It has been a busy week as we tried to take advantage of the dry weather to get the ground ready for the main summer crops.  We needed one more dry day that we didn't get.  The rains came yesterday before we could get finished.  Farmers should never regret getting rain but sometimes the timing can be a little challenging.  

Today has been a good day as we got everything harvested before the few sprinkles that came our way a little while ago.  In addition to the items in your bag last week, we will be adding a few more goodies.  Amazing the difference one week can make. 

Asparagus continues to grow well and you will get a bunch of this.  Last week one of our farm pick-ups had her first bite of raw asparagus.  She didn't know you could eat it raw.  Too tough, fibrous, woody, etc.  Fresh, local and organic.  It's a new world.  It's a different world.  It's a better world.  Welcome.

Another lettuce variety is ready this week.  You will get a bag of Gourmet Mix.  Also, you will get another bag of Mesclun.  I thought last week's Mesclun had too many thick stems.  It's the nature of this variety to have these stems but I thought it was a little too much.  This week we cut from another row and I think it will be less "stemmy."

Other new items this week will include: Tat Soi (an Asian green that's especially good in stir fry--one bag), one bunch of spring onions and one bunch of radishes.  The radishes are primarily the cylindrical variety known as French Breakfast, but you also might get one or two Ping Pong (a small white ball) or Amethyst.  We have discovered that radishes are really good on tacos.  One of our local Mexican restaurants makes tacos with soft corn tortillas, meat, onions, cilantro and radishes.  You will also get Green Garlic and Mint.

In spite of the cooler, wetter spring, everything seems to be doing well.  I always worry about what could be around the corner weather-wise.  I seem to occupy a space between gratitude and anxiety.  I try to lean more toward the gratitude side.  Having a CSA made up of people like you make it much easier to lean that way.  Actually, you all are more like a force field of goodness that draws us into a community of love and concern for the earth and each other. It's a different world.  It's a better world.  Thank you.

Larry

It's hard to believe that another season is here.  Winter is finally over (well, maybe--they are predicting a frost for us on Sunday night) and spring is trying to spring.

It has been a very cool and wet spring. Some plants are happy and others want it a little cooler.  The advantage for you is that a crop like asparagus, which is usually an early spring crop, has delayed production resulting in more opportunity for our CSA.

You will get Asparagus this week.  It is wonderful and can be eaten raw or cooked.  This is an extremely challenging crop to grow organically as you have no shading from the plant canopy to help control weeds.  However, it is a very hardy crop and competes well with the weeds..

Also, we are pulling some of our garlic early to offer to you as green garlic.  Treat this as you would scallions or leeks.  It has a milder garlic taste and is can also be eaten raw (as in a salad) or cooked.

The first lettuce of the season will be a mesclun mix.  It was cut this morning before the rain came in and the guys have just now finished bagging it.  It should last for a week or two in case you can't get it all eaten this week. We will also be cutting some fresh mint for you.

Distribution will begin today for those who pick up at the farm.  Please try to come between 5:00-7:00 if possible.  If this will be a problem, please call us at home, 502-738-0510.

For people in Louisville, we will have a different pickup location for tomorrow only.  We will not be at the market tomorrow but will be down the street in the parking lot at Harvey Browne Presbyterian Church.  Actually, I won't be there at all but Beth will be there between 10:30-12:00 noon.  She will be set up in the small parking lot that is right across the street (Churchway) from St. Matthew's Methodist.  I will actually be inside Harvey Browne at a church leadership retreat.  If you get lost or confused, please call Beth on her cell phone at 502-640-0043.  She will be driving a light blue Prius and I will try to remember to park my large white pickup truck over there too.

If you are receiving this email then you are officially in this years CSA and we harvested to meet your needs.  Even if you haven't paid.  We will be happy to take a check from you today or tomorrow when you pickup.  We are are always open to payment plans for those who would like to spread out payments.  We really want you to be able to eat fresh, local organic food (especially since it almost nonexistent in our area--at least the local, fresh part) so we will always work with you and you budget to ensure that you won't be deprived of this opportunity.

As always, thank you so much for your support of local, organic farming.  Without you we would not be able to do this.  Looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting our new friends.

