Cooking Greens – bunched Chard, perhaps Kale tops
Salad Greens –bagged Lettuce, bagged Spinach or Arugula
Root Crops – 2# Carrots, Beets, Parsnips, Kennebec potatoes
Extended season: week of Nov. 7, 2011
Farmer John Writes…
Greetings from Angelic Organics!
Welcome to Week 22
This is your 2nd week of the Extended Season share. Thanks for joining us for these last few weeks.
Kale Bunches and Tops
Vegetable of the Week: Kale
Towards the very end of the season, when the kale has pretty much stopped growing and has gone through several frosts, we top it and send it to you. It’s probably the yummiest adult kale our farm produces, due to the sweetening effect of the frosts.
From the Angelic Organics Cookbook, read about Cooking Greens on pg 81: After eating them a few times, you’ll learn why cooking greens are essential to so many cuisines. Their short cooking time, versatility, flavor and nutritional benefits make for a winning combination.
Try the quick and delicious recipe Simple Cooked Greens on pg 87: Cooking greens in oil or butter over high heat until they are just wilted is a great way to give them an added richness while preserving their fresh taste and delicate texture. Wilted greens mix well with almost anything…
Vegetable Storage
To learn about storage of your vegetables, consult the Vegetable Storage Guide starting on pg 339 in your Angelic Organics cookbook or visit http://www.angelicorganics.com/Vegetables/vegetablescontent.php?contentfile=vegstorage .
A Shareholder Writes
To Everyone at Angelic Organics: Thank you …Thank you for a delicious adventure. This was my first year with you and I enjoyed every minute. The delicious veggies in my “every other week” box were just right and made me “stretch” with cooking new recipes (I loved the cook book). Thanks to everyone who makes this possible. I’ll be back next year.
This Week
This week, the weather is predicted to be rather average, with one night dipping into the mid-twenties. Our crew will be working much of the week so we can be prepared for our final delivery, a double dose of vegetables next week. Overall, we’ve had excellent weather this fall, but still, our crew will probably encounter cold rain and mud as we are winding down the season. Keep them in your minds and hearts as they finish up the season.
Plastic Bags
From a Shareholder: You can tell Farmer John that some of us save all the plastic bags he sends and we reuse them, most often to bag items from future boxes.
Free Range Turkey Delivered for Thanksgiving
from Irv and Shelly’s Fresh Picks: http://www.freshpicks.com/cms/?pid=1000079 Broad-breasted Bronze and White Turkeys have been raised free-range with no hormones, antibiotics or GMO feed at Triple “S” Farms in Stewardson, Illinois and TJ’s Poultry in Piper City, IL. The Turkeys will be about 14-18 pounds at $3.99 per pound and are frozen when processed.
Angelic Organics is offering this service in support of Irv’s and Shelly’s Fresh Picks and to support the growers of these sustainable turkeys. We are not receiving a commission on the turkey sales. Please do not call the farm with turkey questions (unless it’s about picking up at the farm.) Fresh Picks will answer all your questions via email at answers@freshpicks.com or call 847-410-0595.
Upcoming Program with the Angelic Organics Learning Center
Thanksgiving Food from the Farm: A Program for Kids! 9 am to 4 pm, Wed, Nov 23 Prepare food from the farm to bring home for your family’s Thanksgiving meal. We’ll use squash and eggs to make a delicious pie, cook bread in our earth oven, and learn how to roast vegetables, plus spend time with the animals. For children in 1st to 5th grade, together with an adult.
Please register on line at least 1 week in advance or call (815) 389-8455.
Nice to have You with us this Season
Farmer John
Box Contents
Please Note: this summary is written before you receive your box—please be aware that some guesswork is involved. As always, be sure to thoroughly wash all of your vegetables.
Herbs – Parsley or Thyme
Fruiting Crops – Butternut squash
Brassicas – 1/2 stalk of Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Kohlrabi
Alliums – 2-3 Onions, Garlic
Cooking Greens – bunched Chard, 2 tops of Kale
Salad Greens –bagged Lettuce, bagged Spinach
Root Crops – 2# Carrots, Beets
Extended Season Week 1: week of October 31, 2011
Farmer John Writes…
Greetings from Angelic Organics!
Welcome to Week 21
This is your first week of the Extended Season share. Thanks for joining us for these last few weeks.
Vegetable Storage
To learn about storage of your vegetables, consult the Vegetable Storage Guide starting on pg 339 in your Angelic Organics cookbook or visit http://www.angelicorganics.com/Vegetables/vegetablescontent.php?contentfile=vegstorage
Garlic in Repose
Vegetable of the Week: Garlic
From the Angelic Organics Cookbook, pg 185: Garlic does not linger quietly on the back burner. Most people react to it adamantly, either with adoration or distaste. …Almost all cultures grow garlic and cook with it.
We harvest our garlic in July, and distribute it over the season. It’s a labor-intensive crop to weed and harvest, but so gratifying to grow.
Try our Roasted Whole Garlic recipe on pg 188. Eating whole cloves of creamy, roasted garlic fresh from their skins is undeniably sensuous. It’s heady. It’s extravagant. It can bring you to your knees. Spread it over warm bread, mix it into mashed potatoes, or make it the crowning touch for a pasta sauce…
A Shareholder Writes
Dear Shelly,
As a mom of two small boys (ages 4 and 7) one of the best decisions that we made this year was to join your farm share program! Early in the summer when the first boxes arrived, the boys were not too sure of the lettuce and other goodies that they found. Although I pride myself on healthy eating in our house, I must confess that they were a little leery when I served beets, spinach and radishes for the first time to them. As time went on, getting the farm box on Thursday morning became the highlight of their week during the long, lazy, summer days. They couldn’t wait to open the box and see what treasures they would find! They loved to feel them, taste them, smell them. Everyone gathered in the kitchen to discover what gems we’d be getting for the week. This was so much more exciting for them (and, well, everyone in the house) than going to the grocery store! Although it is the middle of October, they are still reminiscing about the delicious corn and the yellow watermelon that we had in the summer months. My oldest son was actually sad the other day when I said that the farm box would be ending soon! This was such a great experience for all of us to try new and delicious foods that we would have not otherwise tried. Thank you for the experience!
That being said, I was so thrilled to learn that we could add an additional 4 weeks (my boys will be excited too!). Please add us to the list…
Thank you again for all of your hard work.
Sincerely, [A shareholder]
P.S. We knew that we were onto something good so we signed up for next year after opening the very first box of the season!
Farmer John Replies: Farming is a tough path. This note from Barb makes it easier…makes it so we go about our work in a warm glow. Thank you, Barb. Our best to your boys!
What Next?
