Waltham Fields Community Farm
CSA NEWSLETTER 2016
FINAL WEEK
                                                                          Like us on Facebook  Visit our blog 
 
In This Issue
Fall & Winter Garden Corps
Autumn is the perfect time to enjoy the bountiful harvest! We'll be closing down the garden for the season, exploring the farm in the winter time and cooking delicious and warm foods. We'll also be working on garden design and planning for the spring season!
CSA PICKUP DATES AND TIMES
 
COME ONCE ON ANY OF THESE PICK UP DAYS
Wednesday, October 19, 2:00-6:30PM
Thursday, October 20, 2:00-6:30PM
Saturday, October 22, 9AM-2PM
 
Any shareholder is welcome to pick up on any of the above days! You don't have to let us know when you're coming. Feel free to switch back and forth from week to week if that works best for you, or choose a day and stick to it for most of the season. We'll be happy to see you whatever day you come to the farm.
WHAT'S IN THE SHARE - Our Best Guess
This is our best guess at this point. Actual crops may vary from what's listed here due to a variety of factors. 
  
In the Barn (Picked for You)
Misty morning broccoli harvest
Carrots
Beets
Salad turnips
Lettuce
Broccoli Raab
Broccoli/Cauliflower
Kale
Collards
Spinach
Potatoes
Bok choy
Tatsoi
Scallions
Frisee
Mixed greens
Arugula
Celery

Pick Your Own (PYO): 
Parsley & Perennial Herb & Flower Garden 

RECIPES
We have a ton of great recipes on our website, including many different suggestions for bok choyClick here to check them out!
NOTES FROM THE FIELD
Week 20: A Final Thank You
By: Erinn Roberts, Farm Manager

The passage of time is always difficult to make sense of and for some reason that's especially true of this season.  Maybe it's because we didn't have too many distinctively different epochs; it came on warm and dry and then got hotter and drier.  And now, suddenly, we've had dreamy days of bright sun warming cool air, shedding hats and sweaters by mid-morning to bask in the glow of autumn trees.  Loose ends are getting tied up, bulk harvests of roots are rolling in for winter storage and cover crop of rye and vetch is being sown across any open space we find or create.  It's a time for reflection and gratitude: we did it one more time-- grew food, got to know great people and fed a lot of families and individuals.  This week marks the end of the summer CSA and the end of the tenure for most of our field crew.  Andre, who came to us at just the right time this summer, was the first to depart and we miss him already.  With a couple seasons of Floridian farming under his belt, he taught us to be grateful that we don't count fire ants amongst our pests or local fauna.  He was a steady presence all season and seemed to really enjoy the complete immersion in your work that farming affords.  Finishing out the rest of this week with us will be Allison, Heidi and Stacey, who have taken the camaraderie of farming to the next level.  Never before has so much spontaneous singing erupted amongst a field crew and Heidi in particular impressed us all with her extensive knowledge of 80s and 90s hip hop lyrics.  Which is quite in line with the appreciation for detail and nuance that she brought to her work every day on the farm.  Allison, true to her Vermont roots, was always ready to take on whatever needed to get done in a straightforward and no nonsense way, usually fireworked at some point by a thrown-back head and a pure and rich burst of laughter.  She is an empathetic and kind person, expressed towards people and vegetables alike.  She has a soft spot in her heart for the especially funky, misshapen vegetables, the ones we refer to as "a bit much" for the CSA stand - red radishes that look like puckered faces, ten pronged octopus carrots, half rotten watermelon radishes, all taken in by what I like to think of as Allison's Home for Wayward Vegetables. Stacey started out as a steady Friday morning volunteer, morphed into a Sprout volunteer and was finally convinced after weeks of not so subtle requests to join field crew.  She comes with years of farming and culinary experience and passion which led us to have our first ever "Popsicle Dream Board" this season, and let me tell you, I recommend that as a summer tradition in your household.  Stacey can turn any situation onto its bright side and even when harvests of certain crops were looking particularly meager she could highlight the positives with authentic appreciation. 

Dewey broccoli

I'm grateful that we'll be bringing in the winter harvests with our core staff of Anna, Dan, Janelle and Naomi who form the backbone of the farm.  All of them hold so many different areas of expertise, talent, enthusiasm and perspective and the farm is richer for it.  What good fortune to work with so many people who care so deeply about the success, growth and culture of their work, co-workers and community. 

Last lettuce planting

And of course, I need to give a shout out to all of you, our CSA shareholders. This was a year that exemplified the true nature of the CSA relationship and your farmers thank you for the support. It is a comfort to see so many familiar faces year after year, and a joy to have new shareholders join us, hopefully becoming part of those ranks of familiar faces and shared history.  We'll be sending out a survey this winter as we think through the plan for 2017 and welcome your feedback on your experience, so keep your eyes out for that email. 

Lettuce & scallions

We're closing the season this week with a mix of storage veggies and fresh greens. Though the last of the winter squash from Picadilly went out in last week's share, we'll have carrots, beets, salad turnips and potatoes to stash in your fridge; arugula, broccoli raab and mixed greens are all still looking beautiful and add a delicious balance of bite to the sweetness of the roots.  If you've had your fill of fresh spinach, blanch this week's portion and throw it in the freezer, alongside some celery, and save it for a winter soup.  Broccoli and cauliflower have come in at a much slower pace than we would have liked and our whole second planting of cauliflower has yet to come on.  I'm hoping the stars will align to have some of it in the winter CSA share, and if you haven't purchased one yet we do still have a few left!  Despite the 80 degree weather this week, it's getting to be that time to hunker down, gather with loved ones, and relax into the restfulness of winter.  I know we're all looking forward to it.