Thanks,

Larry

A dash to the finish line today.  Rained all morning.  Frost two mornings this week.  What a way to end a season!  I don't remember us having frost this early in the fall in many years.  It was thirty-six last Sunday morning and thirty-four on Monday morning.  We tried to harvest as much as possible last Saturday after the market in anticipation of the frost.  I think we are in pretty good shape for the last CSA distribution and market.

We still haven't been able to harvest all the sweet potatoes (thank you rain--not that I'm complaining) but we did get enough to get you four pounds worth this week.  Also going to load you up with some extra garlic to help get you through the winter.  Winter squash and potatoes will also be seasonal offerings in your bag this week.  I thought we would be able to salvage some basil but the leaves turned black as soon as the frost hit them.  I will really, really miss the fresh basil.  Can't wait till June of 2013 when it will be back. 

We are still trying to count and piece together as much stuff as possible for tomorrow.  We just weren't able to harvest in the weather conditions this morning so we are really behind.  The garlic you get tomorrow will at least have the stem and roots cut off but we may not take time tonight to peel all the outer layers off.  Doesn't affect the quality at all, just the look.  Each individual garlic head takes about five minutes to prepare properly for presentation.  Very time consuming and labor intensive for what we get out of it.  We didn't grow garlic for the last several years for this very reason.  But, I think we will keep growing it since it is so good.

As I told you last week, we would be happy to have feedback from you about your experience with our CSA.  We are very appreciative of your support of our small, family organic farm and want to continue to meet the needs of our community.  If you need to email me directly, my email is ldblousiville@yahoo.com.  Also, my cell phone is 502-640-0042.  Call or text me sometime if you are having a boring day and want to talk food and farming.  If you have friends who might be interested in joining, please have them contact me as soon as possible and I will put them on the list for next year.   

By the time we get to the first fall frosts and the shorter, cooler days, we are ready to slow down and take a break.  I will not sugar coat the facts--this is hard work.  Over the next few weeks we begin cleaning up the fields, sowing cover crops and testing the soil to see what we need to do to get it ready for next year.  We will also be planting garlic in October (always open for help if you want to give it a try) and performing some much needed maintenance on our infrastructure.  We will also be doing a considerable amount of fencing as we begin a transition into grass-fed beef as a part of our whole farm plan.  We need the nutrient cycling of the livestock as well as the superior quality of this type of protein in our own diet.  It will probably be at least two years before we have any beef ready for harvest but we will be sure to let you know when we will be offering it for sale.

So, this is the bittersweet goodbye we all dread.  However, the next seven months will past quickly and it won't be long till we are back at the market greeting your smiling faces and empty bags!  Continue to eat locally and organically as much as possible over the next few months.  Continue to preach the values of organics.  Continue to care. The one thing I know about you all is that you do care, and that makes all the difference. 

Thank You,

Larry and Beth

Hard to believe that this is the next-to-last week of our CSA and the farmer's market.  It seems like only yesterday that we were cutting, washing and spinning that first harvest of lettuce.  The spring onions were so fragrant, tender and tasty that I can still feel the sensation in my mouth.  And, who can forget those wonderful strawberries! 

Well, as the seasons change so does the produce.  And, sometimes the seasons change rather abruptly as this week has shown.  It has really been cool compared to Septembers of the last several years.  In fact, it has stayed warm well into October for many past seasons.  When the temperature drops like it has this week, everything almost comes to a standstill.  Remember that prolific okra?  This week it only needed harvesting every other day.  The tomatoes have almost quit (but we are still able to get enough cherries for everyone to have a pint)  and the peppers are still producing.  If the forecast for next week holds up, it is showing lows in the upper 30's for Shelbyville and it may even be cooler here on the farm.  If that happens then we will probably have a light frost and that would mean the end to anything growing above ground.  We will have to wait and see what happens.

Fortunately, we have a great crop of sweet potatoes underground.  Harvested another row today and we will increase you bounty by 50% over what you got last week.  Same instructions I gave last week apply this week also.  And--DON'T REFRIGERATE them.  Just leave them in a cool, dry place.

Last week Beth and I were in Fresh Market in Louisville and noticed that they had large eggplant for $1.99 and small eggplant (like you are getting) for $3.49.  That's because small is better. It is more tender and succulent.  Be sure to peel the skin off, it can have a bitter taste. 

