Last Late Season CSA 12/23

Hello CSA Members,

Happy Holidays to you all.  I am emailing early this week because we are delivering a day early!!

We will be doing the delivery on Tuesday the 23^rd this week instead of Wednesday.  It would be great to have your orders by Sunday evening but we will do our best to accommodate late orders.  The delivery time will be the same. 

We are sad that this is our last delivery of 2014.  What a great year.  This week will mark our 37^th delivery week for CSA!  We are so grateful for all your support.

However, we are ready to take a break and work on lots of other projects.  We are in the process of putting up a new website which will have all the information for the 2015 CSA season.  Look for the new website in the beginning of January. 

Mike has finished construction of the new greenhouse and now we just have to build the growing tables and put in the heat source.  We will begin starting seeds February 1^st.

I will be busy in the office for the next month, ordering seeds and making a plan for 2015.  I love this time of year. 

And of course we will be at the West Reading Farmers Market every other Saturday through the winter except for the 3^rd week in January when we will be on vacation. 

We wish you all a happy and healthy winter.  We hope for just enough snow to make things beautiful but not enough to make us all miserable. 

We will post the weekly email on our blog: http://bhorganics.blogspot.com/ if you cannot check your email or erase the email feels free to check the blog for the week’s list.  The blog can be linked through our website www.bhorganicproduce.com.

Don’t forget to pick up your box.  It may help to set an alarm on your phone.  At the West Reading site we have a family that comes at 9 pm to clean up the porch.  I had to do this so that I can get some sleep.  I am crazy and I would worry about those boxes all night.  Sorry.

The Hartz pick up is at 211 Twin County Rd (RT10) Morgantown, PA from 2 pm till 6 pm.  The West Reading Pick up is at 330 Franklin St 3pm till 8 pm. 

Help:

If you have any questions please feel free to email me at bhorganicscsa@gmail.com or call 484-955-1098.  I also am available to receive text messages at this phone number.

If you are unable to pick up your box please text or call 484-955-1098 or email us. 

When:

You can order by replying to the email or by emailing bhorganicscsa@gmail.com.  The orders must be in by Monday at 1 am.  Processing the orders takes some time so I would appreciate no late orders.

Notes about ordering:

·      We cannot guarantee orders.  We will definitely do our best. 

·      You may order from the list below.  If you do not choose to order we will select a well-rounded box for you.    

·      If it states behind the item that you may order 2 (or 3) than this counts as 2 (or 3) of your items.  If it does not state “You may order 2” behind the item than you can only order 1 of this item. 

·      We do not split items of make smaller bunches.  All sizes of the items are stated below. 

·      If you see “OR” in an item list you can order one or the other from this list. 

·      Yes, we definitely make mistakes.  So please let us know so we don’t make them again.  We are striving to provide great customer service. 

This week’s Harvest:

 Choose 6 items from this list.

·      Potato –Kennebec (White) – 2 lb. You may order 4.

·      Salad Mix – 6 oz. OR Spinach – 7 oz

·      Radishes, Watermelon. – 1.5 lb (May be without greens.) You may order 2.

·      Collard Greens (mix of small and large leaves)– 1/2 lb. You may order 2.

·      Carrot, orange or mixed colors – 2 lb without greens. You may order 4.

·      Beet- Chioggia or Red (May be without greens.)– 1.5 lb. You may order 4.

·      Cabbage, Savoy or Napa – 1-2 heads depending on size.  You may order 2.

·      Tatsoi (similar to boc choi) OR Boc Choi– 1-2 heads depending on size.

·      Kale, Curly (small leaves) – ½ lb

Extras:   You must order “Extras” however they are free.  All extras are on a first come first serve basis. 

·      Napa Cabbage – 1 head. – You must order Napa in your original order. 

·      Carrot, orange or mixed colors – 2 lb without greens.

·      Radishes, Watermelon. – 1.5 lb (May be without greens.)  You must order Watermelon Radishes in your original order. 

High Energy:

As a farmer, foodie and vegetable lover I am always interested in the “energetics” of food.  Essentially this means when a vegetable is at its “peak.”  If you are stuck in your ways but want to try something new I highly recommend choosing something new from this list.  Here are the foods at their highest energy level this week:

·      Potatoes

·      Tatsoi

·      Collards

·      Watermelon radishes

·      Carrots

·      Beets

·      Cabbage

·      Kale

Recipes:

Best of the winter vegetables:

It is the last week and I feel like I have already listed all the veggies at least once this year.  So this week I thought I would share my favorite recipes for this time of year.  Which just to warn you is a lot of soup because it seems like that is all I want to eat in the winter. 