Winter approaches. By the time we deliver our last boxes to you, there is a little over three months before we start the next season. How we conduct those three months really impacts the next season. Do we get our hiring done in time? Our greenhouse seeding planned properly? Our field operations sorted out? Our seed and supply orders? Do we have our equipment ready to go? When the ground thaws and it’s time to start the next season, are we ready? WHOA…the next season has already started, with our fallow ground seeded to clover and alfalfa a year and a half ago, more ground spread with Biodynamic compost and seeded to peas and oats late this summer. (Watch the cover crop spectacle here: http://www.youtube.com/user/FarmerJohnsTractor#p/a/u/2/bv-x_f51YcY .) Farming is a continuum: it gets created out of its past and the farmer’s eye to the future. But let me simplify: the season is made or broken by how the field work goes in April. And, of course, April unfolds out of all the planning put in place before April arrives.
What’s my Line?
When I was touring with The Real Dirt on Farmer John, long lines would often form during the receptions after the screenings. Sometimes it would take more than an hour of talking, hand shaking and hugging for the line to end. It was interesting what people would want to talk about when they reached me: the names of their grandma’s chickens, the farm their parents lost, how big is an acre? …what to do about squash bugs, farming dreams, sickness, diet convictions, prison reform…One person said, “How do I farm?” Really. Then he said, “Do I plant stuff in the spring and harvest it in the fall? Is that how you do it?”
My distillation of how to farm, my one-minute pitch, is: make the ground as fertile as possible, and do everything on time, meaning, do most of it early, just in case. For instance, I’m writing this Week 21 newsletter at the end of Week 19.
Upcoming Program with the Angelic Organics Learning Center
Preschool Fun with Farm Animals, 10 am to noon, Fri, Nov 4 Preschoolers and their caregivers will help our farm crew care for the goats, chickens and horse, while learning about the important jobs of animals on the farm.
Soap making–just a few spots left in two classes, 9 to noon or 1 to 4, Sat, Nov 5 Learn to make a wonderful and gentle soap using goat’s milk. Everyone will make several bars of soap to bring home
Thanksgiving Food from the Farm: A Program for Kids! 9 am to 4 pm, Wed, Nov 23 Prepare food from the farm to bring home for your family’s Thanksgiving meal. We’ll use squash and eggs to make a delicious pie, cook bread in our earth oven, and learn how to roast vegetables, plus spend time with the animals. For children in 1st to 5th grade, together with an adult.
Please register on line at least 1 week in advance or call (815) 389-8455.
Nice to have You with us this Season
Farmer John
Box Contents
Please Note: this summary is written before you receive your box—please be aware that some guesswork is involved. As always, be sure to thoroughly wash all of your vegetables.
Fruiting Crops – Butternut squash, popcorn
Brassicas – Broccoli side shoots, Cabbage
Alliums – Garlic, 2 Onions
Cooking Greens – bunched Chard, baby Kale
Salad Greens –Leaf Lettuce, Red Cardinal Spinach
Root Crops – 2# Carrots, Beets
20th Harvest Week: Saturday Delivery October 29th, 2011
Farmer John Writes…
Greetings from Angelic Organics!
Week 20, Alas!
This is your final week unless you are receiving an Extended Season Share. We hope you’ve enjoyed the season!
Vegetable of the Week: Popcorn!
We had a good crop of popcorn this year. We left it in the field until now to dry it down as much as possible. We harvested it last Saturday morning. Here’s a short video of the harvest:
http://www.youtube.com/user/FarmerJohnsTractor#p/a/u/0/A-KFmq3IK5w
Before you strip the cob and pop the kernels (family fun!), make sure that they’re really dry enough by test-popping a few. Upon close inspection, you may be able to notice, if the kernel portion which was touching the cob looks dry or not, though test popping is still a good indicator. If the corncob needs to dry more, remove the husks and let the cob dry further in your kitchen window. This could take up to a month or two.
About Popcorn, from http://www.factmonster.com/spot/popcorn1.html
- Tasty Fossils Popcorn was probably an important part of life in the ancient Americas. On a 1,700-year-old painted funeral urn found in Mexico, a corn god is shown wearing a headdress of popcorn. Decorated popcorn poppers from around the same time have been found in Peru.
Stone Age Snack?
Archaeologists have found 80,000-year-old corn pollen below Mexico City. Because this pollen is almost exactly the same as modern popcorn pollen, researchers believe that “cave people” most likely had popcorn.
Popcorn probably grew first in Mexico, though it was also used in China and India hundreds of years before Columbus reached the Americas.
For more on popcorn: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popcorn
Or Google how to pop corn…lots of videos on popcorn popping, though most involve a microwave. We’re not big microwave advocates; still, seeing corn pop right on the cob in that little electronic cabinet is quite a sight.
Modified Delivery Schedule for those with Extended Season Shares
Extended season share deliveries will be different from previous seasons.
For Full Extended Season shares, your 4 boxes will be delivered over 3 weeks: 1 box on the week of Oct 31, 1 box on the week of Nov 7 & 2 boxes on the week of Nov 14.
For Half Season Extended Season shares:
* if you currently receive your box on the ODD week ( i.e. week 19), your pick up dates will be first box the week of Oct 31 & one box the week of Nov 14.
* if you currently receive your box on the EVEN week ( i.e. week 20) your pick up dates will be 1 box the week of Nov 7 & 1 box the week of Nov 14. (Your boxes will be delivered in two consecutive weeks due to no deliveries the week of Thanksgiving.)
For Shareholders who receive Home Delivery, the same delivery schedules as above apply.
Deliveries will be at your same delivery site that you currently have, and on the same delivery day of the week.
You Go, Chicago!
Two weekends ago, my wife Haidy and I explored Chicago, a mecca my Uncle Harold usually referred to as the Big City. On the weekend we had set aside for our getaway, it turned out that Chicago was hosting the first ever Open House Chicago, a celebration of Chicago’s neighborhoods and communities. Over 100 special places in Downtown, Garfield Park/North Lawndale, Little Village, Bronzeville/Hyde Park, Rogers Park/West Ridge were hosting this hospitable event. Good timing for our adventure!
Though bedazzled by the prospect of the diverse treasures on the self-guided Open House Chicago weekend, we first ogled our way through a guided tour of Downtown by the Chicago Architectural Foundation (the same group that organized Open House Chicago.) The 2 hour Treasures of Culture and CommerceTour included the Reliance Building, Carson Pirie Scott & Co. (Sullivan Center), the Chicago Cultural Center, the Palmer House and the famous Michigan Avenue Streetwall.
On the tour, Haidy and I thrilled to the ebullient origins of Chicago. I reflected on its agricultural roots, on its great Chicago River that once carried barges of grain for purchase by hagglers and traders. I pondered that my own family in earlier times had shipped cattle to the sprawling Chicago Stock Yards and sent grain down the Chicago River, helping to make the Big City bigger with the treasures of agriculture. Even today, we continue that stream of bringing agricultural bounty to Chicago from Angelic Organics.
- Tiffany Dome in the Preston Bradley Hall of the Chicago Cultural Center A reception for the film The Real Dirt on Farmer John was held in this room in 2006.
That night we attended a play about love, Bus Stop, at the Raven Theater on Clark. Though the play is set in Kansas City, I was reminded that crops and commerce are not the only ingredients that made Chicago boom: love has also played myriad roles.
