FARM TOUR NEXT WEEKEND
YOU ARE INVITED!!! This coming Sunday we'd love for you to come to the farm from 12:30 to 2. We'll have a little walk and talk and a treasure hunt with the kids. It's a beautiful, abundant time of year to see what is happening! Map and address can be found here.
FARM NEWS
The weeks pass so quickly right now that it hardly feels like there is much to report. However, if I slow down a moment, I remember that one of our tasks this week in particular was to clean up beds of expired crops. This management is different than before we were no till. We used to mow and harrow, or till, crops that were finished. Now we can still mow, but we no longer till the crops in. Additionally, we want to keep things growing in the beds, so we purchased several bags of pea seed from another organic farmer nearby and we will plant those to keep roots in the ground. These are not for eating, but just for growing.
The reason that we want to keep the beds planted with something is that when there are plants in the ground, the microbial and fungal life that we so covet is given the root systems that they need to stay alive. Plants + microbes + fungi = healthier soil!
Michael and Tishawni harvesting Swiss chard in the cold frame.
Crops are growing well!!
These are photos of the various stages of the no till beds' and their mid season management. Once a crop is out, we clean out the weeds by hand and rake it smooth and then replant into it as soon as we are able. The clover pathways are also something we are getting used to managing. They require mowing and when we clear the beds, we also cut back the clover that has grown into the beds. James is working on plans to build a tractor-drawn implement that can be used to cut the clover mechanically...a winter project!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Only one reminder this week: No farm share deliveries on Sept. 8 and 9
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
It's peak zucchini season, so I will reshare a recipe that we learned to cook from Kaelin of Awn Kitchen. Kaelin is a real champion of eating locally and seasonally. We highly recommend taking her cooking classes - they are so fun and informative! You can see and sign up for all the classes Kaelin offers here.
Zucchini and Lemon Pasta
- 500 g dried pasta (linguini or spaghetti)
- 900 g zucchini
- 1 medium onion
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- olive oil
- 1/4 tsp chilli flakes
- 50 g parmesan cheese, grated
- 125 ml cream
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- a good handful of parsley, chopped
Grate the zucchini using the course side of a box grater, toss with a teaspoon of salt, place in sieve and let drain for up to two hours. When you are ready to make your pasta, place the zucchini in a clean towel, wrap it and wring it out. Removing the liquid this way is an important step! Heat a glug of olive oil in a deep frying pan, add the chopped onion and saute until soft and just turning colour. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook until the garlic is becoming fragrant (around 30 seconds). Add the zucchini, season with salt and pepper and stir.
Bring a large pot of water to boil, season well with salt, add the pasta and cook to the package instructions. Cook the zucchini mixture until any moisture has cooked off, the mixture is beginning to stick together and to the base of the frying pan. Set aside. When the pasta is cooked, remove 11/2cups of cooking liquid and set aside.
Strain the pasta, add to the zucchini mixture along with some of the cooking water to loosen it, turn the heat on low, and toss together before adding the parmesan and cream. Cook until you have a thick, creamy sauce, adding more pasta water if needed. Remove from heat, add lemon zest and juice and parsley. Taste, correct and season with fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve with freshly grated parmesan
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.