·      Sweet Potato and Carrot Chili – (I made this recipe this week and loved it!  It does call for ground beef but I bet it would be great with Tempeh.)  http://www.tastesoflizzyt.com/2014/09/24/paleo-sweet-potato-chili/

·      African Peanut stew- (I prefer this with collards as well.) http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/recipes/dinner-tonight/african-peanut-stew/

·      Kale, Carrot and Avocado Salad: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/kale-carrot-and-avocado-salad

·      Potato Scones: http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/fish-recipes/glasgow-potato-scones-with-best-scrambled-egg-and-smoked-salmon/

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·      Kale and white bean soup- (Collards are actually more tasty in this soup.)  http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Kale-and-White-Bean-Soup-106153

·      Mexican Cabbage Salad: http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/mexican-street-salad/#

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Enjoy!

We really appreciate you and could not do it with out you.

Thank you,

Erica

CSA 12/17

Hello CSA Members,

It is so wonderful to have you all as members.  As competition for CSA’s increases we are constantly trying to find ways to serve you better.  We have heard at the recent workshops about how CSA’s should be made easier for the farmer and that choice should be limited for the member.  That has never been my philosophy.  I wanted to get into farming because I love the interaction with the customer and sharing what I do with my members.  Yes, ordering adds about 6 extra hours of labor me each week and no we do not charge for that labor.  But, it all goes back to what I want to get from this business and I want to be connected to my members and my clients.  I love knowing what each of you like and dislike.  And if I had my choice I would give you all every kind of vegetable or fruit you wanted each week in any quantity you wanted. 

We have this week of delivery and then the last delivery will be December 23^rd, which is a Tuesday.  Please mark the change on your calendar.  We are delivering early due to the holiday. 

This will be the last egg delivery week of the season. 

If you are a new member we encourage you to read this whole email to see instructions for ordering.  Please contact us with any questions.  It may seem like a lot to begin with but you will get the hang of it.  We appreciate all communication to make it easier on you.   If you choose not to order or forget to order don’t worry you will still be getting produce.  We will pack a nice box for you each week. 

We will post the weekly email on our blog: http://bhorganics.blogspot.com/ if you cannot check your email or erase the email feels free to check the blog for the week’s list.  The blog can be linked through our website www.bhorganicproduce.com.

Don’t forget to pick up your box.  It may help to set an alarm on your phone.  At the West Reading site we have a family that comes at 9 pm to clean up the porch.  I had to do this so that I can get some sleep.  I am crazy and I would worry about those boxes all night.  Sorry.

The Hartz pick up is at 211 Twin County Rd (RT10) Morgantown, PA from 2 pm till 6 pm.  The West Reading Pick up is at 330 Franklin St 3pm till 8 pm. 

Help:

If you have any questions please feel free to email me at bhorganicscsa@gmail.com or call 484-955-1098.  I also am available to receive text messages at this phone number.

If you are unable to pick up your box please text or call 484-955-1098 or email us. 

When:

You can order by replying to the email or by emailing bhorganicscsa@gmail.com.  The orders must be in by Tuesday at 1 am.  Processing the orders takes some time so I would appreciate no late orders.

Notes about ordering:

·      We cannot guarantee orders.  We will definitely do our best. 

·      You may order from the list below.  If you do not choose to order we will select a well-rounded box for you.    

·      If it states behind the item that you may order 2 (or 3) than this counts as 2 (or 3) of your items.  If it does not state “You may order 2” behind the item than you can only order 1 of this item. 

·      We do not split items of make smaller bunches.  All sizes of the items are stated below. 

·      If you see “OR” in an item list you can order one or the other from this list. 

·      Yes, we definitely make mistakes.  So please let us know so we don’t make them again.  We are striving to provide great customer service. 

This week’s Harvest:

 Choose 6 items from this list.

·      Potato –Kennebec (White) – 2 lb. You may order 4.

·      Salad Mix – 6 oz. OR Spinach – 7 oz

·      Radishes, Watermelon. – 1.5 lb (May be without greens.) You may order 2.

·      Collard Greens – 1/2 lb. You may order 2.

·      Carrot, orange or mixed colors – 2 lb without greens. You may order 4.

·      Beet- Chioggia or Red (May be without greens.)– 1.5 lb. You may order 4.

·      Braising Mix (A mix of mustard greens in a bunch.) – ¾ lb. You may order 2.

·      Cabbage, Green, Savoy or Napa – 1-2 heads depending on size.  You may order 2.

·      Rutabaga – 1 root.  Some roots are very large. (We purchased these from a local organic farm.) You may order 3.

·      Radish, Daikon – 1 lb – no greens. 

·      Winter Squash- Red Kuri, Acorn, Butternut or Blue Hokkaido– 1 fruit. We may not be able to guarantee which variety because we have small amounts of each.  (We purchased these from a local organic farm.) You may order 1.

