Stearns Farm CSA ● Community Supported Agriculture
October 25, 2004 864 Edmands Road, Framingham, MA 01701 Vol 5, No 21 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
FAREWELL TO THE 2004 FARMING SEASON
By Kathy Huckins Farm Manager
ON THE STAND THIS WEEK
Lettuce, greens, bok choy, broccoli, cabbage, celeriac, celery, leeks, parsnips, potatoes, salad turnips, rutabagas, lots of carrots and winter squash. PYO: Chard, kale, parsley, brussel sprouts
It is a bit of a stretch to remember ALL the way to the beginning of the farm season, when so much hope and work and planning was in the air. I remember searching for a larger tractor and a spader (gentle-on-the-soil rototiller), last winter and after a few false starts, leasing our Massy Ferguson tractor and an Emonts spader. It made all the difference this year in preparing our beds for planting, as well as preparing our new Plimpton field three miles away. Plimpton…And what a learning curve the Plimpton property was. I had it covered with 15 tons of limestone the past fall and planted it in rye. In the spring, we spaded an acre for potatoes and an acre for winter squash and pumpkins. We used an antique potato planter and harvester from our generous neighbor Tom Hanson. But after all that, the potatoes were few and small due to poor soil fertility and great insects. We planted twice as many squash as we did last year, so our yield has been excellent for our needs. All in all, the soil at Plimpton needs some building and tending in order to produce what we have come to expect at Stearns. In time we will have it up to our standards. Soil…We continue to replenish the Stearns soil with compost, leaf mulch, and cover crops and then add mineral and organic fertilizers when needed. Our focus is the soil since plants grown in healthy soil are better able to resist the impact of insects, animals, and diseases. Healthy soil grows the nutrient rich crops that keep us going. The Farm…Sharers join our farm for the produce mostly and this year was a stellar year for that. Of my 6 years at Stearns, this has been the best in that regard. We started with tubs of spinach, our greens have been tasty, and our lettuce was plentiful thanks to our "lettuce queen", Gert Powers, who came each week to plant the next batch in the greenhouse.
Onions…Last year we didn't grow onions because in the past we hadn't been able to control the weeds, ending up with small to tiny bulbs. This year with the watchful eye of Kerisa, and many of your hours weeding them, we have had ample onions. Our beets were plentiful most of the summer and our carrots... well, as a testament to our carrots, the deer ignored the electric fence and came in after the carrots. On Wednesday, we harvested the remaining carrots, all 1250 pounds of them, just to get them away from the deer. Thanks to all those folks who weeded each bed on their hands and knees. Tomatoes…The tomatoes. I guess we planted too many, but wasn't that terrific? To have so many, to be saturated with tomatoes so we don't need to see them till next year. That's how eating with the seasons works. The eggplant, peppers and summer squashes just kept rolling in. And More…We could have used more cucumbers, broccoli and cabbage. They each have their story, mostly insect and deer related stories. We will make a special effort to increase these gems next season. The list goes on too much basil, not enough cilantro at the right time. Lots of scallions, not as many leeks. Lots of salad turnips, not as many radishes. Lots of kale and chard and celery and celeriac and now parsnips. The garlic was the largest and best we've had at Stearns.
