Like fresh vegetables, but not gardening? Try buying a farm share

Today's Enterprise News reports:

MIDDLEBORO — People who don’t want to toil in the garden but have a hankering for fresh vegetables, buying a share in local crops might be just the ticket. Participants buy a prepaid share to a local farm’s crops, knowing they will be eating fresh food and also giving farmers some financial security. In Middleboro, James D. Reynolds, owner of Daliah Farm, sells shares to the produce from his organic garden for less than $30 a week. A full share, enough for a family of four, costs $500 for 18 weeks of fresh vegetables, half shares are $290. A typical spring share might include: baby Romaine lettuce, heirloom turnips and turnip greens, Bridgewater strawberries, French breakfast radish and potted Greek oregano with some wild cutflower. Later in the season, the shares may provide Zephyr summer squash, cucumbers, Patty pan squash, Swiss chard, turnips, onions, new potatoes, basil and pineapple sage. Tomatoes are harvested in mid-season and the final shares include butternut squash, garlic, peppers and eggplant. Reynolds prefers to pack up the produce in customer’s reusable totes – “It’s more earth friendly” – but will supply brown bags if requested. Call 774-213-5075 with questions. Kim Almeida, of organically certified Eat Local Fresh Food, is farming several plots of land at the Soule Homestead, 46 Soule St., Middleboro. and selling shares for $600 each. Connie and Ron Maribett’s organic Colchester Neighborhood Farm on Brook Street in Plympton sells shares full-season shares for $600 and small shares for $350. The shares include arugula, celery, edible flowers, herbs and garden staples such as tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and onions. Those who don’t want to commit to weekly shares can still buy local. For a list of local farms, farm stands and farmers markets, visit the website for the Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership: semaponline.org. Be sure to see the lates YOUTUBE video here. Public News Service also has a PODCAST here. Read more: http://www.enterprisenews.com/business/x1040012944/Like-fresh-vegetables-but-not-gardening-Try-buying-a-farm-share#ixzz1vim4Ge77

Cow Power

Initiated in large part by our energy company in Vermont - CVPS - Cow Power is taking its place at the forefront on new alternative energies.

Featured in YouTube videos the manure/methane to electricity/propane conversion is now and early-stage reality, with an economic reality.

Although presently the economy of scale is for an 800-head dairy or larger, that efficiency should improve as the science continues to develop.

Subsidies aside, Cow Power is a new, rural emerging energy technology...

Yeehah!

2011 Season Begins

Happy new year and welcome back!

With this winter solstice we begin the new 2011 season on the farm. Our seeds have arrived and we have already begun to book shares for 2011.

This past year's "Compost Project" landed a generous supply of landscape waste and manure (about 120 cubic yards) which goes into our long-term soil-improvement program. We've also managed a seemingly endless supply of trucked-in oak leaves to use as a mulch for our fall-planted garlic.

Seed germination begins in about a month, so whether you are a returning share-holder or entirely new to our CSA program, be sure to sign-up soon for what promises to be our best season ever.

TURNIPS: DON'T TURN-UP YOUR NOSE

Don't make my mistake and turn-up your nose at turnips. Until this week I had never eaten a turnip in all me live long day. What folly!

If the greatest conquests arise from the greatest challenges, I reasoned, then discovers of insumountable pleasure and unknown goodness must hiding in this strange purple and white root.

I set the target in my sites.

Taking this view I found that the oft-forsaken turnip is not the mushy bland horror of the Thanksgiving table I feared. It is not an elder's bowl of paste sorrowfuly placed by senility or loss of palate. The turnip is in fact one of the most versatile vegetables I've yet found - albeit as near perplexing as the funky kohlrabi!
First; start at the top. Those unappealling fuzzy greens, pock-marked with flea beetle bites and laden with sand are of the highest calibre saute greens to be found. Chop the leaves and chop finely the stems, and saute with olive oil (or butter if you dare), salt and pepper. Liven it up with a little garlic, but treat minimally because the flavor is scrumptious (veganly-speaking).

Next is the beast itself. Cube the turnip (chop coarsely) and par-boil 4 minutes (already have the water boiling before you drop them in). Then Saute for about the same or a little longer. Olive oil is preferred with kosher salt and cracked pepper. Some like sea salt because it has less sodium. Personally, sodium is salt. Salt is what you're putting on. If you like the taste of salt, and there's not enough flavor, you're likely to put on more, ergo, you're right back to high sodium... Do it or don't - noone wants unsalty salt. Then again, my blood pressures not exactly low. Anyway, kosher salt is nice because its big and gritty and you can get visceral with it. You can even make a margarita glass look pissah. One of our CSA members has a penchant for "Himalayan pink salt," which is apparently rich in minerals and micro-nutrients. Enough digression. That's the basic start for turnips. Now it gets really interesting...