On Saturday, we visited Garfield Park. We exalted in the balmy Garfield Park Conservatory, while grieving its extensive hail damage from a great summer storm. We marveled at the vibrant and regal Field House (Gold Dome Building) and then lunched at the Inspiration Kitchens: great food, service and atmosphere, and an inspiring mission: Inspiration Kitchens has helped hundreds of individuals gain the skills they need to find employment and exit homelessness and poverty. Then off to a neck-craning, breathtaking tour of Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica . Then to Little Village where we paraded down the street, piñatas in hand, the only gringos in sight.
On Sunday morning, we headed for Pilsen, where we ambled to Ranchero music pouring into the street, did thrift shops, and had lunch. We ended our Chicago spree at The National Museum of Mexican Art. This fabulous museum showcases the history of Mexico from back before it was Mexico, leading you through war, betrayal, uprising, and the enduring culture of corn. We concluded our museum tour in the extensive Day of the Dead exhibit, which included many altars lovingly constructed by friends and relatives, dedicated to the recently dead. These tributes in the museum to those who had passed, yet who seemed so present, reminded me of how Rudolf Steiner often referred to the deceased as the so-called dead. You go, Mexico!
Pumpkin Festival out West
A Community comes together around their Beloved Pumpkin
http://www.miramarevents.com/pumpkinfest/
- Joe Jutras with his 1689 lb world record pumpkin
Monsanto Takes up Gardening
Do we want more Monsanto? The countryside in spring already smells of Roundup instead of curing hay.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-monsanto-vegetables-20111020,0,6564083.story
Plastic in our Boxes
A shareholder recently wrote us her concern about our use of plastic bags:
I’ve been returning my plastic bags to you, hoping you reuse them for future boxes. Truthfully, the plastic bags are the one experience I have had with your farm that is unpleasant for me. I appreciate the local sourcing of my food, the ecologically sound way in which it’s grown and the lower fuel content for transport of my food..the plastic bags are becoming cumbersome to my conscience. I’m wondering if you can accomplish the same goal by using paper bags and simply advising members that the bags may become a little damp. Please consider this carefully. I know, from your farm philosophy, that you value the environment as much as I and I thank you for your consideration.
My (Farmer John’s) response: This is a most important topic. I also am not keen on our use of plastic in our vegetable packing. We have considered using biodegradable plastic bags, which go into the landfills, where anaerobic conditions are not conducive to bio-degradation, and the bags typically take a very long time to decompose. In addition, the biodegradable bags would cost the farm several thousand additional dollars per year. The plastic bags we use are recyclable, so they do not need to end up in landfills. However, we can’t re-use these bags for vegetable packing, as they would need to be thoroughly washed and disinfected in between uses after sitting for days with food particles in them: this is a job way beyond our resources. Still, these bags can be commercially recycled into something useful. As far as paper bags are concerned, our greens are typically somewhat damp when we bag them, and the paper bags would often disintegrate before arrival at shareholders’ homes. In addition, paper would not hold in the moisture, and our nemesis wilting would occur.
Until we come up with a better solution, please re-cycle your plastic bags. And thank you for drawing our attention to this important issue.
More or Less Mixed Messages
From a Shareholder: Not so Keen on Potatoes
Shelly, Why are we getting so many potatoes this year??? We almost never eat potatoes, and certainly not 5# per week! Thanks, A shareholder for most of the past 10 years
From a Shareholder, My Daughter Loves those Potatoes!
I just wanted to share that my 5-year old daughter is obsessed with your potatoes.
Skin-on boiled then fried in a little olive oil and topped with lots of parsley!
She declared at last night’s dinner (in a rare moment when her mouth was not stuffed), that
“i love potatoes even more than eggs and cauliflower”. If only you knew how incredible this declaration is (she has been know to request leftover cauliflower for breakfast and we often have to cut her off at 2 farm eggs)!
It was fun to have her help me scrub the potatoes (dirt-covered treasures) and marvel at the varied colors…purple being the easy favorite — found a “twin” potato as well.
She has requested potatoes for breakfast. So much earthy flavor in your potatoes.
Thanks for the work you do!
live eat well
From Farmer John, Fewer Potatoes, More Sweet Corn; Less Winter Squash, more Broccoli and Cauliflower
Farming can be capricious: this season our potatoes yielded more than twice their average yield, which has resulted in a lot of potatoes in your boxes. Next year, we’ll plant 25% fewer potatoes and will probably devote that acreage to more sweet corn. There are constraints as to what we can plant in place of potatoes, due to irrigation requirements in that field location, soil type, and labor availability. We also plan to plant 20% less winter squash, and will probably instead plant more broccoli and cauliflower. Adjusting crop composition is an ongoing process.
Free Range Turkey Delivered for Thanksgiving?
from Irv and Shelly’s Fresh Picks: http://www.freshpicks.com/cms/?pid=1000079
Broad-breasted Bronze and White Turkeys have been raised free-range with no hormones, antibiotics or GMO feed at Triple “S” Farms in Stewardson, Illinois and TJ’s Poultry in Piper City, IL. The Turkeys will be about 14-18 pounds at $3.99 per pound and are frozen when processed. T
Angelic Organics is offering this service in support of Irv’s and Shelly’s Fresh Picks and to support the growers of these sustainable turkeys. We are not receiving a commission on the turkey sales. Fresh Picks will answer all your question via email at answers@freshpicks.com or call 847-410-0595.
Upcoming Programs with the Angelic Organics Learning Center
Preschool Fun with Farm Animals, 10 am to noon, Nov 4 Preschoolers and their caregivers will help our farm crew care for the goats, chickens and horse, while learning about the important jobs of animals on the farm.
Soap Making–just a few spots left, 9 to noon, Nov 5
Learn to make a wonderful and gentle soap using goat’s milk.
Basic Backyard Chicken Care, 10 a.m. to 1 pm, Nov 5
Farm fresh eggs from your own back yard? YES! Please join us for a workshop on best practices for Basic Backyard Chicken Care in Chicago and surrounding communities. Location: likely at Christy Webber Landscaping’s Rancho Verde, East of Chicago’s Center for Green Technology at 445 N Sacramento, Chicago, IL
Thanksgiving Food from the Farm: A Program for Kids! 9 am to 4 pm, Wed, Nov 23 Prepare food from the farm to bring home for your family’s Thanksgiving meal. We’ll use squash and eggs to make a delicious pie, cook bread in our earth oven, and learn how to roast vegetables, plus spend time with the animals. For children in 1st to 5th grade, together with an adult.
Please register on line at least 1 week in advance or call (815) 389-8455 .
The following takes you to the Learning Center calendar, which has links to all of their programs:
http://www.learngrowconnect.org/event
Nice to have You with us this Season
Farmer John
Box Contents
Please Note: this summary is written before you receive your box—please be aware that some guesswork is involved. As always, be sure to thoroughly wash all of your vegetables.
