Farm Happenings at Broadfork Farm
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Farm Happenings for October 20, 2021

Posted on October 18th, 2021 by Janet Aardema

Our Farm Share season ends November 20th. Some every-other-week members will end the week prior. Looking ahead to 2022...We'll start sending you emails about the 2022 Farm Share season this week. We'll auto-renew any members that wish to stay with us, and you'll receive about 5 advance emails telling you when that will happen (so that you have plenty of time to make changes to your type of share or frequency, opt out if needed, or prepare for the 25% deposit to be charged to your card). Only after all current members have the opportunity to auto-renew will we open sign-up to new members. Stay tuned!

Our crop planning for 2022 is well underway, we will place our seed order soon, we will take soil tests soon, and cover crops are creeping taller in our fields. In about 5 weeks, we'll put most of our fields to rest for the winter. That means mulched, cover cropped, or a combination of mulch and rooted plants. As part of our pledge for Soil Health, we keep soil covered and maximize living roots at all times - including during the winter months. Our fields will look dormant, but we manage them to allow for biological activity in the soil to keep cranking. 

Carrots are ready this week! It's the moment many of us have been waiting for since June!

Cabbages are fantastic right now! We have both smooth-leaf cabbage and Napa cabbage (Chinese Cabbage). We love both of these as cole slaw or in a saute with oil, onions, and protein. 

In the Bread section today, we have a special appearance from our limited-edition Pumpernickel Bread. This is 100% Dan's handiwork, it contains both onions and molasses, plus caraway, and it's delicious. It is, apparently, "the only pumpernickel endorsed by TV's Andrew Freiden."  It is, definitely, "the only Pumpernickel made by Broadfork's Dan Gagnon." Get yourself a loaf while you can! 

We have one more workshop opportunity for you this fall: 

Hands-On Hearth Cooking Workshop
Nov 6th, 10:30 – 4:00
* Are you interested in exploring Foods and Recipes of the past?
* Would you like to learn historically accurate cooking techniques?
* Does cooking on an open fire appeal to you?
Then sign up today for this Hands-On Workshop and learn how to cook like our ancestors did.
Recreate recipes from 17th, 18th and 19th century sources and taste everything you make in class.
Class Size is limited so sign up early. Pre-registration required. Ages 16+ (Under age 16 allowed to register with paying adult participant.)

 

$165 ($145 tuition paid in advance + $20 materials fee to be paid at check-in)
Workshop organized and led by culinary historian Rebecca Suerdieck. Suerdieck is a second generation Colonial Williamsburg Educator, with many years of experience in 17th and 18th century Living History Interpretation. Details here as a Facebook event  and registration is here: cookingandfire.com

Vegetable Storage Reminder: keep Tomatoes and Eggplants OUT of the fridge. All GREENS and ROOTS need to be refrigerated in an AIR TIGHT bag or container to prevent going limp/wilty. If you're short on fridge space, you can also keep Peppers, Onions, Potatoes, Garlic, and Cucumbers (for a brief time) out of the fridge. 

The delicious fermented vegetables listed here are also from Katherine at Gathered Threads. We've been making our own fermented/cultured vegetables for years, and hers are the most delicious we've ever tasted! Give them a try. Your taste buds and your gut flora will thank you. This month's options include:

 
Chipotle Salsa
Mustard with Mustard (this is incredibly delicious! Our whole family loves it!)
Spicy Kimchi
Kimchi
White Kimchi
Cucumber Kimchi
Beet & Onion Pickle
Apple Juniper
Caraway Sauerkraut
 

 

And - There are EGGS available this week. 

Blessings on your meals ~

Janet, Dan and the whole Broadfork Crew (Julie, Karen, Rachel, Maya, Parker, Ramsi, Anna, Rowen, and the farm kids)
Want to follow along during the week, including Farm Stand updates? Visit us on Facebook or Instagram