With the cubed, par-boiled, sauted turnips you can make an assortment of side-dishes. If you like some kick, continue to saute, but add cayenne pepper and garlic powder (or fresh). If you like it sweet, try adding a little honey, maple syrup, or sugar - you can also additionally flavor with cinnamon and/or nutmeg. Like it savory? Skip those last two treatments and add cumin or curry or fresh fennel. See where we're going? I'm already salivating like we were pouring red wine on buttered portobellos.

OK, last trick for tonight. Turnip Tomato Salad with Aioli. Take the sauted turnips with the garlic and cayenne and refigerate a couple hours. Make a fresh batch of aioli (Italian mayonaise - recipe on TheDahliaFarm.com website). Cube a couple fresh heirloom garden tomatoes and toss with the chilled turnips and ailoi. Serve it up - it will not last!

ANVIL

Due to last night’s aerial spraying of the pesticide “Anvil” by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Friday & Saturday baskets were picked the evening before and refrigerated.

You can visit the Massachusetts Health & Human Services website for “FAQ about Anvil spraying for EEE.”There is also a telephone info line: 2-1-1, but they failed to answer most direct questions.

New York State Dept. of Health has the most comprehensive fact sheet we could find: http://www.health.state.ny.us/publications/2738/

Anvil use has been controversial since its inception. It is a synthetic pyrethroid, manufactured and distributed by Clarke Mosquito Control. This chemical is toxic to fish, beneficial insects (such as carnivorous ladybugs and pollinating bees and butterflies) and all other invertebrates. Anvil was previously used by the Commonwealth in 2006.

Kohlrabi Parmesan

This neat treat was just featured in Better Homes & Gardens.


Kohlrabi Parmesan:
ingredients

3 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 small kohlrabies (about 1 pound), peeled and coarsely shredded (3 cups)
1 medium red or green sweet pepper, chopped (3/4 cup)
1 medium carrot, coarsely shredded (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
2 teaspoons snipped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese (optional)
Fresh thyme

directions

1.In a large skillet melt margarine or butter. Stir in shredded kohlrabi, chopped red or green sweet pepper, and shredded carrot. Cook and stir for 4 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.
2.Stir in the 1/4 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese, thyme, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan or Romano cheese, if desired. Garnish with fresh thyme. Makes 4 servings.

CSA Week #7

CSA Week #7 Full-share includes:

Green Beans

Summer Squash (Zephyr)

Chinese Cucumber (“Suyo Long”)

Cucumbers

Kohlrabi (See our video on YouTube: “Funky Kohlrabi” for ideas)

Bok Choi (Joi Choi)

White Radish (Ping-pong) Salad topping, or slice & bake with olive oil, salt, cayenne pepper & garlic powder.

HERB: Parsley plant

LEE'S MARKET, WESTPORT

If you happen to be in the Westport area and find yourself running low on Dahlia Farm eggs, be sure to swing on down to Lee's Market at 796 Main Road.

This independent grocer has been a destination to locavores and foodies alike for some number of years, and is well known throughout the region. Be sure to treat yourself the next time you're in the Westport area.

If not Westport, you can find us saturday mornings at the Plymouth Farmers Market (Courthouse Green) or thursdays at the Duxbury Farmers Market (Tarklin Community Center).

CSA Week #2

CSA Week #2 Full share includes:

Sugar Snap Peas Whole pods, best eaten raw as a snack (do not shell).

Tai Sai (heirloom) Sauté, steam, stir-fry or bechamel.

Scapes (Garlic topsets) Treat as asparagus. Grille, bake or sauté with olive oil & coarse salt.

Arugula (heirloom) Salad green, but may be sautéd or added to side dishes. Use edible flowers to decorate salads and soups.

Lettuce (1 red, 1 green) Raw green.

Rapini (Sessantina Grossa) Sauté, stir-fry, or incorporate into soups.

Pac Choi (Mei Qing) Use as a raw green, sauté, stir-fry, or incorporate into Asian soups.

HERB: Potted Genovese Basil.

CUT FLOWER: Wildflower bunch (stachys,lysimarchia puntata, veronica & lathyrus(sweetpea)).


