Farm Happenings at Oak Spring Farm
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Farm Happenings for September 21, 2021

Posted on September 16th, 2021 by Lisa Duff

Hello Farm-ily,

With everyone settled back in school and summer vacations over a more predictable routine is settling us down around the farm. We are harvesting the same 3 days per week but as new plantings slow down we turn our focus on cover crops. Oats, rye, forage radish, winter peas, hairy vetch and clover are among the cover crops we choose to build organic matter in the soil, prevent soil erosion and help control weeds. 

September is flying by and we are harvesting lots and lots of potatoes! Red Norland potatoes are on the menu this week. New this month are parsnips, pictured above. I really like parsnips roasted in a fall vegetable medley with carrots and potatoes, winter squash and fresh herbs. Check out the FB Farm-ily page for great recipe ideas and join our challenge today! There is a prize drawing to enter just for participating!

 Even though it's only September it's time for farmers to think about next season. Which means it's time to start planning for 2022 CSA. Those of you who have been with us since last year know that we auto renew your membership yearly.  As a convenience to you, your CSA subscription will automatically renew into the 2022 season in late October. We haven't set a date yet; more details to come over the next few weeks.

Need to change your payment option or check your auto renew status?  Log into your Harvie account here →  https://www.harvie.farm/account/subscription  Update your auto renew settings here.

 Why is Oak Spring doing auto renew vs. traditional sign up methods?  Auto renew is done as a courtesy to you. Simply “set it and forget it” and continue to get farm-fresh produce from us season to season without missing a delivery. You no longer have to remember to sign up every season. We take the worry out of it. This also ensures your spot gets saved before sign up opens to the general public! 

Bread share: Simple Country

Cheese share: cheddar

Fruit share: apples

Storage tip of the week: Lots of potatoes?  Keep them in their paper bag in your pantry. Wash them before use and pluck any sprouts off that may have started to grow. No big deal. The reason grocery store potatoes don't grow sprouts so fast is because they are treated with growth retardants. Not ours! Pure and natural, no sprays, no dips, no chemicals!

Recipe of the week:

Roasted Root Vegetables with Apple Juice

Ingredients:

  • Boil apple juice and wine in a large saucepan until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 30 minutes. Whisk in butter or margarine.

    Preheat oven to 425 degrees F

    Peel and cut vegetables into l/2 inch pieces. Use any veggie you like. I add in regular potatoes too, sometimes celery and chunks of onions.

    Divide between 2 roasting pans. Pour apple juice mixture over vegetables. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

    Roast until vegetables are tender and golden, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes.

Bon Appetit!

Let us know what you do with your parsnips -post a picture on the FB Farm-ily page!