Week 16 CSA Newsletter (October 4-10, 2020)
CSA Newsletter Week 16
October 3-10, 2020 | “B” Week
HOW TO SIGN UP FOR NEXT YEAR’S CSA
It’s almost time for CSA EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION!
So many of you have been asking, “How do we sign up for next year?! When does this happen?…”
Well… it’s time! Registration opens Sunday, October 11.
Every fall, we try to get as many of our full season members and Sampler members as possible to make their CSA commitment early. This helps us plan for the future, and gives us a sense of financial security through the winter. It also helps me see how many new members from our paid wait list we can invite into our CSA.
For TWO WEEKS (beginning next Sunday, October 11-24), we give our current members and Sampler members FIRST DIBS on the spots for next year at an early bird discounted price. After that, we open our remaining spots to our paid wait list. Then we open it to the public.
The Early Bird offer is the BEST offer we make of the year. It includes a discount as well as an early signing bonus gift. It’s only around for 2 weeks. So if you know you want to renew, THIS is the time to do it.
Let’s walk through some of the details…
Q: When does the early bird offer/sign-up officially open?
We open the doors to sign up on Sunday, October 11, at 8 AM sharp. And we close the early bird offer on Saturday, October 24, at 11:59 PM.
Some of our share types (aka eggs) are very popular, so if you really want to grab one of those, I recommend you be ready to place your order on Sunday.
We’ll probably still have spots open after our deadline, but if you sign up AFTER then, you won’t get the early bird price AND the special bonus gift will disappear (see below — it’s a pretty cool bonus).
The link will be sent to you via email this week.
This year we are introducing a new share type: the weekly ice cream share from Knueven! Each week will be a new seasonal, flavored variety. This share type is not offered for Port Clinton site.
Q: Are there any major changes this year?
Yes, quite a few. Let’s do a quick overview. Details will be in the later sections below.
- We are dropping our membership numbers from 425 to 400.
- We have added a weekly Knueven ice cream share — a different variety each week!
- We’ve added a weekly chocolate milk share AND a lowfat milk share (by the half gallon).
- Weber Ranch will no longer be providing us with our egg share. Knueven Creamery and our farm will be sharing the load in providing the egg share. As a result, you’ll notice that the egg share has dropped in price to $5/dozen. The egg share inventory is being capped at 100 dozen this year, so they will be a hot commodity.
- The Toledo Farmer’s Market will no longer be offered as a CSA pickup site. Customers from that site can now choose from one of the 4 remaining locations.
- We will not be attending the Toledo Farmer’s Market next season as a retail location either.
The Vegetable Share — what’s included (no major changes)
- 18 weekly boxes of certified organic veggies (mid-June through mid-October), plus all the goodies on the extras table each week.
- Access to the private SLF Facebook group community and all its awesome-ness. If you do not renew your membership, your access to the Facebook group ends December 1st.
- Weekly Recipes prepared by our CSA Coach each week
- Access to the CSA Membership Academy to help you learn how to use your food — valued at $19/month, but you get it free
- Access to our farm events, contests, and challenges so you can keep sharpening your foodie skills and having fun!
- Early access to our online store each week to add in additional popular veggie items for weekly pickup.
Egg shares typically sell out in the first 48 hours. SO if you want an egg share, be sure to renew your membership on Sunday!
2021 Early Bird Membership Prices:
- Standard VegBox (formerly called a “half” share) cost
$440.Early Bird Price: $430 - Large VegBox, double portion (formerly known as the full share) cost
$845.Early Bird Price: $820
There are 400 spots available for next year.
ADD-ON SHARES & PRICING: NEW ITEMS!!
Egg share, 18 weeks ~ Weekly Dozen $90; Bi-Weekly Dozen $45 — ONLY 100 AVAILABLE – THESE SELL OUT FAST! — Note: Weber Ranch is no longer providing us our eggs. These eggs will be sourced from either Knueven Creamery or Shared Legacy Farms, which follow free-range, organic practices.
Quarry Hill Orchard Fruit Bag (not organic) ~ for a 16 week season: Weekly $360 or Bi-Weekly $180 — ONLY 150 AVAILABLE
Maddie & Bella Coffee Share (18 weeks): 12 oz. bag of roasted, whole-bean coffee, different variety each week: Weekly $252 or Bi-weekly $126 — COFFEE BONUS: Order a coffee share of any size, and Maddie and Bella will provide you with a FREE bag of their popular holiday blend this November!