·      Tatsoi (similar to boc choi) – 1 head

·      Kale – ½ lb – This could be Red Russian, Lacinato or Curly or a mix.  We can’t guarantee which variety. 

Extras:   You must order “Extras” however they are free.  All extras are on a first come first serve basis. 

·      Napa Cabbage – 1 head. – You must order Napa in your original order. 

·      Radish, Daikon – 1 lb – no greens.  You must order Daikon in your original order. 

·      Radishes, Watermelon. – 1.5 lb (May be without greens.)  You must order Watermelon Radishes in your original order. 

High Energy:

As a farmer, foodie and vegetable lover I am always interested in the “energetics” of food.  Essentially this means when a vegetable is at its “peak.”  If you are stuck in your ways but want to try something new I highly recommend choosing something new from this list.  Here are the foods at their highest energy level this week:

·      Potatoes

·      Tatsoi

·      Collards

·      All radishes

·      Braising Mix

·      Carrots

·      Beets

·      Cabbage

·      Winter Squash

·      Kale

Recipes:

Winter Squash:

We have several types available this week.  I thought I would give you a little description. 

We ran out of our winter squash in the first 3 weeks of the Late Season CSA so we ordered in more from our really good friend Wayne Miller from Epic Acre Farm in Mertztown.  Wayne was the person who inspired me to be a farmer.  He never wants to take credit but I met Wayne when I was 17 and I had a large garden.  He told me he was a vegetable farmer.  And huge light bulb went on over my head!!!  I asked “Do you get paid for that?” and he said, “Yes.”  I decided then and there that I wanted to try farming and 20 years later I still love playing in the mud!  Thank you Wayne!

·      Acorn – I am sure this one needs no description.  A small green skinned fruit with a yellow flesh.  It is very versatile and light in texture.  Acorn squash is usually ready to eat after harvest.  Many of the other squashes need storage time to develop a sweet flavor. 

·      Red Kuri – This is actually a type of Hubbard squash.  I love this one.  It has a dark orange skin and flesh.  It may not be as sweet as a butternut but I like a more savory squash for making curry or soup.  The flesh is also firm so it holds up well as chunks in soup.

·      Blue Hokkaido – This is a kabocha squash.  Thought of as the one of the sweetest and also has a firm flesh.  The skin is a blue grey and the flesh is bright orange.

·      Butternut – self-explanatory.  I do and do not like this one because it is so sweet.  Butternuts are the most disease resistant which is why we usually have so many of them. 

·       

Enjoy!

We really appreciate you and could not do it with out you.

Thank you,

Erica

CSA 12/10

Hello CSA Members,

Paul and I just returned from Ohio for the annual Acres USA conference.  If you have never heard of it, Acres USA is a magazine published in the US but distributed worldwide.  It is the cutting edge of organic agriculture.  To say the conference was inspiring would be an understatement. 

It draws farmers, physicians and activists from all over the world.  The farmers range from urban farmers to ranchers with 5,000 acres.  If you ever wondered if organic farming could feed the world these farmers would tell you “Definitely!”  You could feed the world easier with organic practices and you could feed the world a much higher quality food.  Cheers to that. 

My mind was blown several times at the conference.  I feel so excited and anxious to put these new ideas into practice at the farm.  Multi species cover crops, no – till agriculture, forest farming and vermiculture; all nerdy words for following nature’s direction for growing high quality sustainable food. 

If you are a new member we encourage you to read this whole email to see instructions for ordering.  Please contact us with any questions.  It may seem like a lot to begin with but you will get the hang of it.  We appreciate all communication to make it easier on you.   If you choose not to order or forget to order don’t worry you will still be getting produce.  We will pack a nice box for you each week. 

We will post the weekly email on our blog: http://bhorganics.blogspot.com/ if you cannot check your email or erase the email feels free to check the blog for the week’s list.  The blog can be linked through our website www.bhorganicproduce.com.

Don’t forget to pick up your box.  It may help to set an alarm on your phone.  At the West Reading site we have a family that comes at 9 pm to clean up the porch.  I had to do this so that I can get some sleep.  I am crazy and I would worry about those boxes all night.  Sorry.

The Hartz pick up is at 211 Twin County Rd (RT10) Morgantown, PA from 2 pm till 6 pm.  The West Reading Pick up is at 330 Franklin St 3pm till 8 pm. 

Help:

If you have any questions please feel free to email me at bhorganicscsa@gmail.com or call 484-955-1098.  I also am available to receive text messages at this phone number.

If you are unable to pick up your box please text or call 484-955-1098 or email us. 