Fruiting Crops – Popcorn, 2 Butternut squash
Brassicas – a stalk of Brussels sprouts cut in half, Kohlrabi, Broccoli side shoots
Alliums – Garlic
Cooking Greens – bagged Tatsoi
Salad Greens –Lettuce, bagged Spinach
Root Crops – Kennebec Potatoes with maybe some Red Norland Potatoes
20th Harvest Week: Wed/Thurs delivery October 26th & 27th, 2011
Farmer John Writes…
Greetings from Angelic Organics!
Week 20, Alas!
This is your final week unless you are receiving an Extended Season Share. We hope you’ve enjoyed the season!
Vegetable of the Week: Popcorn!
We had a good crop of popcorn this year. We left it in the field until now to dry it down as much as possible. We harvested it last Saturday morning. Here’s a short video of the harvest:
http://www.youtube.com/user/FarmerJohnsTractor#p/a/u/0/A-KFmq3IK5w
Before you strip the cob and pop the kernels (family fun!), make sure that they’re really dry enough by test-popping a few. Upon close inspection, you may be able to notice, if the kernel portion which was touching the cob looks dry or not, though test popping is still a good indicator. If the corncob needs to dry more, remove the husks and let the cob dry further in your kitchen window. This could take up to a month or two.
About Popcorn, from http://www.factmonster.com/spot/popcorn1.html
Tasty Fossils Popcorn was probably an important part of life in the ancient Americas. On a 1,700-year-old painted funeral urn found in Mexico, a corn god is shown wearing a headdress of popcorn. Decorated popcorn poppers from around the same time have been found in Peru.
Stone Age Snack?
Archaeologists have found 80,000-year-old corn pollen below Mexico City. Because this pollen is almost exactly the same as modern popcorn pollen, researchers believe that “cave people” most likely had popcorn.
Popcorn probably grew first in Mexico, though it was also used in China and India hundreds of years before Columbus reached the Americas.
For more on popcorn: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popcorn
Or Google how to pop corn…lots of videos on popcorn popping, though most involve a microwave. We’re not big microwave advocates; still, seeing corn pop right on the cob in that little electronic cabinet is quite a sight.
Modified Delivery Schedule for those with Extended Season Shares
Extended season share deliveries will be different from previous seasons.
For Full Extended Season shares, your 4 boxes will be delivered over 3 weeks: 1 box on the week of Oct 31, 1 box on the week of Nov 7 & 2 boxes on the week of Nov 14.
For Half Season Extended Season shares:
* if you currently receive your box on the ODD week ( i.e. week 19), your pick up dates will be first box the week of Oct 31 & one box the week of Nov 14.
* if you currently receive your box on the EVEN week ( i.e. week 20) your pick up dates will be 1 box the week of Nov 7 & 1 box the week of Nov 14. (Your boxes will be delivered in two consecutive weeks due to no deliveries the week of Thanksgiving.)
For Shareholders who receive Home Delivery, the same delivery schedules as above apply.
Deliveries will be at your same delivery site that you currently have, and on the same delivery day of the week.
You Go, Chicago!
Two weekends ago, my wife Haidy and I explored Chicago, a mecca my Uncle Harold usually referred to as the Big City. On the weekend we had set aside for our getaway, it turned out that Chicago was hosting the first ever Open House Chicago, a celebration of Chicago’s neighborhoods and communities. Over 100 special places in Downtown, Garfield Park/North Lawndale, Little Village, Bronzeville/Hyde Park, Rogers Park/West Ridge were hosting this hospitable event. Good timing for our adventure!
Though bedazzled by the prospect of the diverse treasures on the self-guided Open House Chicago weekend, we first ogled our way through a guided tour of Downtown by the Chicago Architectural Foundation (the same group that organized Open House Chicago.) The 2 hour Treasures of Culture and Commerce Tour included the Reliance Building, Carson Pirie Scott & Co. (Sullivan Center), the Chicago Cultural Center, the Palmer House and the famous Michigan Avenue Streetwall.
On the tour, Haidy and I thrilled to the ebullient origins of Chicago. I reflected on its agricultural roots, on its great Chicago River that once carried barges of grain for purchase by hagglers and traders. I pondered that my own family in earlier times had shipped cattle to the sprawling Chicago Stock Yards and sent grain down the Chicago River, helping to make the Big City bigger with the treasures of agriculture. Even today, we continue that stream of bringing agricultural bounty to Chicago from Angelic Organics.
Tiffany Dome in the Preston Bradley Hall of the Chicago Cultural Center A reception for the film The Real Dirt on Farmer John was held in this room in 2006.
That night we attended a play about love, Bus Stop, at the Raven Theater on Clark. Though the play is set in Kansas City, I was reminded that crops and commerce are not the only ingredients that made Chicago boom: love has also played myriad roles.
On Saturday, we visited Garfield Park. We exalted in the balmy Garfield Park Conservatory, while grieving its extensive hail damage from a great summer storm. We marveled at the vibrant and regal Field House (Gold Dome Building) and then lunched at the Inspiration Kitchens: great food, service and atmosphere, and an inspiring mission: Inspiration Kitchens has helped hundreds of individuals gain the skills they need to find employment and exit homelessness and poverty. Then off to a neck-craning, breathtaking tour of Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica . Then to Little Village where we paraded down the street, piñatas in hand, the only gringos in sight.
On Sunday morning, we headed for Pilsen, where we ambled to Ranchero music pouring into the street, did thrift shops, and had lunch. We ended our Chicago spree at The National Museum of Mexican Art. This fabulous museum showcases the history of Mexico from back before it was Mexico, leading you through war, betrayal, uprising, and the enduring culture of corn. We concluded our museum tour in the extensive Day of the Dead exhibit, which included many altars lovingly constructed by friends and relatives, dedicated to the recently dead. These tributes in the museum to those who had passed, yet who seemed so present, reminded me of how Rudolf Steiner often referred to the deceased as the so-called dead. You go, Mexico!
Pumpkin Festival out West
A Community comes together around their Beloved Pumpkin
http://www.miramarevents.com/pumpkinfest/
Joe Jutras with his 1689 lb world record pumpkin
Monsanto Takes up Gardening
Do we want more Monsanto? The countryside in spring already smells of Roundup instead of curing hay.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-monsanto-vegetables-20111020,0,6564083.story
Plastic in our Boxes
A shareholder recently wrote us her concern about our use of plastic bags:
I’ve been returning my plastic bags to you, hoping you reuse them for future boxes. Truthfully, the plastic bags are the one experience I have had with your farm that is unpleasant for me. I appreciate the local sourcing of my food, the ecologically sound way in which it’s grown and the lower fuel content for transport of my food..the plastic bags are becoming cumbersome to my conscience. I’m wondering if you can accomplish the same goal by using paper bags and simply advising members that the bags may become a little damp. Please consider this carefully. I know, from your farm philosophy, that you value the environment as much as I and I thank you for your consideration.