Be sure to see our website for additional recipes and to share ideas with other CSA member in our forum

Enterprise News Story: EARTH DAY 2010

On eve of Earth Day, Brockton area farmers celebrate new consumer trend.
Local farmers get boost from program that sells share of harvest to consumers.
By Amy Littlefield
ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER


The tiny spinach transplants are still covered with a protective cloth, but soon the crops will make a hearty offering for the people enrolled in CSA programs.

Community-supported agriculture programs, or CSAs, have become increasingly popular in recent years. They allow consumers to pay for a share of a farm’s harvest ahead of time and then receive weekly offerings of produce through the summer and fall.

James Reynolds, who runs The Dahlia Farm in Middleboro, said his farm started receiving requests for CSA shares in December.

“Last year, we were just flooded with interest. This year, it’s been even bigger,” said Reynolds.

On the eve of Earth Day, which is celebrated on Thursday, Reynolds attributed that popularity to a growing awareness of the benefits of buying local, healthy food.

“I think it’s more of a paradigm shift in the consumer mind,” said Reynolds. “I think the average American is becoming more aware of exactly the food that we’re eating, the environment that we live in, the global community.”

Last year, Reynolds provided a basket of vegetables, greens, flowers and herbs to CSA customers every week for 20 weeks in return for $500. Reynolds also sells egg shares and half-shares.

Community-supported agriculture programs began in Massachusetts and New Hampshire in 1986, said Katie Cavanagh, Farms Forever coordinator at the Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership. There are now 22 registered CSAs in Southeastern Massachusetts alone, Cavanagh said.

“They’ve grown more in popularity recently as farmers have realized the benefits of selling directly,” said Cavanagh.

She said Massachusetts farmers sell more farm products directly to consumers than farmers in any other state.

“Because we’re primarily small farms, we have that close relationship with the consumer,” Cavanagh said.

CSA programs provide revenue before a harvest, when farmers need it most.In return, customers are offered a chance to meet their farmer and see the source of their food. Some programs even allow CSA members to pick their own produce.

The only downside is that there may one day be more interested consumers than available shares.

“Just within Massachusetts, there’s more of a demand than a supply,” said Reynolds. “There’s only so much land that’s available, in addition to resources, capital and people who are willing to work as farmers in a modern society.”

FREE: FOOD INC, Reading, Vermont

A free showing of "FOOD, INC - The Movie" will air at the Reading Public Library on January 23, 2010, 6:30-8pm, sponsored by our neighbors, the Springfield Food Co-op.

Following the show will be a presentation of Reading's progressive Farm-to-School program.

If you have not yet seen this film, you owe it to yourself to take this free opportunity to learn more about food security, nutrition and the American corporate take-over and destruction of your health.

In a related story, hunger is on the rise in the USA - and particularly in Vermont, which now rates as the 6th hugriest state in the nation. According to the USDA's Food Security Report, 1 in 8 Vermont households are now considered "food insecure," skipping meals and malnurished.

If you or someone you know is in need of food assistance, please contact 3SquaresVT, or the Reading Food Shelf on Tyson Road, Reading, VT.

DAHLIA SOAPS now available at REYNOLDS FLOWERS & GIFT SHOP

We are proud to offer The Dahlia Farm hand-craft soaps this Christmas season at local retailer, Reynolds Flowers.

Once you have experienced the gentle, fragrant emolience of our Dahlia Soaps, you will find it difficult to go back to the same old hard bar.

Made with olive oil, shea butter, and essential oils these quality soaps are an affordable luxury that will bring joy and comfort to anyone on your Christmas list. Stocking stuffer individual bars are only $5, and the stand-alone, cheerfully gift wrapped 3-pak is a wonderful value at $14.

Be sure to visit Reynolds Flower this week and receive a free sample. If you haven't tried our hand-cut soap yet, you'll be merrily pleased.

WEEK 9 CSA (Aug 3-8, 2009)

Welcome to WEEK 9 here at The Dahlia Farm. This week introduces New Potatoes, fresh cut Genovese Basil, Blueberries & Green Beans and revisits "Summer Spinach" (Chard), Baby Carrots, Zucchini, our unique green-tipped "Zephyr" Summer Squash and Kohlrabi.

Be sure to tell your friends to get their own share - but they don't have to wait until next year. CSA shares (and half-shares) are available now through the remaining second half of the season. Full shares are $25 per week and the generous half-share is only $15 a week.

A half-season share is a great way to test-drive the CSA model, especially if you're not sure the weekly market basket idea is for you. We are so sure you'll be satisifed, we are currently developing an off-season plan to deliver a 12-month-long New England CSA in collaboration with several other farms, bakers & pastry chefs, fishermen & meat producers.

Looking forward, other new ideas include a year-end harvest festival - a veritable Garden Party complete with wine and live music.

