It's week 19! This is our second to last week of Summer CSA distributions! Your last delivery of summer shares will be October 22nd, so mark your calendars (and sign-up for fall and winter if you're not ready for veggies to end!)
The weather still seems eerily warm, and while we've had our first frost, the nights are warm, so many of our fall harvested crops just keep growing. We're really feeling ready for things to wind down here on the farm. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it's been a long summer, with lots of new adjustments on the farm, and we are tired. Definitely ready for some family time by the fire. I'm always surprised to find myself longing for winter's endless hours of spreadsheets this time of year, but here we are.
I think I've written about how as farmers the work that the most pressing and imminent in any moment is often taking care of something that we'll be harvesting months down the road. While we're about to dive headlong into harvesting thousands of lbs of carrots, beets, parsnips and other storage items, food that will keep us (and you!) fed all winter - just over the horizon is my opus for the winter: planning, logistics, and...marketing. Now, in October, is when we start laying the groundwork for our goals and objectives for next summer. Eric and I start making an epic list this time of year, of things to organize, discuss, plan, and prepare over the winter months, so that the summer months go well. It can range from building our whole cropping plan to organizing the garage, from calibrating and fixing equipment, to meeting with new customers/businesses, to updating the employee handbook and hiring new people. We get asked a lot what we do in the winter - and the answer is: a lot! And last winter, with the arrival of Iona, we worked like crazy to stay on top of things, then suddenly our priorities shifted and a lot of the planning had to get put on the back burner while we adjusted to this new little being in our lives. We're looking forward to a little more rest and normalcy this winter...
Reminders:
-two weeks left for summer deliveries! If your delivery is on a Tuesday the 22nd is your last summer delivery, if it is a Thursday, the 24th is your last delivery.
-Do you have a share on hold that you'd like to reschedule? This week and next are your last chance to get that extra share delivered.
-Macoun apples are still available to add to your shares! Get local, wonderful apples with all your veg this week!
Got the lovely, bitter green escarole in your share this week? If you are unsure what to do with this green give Italian Wedding Soup a try - it's an easy dish that features this somewhat rare green:
https://www.carriesexperimentalkitchen.com/tortellini-escarole-soup/