Looking forward to a nice day at the market tomorrow.  Enjoyed visiting with those who came today to pick up here at the farm.  As we are beginning to wind down, our thoughts are already turning to next year.  Each year we sit down at the end of the season and evaluate our entire operation.  We would love to have feedback from you.  Please let us know what we did well and what you think we can improve on.  We value your opinion.  

We are planning on putting up a high tunnel this fall.  This would enable us to start the season earlier and perhaps extend it into the fall.  Growing year round (certain crops-not everything!) might become a reality.  Lots of possibilities but it has to be something that works with our business plan and our quality of life.  We will keep you in the loop as we work through this over the next few months.

Again, thanks for your support.  Without you, none of this would be possible.

Larry

The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting cooler.  It's almost time to say goodbye to all the summer bounty.  As we are now just a couple weeks away from the end of the market and our CSA season, we are reminded that eating seasonally can be a challenge.  The taste of fresh heirloom tomatoes still lingers in our mouth.  Fresh beans and squash are now but a memory.  Wow, I'm getting depressed just writing this.  However, new opportunities arise and this week we will be sharing the first of the sweet potato harvest.  Can't have those in July!

We just dug these sweet potatoes today (about a quarter of one row--we have four rows) and they look rather good.  Even though we will begin distributing them this week, I suggest you hold on to them for at least a week or more.  Ideally, sweet potatoes should "cure" for at least a month before eating them.  They need time to shed moisture (evaporate) and dry out.  As they dry out the sugars are concentrated and intensified.  The longer you wait, the sweeter they will be.  Last year some of our CSA members kept them for six months before they ate them.

We don't have time to cure them before distributing them since they are harvested late and our market runs out before they can cure.  So, it's up to you.  We will start you out with a couple of pounds this week and then increase the amount over the final two weeks.

I enjoy the seasonal change to fall as it tempers the memory of the hot, humid summer.  Many farmers are trying to extend the season by growing in high tunnels. We hope to get one up some time this fall so we will be able to get an earlier start next year and then extend some things into the winter.  As is usual with us, time and labor will determine if we get this done.  Hopefully this year it will happen and it may have positive impact on our CSA offering next year.  Stay tuned for more.

See ya tomorrow!

Larry

Even though today tipped into the 90's I can tell that fall is right around the corner.  The days are getting shorter and I sure am enjoying the lower humidity we have had this week.  I really appreciate the help we have here during the week.  Jeremy works as a chef at Jack Fry's in the late afternoon and evening yet still finds the energy and enthusiasm to show up by 8:00 at least three days a week.  We wouldn't make it without him.  Samantha comes every Friday and didn't leave till 8:30 tonight helping us get everything ready for the market.  The rest of the time it's me and Beth.  Mostly Beth.  She grew up on a farm in Breckinridge County and sure knows the meaning of hard work.  After teaching all day at Bowen Elementary in Louisville she jumps into her work clothes and doesn't stop till it is too dark to see.  She will probably be up past midnight tonight making the beautiful bouquets you see each week at our booth.

The bounty continues this week.  And, as I promised, the okra is starting to do it's thing.  Did you know that of all the vegetables grown in Kentucky, okra is the easiest.  It doesn't require a lot of fertility or water and is not attractive to many pests.  Ah, you say,  the bugs don't even like this hairy, slimy thing.  If you feel like this then I suggest you might want to seek treatment for your okraphobia.  Perhaps see an Okranologist for therapy or medication.  I actually googled "I Hate Okra" and found some very interesting things.  One person dries the entire pod and then paints it to look like a lizard.  Even uses some clay to make the head and feet.  Others have tried freezing, grilling, sauteeing and pickling.  It seems that the uses for this wonderful treat are limited only by your own imagination and sense of American ingenuity.  So, be a patriot and embrace the okra experience.

This past week we cut up some of the Garden Peach, Green Zebra and Illini Gold and put them on a plate as an accompaniment to supper and they looked so pretty that I almost didn't want to eat them.  I did, though, and they tasted even better than they looked.  Enjoy them while we have them.  Carry the memory of the look and taste throughout the coming winter and look forward with anticipation to having them again next year.  Known as eating seasonally.  Also known as eating local and organic.  Also known as eating something you won't find at a grocery store.

Thank you for letting us grow for you.  It is fun growing for you. It keeps us motivated when the days get shorter but the tasks get longer.  See ya soon!

