What's in the box? pick-up #10

Lots of great conversations today. It's our last pick-up for the season. I'm really happy with what Farmer John gave us this week (see list below). We'll pick up again in the New Year - January 8th.

Thank you CSA'ers for making us a part of your lives these past 10 weeks, for introducing CSA pick-ups into your Friday routine, and for cooking and shopping around them. I love what Kelley does so she doesn't waste a thing. Storage of course has a lot to do with it - and please share your tips - but what Kelley likes to do is keep a reminder on her fridge door of what's in the week's box. When time comes to prepare a meal, the week's bounty has worked its way into her mental recipe book. She dreams up dishes faster. She crosses off veggies from the list as she uses them, so she knows what's left. Saves any of the week's veggies from going unused. Nice tip Kelley!

Thank you Bree and Spencer and John and Molly for volunteering your time to distribute veggies. You guys are fun! Thank you Beat for helping me lug. Thank you Farmer John for making it work. I'll see you CSA'ers on Jan 8th. Patti: good luck with the movie, Rosie: have a great time in Istanbul, Rebecca: have an amazing trip to the Golden Triangle. Sharon: good luck with your classes, Gia (supermom): we loved meeting you and the kids, Meredith: you in for a bi-weekly? And to everyone: you rock.

Here's what Farmer John had for us this week:

nettles
carrots
adult spinach
young lettuce (mix)
fresh garlic
turnips
kabocha / Japanese winter squash
curly kale
onion

New CSA for Beachwood Canyon

Wow. CSA shareholders John and Tamara have been rallying for more families in their neighborhood in Beachwood Canyon to participate in community supported agriculture next year. The Allen and Pullman families are long-time supporters of the organic movement and local farming. John and Tamara come to Silverlake every week to pick up their veggies.

Thanks to John and Tamara, and local group leaders, we're now introducing a CSA pick-up point in the Beachwood / Belden area of Beachwood Canyon, and reaching out to potential shareholders there.

Heads up Beachwood Canyon! Freshly harvested, locally grown, organic vegetables fresh from the farm are coming your way - walking distance from your kitchen!

Thank you John and Tamara.

If you live in the Beachwood Canyon area and you're interested in signing up, here are the details for our CSA / pick-up there:

It's a 10-week program that connects you with two very local organic* farms: Sweredoski Farms, which is 15 miles away, and Silver Lake Farms.

Every week, CSA members pick up a $20 box of freshly harvested vegetables, delivered straight from the farm to the Beachwood/Belden area pick-up point. Pick-ups start mid-January. Exact day TBD but we think pick-up day will be Tuesdays.

To subscribe to the weekly pick-ups, purchase a share for $200 (10 weeks x $20). A limited number of shares is available. Bi-weekly option is available too for $100. The deadline to join/mail your check is 1/10/10.

Note: Silverlake CSA pick-ups resume for another 10 weeks as of January 8th. Deadline to join Silverlake pick-up is Jan 1.

contact Tara at info@silverlakefarms.com or call 323-644-3700.

Thank you HHA and BCNA for supporting this local organic food initiative.

* We are not certified organic but that's how we do things.

Our CSA

James picks up 2 CSA shares.




















Bree and Spencer volunteer at the CSA pick-up point in Silver Lake.

The Bounty

CSA shareholders, Ben and Bruce, love fresh garlic.

Some of this week's bounty from Farmer John.

Pick-up #9

It's all about soup this week. Nothing like hearty soup on a rainy day. Thank you Farmer John!(holding crates of butternut squash)

This week we have:
turnips
onion
green garlic
dandelion greens
lots of carrots
celery
butternut squash
broccoli
arugula
parsley root (chop up the root for the soup)
bok choi

Loofah Harvest

Monday, December 7, 2009

Bree comes over and works with me in the rain. We peel all the loofahs harvested yesterday and set them out to wash naturally.

Thank you Bree! You're a super-trouper!

Loofah Dilemma

Sunday, December 6, 2009

CSA'ers and other good friends help me clear rows 1 thru 14, and harvest loofah sponges and cotton before tomorrow's rain, so nothing rots on the vine. Many of the loofahs aren't ready to harvest yet. They're still really green. Do I leave them alone and wait or cut my losses and yank the lot? Temperatures are dropping and the sun isn't strong, and I'm anxious to start planting vegetables everywhere... Cut my losses, right?

Thank you so much to everyone who came! Pics coming... (And not the ones my neighbor took of some of you as you were leaving. Sorry about that! I apologize for my neighbor's rude behavior.)