We are so thankful that you entrust a portion of your family's food to our group of small family farmers. Did you know that a small farm can have up to $250,000 in sales per year according to the USDA? None of our farms is anywhere near that threshold.
We are also thankful for your understanding of product shortages and packing errors. Our farmers have to estimate quantity available almost a week in advance, and sometimes the weather or the plants don't cooperate as expected. In Week 14's Wednesday delivery some were shorted cherry tomatoes because many were split when they were picked...probably a result of heavy rains making the tomatoes waterlogged. And every week our packers make a couple of errors along the packing line, either skipping a product or adding the wrong item to a box. We try our best, but we can't really fire anyone for errors since our farmers volunteer their time to pack the boxes.
This week sweet corn and spaghetti squash make an appearance in boxes. Our regular mushroom guy is experiencing very slow fruiting lately, but the recent rains have made shiitakes fruit, so those are available again this week as a swap or extra. And Dinner Bell Farm is offering apple dumplings again, as well as sandwich buns.
A couple of scheduling notes:
1. Our driver Gwen will be on vacation this week, so I will be making deliveries. So if you send me an email I won't respond until the end of the day, or maybe later if it's not urgent or a quick reply.
2. We will be shortening the customization period for Week 17 to around midday on Sunday, Sept. 27 instead of Monday morning (including closing the Webstore early) because I will be off work Monday, Sept. 28. That will give me time to let our farmers know what their orders are for the week. Just a heads up so you aren't surprised.
Grateful Life Farm
We've had several rainy days this month which have brought pleasantly cool temperatures and the angle of the sun makes me feel like fall is right around the corner. We've been working hard this week to preserve our harvest, as beans, tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, and zucchinis are coming ripe. I've had some trouble finding new lids to purchase for canning jars, so I've changed my strategy a bit to make some different items and freeze more of them. I typically like to make quarts of pressure canned whole and half tomatoes. I find these very useful for all our winter soups, stews, and chili. This year I also tried this recipe for Indian Onion and Tomato Masala. It can be used as a base to make many Indian recipes more quickly, making them easier for weeknight meals. (Amy's note: She also has a nomato masala recipe for people like me who can't eat tomatoes. Thanks, Leah!) I'm also making homemade ketchup this year. This is one of my favorites, but I only make it in years with a good tomato harvest, because it uses a lot of tomatoes. Here are directions for ketchup and other delicious tomato creations.
Glacial Till Farm
It’s almost magical seeding today. This is one of my favorite times of year. Everything is bustling, my body has been fueled by fresh vegetables for months and after being tested by some mid summer heat I’m able to find that next gear and just crush the farm work. You can see the Premium Lettuce Mix below. Some of the Gourmet Salad Mix is featured in the top photo.
As always, the Webstore will be open all weekend, too. If you have never ordered from the Webstore, read the instructions here.
Have a great week everyone! I'm loving this weather, and the ragweed bloom is fading, so things are looking up for me. :)
On behalf of your NWPA Growers farmers,
Amy Philson