NEW!! 18 Week Ice Cream Share – pint size, fun variety each week — from Knueven Creamery (18 weeks): Knueven will be present at your pick up each week to pass out your ice cream pint to ensure its cold temperature and freshness. NOT AVAILABLE FOR PORT CLINTON.
18 Week Whole Milk Share – 1/2 gallon — from Knueven Creamery (18 weeks) – $50: Knueven will be present at your pick up each week to pass out your milk order to ensure its cold temperature and freshness. NOT AVAILABLE FOR PORT CLINTON
NEW!! 18 Week LowFat White Milk Share – 1/2 gallon — from Knueven Creamery (18 weeks) – $50: Knueven will be present at your pick up each week to pass out your milk order to ensure its cold temperature and freshness. NOT AVAILABLE FOR PORT CLINTON.
NEW!! 18 Week Chocolate Milk Share – 1/2 gallon — from Knueven Creamery (18 weeks) – $55: Knueven will be present at your pick up each week to pass out your milk order to ensure its cold temperature and freshness. NOT AVAILABLE FOR PORT CLINTON.
Cheese Share Combo – 9 times (3 cheese varieties every two weeks): $200 ~ sourced from Turkeyfoot Creek Creamery and Canal Junction Farmstead
Goat Cheese Only Sampler – 9 times – (1 log of goat cheese) – $66
Hard Cheese Only Sampler – 9 times – (2 one-pound portions of hard cheese) – $135
Early Bird Signing Bonus — PINT OF ICE CREAM
Renew a CSA membership by October 24, at 11:59 PM, and you’ll receive a VOUCHER from Knueven Creamery for a pint of any of their ice cream. You MUST order before midnight on October 24 to get this bonus — NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE GIVEN.
If you order before October 19, I’ll even be able to hand you your voucher on your final CSA pickup day. Otherwise, it will be mailed to you. You’ll get this voucher EVEN IF you don’t order a milk share. (And even if your site is Port Clinton!)
**Note: If you have a milk allergy, please reach out to us and let us know and we will have another bonus gift for you.
Current CSA members and Sampler members can purchase their 2021 membership between Oct. 11-24 at the Early Bird rate and get a free pint of Knueven ice cream.
CSA Pick-Up Site Times:
(NOTE: Toledo Market has been discontinued as a CSA site for 2021)
- Elmore, Tuesday evening 5:30-6:30 PM — Elmore will move to a drive-thru pickup next season
- Sylvania, Tuesday 5:30-6:30 PM
- Perrysburg Grace UMC, Thursday 5-6:30 PM
- Port Clinton, Thursday 6-6:30 PM — no milk share available
We will no longer be attending the Toledo Farmer’s Market in 2021 as a CSA site or a weekly retail location.
Jim Hertzfeld was inspired by Chef Nixon’s menu, and made his own version of Kurt’s onions. He earned 3rd place in our Cast Iron Contest.
How to Get the Early Bird Discount & Bonus:
You’ll get the early bird discount of $10 off automatically when you order in the store between Oct 11 and 24.
No coupon code needed.
The bonus voucher for the ice cream will be delivered to you on the final week of the CSA (if you’ve ordered by then). Otherwise it will be mailed to you. This voucher MUST be turned in to redeem your free gift, so don’t lose it! You do NOT have to order a milk share in order to get the voucher. It’s a bonus for anyone who renews their Vegetable Share before the Early Bird deadline.
If you order a coffee share of any size, you’ll receive a free bag of Maddie & Bella’s Holiday Blend (available on Thanksgiving weekend).
How do I pay? (Check, please!)
Do I have to pay all at once? (No…)
- No payment occurs online when you place your order. You’ll receive a confirmation invoice sent to your email inbox. Then you send in your half-payment via check, dated for January 2, 2021.
- IMPORTANT: YOU MUST POST-DATE YOUR CHECK FOR JANUARY 1, 2020. We do not want to post any more CSA income for this year (or it messes up our income tax).