When:

You can order by replying to the email or by emailing bhorganicscsa@gmail.com.  The orders must be in by Tuesday at 1 am.  Processing the orders takes some time so I would appreciate no late orders.

Notes about ordering:

·      We cannot guarantee orders.  We will definitely do our best. 

·      You may order from the list below.  If you do not choose to order we will select a well-rounded box for you.    

·      If it states behind the item that you may order 2 (or 3) than this counts as 2 (or 3) of your items.  If it does not state “You may order 2” behind the item than you can only order 1 of this item. 

·      We do not split items of make smaller bunches.  All sizes of the items are stated below. 

·      If you see “OR” in an item list you can order one or the other from this list. 

·      Yes, we definitely make mistakes.  So please let us know so we don’t make them again.  We are striving to provide great customer service. 

This week’s Harvest:

 Choose 6 items from this list.

·      Potato –Kennebec (White) – 2 lb. You may order 4.

·      Salad Mix – 7 oz.

·      Radishes, Watermelon. – 1.5 lb (May be without greens.) You may order 2.

·      Collard Greens – 3/4 lb. You may order 2.

·      Carrot, orange or mixed colors – 2 lb without greens. You may order 4.

·      Beet- Chioggia (May be without greens.)– 1.5 lb. You may order 4.

·      Braising Mix (A mix of mustard greens in a bunch.) – ¾ lb. You may order 2.

·      Cabbage, Green, Savoy or Napa – 1-2 heads depending on size.  You may order 2.

·      Rutabaga – 1 root.  Some roots are very large. (We purchased these from a local organic farm.) You may order 3.

·      Radish, Daikon – 1 lb – no greens. 

·      Winter Squash- Red Kuri, or Blue Hokkaido– 1 fruit. (We purchased these from a local organic farm.) You may order 1.

·      Tatsoi (similar to boc choi) – 1 head

Extras:   You must order “Extras” however they are free.  All extras are on a first come first serve basis. 

·      Napa Cabbage – 1 head. – You must order Napa in your original order. 

·      Radish, Daikon – 1 lb – no greens.  You must order Daikon in your original order. 

·      Radishes, Watermelon. – 1.5 lb (May be without greens.)  You must order Watermelon Radishes in your original order. 

High Energy:

As a farmer, foodie and vegetable lover I am always interested in the “energetics” of food.  Essentially this means when a vegetable is at its “peak.”  If you are stuck in your ways but want to try something new I highly recommend choosing something new from this list.  Here are the foods at their highest energy level this week:

·      Potatoes

·      Tatsoi

·      Collards

·      All radishes

·      Braising Mix

·      Carrots

·      Beets

·      Cabbage

·      Winter Squash

Recipes:

Napa Cabbage:

Aka – Chinese cabbage

The seed catalogs are rolling in!  I love this time of year.  I was so excited to see in the new High Mowing Seed Catalog a list of vegetable super foods.  There is a chart with a list of 8 super foods.  Among the list were items you would expect: kale, spinach, peppers, broccoli and chard.  It is based on a study done by the Centers for Disease Control, which studied the percent daily values of 17 nutrients.  Among the 8 items listed Chinese cabbage was ranked highest with 91.99%.  Chard ranked second with 89.27% and kale only ranked 5^th with 46.34%.  I was so excited because I just harvested quite a lot of Chinese cabbage. 

I have grown this type of cabbage before on another farm, in the summer, and found it very hard to grow because of all the pest pressure.  Last year I heard another farmer mention that it is a great crop for winter because it can actually freeze and still be sweet and wonderful to eat.  It also stores for 4 months in the refrigerator.   So I planted a long row to test it out.  And we were successful!  So here it is in all it’s glory of being a super food, local and organic in your CSA box this week! 

Chinese Cabbage is traditionally used in Asian dishes.  It is light and sweet.  Kimchi is made of Chinese cabbage.  It is great raw, steamed, sautéed, or fermented.  And fortunately most of the recipes also call for radishes.

·      This week I made a Chicken Noodle soup and substituted the Chinese cabbage for noodles.  It was so good.  However, wait till the end to add the cabbage because it will cook down pretty fast. 

·      Basic Kimchi recipe:  http://www.chow.com/recipes/29505-basic-napa-cabbage-kimchi-kimchee

·       

·      Chinese Cabbage and radish salad: http://www.marthastewart.com/317154/shredded-napa-cabbage-salad-with-radishe

·      Thai Chinese Cabbage Salad: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Thai-Chinese-Cabbage-Salad-15136

·      Healthy egg rolls anyone?  http://aggieskitchen.com/2013/02/25/asian-stuffed-napa-cabbage-rolls/

·       

Enjoy!

We really appreciate you and could not do it with out you.

Thank you,

Erica