My (Farmer John’s) response: This is a most important topic. I also am not keen on our use of plastic in our vegetable packing. We have considered using biodegradable plastic bags, which go into the landfills, where anaerobic conditions are not conducive to bio-degradation, and the bags typically take a very long time to decompose. In addition, the biodegradable bags would cost the farm several thousand additional dollars per year. The plastic bags we use are recyclable, so they do not need to end up in landfills. However, we can’t re-use these bags for vegetable packing, as they would need to be thoroughly washed and disinfected in between uses after sitting for days with food particles in them: this is a job way beyond our resources. Still, these bags can be commercially recycled into something useful. As far as paper bags are concerned, our greens are typically somewhat damp when we bag them, and the paper bags would often disintegrate before arrival at shareholders’ homes. In addition, paper would not hold in the moisture, and our nemesis wilting would occur.
Until we come up with a better solution, please re-cycle your plastic bags. And thank you for drawing our attention to this important issue.
More or Less Mixed Messages
From a Shareholder: Not so Keen on Potatoes
Shelly, Why are we getting so many potatoes this year??? We almost never eat potatoes, and certainly not 5# per week! Thanks, A shareholder for most of the past 10 years
From a Shareholder, My Daughter Loves those Potatoes!
I just wanted to share that my 5-year old daughter is obsessed with your potatoes.
Skin-on boiled then fried in a little olive oil and topped with lots of parsley!
She declared at last night’s dinner (in a rare moment when her mouth was not stuffed), that
“i love potatoes even more than eggs and cauliflower”. If only you knew how incredible this declaration is (she has been know to request leftover cauliflower for breakfast and we often have to cut her off at 2 farm eggs)!
It was fun to have her help me scrub the potatoes (dirt-covered treasures) and marvel at the varied colors…purple being the easy favorite — found a “twin” potato as well.
She has requested potatoes for breakfast. So much earthy flavor in your potatoes.
Thanks for the work you do!
live eat well
From Farmer John, Fewer Potatoes, More Sweet Corn; Less Winter Squash, more Broccoli and Cauliflower
Farming can be capricious: this season our potatoes yielded more than twice their average yield, which has resulted in a lot of potatoes in your boxes. Next year, we’ll plant 25% fewer potatoes and will probably devote that acreage to more sweet corn. There are constraints as to what we can plant in place of potatoes, due to irrigation requirements in that field location, soil type, and labor availability. We also plan to plant 20% less winter squash, and will probably instead plant more broccoli and cauliflower. Adjusting crop composition is an ongoing process.
Free Range Turkey Delivered for Thanksgiving?
from Irv and Shelly’s Fresh Picks: http://www.freshpicks.com/cms/?pid=1000079
Broad-breasted Bronze and White Turkeys have been raised free-range with no hormones, antibiotics or GMO feed at Triple “S” Farms in Stewardson, Illinois and TJ’s Poultry in Piper City, IL. The Turkeys will be about 14-18 pounds at $3.99 per pound and are frozen when processed. T
Angelic Organics is offering this service in support of Irv’s and Shelly’s Fresh Picks and to support the growers of these sustainable turkeys. We are not receiving a commission on the turkey sales. Fresh Picks will answer all your question via email at answers@freshpicks.com or call 847-410-0595.
Upcoming Programs with the Angelic Organics Learning Center
Preschool Fun with Farm Animals, 10 am to noon, Nov 4 Preschoolers and their caregivers will help our farm crew care for the goats, chickens and horse, while learning about the important jobs of animals on the farm.
Soap Making–just a few spots left, 9 to noon, Nov 5
Learn to make a wonderful and gentle soap using goat’s milk.
Basic Backyard Chicken Care, 10 a.m. to 1 pm, Nov 5
Farm fresh eggs from your own back yard? YES! Please join us for a workshop on best practices for Basic Backyard Chicken Care in Chicago and surrounding communities. Location: likely at Christy Webber Landscaping’s Rancho Verde, East of Chicago’s Center for Green Technology at 445 N Sacramento, Chicago, IL
Thanksgiving Food from the Farm: A Program for Kids! 9 am to 4 pm, Wed, Nov 23 Prepare food from the farm to bring home for your family’s Thanksgiving meal. We’ll use squash and eggs to make a delicious pie, cook bread in our earth oven, and learn how to roast vegetables, plus spend time with the animals. For children in 1st to 5th grade, together with an adult.
Please register on line at least 1 week in advance or call (815) 389-8455 .
The following takes you to the Learning Center calendar, which has links to all of their programs:
http://www.learngrowconnect.org/event
Nice to have You with us this Season
Farmer John
Box Contents
Please Note: this summary is written before you receive your box—please be aware that some guesswork is involved. As always, be sure to thoroughly wash all of your vegetables.
Fruiting Crops – Popcorn, 2 Butternut squash
Brassicas – a stalk of Brussels sprouts cut in half, Kohlrabi, Broccoli side shoots
Alliums – Garlic
Cooking Greens – bagged Tatsoi
Salad Greens –Lettuce, bagged Spinach
Root Crops – 2 varieties of Potatoes
19th Harvest Week: Saturday Delivery Oct. 22nd, 2011
Farmer John Writes…
Greetings from Angelic Organics!
Primitive Weapons? No, Brussels Sprouts
Vegetable of the Week: Brussels Sprouts. For half a century, processed Brussels sprouts have plagued children, many of whom are now adults. For you shareholders, eating our sweet, firm, nutty Brussels sprouts can actually be a treat instead of drudgery.Read more about Brussels sprouts on page 253 of our cookbook.
Most Brussels consumed in the U.S. today come from the West Coast, grown in areas where they will most likely never encounter a frost. Here at Angelic Organics, our Brussels sprouts always experience one hard frost before you receive them, and often successively harder frosts. These frosts sweeten the sprouts. Many of our shareholders rave about our Brussels sprouts, in large part because they are experiencing this sweetening affect that the freezing temperatures bring to them.
From our cookbook, try the Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette on page 255. The maple syrup and balsamic vinegar make a perfect marriage with the slightly crisp sprouts.
Or how about the Browned Brussels Sprouts in Parmesan Crust on page 256, a most delightful way to prepare Brussels sprouts: fried in oil, tucked inside a perfectl
Primo Update
Some of you know Primo. He’s been working here for 21 years, for the last 12 or so on facilities and equipment, both running the equipment and maintaining it. We have a great relationship. He knows what to do and does it, sometimes before I even know it needs to be done. He does things the way I want them done, sometimes better. I don’t feel like Primo works for me. I don’t feel like his boss. About 8 years ago, I said, “Primo, we’re now at the point where your ideas about what to do and how to do it are right about as often as my ideas are right. We’re equal.” Almost every building here has been extensively upgraded by Primo. He resurrects machines and makes them run like new. Primo helps hold this farm together.
Primo on our Beet Harvester a few years back
Biodynamics and Community in our Angelic Organics Community Supported Agriculture Farm
Our Mission (pg 30 of our cookbook): Angelic Organics is dedicated to creating and forwarding an economically viable, sustainable, Biodynamic farm which nurtures its soil, plants, animals, and community of workers and enlivens the connection between people and the source of their food. We are committed to providing the freshest, most vibrant food possible to our customers.