As always, please help us out with your feedback. Email, call us or post here. Your suggestions help us serve you better.

One last thing... The blueberries are wonderful, nutritious, local, picked by us, and high in antioxidants, however we've collaborated with another farm to bring them to this week's CSA so it is advised that they be washed thoroughly before being eaten. If you are on an organic-restrictive diet, you may want to donate them. Otherwise, you will find them the same or superior to any others in the marketplace.

Heres the rundown in video format for Week #9:



BTW, if you'd like to get you kids to eat green beans, try this:




3 3 3

WEEK 8 CSA Full-share

Week 8 full-share includes Baby Carrots, Beets, Kohlrabi, Arugula, Swiss Chard, Romaine Lettuce, Cucumbers, Broccoli, Zucchini Squash, Sage (fresh herb), and Calendula & Sweetpea Bouquet.

FUNKY KOHLRABI

This is kohlrabi:

An early-season "cabbage" native to northern Europe.

The German literal translation is "cabbage-turnip."

It is high in vitamin C, calcium & phosphorus.

While it may be baked, fried or grilled, it is best RAW...

Here's a couple quick recipes:

WEEK 4...and Duxbury Farmers Market

Week Four finds us with a possible break in the rain, the 4th of July, the opening of the Duxbury Farmer's Market and the following basket mix: Pak Choi, Swiss Chard, "Elegance" greens mix, Baby Kale, Broccoli Rapa, free-range eggs, hand-craft soap and Garlic Scapes (slight variation may occur between monday CSAs & friday CSAs).

If you have not made it to a local farmer's market yet, you may discover a new American pass time, very family-friendly and reminscint of halcyon days... Here's a peek. Happy 4th!

SCAPES

From French country cuisine to the brautmasters of Germany to even us Swamp Yankees of Plymouth County, there has been a long standing opinion in cooking, that there is no waste in the hard-earned reward of food.

Just as snails are flavored with garlic and meat scraped to the bone to make sausages, the economy of the traditional harvest continues today. "We shall waste no part of the animal," Peter Straub once observed. ...Or plant!

I cannot recount how many times my grandfather from Madeira practiced this belief, knawing on trotters (pickled pigs feet) or the turkey's gizard and anus - all the while stating as fact their delicacy.

Well we don't have to go to quite that extreme to illustrate this week's true delicacy: garlic scapes.

Pictured here are the wrangled snarls of the "waste" of the garlic plant. Technically, garlic scapes are the flower & seed stem, which twist into a bizarrely beautiful coil prior to blossoming. Garlic farms routinely cut down the stem at this point as it directs the growth energy of the plant into the bulb rather than the foliage and blossom. A 30-35% increase in the bulb yeild can be managed by this method.

Cooking of scapes is very easy and the flavor is not as intense as the bulb itself. If you have never had scapes before, you will truly find them to be a "new" delicacy, but enjoy them while they last, because they are VERY, VERY seasonal.

Bon appetit!





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PLYMOUTH FARMERS MARKET

The Plymouth Farmers Market & The Dahlia Farm Plymouth CSA pick-ups begin today at the Courthouse Green in beautiful, historic downtown Plymouth. Market hours today run 9:30 to 1:30 and among the attractions will be live entertainment. Be sure to come early and say hello. For additional information you can visit the markets web site at http://plymouthfarmersmarket.org/

Week #1

Hello everyone and thanks for joining The Dahlia Farm CSA!

We begin with short-season/cool-weather crops, and this week our CSA features a LOT of leafy greens - which are great for reducing cholesterol and adding fiber to one's diet.

Week #1 full-share features Spinach, Pea Tendrils, Mizuna, Mixed Baby Field Greens, Cress, Radishes, Rhubarb, Free-range Eggs, Dahlia Farm hand-made soap, and cut peonies. (In lieu of eggs, honey may be substituted if a share has already been purchased). A half-share would feature a generous half version of the above.

Don't forget to bring in your basket next week for rotation, and be sure to check out our growing "Garden Recipes" page on our website.

If you are reading this and have not yet signed-up, you're in luck! There's still time to begin this week, or at any future point on a pro-rata share basis. See our website www.TheDahliaFarm.com for more information.

For those of you who have signed on, thank you & welcome!

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PODCAST

Hot off the MP3!

I did an interview recently with the infamous blogger & Middleboro Gazette columnist Bellicose-Bumpkin on a number of issues related to natural, bio-diverse farming. Today it was posted to the world and can be found on his blog at: http://bellicose-bumpkin.blogspot.com/2009/04/csa-middleboro.html