Eating Real Food
We read (listened to the audiobook while we worked) another great book about nutrition that I'd highly recommend. It's called "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan. You can listen for free from the library app. The book really resonated with us about how the food industry doesn't take health into consideration and the health industry doesn't take food into consideration (sort of a butchered quote from Wendell Berry). Pollan's premise is that humans should eat food. Period. His contention is that most of what we find in grocery stores and most of the substances Americans consume isn't truly food, they are "food products". He emphasizes the importance of eating "real foods", foods that your grandmother or great grandmother would recognize as food. He promotes eating more fresh vegetables (especially those organically produced), grass fed meats and generally knowing where your food comes from. This book is a great encouragement to do the work of eating real meals, made of real foods, and enjoying the resulting health benefits. So thanks for doing your part! You are clearly on the right track through your CSA membership. If you are wondering how in the world you can eat so many veggies, take a look at this book. Though we hadn't read the book until now, we realize that it reinforces many of our own values and beliefs about health, food relationships, family meals, etc. The thought that the food we grow is indeed "real" food that sustains and brings health and that so many of you are benefiting from the major sweat equity we are putting into the work of growing this food helps us stay the course, suck it up and face the heat.
Farm Update
We made it through the fires of hell week. Did you know that the highest temperature in Kansas City for all of 2020 was 94 degrees? We beat that before summer even began! The blazing heat caused us to delay some planting and transplanting to give the crops a better chance for germination and establishment. We've also been irrigating to keep things "cool" and reduce stress on the crops. Most of the crops (at least all the summer loving crops) look great (Much better than your farmers)! Unfortunately the peas met their demise. We picked everything we could before the heat killed them, but given the extended cool spring delaying their growth and flowering and then the brutal early heatwave killing them off, the harvest period was shortened dramatically and so was the overall harvest. We were able to harvest about half of what we were hoping for. But we did still manage to harvest around 20,000 peas, so hopefully you were able to nibble on a few of them.
Garlic Harvest and Farm Tour
If you are free this Tuesday evening (June 22nd), we're doing a garlic harvest party from 6:00 to 8:00pm followed by a farm tour at 8:00 for those who'd like to stick around. This is actually a really fun and easy job that the whole family can participate in. We'll be pulling, bundling, transporting and hanging thousands of garlic plants so they can cure and be ready to eat for the rest of the year. The garlic is looking good and Dave invested in a root lifter for the tractor that makes the job oh so much easier. So come on out and have fun getting dirty with us. This is a great time to get to know your farmers and your fellow members. You can read more and sign up at the Eventbrite link here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/csa-garlic-harvest-tickets-160281110115
Extras
Bread- Farm to Market, Rosemary Olive Oil Artisan Loaf
Cheese- Fresh Mozzarella, 8 oz ball (7 day shelf life, or freeze for later)
Thanks so much for being such a vital part of our local food economy and for making a stand for healthy food on your dinner table. We hope you'll see continued health benefits as you keep making these conscious decisions about where your food dollars go and what your family consumes.
Your farmers,
Dave and Sheri