Two things I note today about our Mission Statement are that we are Biodynamic and that we seek to create a farm that enlivens the connection between people and the source of their food. We want Angelic Organics to fill your heart as well as your stomach.
You will also see on page 30 our farm’s Guiding Principles. Two of them that stand out for me as I write you today are:
- Building community amongst our members
- Building a sustainable farm system which includes the soil, plants, animals and humans
Building community amongst our members is an outer impulse; building a sustainable farm system is an inner impulse. The outer and the inner weave together. To have a sustainable farm, we need a community of people who support it; to have a community of people who support our farm, we need to be sustainable. Community Supported Agriculture is our path for serving our members, and Biodynamics is our path for creating a sustainable farm. And of course, in this tapestry, Community Supported Agriculture also serves our farm, and Biodynamics also serves our members.
To reflect on Angelic Organics and CSA, read Food Then and Now, starting on page 19 of your cookbook.
To reflect on Angelic Organics and Biodynamics, read Angelic Organics in the Process of Becoming Biodynamic, on pg 32 and 33.
We continually wonder what we can do to make our farm special to you. Please fill out this questionnaire to help us build community amongst our members: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7ZBDSVZ
Upcoming Programs at the Angelic Organics Learning Center
Preschool Fun with Farm Animals, 10 am to noon, Dec 4
Preschoolers and their caregivers will help our farm crew care for the goats, chickens and horse, while learning about the important jobs of animals on the farm.
Soap Making–just a few spots left in two classes, 9 to noon or 1 to 4, Dec 5
Learn to make a wonderful and gentle soap using goat’s milk.
Please register on line at least 1 week in advance or call (815) 389-8455.
The following takes you to the Learning Center calendar, which has links to all of their programs: http://www.learngrowconnect.org/event
warmly,
Farmer John
Box Contents
Please Note: this summary is written before you receive your box—please be aware that some guesswork is involved. As always, be sure to thoroughly wash all of your vegetables.
Herbs -Thyme
Fruiting Crops – Butternut squash, maybe Red Kuri squash
Brassicas – a stalk of Brussels sprouts cut in half
Alliums – Garlic
Cooking Greens – bagged baby Chard,
Salad Greens –2 heads of Lettuce, Arugula, Spinach
Root Crops – Daikon, Kennebec & Dark Red Norland Potatoes
19th Harvest Week: Wednesday/Thursday Delivery Oct. 19th & 20th, 2011
Farmer John Writes…
Greetings from Angelic Organics!
Primitive Weapons? No, Brussels Sprouts
Vegetable of the Week: Brussels Sprouts. For half a century, processed Brussels sprouts have plagued children, many of whom are now adults. For you shareholders, eating our sweet, firm, nutty Brussels sprouts can actually be a treat instead of drudgery.Read more about Brussels sprouts on page 253 of our cookbook.
Most Brussels consumed in the U.S. today come from the West Coast, grown in areas where they will most likely never encounter a frost. Here at Angelic Organics, our Brussels sprouts always experience one hard frost before you receive them, and often successively harder frosts. These frosts sweeten the sprouts. Many of our shareholders rave about our Brussels sprouts, in large part because they are experiencing this sweetening affect that the freezing temperatures bring to them.
From our cookbook, try the Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette on page 255. The maple syrup and balsamic vinegar make a perfect marriage with the slightly crisp sprouts.
Or how about the Browned Brussels Sprouts in Parmesan Crust on page 256, a most delightful way to prepare Brussels sprouts: fried in oil, tucked inside a perfectl
Primo Update
Some of you know Primo. He’s been working here for 21 years, for the last 12 or so on facilities and equipment, both running the equipment and maintaining it. We have a great relationship. He knows what to do and does it, sometimes before I even know it needs to be done. He does things the way I want them done, sometimes better. I don’t feel like Primo works for me. I don’t feel like his boss. About 8 years ago, I said, “Primo, we’re now at the point where your ideas about what to do and how to do it are right about as often as my ideas are right. We’re equal.” Almost every building here has been extensively upgraded by Primo. He resurrects machines and makes them run like new. Primo helps hold this farm together.
Primo on our Beet Harvester a few years back
Biodynamics and Community in our Angelic Organics Community Supported Agriculture Farm
Our Mission (pg 30 of our cookbook): Angelic Organics is dedicated to creating and forwarding an economically viable, sustainable, Biodynamic farm which nurtures its soil, plants, animals, and community of workers and enlivens the connection between people and the source of their food. We are committed to providing the freshest, most vibrant food possible to our customers.
Two things I note today about our Mission Statement are that we are Biodynamic and that we seek to create a farm that enlivens the connection between people and the source of their food. We want Angelic Organics to fill your heart as well as your stomach.
You will also see on page 30 our farm’s Guiding Principles. Two of them that stand out for me as I write you today are:
- Building community amongst our members
- Building a sustainable farm system which includes the soil, plants, animals and humans
Building community amongst our members is an outer impulse; building a sustainable farm system is an inner impulse. The outer and the inner weave together. To have a sustainable farm, we need a community of people who support it; to have a community of people who support our farm, we need to be sustainable. Community Supported Agriculture is our path for serving our members, and Biodynamics is our path for creating a sustainable farm. And of course, in this tapestry, Community Supported Agriculture also serves our farm, and Biodynamics also serves our members.
To reflect on Angelic Organics and CSA, read Food Then and Now, starting on page 19 of your cookbook.
To reflect on Angelic Organics and Biodynamics, read Angelic Organics in the Process of Becoming Biodynamic, on pg 32 and 33.
We continually wonder what we can do to make our farm special to you. Please fill out this questionnaire to help us build community amongst our members: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7ZBDSVZ
Upcoming Programs at the Angelic Organics Learning Center
Preschool Fun with Farm Animals, 10 am to noon, Dec 4
Preschoolers and their caregivers will help our farm crew care for the goats, chickens and horse, while learning about the important jobs of animals on the farm.
Soap Making–just a few spots left in two classes, 9 to noon or 1 to 4, Dec 5
Learn to make a wonderful and gentle soap using goat’s milk.
Please register on line at least 1 week in advance or call (815) 389-8455.
The following takes you to the Learning Center calendar, which has links to all of their programs: http://www.learngrowconnect.org/event
warmly,
Farmer John
Box Contents
Please Note: this summary is written before you receive your box—please be aware that some guesswork is involved. As always, be sure to thoroughly wash all of your vegetables.
Herbs -Thyme
Fruiting Crops – Red Kuri squash, Butternut squash
Brassicas – a stalk of Brussels sprouts cut in half
Alliums – Garlic
Cooking Greens – bagged baby Chard,
Salad Greens –2 heads of Lettuce, Arugula, Spinach
Root Crops – Daikon, Celeriac, Kennebec & Dark Red Norland Potatoes
18th Harvest Week: Saturday Delivery October 14th, 2011
Farmer John Writes…
Greetings from Angelic Organics!
