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Titus Farms CSA Newsletters

TFCSA: Week 10


Summer CSA: Week 10

What is being picked up this week?
Schedule B Shares

Weekly Shares

Not Picked Up:
Schedule A Shares

Monthly Shares

Hi Reader,

A little CSA Q&A to round out your Sunday:

  • How much time is left in the CSA?
    • Flower Shares: 3 weeks
      • Depending on your chosen schedule, this could be 1, 2, or 3 bouquets.
    • Veggie Shares: 6 weeks (counting this week).
      • Depending on your schedule, this could be 1-6 more times that we'll get to see you.
    • Pork Shares: distributed in October/November.
      • Please see an email we'll send out this week with all the 2025 details! If you're on the waiting list, you may not hear from us, but if there are cancellations, you may receive a notification.
    • All Other Shares (Hydroponic Lettuce, Mushrooms, Green Wagon, etc.): these run concurrently with the veggie schedule, so 1-6 more times depending on your schedule.
  • Is Titus doing a Winter CSA?
    • Planning is in the works! Here is a broad overview:
      • November-April, alternating weeks or monthly.
      • Locations: Allen Neighborhood Center & Meridian Market
      • What's included?
        • Store vegetables such as potatoes, winter squash, radishes, carrots, rutabagas, and cabbage.
        • Hoophouse freshness, such as spinach and lettuce.
        • MI-sourced items like dry beans or Michigan Apples.

Around the Farm

September is keeping us busy with its mix of endings and abundance. Peppers are still in full swing, and with the warm stretch of weather ahead, we expect to keep rolling in the reds, yellows, and purples for a while longer. Summer hasn’t let go just yet. Tomatoes from our farm and the Amish are rolling in, but our romas still aren't ripening as quickly as we'd like. So, we're unsure about canning tomatoes this year!

This week, we're doing a lot of field clean-up, hopefully, by pulling up old lettuce beds that have finished out, clearing onion fields, and saying goodbye to the last of the watermelons. The spring brassica field that didn’t quite make it has been tilled under, and cover crops are going in to help with soil fertility and structure. It’s the natural rhythm of the season—making way for what’s next.

Out in the vines, the winter squash are coming along nicely, but they won’t be ready until at least October. Every day, they get a little closer, swelling under the September sun.

Meanwhile, flowers are finally shining—the dahlias and glads are bursting open, adding a welcome touch of brightness to the farm (and your flower shares).

But, September keeps being September, so the weather is swinging wildly: from an unusually chilly night tonight (a reminder to protect your tender plants at home!) to a forecast near 80 degrees by week’s end. These extremes keep us guessing, but they also push crops forward in unexpected ways.

We’re also watching the sweet potatoes with anticipation. They’re still underground, growing and fattening, and we’re waiting for the right moment to dig in. Fall crops are always a balancing act—plant too early and you risk being overwhelmed before the season turns, plant too late and frost cuts things short. For now, we’re holding steady, hoping this stretch of weather gives everything just enough time.

The Menu

Credits for Veggie Shares: 30 for Standard/EOW, 60 for Large Shares

All other shares are not customizable and are therefore not reflected in the store. Please review your CSA Account in Farmigo to view your Share options and schedule.

Items in Red with an asterisk* are the Farmer's Choice for this week. If you forget to customize, this share is yours.

Available for this Week's Veggie Shares:

  • Apples*- our friend Cory at C&S Family Farm has Gala and Blondee (yup, there's an extra "e"), for us!
  • Bartlett Pears- limited and from C&S Family Farm. These will likely be a little unripe. They bruise very easily, so typically pears are sold unripe.
  • Beets- red beets, without the tops.
  • Cabbage, Red- very, very limited. Definitely for the last time until fall.
  • Carrots*- orange carrots without tops from Green Wagon Farm.
  • Celery- stronger and a little more hearty than grocery store celery.
  • Eggplant - the three types have returned!
    • Mini, Long-Skinny (Asian) and Italian.
    • Limited Quantities available of each, and one type may be substituted for another if quantities are low.
  • Garlic - thoroughly dried and storable outside the fridge.
  • Herbs- Lemongrass, Curly or Flat-Leaf Parsley, Summer Savory, and Stevia.
  • Hot Pepper Mix*- Choose from Mild or Medium/Hot!
  • Kale- Green Curly, Red Curly, and Dinosaur Kale.
  • Leeks*- a lovely, gentle-onion-flavored veggie that is great in soups, roasts, or replacing onions in most recipes.
  • Okra - a southern and Indian staple.
  • Onions!*- they are finally starting to dry down. Small in size, but still has a strong taste. These are more "storage" type onions- so not exactly sweet.
  • Potatoes, Farmer's Choice - Various sizes and washed.
  • Shishito Peppers - 1 in 10 are hot!
  • Sweet Peppers- We grow a variety of sweet peppers (labeled "sweet" because they have little to no heat, but may not be sweet yet).
    • Sweet Pepper Mix: some bell peppers and some sweet Italian frying peppers mixed in!
    • Lunchbox Peppers: Small and snackable! (Limited)
    • Cubanelles: an Italian frying pepper that has a slight bit of heat and acidity.
  • Tomatillos- just starting! Salsa verde is in season.
  • Tomatoes-
    • Cherry Tomato mix
    • Farmer's Choice Mix*: likely a blend of heirloom and slicing (traditional red) tomatoes. 1-1.5 pounds per share, or about 1-4 tomatoes. These are a mix of hoophouse and field-grown.
  • Watermelons- Our supplies are dwindling, so this might be the last week. If you'd like a seedless melon, we can't guarantee a specific color, but it will be either orange, red, or yellow, with orange or red being more likely.
    • Seedless*
    • Red w/Seeds

