This Week's Share + Know Someone Who Needs a Pig Roaster?

A few quick items of business: 

We're Selling a Pig Roaster! One of your fellow CSA members won a La Caja China pig roaster in a raffle, and has donated it to the farm. We're hoping to sell it and use the money at the farm. Do you or someone you know need a pig roaster? We put together a Craigslist ad that explains exactly what it is. If you're interested, please check it out, share it, or make us an offer! La Caja China Pig Roaster for Sale. 

Two More Weeks Left in the Season: After today, we're down to two more shares to go. We wrap up the season November 13 & 16. 

Got Spare Perenial Plants or Bulbs? If any members have any perenial plants that they may be dividing, we'd be happy to take some of the divisions. Examples: astor, mums, black eyed susans, lilies, etc. 

 

What's in this week's share:

• 5 3/4 pounds total of the following:
  • potatoes
  • radishes
  • garlic
  • chiles
  • sunchokes (2 1/2 lb max)
  • bok choy (1 lb max)
  • peppers
  • turnips
  • lemon grass

 

What's on U-Pick:

• New: Cardoons
• Greens, including arugula, Ruby streaks and Mizuna and spicy mix (note that greens are sparse, though will be back in the share next week)
• Daikon radish
• Herbs: parsley, sorrel, mint, lemon balm, sage, onion chives, garlic chives, lavender (no flowers), marjoram, stevia, thyme, anise hissop, cilantro, coriander, dill leaf, Mexican sour cucumbers. 
• Flowers (Gladiolas, zinnias and more) - sunflowers are beginning to bloom. 
• Chile peppers (we have ancho poblano, black Hungarian jalapeno, Hungarian Hot Wax, Big Jim Anaheim, Joe's Long Cayenne, Chinese Five Color, Maya Red habanero). This week, we have the most poblano, and the least habanero. 
• Bok choy

Thanks! And have a great week!

This Week's Share: Sweet Potatoes Are Here

This photo of warmer days come sfrom Rebecca. Fly on, butterfly!

The Fall Festival this past weekend was a huge hit, and so much fun.  Thanks to everyone who made it out to the farm to celebrate. Did you snap any photos from the Fall Festival? Would you like to share them? If so, please send them to us. We'd love to have them for the blog. 

Just a reminder: After this week, three shares to go! We wrap up the season November 13 & 16. 

What's in this week's share:

• 2 heads garlic or 10 cloves

• 2 lbs total combination sweet potatoes and regular potatoes

• 2 1/2 pounds total combination radishes, turnips, peppers or bok choy

• 1/2 pound total combination eggplant or greens, including arugula + lettuce + spicy mix + ruby streaks + kale + mizuna + lemongrass

 

What to expect next week:

We'll have sunchokes! Also, it's looking like it may frost this Friday, which means we'll strip the pepper plants. That means today and Saturday may be the final time you see peppers in the share.

 

What's on U-Pick:

• Greens, including arugula, Ruby streaks and Mizuna
• Daikon radish
• Herbs: parsley, sorrel, mint, lemon balm, sage, onion chives, garlic chives, lavender (no flowers), marjoram, stevia, thyme, Thai basil, anise hissop, cilantro, coriander, dill leaf, Mexican sour cucumbers. 
• Flowers (Gladiolas, zinnias and more) - sunflowers are beginning to bloom. 
• Chile peppers (we have ancho poblano, black Hungarian jalapeno, Hungarian Hot Wax, Big Jim Anaheim, Joe's Long Cayenne, Chinese Five Color, Maya Red habanero). This week, we have the most poblano, and the least habanero. 
• Bok choy

Thanks! And have a great week!

 

 

Caught on Camera at Clagett Farm

 

This year, we installed a new safari camera at the farm, over by the field with the winter squash. It's motion sensitive, so it starts recording as something (or someone) enters the field. We've been fascinated to watch the diversity of creatures that have slipped into the field over the last few months. We thought you might enjoy seeing exactly what we caught on camera. 

Here are a few photos and videos for you to check out!