Vegetable of the Week: Daikon Radish
From our cookbook: although daikon radishes are actually members of the far-flung cabbage family, they look like white, overgrown carrots and taste like mild radishes. Unchecked, daikon radishes have been known to weigh in at 50 pounds. Read more about Daikon radishes starting on page 274.
We have several enticing daikon radish recipes in our cookbook. You might try Daikon with Tahini Dressing on page 276: an attention getting dish: it’s unique, it’s attractive and it tastes wonderful. Or, how about Ginger Miso Soup with Daikon, Kale and Carrots on page 275: not your traditional miso soup, this exceptional variation is loaded with vegetables and distinction… We’re including the daikon greens for your vegetable soups.
Our undercutter does not go down as deep as the tips of the longest daikons, so some of these beauties get severed in the harvest process.
Crop Update
After the frost, we are enjoying autumn balminess. We’re dismantling the tomato trellising, taking up irrigation line, and spreading Biodynamic compost on the last 4 1/2 fields that we’ll be raising vegetables on next yr. (These fields were in tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant, so we had to leave them until now.) We’ll seed them right away to peas and oats, just to establish some cover on them before winter arrives. The peas and oats will help prevent erosion, build soil fertility, and feed the soil microbes. It’s a joy to apply compost and seed cover crops, so we look for opportunities to do it. In case you didn’t see our cover crop activity from late August, check it out: http://www.youtube.com/user/FarmerJohnsTractor#p/a/u/1/bv-x_f51YcY
Letter Excerpts from Shareholder Joyce Coffee
Dear Farmer John and April,
Thanks again for a wonderful weekend visit to the farm. We created all sorts of memories there once again.
Visiting the farm is a huge highlight of our season. We love the goats and chickens of course. But the best moments are less immediately obvious. On this last visit, some significant experiences included getting drenched by the farm sprinkler outside the packing barn, watching my son fill his arms with flowers torn (not cut – the visual is not of elegance, but of determination to capture the color) from the u-pick, hearing the snap of a garlic scape unhinging itself from the plant, gawking at all of the beautiful bright yellow flowers that will soon bring potentially thousands of watermelon - Caledonia well water, sunshine, soil and seeds - to my Chicago deck. Perhaps if Andrew were to share an important moment, he would include in the list walking at eye level through a forest of veggies. 
I am glad for the chance to capture some of this on paper and look forward to the next visit to your farm, the next veggie pick up, and the next trip to my crisper to ponder what I might do with yellow squash. April, you turn out such lovely deliciousness; it gives me inspiration to dig into the cookbook for some ideas.
Thank you for all that you do to connect our family with the land. Thank you especially for all of the hard work, planning for and hosting us this past Saturday. We got so much out of it.
Be well, Joyce
(Note from Farmer John: Joyce sent this above after attending a farm hospitality day in early July. Perhaps in a future newsletter, I’ll include more of her enthusiastic letter. Joyce’s connection to our farm embodies the spirit of Community Supported Agriculture.)
Upcoming Programs at the Angelic Organics Learning Center
Farm Dreams, October 16, Sunday. Have you ever dreamed of starting your own farm? In this interactive workshop, we’ll learn about types of sustainable farming careers in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, take part in a series of self-assessments, and be better prepared to decide whether to pursue a farming business…
Cornbread from the Ground Up: A Family Workshop, Sat, October 22, 2011 2:00 pm - 4:30pm
Starting with ears of dried corn and eggs from our chickens, we’ll cook up a feast of tasty cornbread. Family members of all ages are welcome to take turns as we shuck, shell, winnow and grind the corn. Learn about the long history of corn, and receive a recipe and tips about seeds to bring home.
Food Day Celebration for Home Schoolers, Mon, Oct 24: Celebrate the first annual Food Day by going right to the source at Angelic Organics Learning Center. We’ll prepare and share a healthy meal of soup, bread and veggies, using ingredients that you gather from the farm. Help the farm crew care for the livestock while the food cooks.
Please register at least 1 week in advance at www.learngrowconnect.org or (815) 389-8455.
The following takes you to the Learning Center calendar, which has links to all of their programs:
http://www.learngrowconnect.org/event
warmly,
Farmer John
Box Contents
Please Note: this summary is written before you receive your box—please be aware that some guesswork is involved. As always, be sure to thoroughly wash all of your vegetables.
Herbs -Parsley
Fruiting Crops – Sweet Dumpling squash, Butternut squash
Brassicas – Kohlrabi or a small Cauliflower, Broccoli side shoots
Alliums – maybe a Leek, Garlic
Cooking Greens – bagged Red Russian Kale & bunched kale
Salad Greens –2 heads of Lettuce
Root Crops – Daikon, Carrots, maybe a small Celeriac,
18th Harvest Week: Wed/Thurs Delivery October 12th & 13th, 2011
Farmer John Writes…
Greetings from Angelic Organics!
Vegetable of the Week: Daikon Radish
From our cookbook: although daikon radishes are actually members of the far-flung cabbage family, they look like white, overgrown carrots and taste like mild radishes. Unchecked, daikon radishes have been known to weigh in at 50 pounds. Read more about Daikon radishes starting on page 274.
We have several enticing daikon radish recipes in our cookbook. You might try Daikon with Tahini Dressing on page 276: an attention getting dish: it’s unique, it’s attractive and it tastes wonderful. Or, how about Ginger Miso Soup with Daikon, Kale and Carrots on page 275: not your traditional miso soup, this exceptional variation is loaded with vegetables and distinction… We’re including the daikon greens for your vegetable soups.
Our undercutter does not go down as deep as the tips of the longest daikons, so some of these beauties get severed in the harvest process.
Crop Update
After the frost, we are enjoying autumn balminess. We’re dismantling the tomato trellising, taking up irrigation line, and spreading Biodynamic compost on the last 4 1/2 fields that we’ll be raising vegetables on next yr. (These fields were in tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant, so we had to leave them until now.) We’ll seed them right away to peas and oats, just to establish some cover on them before winter arrives. The peas and oats will help prevent erosion, build soil fertility, and feed the soil microbes. It’s a joy to apply compost and seed cover crops, so we look for opportunities to do it. In case you didn’t see our cover crop activity from late August, check it out: http://www.youtube.com/user/FarmerJohnsTractor#p/a/u/1/bv-x_f51YcY
Letter Excerpts from Shareholder Joyce Coffee
Dear Farmer John and April,
Thanks again for a wonderful weekend visit to the farm. We created all sorts of memories there once again.
Visiting the farm is a huge highlight of our season. We love the goats and chickens of course. But the best moments are less immediately obvious. On this last visit, some significant experiences included getting drenched by the farm sprinkler outside the packing barn, watching my son fill his arms with flowers torn (not cut – the visual is not of elegance, but of determination to capture the color) from the u-pick, hearing the snap of a garlic scape unhinging itself from the plant, gawking at all of the beautiful bright yellow flowers that will soon bring potentially thousands of watermelon - Caledonia well water, sunshine, soil and seeds - to my Chicago deck. Perhaps if Andrew were to share an important moment, he would include in the list walking at eye level through a forest of veggies.