If/Maybe Items:

  • Beans- Green, Roma, or Dragon's Tongue. We likely won't know until tomorrow, or it may be something offered to the weekend folks.

Items likely done for Summer 2025:

  • Basil
  • Cucumbers, Zucchini, Sweet Corn, and Muskmelons

Items for Sale:

  • Fresh eggs
  • Jam: Blueberry, Raspberry, and Strawberry

Veggie of the Week: Tomatoes

This is peak tomato season, and the fields (and your CSA boxes) could be bursting with variety! From classic red slicers that make the perfect BLT, to colorful heirlooms with their rich, complex flavors, to the sweet little cherry tomatoes that are perfect for snacking or tossing into salads—we’ve got them all.

Tomatoes are one of the most versatile crops we grow. They can shine raw in a salad, roasted down into sauce, or cooked into comforting dishes that taste like late summer in every bite.

Storage & Tips

  • Counter, not fridge (for whole fruit): Cold temps mute flavor and can make tomatoes mealy.
  • Stems down: Store on the counter, stem-side down, to slow moisture loss.
  • Cut tomatoes: Once sliced, refrigerate and eat within 1–2 days.
  • To finish ripening: Tuck them in a paper bag with a banana or apple; ethylene speeds things up.
  • Heirloom handling: They bruise more easily—use sooner and slice with a sharp knife.

What's the difference between heirloom types and slicing tomatoes?

Heirlooms or hylooms tend to have thinner skins, softer flesh, and more complex sweet-tart notes—but they’re also more delicate, may show natural cracking or green “shoulders,” and don’t store quite as long.

Hybrid red slicers are bred for vigor, disease resistance, and uniform ripening. They’re sturdy, reliably round, slice cleanly, and keep a bit longer with that classic balanced “tomato” taste.

Put simply, reach for heirlooms when you want knockout flavor and color for raw dishes (such as caprese and salads), and grab hybrid slicers when you want tidy slices and durability (like BLTs, burgers, and roasting).

🍅 Recipe Ideas

1) Fresh Tomato Salad with Herbs & Balsamic
Bright and simple; perfect for showcasing heirlooms or juicy slicers.
👉 Fresh Tomato Salad: https://www.loveandlemons.com/tomato-salad/

2) Classic Bruschetta with Tomato & Basil
Chopped cherry or heirloom tomatoes + garlic, olive oil, basil on toast.
👉 Tomato Bruschetta: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/bruschetta_with_tomato_and_basil/

3) Shakshuka (Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce)
A savory, one-pan wonder of eggs gently poached in a spiced tomato-pepper sauce—perfect any time of day and great for using up sliced tomatoes.
👉 Shakshuka Recipe: https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/shakshuka.html

4) Fresh Tomato Salsa (Pico de Gallo)
Chopped cherry or slicing tomatoes tossed with onion, jalapeño, lime juice, and cilantro—great with chips or topping tacos.
👉 Fresh Salsa Recipe: https://cookieandkate.com/classic-pico-de-gallo-recipe/


Tomato Storage and Tips

Storage: Out of the fridge! If cut, use within 2 days or freeze.

Use: Add flavor and acidity to any dish!

You can find more tips and tricks here, in our handy storage guide.

Pic of the Week

Ordering Schedule 2025

If you pick up on Wednesday or Thursday:

  • Noon Sunday to 12:00 am Tuesday (end of day Monday).
  • You should see an automatic reminder email on Monday morning.
  • Note: the store opens at noon, even before you see this email.

If you pick up on Friday or Saturday:

  • From 12:00 am Wednesday (end of day Tuesday) to noon Thursday.
  • You should see an automatic reminder email on Wednesday morning.

See you soon,

Rebecca Titus
she/her/hers

Titus Farms CSA Manager
Phone (text or call): 517-910-3002
WhatsApp Rebecca


CSA Handbook 2025

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3765 Meridian RD, Leslie, MI 49251
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