- We ask that you mail in that first check for 50% of the balance in the next 4 weeks. You can also bring it to your final CSA pickup. We’ll store it safely here until January. We live off this income starting January 2, 2020, for the first 5 months of the year, so please help us out by mailing in that payment.
- If you need to break up the payments into more checks and just mail them together, that’s fine too. The balance is due by June 1, 2021.
What if I could use a little financial help?
We have a Pay It Forward scholarship fund for this. Reach out to us and let us know how much help you need, and we’ll see what we can do. If you’d like to make a donation to this Scholarship Fund, we have set up a PayPal Money Pool here.
How and When Do I Sign Up? Where’s the link?!
We’ll open up the CSA store on Sunday, Oct. 11 at 8 AM sharp. The private link will be emailed to you the weekend before, and posted in the Facebook group. (I can’t post it here or the public would be able to pre-order).
YOUR HOMEWORK:
Be prepared. Figure out what type of shares you want to order for next year, and be ready to order on Sunday, October 11, at 8 AM , especially if you want eggs!! Don’t forget to write out that check and get it to us within 4 weeks…. we live on those checks the first 5 months of the year!
This cinnamon bun was baked with our rye flour, and it won Ellen Rodriguez an honorable mention in the Cast Iron Cooking Contest.
CSA Week 16 Box Contents:
October 3-10, 2020 | “B” Week
RED ONIONS ~ Store these on your counter top, away from your potatoes. They are cured, so they should last for many weeks. You can chop and freeze your onions into a Ziplock bag.
MILD AND WILD CUT LETTUCE ~ Our popular mix of cut greens with lots of bold colors. Put this is your Fridgesmart container for longer lasting flavor. Otherwise, eat it within the first 2-3 days. Store in the fridge.
ARUGULA ~ This peppery, spicy green is highly perishable! Store it in a Fridgesmart container or Green Bag and eat within the first 2-3 days. Use it in a salad or topping on your meat. Or try adding it to your pasta for a peppery kick.
CUBANELLE PEPPERS (4) ~ Store in the fridge in a green bag. These are a sweet variety, so use them like bell peppers. Great for frying in the cast iron pan, grilling, or freezing.
SHALLOTS ~ Store on the counter or in a cool, dark place. These shallots are cured, so no need to refrigerate! Remove skin and chop finely for use in pan sauce, salad dressings, or salads. You can also flash freeze them.
YELLOW SWEET ONIONS (QT) ~ Store on the counter or in a cool, dark place. These onions are cured, so no need to refrigerate! Remove skin and chop finely for use in pan sauce, salad dressings, or salads. You can also flash freeze them.
DELICATA WINTER SQUASH (1) ~ Store on the counter or in a cool, dark place. Bake, steam, or boil. The yellow flesh on the inside is creamy and sweet. Remove seeds.
SWEET CORN (NOT ORGANIC) ~ Store in their husk in a plastic bag in your fridge. This will be an “extra” added to your box at pickup. This is the final sweet corn of the CSA season.
ROMA TOMAOTES (6) — our final Roma tomatoes of the year. Store these on the countertop, or in your fridge. They are a pasty tomato, so not a lot of juice! That makes them better for salsa or sauce.
POTATOES (2 lb.) from MILE CREEK FARM ~ Store your potatoes away from onions and out of the light. Use within 4 weeks.
BROCCOLI GREENS ~ Store in a Green Bag in your fridge and use them within 4 days. If your leaves are limp, you can refresh them by soaking them in some ice water. You can blanch them, saute them, add them to stews or stir fry meals. You can add them to spaghetti sauce, make chips, or use them in wraps.
RADISHES ~ These will be for Tuesday sites only (since Thursday and Saturday sites got them last week). They come with tops. Remove the tops and store them separately in a green bag in your fridge; use within 2 days. The roots can be washed and stored in a separate container for up to 3 weeks. Try roasting or pickling them!
FRUIT SHARE – PS: It’s “B” Week!
NOTE: The final Fruit share week will be Week 17 of our season. That’s because the fruit share only runs 16 weeks, and we started it on week 2 of our regular veggie season. Since week B folks got their fruit share first, that means that “A week” members will get their final share on week 17. B week members get their final fruit share this week 16.
APPLES – store these in a bag in the fridge. We’ll post the variety when we know more.