Larry

If you don't have patience, don't take up farming.  You can't rush or manipulate mother nature and sometimes you just have to adjust to her time schedule.  As I shared with you recently, our small (cherry) tomatoes and the large heirlooms are doing very well.  The medium sized tomatoes (green zebra, garden peach, Illini gold) just seemed to be sitting there.  Now they have decided to take off so we are happy to be able to share a mixed quart of these with you this week.  Green Zebras are a green tomato that stay green.  They don't taste like a typical "green" tomato as in fried green tomatoes, but taste like a fully ripe tomato that has green flesh.  Very tasty.  The Illini Gold are an orange paste tomato. Garden Peach is a mild, yellow tomato that is wonderful in salads.

Also new this week will be Dragon Langerie Beans.  Sometimes called Dragon Tongue, they are have a white pod with purple streaks. They are kinda flat like a Roma bean.  You can treat them just as you would a green bean, but, like the Royal Burgundy you had earlier, the purple streaks will go away when cooked.

Since we know that the cherry tomatoes don't usually make it back to your car, we thought we would give you three pints this week.  Maybe at least one pint will make it to your home this week.  Some of our farm pick-ups have them all eaten before they walk out of our house!

Going to have to a little more patience for the okra and eggplant.  Have enough to sell a little this week but not enough for equal distribution to the CSA.  Maybe the cooler temperatures this week will help.

The Organic Farming Research Foundation has just released a report on the benefits of organic farming.  This seventy six page report is available as a PDF download on their website.  I know that I am preaching to the choir, but this is a very important document as it presents some convincing scientific results about the health and environmental advantages of organic farming.  I encourage you to check it out.  It will make you feel good about what you are doing and maybe it will give you some info you can share with your friends.  We need to spread the word.  If we can get enough people demanding organic food we truly can have a significant impact on the world.

Thank you for being a part of the organic community.  Keep the faith.

Larry

Spent all morning harvesting in the rain.  Didn't mind it one bit.  Felt good getting soaked by what has become a rare occurrence this summer.  We try to harvest as much as we can on Friday so that everything is as fresh as possible.  This means that we have to work no matter what the weather. We do suspend operations if we have lightning.  Of course there are some vegetables that have to be harvested daily or at least two or three times a week.  We wouldn't be able to do this without refrigeration as we have two walk-in coolers that run 24/7.  They are set to different temperatures since vegetables have different cooling requirements.

One of the things we have to harvest a couple times per week are tomatoes.  It is very easy for them to get over-ripe so we often pick them when they still have green shoulders.  Within a few days they have ripened up perfectly.  When you pick out the three large heirlooms you will get this week, if you see any green on the shoulders, don't be afraid.  Just let them sit on your kitchen counter for a few days and they will ripen up for you just like they do for us.  By the way, don't put tomatoes in the refrigerator.  They should not be stored below 55 degrees and we keep ours at 60 degrees just to be on the safe side.

The large heirlooms and the small cherry tomatoes are doing really well so far.  The medium sized ones are coming on much slower and we don't yet have enough to share with the CSA.  The few we do have (Garden Peach, Green Zebra and Illini Gold) will be available for sale at the market.  If you ever want to buy anything that's on the market table remember that we will give you a 20% discount.  This also includes Beth's flower arrangements.

It won't be long before the Okra will be ready.  Beth was able to get enough today for one pint!  Once it starts though, look out because it is very prolific.  People usually love or hate Okra.  So, I am giving you a heads up.  Just a warning 'cause it will be here in a couple of weeks and we need turn that hate to love.

For the third week in a row I read something in the Courier-Jounal (this was in the business section) that was relevant to what we are doing.  It was a short article on how the drought is effecting vegetable producers.  Most of the press has been about the commodity crops corn and soybeans.  This article was about a CSA farmer in Wisconsin.  So far this year he has only been able to give about 20% of what he had promised.  He hopes he can make it up later in the season but is worried about his CSA partners becoming discouraged.  I can guarantee you that their discouragement is nothing like the stress and discouragement that this farmer is feeling.  I hope that his CSA will step up and realize that the commitment they made includes risks.  

