Waltham Fields Community Farm
CSA NEWSLETTER 2016
Week 6 of 20
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In This Issue
MUSHROOM GROWING 101 WORKSHOP
Saturday, August 6, 10-11:30am
at Waltham Fields Community Farm

Join Fat Moon Farm's Elizabeth Almeida for fun with fungi: from how mushrooms impact an ecosystem to hands-on experience about growing your own mushrooms. Participants will be bringing home everything needed to start growing mushrooms at home! Register Today!

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)
The farm crew with the initial garlic harvest last week.
Beets
Bok choy
Green cabbage
Collards
Cucumbers
Kale
Lettuce
Summer squash
Swiss chard
Zucchini
Some other surprises

Pick Your Own (PYO): 
Curly & Flat Parsley, basil, dill, cilantro, Perennial Herb & Flower Garden.

SPRING RECIPES
We have a ton of great recipes on our website, including many different suggestions for cucumbersClick here to check them out!
NOTES FROM THE FIELD
Week 6: The Full Strength of July
Janelle Plummer, Assistant Grower
 
            It seems as though the season is moving along at such a quick pace.  It's already the second week of July!  Cooler weather crops have come and gone, and we are settling surely into the summertime.  We are nearing the end of greenhouse seeding for the season (just two weeks left!)...

thus closing the spring and looking ahead to the fall 

...as we start to plant autumnal brassicas.  I was amazed, standing in the field the other afternoon with Erinn and Anna as we checked on the recently transplanted broccoli seedlings: they're taking root so fast!

            The crew seems to be mimicking that rooting behavior.  Last week we welcomed a fourth field crew member Andre to the team and it feels like we are really hummin' now.  The jokes and camaraderie are as plentiful as the harvest.  We've enjoyed fresh cucumber popsicles made by Stacey, and ended one Friday with an intense race to plant celery.  We split into two teams, and among all of us we planted two 200' beds in under fifteen minutes!  Imagine eight sweaty farmers at the end of their week, bent over planting, yelling, laughing, and moving faster than tractors, all within inches of each other.  Strategizing, competition and motivation were at an all-time high.  It was neck and neck to the end and totally incredible.  And, in case you were wondering, my team won...

            Despite the dry weather, the farm looks lush right now.  The squash and zucchini plants are deep green and huge, and I've never seen such consistently beautiful lettuce.  Both our Lyman and Weston fields are in the groove as well, and the potato plants are up to my knees! Some highlights of the past week have felt like benchmarks.  Dan and Erinn finished tying the first round of tomatoes, and we began the garlic harvest last week.  I won't say too much, but it's coming out of the ground and looking impressive.  The flower field is blooming and every day I fall more in love with the snapdragons.  We are watering nonstop.  I must say I am feeling the full strength of July now.

            As we make our way into another warm week, I remind myself of the ebb and flow of this work.  There are patterns and rhythms, joys and frustrations.  Sweltering days and moments of reprieve.  It seems as though we are finding our stride now.  Erinn asked me the other day what my favorite thing to do on the farm is... I simply can't choose.  Since April, I have learned so much about farming, and while our days follow a pattern, there's always something new, whether it be a small victory or an interesting challenge.  The first harvest of the morning is always my favorite and I hope you enjoy it on your plates as much as I enjoy harvesting it from the field.
 
            Until next time,
            Janelle, for the crew
Weed Crew finishing a daunting task of weeding onion beds.
Three of our four Field Crew members (left to right: Stacey, Heidi & Allison).
WHAT'S IN THE BARN 

  
From hand-selecting the fresh fish each morning on the Boston Fish Pier (much of it caught just hours earlier), owners Matt Baumann & Chris Avery oversees the marriage of fresh fish, spices, and aromatic smoke in small batches to make sure what is on your plate is the best possible smoked fish you can find.  

For a limited time, we will be carrying the following products: 
Simply Smoked Salmon
Rajun' Cajun Smoked Salmon
Smoked Haddock
Bluefish Pate

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.
Herbed Squash Salad with Yogurt Dressing
Serves 4-6

Ingredients
  • 2 medium yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch half-moons
  • 1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint leaves
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
Instructions 
In a medium bowlcombine squash, red onion, olive oil, lemon juice, Greek yogurt, parsley, and mint. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Share Pick Up Questions
More questions about share pickup?  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, 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
Weed Crew: Annie Carter, Jenny Grossman, Jack Spiva, Rebekah Waller
Learning Garden Educators: Autumn Cutting, Alannah Glickman, Jack Leng
CSA Assistant: Danielle Barmash

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