I am glad for the chance to capture some of this on paper and look forward to the next visit to your farm, the next veggie pick up, and the next trip to my crisper to ponder what I might do with yellow squash. April, you turn out such lovely deliciousness; it gives me inspiration to dig into the cookbook for some ideas.
Thank you for all that you do to connect our family with the land. Thank you especially for all of the hard work, planning for and hosting us this past Saturday. We got so much out of it.
Be well, Joyce
(Note from Farmer John: Joyce sent this above after attending a farm hospitality day in early July. Perhaps in a future newsletter, I’ll include more of her enthusiastic letter. Joyce’s connection to our farm embodies the spirit of Community Supported Agriculture.)
Upcoming Programs at the Angelic Organics Learning Center
Farm Dreams, October 16, Sunday. Have you ever dreamed of starting your own farm? In this interactive workshop, we’ll learn about types of sustainable farming careers in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, take part in a series of self-assessments, and be better prepared to decide whether to pursue a farming business…
Cornbread from the Ground Up: A Family Workshop, Sat, October 22, 2011 2:00 pm - 4:30pm
Starting with ears of dried corn and eggs from our chickens, we’ll cook up a feast of tasty cornbread. Family members of all ages are welcome to take turns as we shuck, shell, winnow and grind the corn. Learn about the long history of corn, and receive a recipe and tips about seeds to bring home.
Food Day Celebration for Home Schoolers, Mon, Oct 24: Celebrate the first annual Food Day by going right to the source at Angelic Organics Learning Center. We’ll prepare and share a healthy meal of soup, bread and veggies, using ingredients that you gather from the farm. Help the farm crew care for the livestock while the food cooks.
Please register at least 1 week in advance at www.learngrowconnect.org or (815) 389-8455.
The following takes you to the Learning Center calendar, which has links to all of their programs:
http://www.learngrowconnect.org/event
warmly,
Farmer John
Box Contents
Please Note: this summary is written before you receive your box—please be aware that some guesswork is involved. As always, be sure to thoroughly wash all of your vegetables.
Herbs -Parsley
Fruiting Crops – Sweet Dumpling squash, Butternut squash, maybe a green tomato
Brassicas – a small Cauliflower, Broccoli side shoots
Alliums – a Leek, Garlic
Cooking Greens – bagged Kale & bunched kale
Salad Greens –a head of Lettuce
Root Crops – Daikon, Celeriac, Carrots, Kohlrabi
17th Harvest Week: Saturday Delivery October 8th, 2011
Farmer John Writes…
Greetings from Angelic Organics!
Vegetable of the Week: Butternut Squash
From page 308 in our cookbook: Butternut Squash has tan skin and a shape reminiscent of a peanut. They have bright orange flesh and are sweet and moist. Without anyone knowing the difference, butternut squash can be substituted for part or all of the pumpkin in pumpkin pie.
Try the Indian Squash and Split Peas recipe on pg 311. The greens you are receiving this week will pair well with this dish.
You will be receiving winter squash each week from now until the end of the season. Many of our shareholders welcome this comfort food, rich with sunlight and warmth stored up during the long summer days. Familiarize yourself with winter squash, starting on pg 307 in our cookbook.
About the pie pumpkins we have been sending you: many people choose to use the pie pumpkins as fall decorations. Therefore, we left the stems on the last batch we sent out, which makes for nicer pumpkin decor. It’s a bit more time consuming to handle pumpkins in the field with stems on, since the stem can mark neighboring pumpkins in our harvest bins, but we wanted to give you pumpkins that are ideal for eating or display.
Lots of butternut & acorn squash
Crop Update
A fairly hard frost arrived this last weekend. We were well positioned for it: our squash was all harvested (be prepared for lots of squash from now until the end of the season!); we harvested the remaining eggplant; we covered our head lettuce and direct seeded baby lettuce with Reemay. No panic…no drama…just taking care of your vegetables so they go into the boxes, not into the compost pile and not plowed back into the field.
Think about your vegetables that still remain in the field: kale, chard, baby greens, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage…Imagine the winds, rains and frosts that become more frequent during October. Imagine our crew out there, sometimes in rain gear, heavy jackets, and rubber boots, harvesting crops for you.
From A Shareholder
Shelly,
A word about those tiny sweet peppers a few weeks ago, the miniature ones that were a mistake. Chopped raw in a salad they had such amazing flavor, they were almost like olives, or even something I’d never tasted before. I know the harvesting was labor intensive so we probably won’t see them next season, but they sure were a treat. Thanks!
- Susan
Extended Season Shares
We’ve had many requests from shareholders who still want to sign up for extended season shares. It’s hard to judge just how much crop we will have as we approach season’s end, so we’re holding off on making more shares available. We’ll let everyone know by Week 19. If you’ve already signed up for an extended season share, it will be there for you.
Is Home Delivery for You?
We’re excited to be partnering with Irv and Shelly’s Fresh Picks on home delivery. We love the idea of our vegetables arriving conveniently at your doorstep, protected from weather. Consider signing up with them for home delivery in 2012. Sign up will only be needed a few weeks before our season begins.
Thanks! I just wanted to tell you how much I have enjoyed the service from Fresh Picks. Its been great. Janet
Hi Shelly– wanted to let you know that the home delivery is going well. I love having it come to my doorstep, and I love that it comes on a weekday. The Sat pickup was hard to fit in– and I hated having to go through all the veggies on the weekend. I’d rather get my veggies during the week, so I can plan my weekend meals ahead of time.
Best,
Katie
Upcoming Programs at the Angelic Organics Learning Center
Farm Dreams, October 16 Have you ever dreamed of starting your own farm? In this interactive workshop, we’ll learn about types of sustainable farming careers in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, take part in a series of self-assessments, and be better prepared to decide whether to pursue a farming business…
Cornbread from the Ground Up:
A Family Workshop, October 22, 2011 2:00 pm - 4:30pm
Starting with ears of dried corn and eggs from our chickens, we’ll cook up a feast of tasty cornbread. Family members of all ages are welcome to take turns as we shuck, shell, winnow and grind the corn. Learn about the long history of corn, and receive a recipe and tips about seeds to bring home.
Please register at least 1 week in advance at www.learngrowconnect.org or (815) 389-8455.
The following link takes you to the Learning Center October calendar: http://www.learngrowconnect.org/event
warmly,
Farmer John
Box Contents
Please Note: this summary is written before you receive your box—please be aware that some guesswork is involved. As always, be sure to thoroughly wash all of your vegetables.
Herbs -Oregano
Fruiting Crops – Butternut squash, a few green heirloom tomatoes and maybe a red heirloom, maybe an Eggplant
Brassicas – Red Cabbage, Broccoli
Alliums – a Leek
Cooking Greens – bagged Tatsoi, bunched kale
Salad Greens –a head of Lettuce,
Root Crops – Celeriac, 5# of potatoes- Kennebec & a red variety