Beth and I are very thankful for the good year we are having so far. We also thankful for our CSA partners and your commitment to us.  Many of you have been with us for several years.  You have experienced the ups and downs.  Many are new this year and are benefitting from a first year of bountiful harvest.  It is important to our local food economy to continue to support our small local farms.  Without them your only choice will be industrial agriculture.  It is also important to support local organic food.  As you know, there are very few of us in this area.  In fact, we are the only certified organic farm in our area that grows a variety of produce.  Without your support, there would be no local organic produce available in Louisville or the surrounding counties. We need more organic farms.  I am in my third year as president of the Organic Association of Kentucky (OAK) and we have grown from fifty members to over two hundred in those three years.  However, we have a long way to go.

Thank you for keeping us going.

Larry

Right now we are getting a torrential rainstorm but I'm not complaining.  We got 3/4 of an inch last night and it sounds like we are probably getting at least that much right now.  Be thankful.  

The heat has been oppressive again this week but we are very grateful for the good harvests that we continue to experience.  The first round of beans are done but we hope that the successive plantings will be bearing in a couple of weeks.  Squash and zucchini are also playing out but again we have high hopes for our succession plantings.

The biggest challenge we have had this year has been with our peppers.  They have not performed as well as we expected.  We are pleased that this week we will be able to share a couple of Sweet Diablos and one Nardello.  These are sweet peppers that are especially good when roasted.

Hope you have been enjoying the cherry tomatoes since we are going to give two pints this week.  The big tomatoes are starting to come on and you will get one large Brandywine this week.  There are a total of 14 different varieties of vegetables in you share this week. 

If you pick up the newest issue of Edible Louisville (available free at the Market if you go by the Beargrass Christian booth) there is a wonderful recipe for sauteed cherry tomatoes.  In addition to the tomatoes, it also uses basil and garlic. So, if you make this you would be using three ingredients from you CSA share.

As always, we enjoy visiting with you here at the farm and at the market.  Thank you for your continued support of local, organic farming.

Larry

Again, the Courier-Journal food section has provided inspiration.  This week the topic was Basil.  This makes us happy since we think our Basil is incredible.  They offered several recipes for using this wonderful ingredient, including one for pesto.  This is one of our favorite ways to use this herb but Beth also uses it on pizzas and sandwiches.  The link, if you want to check out the article is www.courier-journal.com/food.  

This week will be sharing Yukon Gold Potatoes and Cherry Tomatoes in addition to onions, basil, squash, zucchini, Boothby Blonde cucumbers, Lemon cucumbers, Marketmore cucumbers, garlic, fingerling potatoes and Royal Burgundy Beans.  Quite a haul!  In fact, if you bought everything you are getting from us at the market, you would spend thirty eight dollars.  Sometimes the CSA model really works well for the  customer.  We are all in this together and when the harvest is bountiful, you get to share in it.  

The weather is dominating the news these days.  Worst drought since Beth and I were five months old!  (She is five days older than me and I always relish those five days between February 22 and 27.)  Most of the talk is about the commodity crops of corn and soybeans. But, vegetables are also taking a hit.  These temperatures just don't seem to let up much.  We are thankful for the  one and quarter inches we got this week, and for the moderation of temperature today but it looks like the upper nineties will be back early next week.  Water hasn't been as much of a challenge for us since we use drip irrigation.  However, when we get our water bill this month it will show how much the drought is costing us.  I talked to one farmer at the market last week who expects his monthly water bill to be three thousand dollars.  He may just let some crops go since there comes a point where it isn't worth it.  Farmers can't really raise their prices at the market to adjust for this so we all just roll with it.

I bring this up just to point out how fragile our local food economy can be and how important it is for all of us to support it.  There are no government support programs out there like the commodity farmers have.  This is a local economic issue.  I'm sure that most of the farmer's market shoppers aren't aware of how much more expensive it is to produce crops in a drought and I already feel that most of the produce at the market is relatively inexpensive.  I walked through the organic produce section at Kroger last week and was shocked to discover that their prices were higher than ours.  And we are talking about stuff that comes from Mexico!!

That is why I am so thankful for people like you all.  You understand what's at stake here and how important small, local organic farms are to our food security and local economic vitality.  So, we will see you tomorrow at the St. Matthew's "Local Economic Hub" (or we saw you today at the farm) and let's give a big boost to local farms, local economy and true community.

Larry