Did you know that the word August means abundance? We are feeling it here! This is the season where we sometimes feel a bit of overwhelm precisely because of the abundance, and in response we are finding some ways to fill our tanks. Yesterday, for instance, we went to Thunder Lake Provincial Park and took the kids for a beautiful hike along the lake and into the forest - lovely!
Farm News
It’s been a bit dry on the farm (I know, you’re thinking, but what about all those storms that came through Central Alberta? They kind of missed us for the most part!) so we are irrigating again to keep things happy. We pulled up all the garlic already; it’s almost a month early! We’re guessing it’s due to the hot, dry spring we had this year.
Photos:
1. Did you know we grow sage, rosemary, thyme, marjoram and oregano interplanted with our tomatoes under the protection of our cold frame? This gives these warm-weather loving plants a leg up!
2. Under the horticultural fabric we have some newly seeded crops. Once we clear a bed, we like to use it to plant a new crop - it's valuable for soil health to keep roots in the ground because it keeps microbial life activated.
3. The garlic is harvested! We have it curing already. It's early this year, presumably because of the warm and early spring (it was planted last fall, so was the first crop up this spring)
4. the next section of field that is ready to transition to no till.
Announcements
- Our next farm tour is on August 20. You're invited for a visit to the place where we grow your food! The timing for this is from 12:30-2:00ish and we will walk through the fields and our facility together. Kids are welcome! We will have a treasure hunt for them and there are always critters to see and places to explore for them.
- We will not be delivering farm boxes on September 8 & 9.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
This is a recipe that was shared with me at the farmer's market. I like it because it is incredibly simple and also incredibly delicious. Don't be fooled by how simple this is to make; it's flavour is complex, refreshing and surprising!
Polish Beet Salad {SURÓWKA Z BURACZKÓW}
- 3 medium beets
- 1/4 of an onion
- 1 tsp of oil
- Juice of 1/2 of a large lemon
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp of sugar
- 1/2 tsp white vinegar
Cover and cook the beets till tender in a 350 degree oven. Peel and grate them once they've cooled. Finely chop the onion and add to beets. Add remaining ingredients, adjust to taste, and enjoy!
GENERAL REMINDERS
Customizing your weekly share:
Did you know that you have the option of adding extras to your box each week, as long as you have a payment method for that in place (usually a credit card)? You can also swap items; sometimes there is an additional fee when there is a difference between the two items that you are swapping.
You can keep tabs on what is in your cart if you click on the cart icon. A popup tally of what you have in your cart will appear. If your cart isn't full yet, a green banner letting you know that you can add items will show up as well. It isn't a perfect system, and we've provided Harvie with feedback asking them to make the accounting more clear for you guys. Please know that we are aiming to give you the best value that we can while also keeping our farm running.
The customization experience works best on a desktop screen rather than a phone.
What To Do if You Are Away
You have three options:
1) BEST OPTION - Reschedule your share. This is our recommended option because it means you get your full value. What we suggest is that you reschedule your share to a week near the end when you will get more storage-friendly items that will last longer in your fridge, though you're welcome to reschedule to any date that works best for you. When you reschedule, you will get the scheduled share as well as the rescheduled share or shares, so be prepared for a lot of food.
2) Cancel your share for the week. This can be managed on your Harvie account page. It must be done before the Wednesday morning cutoff time of 6 a.m. The disadvantage here is that you lose whatever you have invested into that share. So if you've paid 50%, then you forfeit that amount.
3) Have someone else pick up for you. In our experience, friends assigned this job sometimes forget, so help them remember!
Our Location Options
King's University (East Edmonton) Friday pickups, 12-4, some flex if you have to come a bit later. We will not retrieve any shares left here.
Breadlove Artisan Bakery (St. Albert) Saturday pickups, 10-2, no flex & closed on Sunday. We will not retrieve shares left here.
Awn Kitchen (Southwest Edmonton) Saturday pickups, 10-2, no flex.
Uproot Food Collective (Central Edmonton)
Saturday pickups, 10-2, some flex, but let's respect the hours as best we can.
Strathcona Farmer's Market (Edmonton) Saturday pickups, 8-3, no flex.
The Butcher Block (Sherwood Park) Saturday pickup, 9:30-4, some flex, open till 5.
Get Real Natural (Fort Saskatchewan) Saturday pickup, 10-5, no flex
Sundog Organic Farm (near Gibbons) Saturday, 9-2, flexible
A few more tips in case you haven't read them yet...
*When picking up your bin at King's, Awn, Breadlove, Butcher Block or the Fort Distillery, please make sure that you are getting the bin with your name on the label! We want to make sure that everyone gets the correct bin!
*Make sure that you set your preferences on your Harvie account. This ensures that you receive boxes tailored to you. Save the 5 star rating for things that you really love and don't give everything 5 stars because that skews the algorithm that the software relies on.
*Take advantage of the swapping and adding extras to further customize your shares! Remember to do it before Wednesday morning, 5:00 a.m.(basically Tuesday night unless you are a very early riser).
*Let us know if you ever want help. You can send in a note via your Harvie account, or email us directly at jamesandjenny@sundogorganicfarm.ca. If it is a more urgent concern, call us at 587-409-1106. We are always here for you.