PEARS — from Quarry Hill Orchard – if they are still hard, you’ll need to leave them on the countertop for a few days to soften up. THEN put them in the fridge to slow the ripening.
APPLE CIDER — half gallon of cider from Burnham’s Orchard.
MADDIE & BELLA COFFEE SHARE: Before the Dawn blend
The Winner of the Cast Iron Contest is…Darcy Smith!
Darcy Smith wowed us with SO many creative uses of cast iron. This shepherd’s pie and baked apples was just ONE of her many inventions. She wins the grand prize for our Cast Iron Cooking contest — $100 off next year’s membership.
Howdy everyone! Deep breath. There’s a lot to talk about this week!
As far as field work goes, I’ve been working a lot of ground. If you came out here, you’d see large sections of open ground, recently tilled. It’s awfully dry for this time of year; I’ve welcomed the small hits of rain this past week. I’m just about ready to spread some cover crop seed into these areas. Cover crops are a big investment for our farm, but a necessary one. Remember, every time we grow a plant in the field, we remove nutrients, nitrogen, organic matter, and trace minerals from the soil. If we don’t put them BACK, we won’t be able to grow vegetables much longer. Rather than conventional fertilizers, organic farmers lean on spreading manure, compost, and cover crops.
You can see the bare ground behind the kale. That used to be all my onions.
This year, I’m using tritical, rye, crimson clover, and winter peas. These plants keep all those healthy micro-organisms in the soil busy over the winter; then when the plants die back in the cold months, they not only keep erosion from happening, but they also break down and release their carbon compounds and minerals back into the soil. Win, win!
My crew has pulled almost all the poly row covering from my dad’s melon fields. We did a final picking of the Romas and globe tomatoes this Friday. I may get one more cherry tomato harvest in if I’m lucky. The vines have REALLY died back, so it’s time to strip the plants. We harvested some radishes for last week’s Thursday boxes as a surprise. I took a look and saw that they were sizing up. Those can get big real fast, so I made a quick decision and added them to the box. Trying to keep things fair for all, I’m hoping to get Tuesday boxes their radishes too.
This is what the tomato plants look like now. Notice how the leaves and vines are dying back.
I hauled a big load of scrap I’ve been collecting over the past year. Made $300 bucks. I also spent 2 full days this week hauling giant bulk bins from Elmore to Fremont. The organic co-op that I’m part of purchased 300 giant bulk bins — the kind we store melons and winter squash in — from a local old tomato packer outside Elmore. I had to borrow my cousin’s big trailer and Adam’s skid loader to move those, stack them 3 high, and then transport them to the co-op’s headquarters in Fremont, where they were unloaded. It took me four separate loads. I was dreading this project because it was such a time suck. But I didn’t want to be doing it in the frigid winter temps later this season. As a result, Corinna had to oversee harvest and pack night on Monday, but she did a bang-out job!
I spent Friday afternoon with the boys going paw-paw hunting. We know a wooded place nearby that is loaded with trees. This year, we discovered entire new groves growing. In about 10-20 years, that place is going to be a goldmine of fruit. Paw paws are the official state fruit of Ohio, but ironically many locals have never heard of them! They are harvested in late September by shaking the trees, causing the fruit to drop. The fruit has a smooth, green skin and a creamy yellow interior, that tastes a little like a custard. It’s also full of big seeds, so watch out! My boys love the fun of the hunt! And every year we emerge from the woods covered in burrs with a full bucket of fruit.
One of our staffers recently offered us their timeshare for a week this winter — All I have to say is, “Wow.” (Corinna and I are going to get away just the two of us.) We’ve seen so much outpouring of support from our CSA members of late, which just keeps us so motivated. We’re all really tired, but unlike last year, we’ve done a better job of managing our energy and resources. And we are feeling hopeful. Thanks to our strong CSA support this season, we have weathered the COVID storm, and are ending our year financially stable. What a difference that makes on our mental health this time of year!
We told our Toledo customers this past week individually, but I wanted to make sure you ALL knew that we have decided not to return to the Toledo Farmer’s market next season. There are many reasons behind this — not related to COVID actually. We’ve been thinking about it for the last 3 years, but have been afraid to cut the cord because we care so much about our friendships with our CSA members there. It was also scary because it would mean that we were solidly declaring our focus for the CSA and wholesale markets — and closing the door on the farmer’s market income stream. This is often a stage that many “older” farms go through — graduating from the farmer’s market to more of a wholesale focus. And it’s a little bit scary (but also exciting).
