Hi Reader,

Welcome to Summer CSA!

We’re so excited to kick off another summer season with you.

Whether this is your very first CSA box or you’ve been eating with us for years, thank you for choosing to be part of our farm. Summer CSA is our biggest season of the year, and it’s always exciting to see months of seeding, planting, watering, and weeding finally turn into full harvest days.

This first newsletter is a little later than normal, as it took me longer to put together than expected while we get back into the rhythm of Summer CSA. In the coming weeks, you can expect the newsletter (and the customization opening!) to happen earlier.

After this week, newsletters will settle into our regular rhythm with harvest updates, customization details, recipes, and stories from around the farm.

Thanks for supporting local food and for letting us grow for you. We’re excited for another great summer!

Around the Farm

Welcome to the beautiful chaos of Summer CSA season!

This time of year is always a big transition on the farm. We move from the slower, smaller harvests of spring into full summer mode - more crops, more harvest days, more boxes to pack, and a lot more moving pieces. Earlier starting times and later ending times, dragging ourselves home in the dark.

This year has an extra layer of adventure as we continue preparing for our new packing space. While Justin and Papa Paul have been busy working on the old building, the rest of us have been figuring out new systems, new storage areas, and new routines. This week is going to be a giant Tetris puzzle and a logistical packing experiment unlike anything we've done before - but farmers are nothing if not professional problem-solvers.

In the fields, last week’s extreme heat changed our plans a bit. We decided to hold off on some planting rather than put baby plants into stressful conditions, so now that temperatures have improved, we’re catching up and getting those crops tucked into the ground.

Meanwhile, the weeds definitely did not take a break. 😂 The crew has been hard at work keeping up with weeding, harvesting, and prepping both summer and fall crops. It always feels strange to be thinking about fall vegetables when summer CSA is just beginning, but farming means we’re always working a season (or two!) ahead.

We’re also hoping to add a few more helping hands to our crew as we head into the busiest part of the year. We have a great team this season, and we’re excited for everything ahead.

Thanks for joining us for another summer. We’re ready for a season full of fresh veggies, flowers, and farm adventures!

This Week's Harvest

Each week, this section of the newsletter will show what we’re harvesting and what you can expect to see in the store.

Items are listed alphabetically-ish in both this section and the store. If you do not customize, you will receive the Farmer’s Choice Share this week, which includes the items marked with an asterisk (*).

The Farmer’s Choice share is our recommended mix of seasonal vegetables for the week, but you are welcome to customize your box and choose the items that work best for your household. Again, if you choose not to customize, this box is automatically yours.

Remember - every week on the farm is a little different! We do our best to estimate harvests in advance, but weather, crop conditions, and Mother Nature always have the final say.

Non-Food Items to Know About

• More Packaging: select this if you'd like every item that isn't already in a bag to be placed in a separate plastic bag. Most items in the early season (lettuce, broccoli) are bagged, but some are not, such as kale.
• Donate My Share: select this if you'd rather skip this week of CSA and have your share donated through the Meridian Gleaning program, which offers food to six different food banks through the help of an extensive volunteer network.

Veggies for Week 1:

• Basil from Monroe Family Organics. Ours is not far off!
• Beets without tops* (Mixed or Red)
• Bok Choy, a lovely cabbage relative, wonderful for stir-fries. A little bug damage, but beautiful.
• Broccoli* I feel like 8 out of 10 seasons we don't have enough. But, we're swimming in it!
• Cabbage, Green Personal-Sized - just a little baby head of cabbage 2ish lb.
• Cauliflower is somewhat limited. White or purple heads.
• Collard Greens
• Cucumbers
  • Hoophouse- seedless and thin-skinned, you'll only get 1
  • Salad Large- 1-2 field-grown cucumbers with seeds
  • Small Salad aka Pickling Cucumbers*- a giant handful for you!
• Escarole - a bitter green that softens when cooked
• Frisée / Endive- ditto from above. But I like this one raw.
• Garlic Scapes*- our farm-friend Ned says blend them up and use a spoonful for every garlic clove you need in a recipe. Use just like garlic.
• Gilfeather Turnips - a turnip relative that is great roasted.
• Head Lettuces
  • Iceberg- not the watery grocery store kind, my dudes.
  • Little Gem- probably 2ish heads per bag, as they are small and tender
  • Red Bibb- beautiful and tender
  • Romaine*- the crunchiest there is! No hearts yet- just leaves.
• Herbs, both from Monroe Family Organics for now:
  • Cilantro
  • Flat-Leaf Parsley
• Kale
  • Curly, Scarlet*, or Dinosaur
  • All can really be used *somewhat* interchangeably, but you will find a favorite for each task.
• Kohlrabi, Spring- different than our storage kohlrabi. 2 bulbs per share.
• Rainbow Chard - somewhat limited as we tackle a grasshopper problem.
• Rutabaga - oh, our winter hero is still looking stout. Use it just like a potato. Boil it, mash it, or stick it in a stew.
• Scallions / Green Onions - they're massive, but I swear they're tender!
• Zucchini & Summer Squash Mix* - squash is just starting, but you should see a hefty mix of green or golden zucchini, cousa or summer squash per share.

CSA Store Extras

• Bulk Garlic Scapes
• Sunflower bouquets
• Fresh Eggs
• Freshly Made Granola
  • Cherry, Cranberry, Strawberry
• Homemade Jam
  • Blueberry
  • Raspberry
  • Strawberry

Customizing Your CSA Share

One of the best parts of our CSA is that you get to choose what works best for your family!

If you love surprises, you don’t need to do anything - we’ll pack you the Farmer’s Choice share with a mix of seasonal veggies.

If you would rather pick your own items, you can log into your CSA account and customize your box before the store closes.

A few helpful hints:

• You cannot switch your location after an order is placed. Make sure you're picking up where you want before you order.

• Adding items to your cart does not save your changes. You must finish the checkout process and receive a confirmation email for your order to be saved.
  • No confirmation email = no customized order.

• You can continue making changes until the store closes. Each time you check out, your newest order completely replaces your previous order.
  • The items listed in your most recent confirmation email are the complete list of what we have saved for you.

• If an item is low in stock and you remove it from your cart, you may not be able to add it back to your cart.

Once your order is finalized, we’ll harvest, pack, and label your box just for you!

Recipes & Ideas from the Farm

Not sure what to make with this week’s veggies? Each week we’ll share a few recipes and ideas to help you use your CSA share.

Early summer boxes are full of fresh greens, crunchy veggies, and the first tastes of summer. Remember - you don’t have to make anything complicated!

Some of our favorite CSA meals are the simple ones: a big salad, roasted veggies, a quick stir fry, or adding a handful of greens to something you already love.

Note: we are not classically trained, nor do we follow recipes well. The idea here comes from 20+ years of eating our own food and having very little time to do so.