Hi Reader,

Somehow, we’re already heading into the final few weeks of Summer CSA! September always feels like a funny in-between season on the farm: we’re still harvesting summer crops, but more and more of our attention is turning toward carrots, cabbage, storage crops, and the season ahead.

That also means we’re starting to think about Winter CSA! Here’s what we know so far:

• November through April
• 1x/month or 2x/month pickup options (except January).
• Four pickup locations: Meridian Market (Okemos), Allen Market, the Farm in Leslie, and Mason.
• Share options:
  • Winter Veggies OR Eggs-Only
    1. Winter Veggies: you get the best Michigan has to offer November through April. This is a combination of stored veggies like carrots, potatoes, onions, and sweet potatoes, plus fresh items from our hoophouses, primarily spinach and lettuce.
    2. Eggs-Only: a standalone share that you should only select if you want to pick up eggs from us on a recurring schedule, and maybe buy a few veggies here or there for pickup.
• Add-Ons: Eggs, Mushrooms, Dry Beans, Microgreens, and Hydroponic Lettuce.
• Guest Access: We’re still figuring out the details, but we’d like to offer a way for folks to place occasional winter orders without committing to a share. This option will only be available if we first meet our minimum Winter CSA enrollment goal.
• Payment options: Check, eCheck, or Credit Card (with fees)

We’ll share more details as we finalize everything, but if you already know you want to keep eating with us through the colder months, the Winter CSA is officially on the horizon, with plans to open by October 1, 2026.

We’re also very likely entering the final week for bulk tomato orders. We do have a few folks already on the list for next week, but tomato production is really, really winding down. If you’ve been meaning to place an order, please do so now, and we will see what we can do!

If you’ve already submitted an order and haven’t heard from us yet, we’re still working through requests in the order they were received. We’ll continue filling as many as the tomato crop allows.

Bulk tomato request form: https://forms.gle/SWyuJL2MwMa8YU216​

Around the Farm

Today we hosted a small field day for farmers and folks hoping to farm, with a focus on regenerative agriculture and vegetable production. We didn’t publicize it much because it was intentionally meant to stay small (under 30 people), but it was fun to spend some time talking shop, walking the fields, and sharing what farming looks like here.

Meanwhile, harvest keeps rolling right along. We’re starting to bring in winter squash, which always feels like a pretty clear sign that the season is shifting.

We’re still gradually harvesting our way through potatoes, beans, watermelons, tomatoes, and plenty of other crops. This will hopefully be the final week for watermelon, while tomatoes are fading quickly. Most of the red tomatoes have gone down hard, so what’s left right now is mostly our orange and yellow varieties. We’ll keep doing our best to fill the remaining canning tomato orders, but tomato season is very clearly nearing the finish line.

On the other hand: peppers. The pepper crop this year has been kind of ridiculous- in the best possible way. We are continuing to harvest a huge amount of sweet peppers, and at this point we’re happily celebrating them while they last.

We are also still hiring. We’re a little short on help at the moment, which makes this part of the season especially interesting as summer harvest continues and fall crops start coming in at the same time. We’ll figure it out... somehow we always do.

This Week's Harvest

If you do not customize, you will receive the Farmer’s Choice Share this week, which includes the items marked with asterisks (**).

Standard/Alternating/Monthly Shares: select up to 30 credits

Large Shares: select up to 60 credits

For this week:

• Apples: Blondee and Gala!
  • Probably the last week for Blondee, then we move onto Evercrisp and the lovely Pink Lady.
• Beans: Green, Yellow or Dragon's Tongue**
• Cabbage: green or red. In short supply and almost done for a while.
• Carrots: our late-summer planting is ready! Likely a mix of white, orange and yellow.
• Celery**- consider chopping it up and freezing it for later/winter preparations too.
• Garlic
• Hot Peppers -
  • Mild to Medium**: May include jalapeño, Anaheim, serrano, Golden Dagger, and chilaca/pasilla.
  • Medium to Hot: All the above plus red habaneros and cayenne.
  • Poblano: a lovely smoky-flavored pepper. Traditionally made into chiles relleños but also great in a deconstructed version that is less work.
• Leeks**
• Napa Cabbage**: the fall planting is ready! It has a little damage at the top, but tasty inside.
• Onions:
  • Red: a sweet and simple onion.
  • Yellow (storage): a more pungent onion
• Potatoes, Farmer's Choice
• Rutabaga
• Shishito Peppers: more red every week. Red are def spicier!
• Sweet Peppers -
  • Lunchbox/Snackers: super sweet and in larger quantities than originally!
  • Bell Mix**: a mix of ripe and ripening bells.
  • Carmen/Escamillo: a red, sweet Italian frying pepper that is one of our favorites!
  • Cubanelle: a slightly tangy and almost spicy pepper that we adore.
• Tomatillos: traditionally made into salsa verde or green enchilada sauce.
• Tomatoes: Heirloom Yellow/Orange: Likely just a mix of yellow heirloom types (these look the best!), but these are discounted because they may not be as pretty.
• Watermelons! Red w/Seeds Only:
  • Remember- these will NOT be inside your box :)
  • ***NOTE: There may have been a few folks who got in before we had finalized everything, but we have very few seedless melons left, so seedless may be substituted for seeded.

CSA Store Extras

• Fresh Eggs- limited! Plan to purchase them via Farmigo if you need extra, as they will likely NOT be for sale at our stand.
• Homemade Jam
  • Blueberry
  • Raspberry
  • Strawberry

Recipes & Ideas from the Farm

Veggie of the Week: Celery!

Celery is one of those vegetables that can quietly sit in the fridge until suddenly it’s gone a little limp... so here are a few ways to make the most of it.

To store it: Keep celery cold and humid. For best results, keep it in a grocery bag in the fridge, wrap it loosely in plastic wrap, or cut it up right away and keep it in a sealed container. If it starts to get a little limp, soaking the stalks in cold water can often perk them back up!

To freeze it: Celery freezes very well for cooked dishes. Chop it first, spread it on a tray to freeze, then transfer it to a freezer bag or container. Frozen celery will lose its crunch, but it’s perfect for soups, stews, sauces, stuffing, and anything else where it will be cooked.

Pro-tip: Freeze it as a mirepoix/battuto/Holy Trinity! We typically cook more Cajun and Latin-inspired food in our household, so we actually freeze Holy Trinity more often. This is a mix of onions, celery, and peppers cut into equal pieces and ready to throw into a pot to build a million different dishes. I freeze a spicy trinity and a mild trinity (one with hot peppers and one without), to make all sorts of things in the winter.

And don’t toss the leaves! Celery leaves have lots of flavor and can be used almost like an herb. Chop them into soups, beans, stews, salads, sauces, or stocks, or mix them with parsley for a little extra fresh, savory flavor.

Pic of the Week