 

Here's a ground hog, walking around like he owns the place: 

 

Wild Turkeys pecking around: 

 

A deer chomping away: 

 

Here's another deer we caught on video eating winter squash for an hour (don't worry, the video is only 11 seconds):

 

And here are two bucks, gnawing away as they wander through the field:

 

And here's a very fat groundhog making a run into the field to no doubt eat himself silly:

 

You can see a few more videos, including strangers on horseback, a cat, and a possum and more deer over at YouTube. 

Have a great day! We'll be back tomorrow with this week's share information.

Clagett Fall Grass-Fed Beef Sale is Underway

Each year, the farm offers some grass-fed beef for sale in the fall. The sale is now underway, and the meat will be available for pick up at the farm on November 23^rd.  If you are interested you read all about how the cows are raised and about the meat. 

Orders can be placed at the website.  If you have any questions feel free to reach out to Michael who heads up the beef sale. 

 

 

This Week's Share + Fall Festival is This Saturday

This week's photo was snapped at last week's rainy pick-up. For those of you who pick-up at the farm, the Dupont location now has a tent for inclement weather, so those who pick-up at Dupont don't have to bag their vegetables in the rain. 

A few pieces of news before we get to the share info: 

Fall Festival at the Farm -- The Fall Festival at the Farm is this Saturday, October 19! We hope you'll come out to the farm and join us. At 2P, as the pick-up begins, we'll have hayrides and an all-ages scavenger hunt. Then, starting around 4, the farm staff will be having a potluck. Members are welcome to join -- just bring a dish and hang out with the staff!

Last Shares November 13 and 16 -- After this week, there are 4 more weeks left in this CSA  season. As the season winds down, we'll give updates on gleaning that will begin in late November. 

Crop Updates -- Here are a few updates on what you can expect in the share over these final weeks:

• We're digging sweet potatoes tomorrow. We'll cure them, and they'll be in the share next week.
• Beets and carrots are coming along slowly, but they'll appear in these final few weeks.
• We're likely to have an abundance of garlic at the very end (stay tuned on that).
• Potatoes and radishes will remain in the share until the end.
• Peppers will end at first frost.
• Eggplants seem to be getting more miniature, so we expect them to leave the shares soon. 
• Greens are doing well and we'll have them until the end.
• Sunchockes (Jerusalem artichokes) will be in the final 3 weeks of the share.

What's in this week's share:

• 1 head garlic

• 3 1/4 pounds total combination potatoes + easter egg radishes + hakurei & purple top turnips + bok choy

• 1/2 pound total combination eggplant + sweet peppers + okra + chile peppers

• 1/4 pound greens, including arugula + lettuce + spicy mix + ruby streaks + kale + mizuna + lemongrass

What's on U-Pick:

• Greens, including arugula, Ruby streaks and Mizuna
• Daikon radish
• Herbs: parsley, sorrel, mint, lemon balm, sage, onion chives, garlic chives, lavender (no flowers), marjoram, stevia, thyme, Thai basil, anise hissop, cilantro, coriander, dill leaf, Mexican sour cucumbers. 
• Flowers (Gladiolas, zinnias and more) - sunflowers are beginning to bloom. 
• Chile peppers (we have ancho poblano, black Hungarian jalapeno, Hungarian Hot Wax, Big Jim Anaheim, Joe's Long Cayenne, Chinese Five Color, Maya Red habanero). This week, we have the most poblano, and the least habanero. 
• Cooking celery

Thanks! And have a great week!

 

This Week's Share: Greens, Potatoes, Radishes, Turnips and more

Today's photo was emailed in from Carrie, who snapped this photo on the farm last month. Send us your photos and we'll include them in the weekly updates! 

Here's this week's update:

Fall Festival is Coming Up in 10 Days!

Fall Festival at the Farm -- Saturday, October 19!  We hope you'll come out to the farm and join us. During the pick-up (roughly from 2-4 pm) we'll have hayrides, music and an all-ages scavenger hunt. After the pick-up, farm staff will be hanging out and having a little potluck around 5P. Members can bring food and join! 