Enjoy the harvest and hope to see you in 2017 (or the winter CSA)!
-Erinn, for the farm staff
WHAT'S IN THE BARN 

Gifts for the Holiday Season!
  
Looking for gifts for those special people in your lives? We have plenty of items for sale in the barn that would make lovely gifts during the upcoming holiday season. This year, give something you know will be appreciated and know you are supporting your favorite farm at the same time!
WFCF branded cutting boards made by apprentices of the non-profit, "Boston Handyworks"

WFCF Sweatshirts made from organic cotton

A number of CSA vegetable cookbooks, books about foraging wild edibles and pickling recipe books...AND MORE!

 
All of our retail products are available for sale to the public. For our own produce offerings, we prioritize giving shareholders a good return on their investment and meeting our food assistance goals (22% of what we grow - which should amount to $80,000 of produce for low-income households this year).
Early in the season, crops for sale to the public will be those that we have an abundance of, and later in the season, if production is going well, we hope to operate as a full-fledged farm store with a wide range of vegetables available to the public during our weekly CSA distribution hours.
Butternut Squash & Spinach Pasta

Ingredients
  • 8 oz spaghetti
  • 1.25 cups butternut squash cubes
  • 1 cup pasta sauce, canned or frozen from your CSA tomatoes
  • ¼ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons chopped roasted almonds
  • 1 cup spinach
  • salt, to taste
  • black pepper, to taste
  • ¾ teaspoon italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
  • 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, and more to garnish
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon oil
Instructions 
  1. Boil the pasta according to instructions on the package.
  2. Meanwhile preheat oven to 400 F degrees. Toss the butternut squash cubes with salt and 1 teaspoon olive oil and roast at 400 F for 15 minutes or till fork tender. Remove from oven and set aside.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot, add chopped garlic and saute for few seconds.
  4. Then add pasta sauce and also little water to the pan.
  5. Let it simmer for 1-2 minutes and then add salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, dried oregano and red chili flakes. Stir to combine.
  6. Add the roasted butternut squash cubes to the pan. Cook for 30 seconds.
  7. Add the boiled & drained spaghetti to the pan. Also add baby spinach and chopped toasted almonds.
  8. Mix everything together and add parmesan cheese.
  9. Transfer pasta onto your serving plate, garnish with more parmesan cheese and serve hot.
IMPORTANT SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

What's In The Share
Each Tuesday we'll send out a CSA newsletter letting you know our best guess for what will be in the share, for the items we're harvesting for you as well as for pick-your-own (PYO) crops. All shareholders need to check in with us in the Distribution Barn before picking up their share. Notice and respect the amounts indicated for the vegetables in the barn & in PYO and do not take the same vegetable twice unless otherwise advertised. 

If it's your first time picking up a CSA share let us know when you check in and we'll help guide you through your first pick up. Also, please feel free to ask us questions anytime. We're here to help you!

Bring Your Own Bags or a Box
Please remember to bring your own bags or a box to the farm to pick up your CSA share! We strongly encourage the use of reusable bags/boxes for all vegetables on the farm. If you forget your bags or want some really great ones, we have reusable Waltham Fields Tote Bags for sale in the barn for $4, with proceeds supporting our food assistance & education programs. 

Pick-Your-Own Crops
All shareholders are welcome to pick-your-own anytime during daylight hours, and you don't have to do your PYO when you pick up the rest of your share. Like last year, each PYO crop will have a number assigned to it. We'll have sheets of paper available each week with a map and a list of crops that are available to harvest on it, along with where the crops are located and the amount allowed and harvest tips. PYO sheets will be available at all times at the PYO stand on the south side of the Distribution Barn. Please respect the quantity and limits so that there is enough for everyone!

If You Need to Miss A Pick Up
If you can't pick up a share one week, we are not able to allow you to double up on another week. But you can send friends or neighbors to get your veggies on any week you can't make it yourself. Have them check in under the last name of the primary shareholder for your share. You don't need to let us know they're coming. They will just check in under your name at the CSA barn. If no one picks up your share, the veggies will be included with our weekly donations to hunger relief organizations. 

For Those Splitting a Share
If you are splitting a share, please remember that you need to pick up the whole share at one time each week. It is NOT acceptable for one partner to come at one time and pick up half the share and another to get the other half later. You'll need to coordinate with your share partner to figure out how to divide the share up, either by taking alternate weeks, meeting up at the farm to pick up the share together, etc. 

Dogs on the Farm
Dogs are welcome on the farm but are not allowed in the CSA barn or in the vegetable fields per health department regulations. Dogs must be leashed and owners must clean up after them. 

Share Pick Up Questions
More questions about share pick up? Check out our CSA FAQs! You can also contact Lauren Trotogott, our Distribution Coordinator. 
Quick Links
Waltham Fields Community Farm Staff

Year-Round Staff:
Shannon Taylor, Executive Director
Marla Rhodes, Volunteer & Development Coordinator
Erinn Roberts, Farm Manager
Anna Kelchlin, Assistant Farm Manager
Alexandra Lennon-Simon, Education & Outreach Manager
Lauren Trotogott, Distribution Coordinator
Kamelia Aly, Bookkeeper & Office Coordinator

Seasonal Staff:
Assistant Grower: Janelle Plummer
Greenhouse Production Supervisor: Naomi Shea
Equipment Supervisor: Dan Roberts
Field Crew: Heidi Blake, Stacey Daley, Allison Ostrowski, Andre Tufenkian
Learning Garden Educators: Autumn Cutting, Alannah Glickman, Jack Leng
CSA Assistant: Danielle Barmash

www.communityfarms.org
240 Beaver Street
Waltham, MA 02452