The decision was finalized a few weeks ago, when I realized how I am struggling to get the actual job of farming done, because I spend so much of my time off site doing deliveries. As I begin to take over my parents’ farm operation, and their income relies on my effective management now too, I needed to find some time in my week to make sure I don’t bungle it up. The obvious choice was cutting Toledo. Currently, we spend all Friday harvesting and packing for that market (and the CSA), and then I spend most of the next day at the market itself. When I imagine what I could accomplish with 2 extra days every week on farm next year, I get all excited. Not to mention, we’d have a chance to go camping on weekends, or just take half a day off to rest and recharge.
Brian Hammer taught us all how to make a deep dish pizza in a cast iron — plus a WHOLE lot of other ideas during the entire contest. For that, he wins a 2nd place prize in the Cast Iron Cooking Contest.
Ultimately, it was a personal decision — something I need to do for myself and my family. I want to thank all of you who have supported us at Toledo over the past 13 years. We will miss the market, and who knows?… we may drop in occasionally when we have a special release of product we want to get rid of!
Corinna is going to be talking ALL week about Early Registration. She’s been working on her communication plan for the last 5 days to make sure the sign-up process is glitch-free, and you all know what’s going on. So for the next 2 weeks, you’ll be seeing more than the usual posts and emails about different features and elements of the early bird registration offer. You have until the final day of our season (Oct. 24), to renew at the special early bird rate. After that, there will probably still be spots — although we do have a paid wait list of 38 people standing by to take what’s left — but I have a funny feeling we might sell out earlier than usual. So if you want in again next year, I encourage you NOT to wait until April to decide, but rather to lock it in on October 11th.
Our final week of the CSA is October 19-24. I’ll see you at the pickup!
~Your Farmer, Kurt
This lettuce mix is called Mild & Wild. You’ll LOVE it.
WEEK 16 ANNOUNCEMENTS
- CAST IRON CONTEST WINNERS! Congratulations to our 4 winners. You’ll find their entries scattered around this week’s newsletter issue!
- First Place: Darcy Smith
- 2nd Place: Brian Hammer
- 3rd Place: Jim Hertzfeld
- Honorable Mention: Ellen Rodriguez
- FRUIT SHARE MEMBERS: PLEASE READ! The final Fruit share week will be Week 17 of our season. That’s because the fruit share only runs 16 weeks, and we started it on week 2 (“B” week) of our regular veggie season. Since “B Week” folks got their fruit share first, that means that “A week” members will get their final share on week 17. B week members get their final fruit share on week 16 — that’s this week.
- Early Registration for next season’s CSA begins on October 11, at 8 AM sharp. Be sure to read the section in this newsletter that spells out all the details. I will be emailing and posting in the facebook group all week long, breaking down the important details you need to know.
- EGG SHARE CUSTOMERS: PLEASE READ! This is the final week of eggs for Week B customers. Last week was the final week for Week “A” egg shares. Next week will be the final week of eggs for WEEKLY egg shares. (Remember how we doubled up on eggs earlier in the season?… Do the math, and you’ll see how it works! LOL). We want to thank Weber Ranch for an awesome partnership these last few years. This is their final season with us!
Delicata squash can be cooked in a cast iron skillet. You don’t even need to remove the outside skin!
WEEK 16 CSA RECIPES
Members: To save time each week, I’m now publishing the recipes only as a PDF. You can download these recipes here. This week’s recipes are:
Caramelized Shallots
Pear, Shallot and Delicata Squash Soup
Whole Roasted Shallots and Potatoes with Rosemary
Roasted Delicata Squash Salad with Warm Pickled Onion Dressing
Skillet Dinner with Broccoli Leaves
Broccoli Greens in Bacon Grease
Roasted Roma Tomatoes
Arugula and Tomato Salad
Orzo Salad with Corn, Arugula and Cherry Tomato
Creamy Fettuccine with Corn and Arugula
Loaded Apple Cider Oatmeal Muffins
Apple Cider Skillet Meal