 

What's in this week's share: 

• 1 head garlic
   
• 2 pounds total combination potatoes + easter egg radishes + hakurei turnips
• 1 pound greens, including arugula + lettuce + spicy mix + ruby streaks + kale + mizuna + spinach
• 1 1/2 pounds total combination bok choy  (see below for a recipe idea) + eggplant + sweet peppers + tomatoes + okra + chile peppers

 

Recipe Idea: Bok Choy and Mushrooms

CSA members Ian & Melissa wrote in this week with a great recipe idea:  

"We made a fantastic supper with Clagett's bok choy and shiitake mushrooms. I seared the bok choy in very hot oil for a few minutes, until it got brown spots, turning it a little; then took it out of the pan, threw in some sesame oil, ginger and garlic, and added cubed tofu to brown. That came out, a little more sesame oil went in, and I sauteed the chopped mushrooms. I added some Bragg's Liquid Aminos (great low-salt alternative to soy sauce), covered, and let them wilt down. Then I deglazed the pan with white wine, added the bok choy back in, and let it all steam under a lid for a few more minutes. I added the tofu back to warm it, and served it all on brown rice. Delicious! Bitter and brown tastes from the bok choy with umami from the mushrooms."

 

What's on U-Pick: 

• Greens, including arugula, Ruby streaks and Mizuna
• Daikon radish
• Tomatoes! Still on u-pick, still dwindling. Still lots of small tomatoes. 
• Herbs: parsley, sorrel, mint, lemon balm, sage, onion chives, garlic chives, lavender (no flowers), marjoram, stevia, thyme, Thai basil, anise hissop, cilantro, coriander, dill leaf, Mexican sour cucumbers.  
• Husk cherries (also called ground cherries). Pick them when the husk is yellow or brown.  The fruit inside should be yellow and sweet.
• Flowers (Gladiolas, zinnias and more) - sunflowers are beginning to bloom. 
• Tomatillos.  Pick them when the fruit fills out the husk.  The fruit inside should be green and taste like a tart, unripe tomato. 
• Chile peppers (we have ancho poblano, black Hungarian jalapeno, Hungarian Hot Wax, Big Jim Anaheim, Joe's Long Cayenne, Chinese Five Color, Maya Red habanero). This week, we have the most poblano, and the least habanero. 
• Cooking celery

 

Questions? Comments? Let us know here on the blog! 

 Have a good week, everyone!

 

This Week's Share: Fall Greens, Potatoes and Radishes

Today's photo was sent in by CSA member Fred, taken of Omar at the pick-up site! 

 

Happy Wednesday! Let's get going... 

Save the Date:

Fall Festival at the Farm -- Saturday, October 19! More details coming. During the pick-up (roughly from 2-4 pm) we'll have hayrides, music and an all-ages scavenger hunt. After the pick-up, farm staff will be hanging out and having a little potluck around 5P. Members can bring food and join! More on that as the date approaches. 

Last share of the season:  

A few people have asked when the CSA season will wrap up. For now, we're projecting that the final shares of the season will be November 13 and 16.  We'll let you know for sure as the date approaches. 

 

What's in this week's share: 

• 1 head garlic

• 1/4 pound total combination greens, including mizuna + Ruby Streaks + Spicy Mix + Collards + Kale

• 3/4 pounds total combination peppers + tomatoes + eggplant + chiles + okra

• 1 1/4 pounds total combination bok choi + arugula

• 4 pounds total combination potatoes, radishes and turnips

 

What's on U-Pick: 

• Greens, including arugula, Ruby streaks and Mizuna
• Daikon radish
• Tomatoes! Still on u-pick, still dwindling. Still lots of small tomatoes. 
• Herbs: parsley, sorrel, mint, lemon balm, sage, onion chives, garlic chives, lavender (no flowers), marjoram, stevia, thyme, Thai basil, anise hissop, cilantro, coriander, dill leaf, Mexican sour cucumbers.  
• Husk cherries (also called ground cherries). Pick them when the husk is yellow or brown.  The fruit inside should be yellow and sweet.
• Flowers (Gladiolas, zinnias and more) - sunflowers are beginning to bloom. 
• Tomatillos.  Pick them when the fruit fills out the husk.  The fruit inside should be green and taste like a tart, unripe tomato. 
• Chile peppers (we have ancho poblano, black Hungarian jalapeno, Hungarian Hot Wax, Big Jim Anaheim, Joe's Long Cayenne, Chinese Five Color, Maya Red habanero). This week, we have the most poblano, and the least habanero. 
• Cooking celery

 

Questions? Comments? Let us know here on the blog! 

 Have a good week, everyone!