2005 SEASON Sharers will be receiving a brochure for the 2005 growing season sometime in late winter. Work for Shares positions available next year. Contact Kathy Huckins at 508-393-8695 if interested. Herb Garden: Someone available on pick-up days, with Nury Nelson as consultant Children's Garden: Including pick-up day children's activities Landscaping: Lawn mowing and general upkeep
WE GREW 45 CROPS IN ALL THIS YEAR
Fruit… The small fruit. The fall raspberries were spectacular, somewhat stalled by the frost. Our tiny patch of blackberries grew enough for a few healthy tastes. Our blueberries are standing tall for being only 2 years old. We need to be patient with them for a few more years. This spring a dozen or more of you came and planted strawberries. What a hopeful lot you were, since we won't see the fruits of our labor until the first pick-ups in June 2005. They are looking healthy and happy and will be mulched with straw the middle of November. More folks are interested in rhubarb and we have another bed ready for it. We just need plants from peoples' yards, about 30 of them. Any ideas? As for the melons, the groundhogs let us have them all this year and we are grateful. Flowers…Now the flowers. They were a real treat with so many varieties and shapes and textures. They did their job. We planted a lot more sunflowers this year and were happy for it. Just walking by them made one glad to be alive. Helping Others…Again as in other years, we have donated our extra produce to area programs, about 4,000 pounds of it. Thanks to Cecelia Parks who has delivered extra produce each Saturday to the Bridge House, Meadows House and Turning Point. David Borghi came every Tuesday after pick-up to collect the extra food for St. Bridget’s Church Food Pantry. Esther Heimberg found homes for our lettuce at the Food Bank and the Salvation Army early on in the season and Sara Abramovitz delivered our excess to Pathways and other programs. The Sharers…The work hours sharers have completed have made a tremendous difference in the quality and energy of Stearns Farm. Seeing you show up to do whatever needs to be done is a miracle to me. Where else could I work where folks come and say, "What can I do?" And you'll do anything that needs doing!! Some of you got to know the vegetables you tended during work hours and would come to visit them and see how they were doing. I know the crops appreciated your attention. Thank you all for your willingness and enthusiasm and labor that makes the farm run smoothly. You DO make a difference. Work for Shares…The Work for Shares were a tough and steady lot, harvesting in damp weather as well as a downpour or two. Twelve of them have come each week for 30 weeks and have watched the season unfold from beginning to end. They will be ready for a rest soon. Thank You…A productive and fruitful farm such as ours needs lots of help and goodwill and we are blessed with that. Chet Pendelton put in billions of hours this season, working the fields, being responsible for the irrigation, fencing, signage and painting of the sheds. Wendy Flaherty produced our excellent newsletter. My husband Brian Huckins continues to be the mechanic, keeping the machinery running, creating new implements for our varied tasks and keeping me running. Other volunteers, Mia Fischer, Bennet Perez, Whole Foods, Boston Cares, The Bridge House, have been a great help. Thanks to our neighbor Bob Schneider for his horse manure and to Doug Stephen for moving it over to form our compost piles. Thanks to the Sudbury Valley Trustees for leasing us this land and for the Board of Directors for their work in running our nonprofit organization. Special thanks to Kerisa Perazella for her shining spirit and energetic labor as our Assistant Farmer this year. We wish her well in her farming career. But our applause goes out to you, our sharers, for your faith, for you commitment to a healthy world, for walking the walk and talking the talk. By showing up for twenty weeks, taking on the challenges of preparing new foods and combining old favorites. For eating with the seasons, buying locally, supporting this magnificent parcel of farm land, you are making a contribution not only to your own health, but the health of generations to follow. Thank YOU for giving us the opportunity to serve you this year. May you have a restorative winter. We look forward to seeing you next spring. Kathy Huckins Farm Manager
CARROTS
CARROT SOUFFLE
www.recipezaar.com
2 1 2 1 lbs carrots cup sugar eggs teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup light cream
Cook peeled carrots until soft. Place in food processor; add remaining ingredients and process until smooth. Cook at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes.
CARROT COOKIES
www.recipezaar.com Makes 4 dozen 1 cup butter 1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons grated orange rind 1 egg 1 1/4 cups grated carrot 2 2/3 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1 dash salt
Cream butter and sugar till fluffy. Add egg and orange rind. Combine flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Add to butter mixture alternately with carrots. Mix to form dough. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake at 375* for about 12 minutes or until very light brown around the edges. Cool 1 minute, remove from cookie sheet and cool on rack.
AMERICAN VEGETABLE STEW
www.justvegetablerecipes.com 1 yellow onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 white potato, chunked 1 carrot, sliced 1 celery stalk, sliced 1 zucchini, sliced 1/2 cup broccoli, chopped 1 leek, trimmed, washed & sliced 2 cups tomato sauce 1 tablespoon parsley 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon basil 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard 1/4 teaspoon cumin 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Cook the onions, garlic, potato, carrot and celery in a small amount of water in a large saucepan for 10 mins. Add the remaining ingredients and cook over low heat until the veggies are tender, about 35 mins.
BAKED CARROTS
www.justvegetablerecipes.com 18 ea carrots, small 1/3 cup butter 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1/3 teaspoon cinnamon 1/3 cup boiling water
Scrape or pare carrots and place in casserole. Cream butter, sugar, salt and cinnamon together; add water and blend well. Pour over carrots, cover and bake in moderate 350 degree F oven 1 1/2 hours.