Farm News Crop Forecast
U-Pick Recipes Nuts and Bolts
Greetings!
Welcome to the farm for 2024!!!!
We’re looking forward to seeing faces old and new coming to enjoy the fresh harvest, for the 19th year on this farm! Many thanks to the mentors and teachers, family, friends and all of you — the community we get to help feed — for making this place possible.
It really feels likes it’s been spring since January or February …. when it became clear we were in a dry and warm winter, and it seemed so possible we’d see a very warm early spring. We did spread compost and plow our first fields in March — before spring break, that’s a first. But thankfully the temps stayed cool enough to prevent the problems that early warmth can bring (insects and diseases getting a jump on crops, late freezes damaging crops that are ahead of “schedule”, etc). So cool still, that we’re glad to finally get a string of days in the 80s this week! That’s really perfect timing — our crops haven’t needed it up to now, but now they’re ready for the boost that warmth will bring.
And the rain!! Sure is nice to be out of drought, and know that the fields have a lot of moisture stored underground to help us through the summer. The worst effect so far has been soil erosion, a difficult problem on almost any veggie farm. We’ve done lots to prevent erosion, and this spring is a kick in the pants to do some more, primarily grading of the driveways for better steering the water coming off the hillside we live in. Our goal is always to prevent water and soil from flowing off the farm, to keep the soil and nutrients here and to give the water places to soak in, without damaging veggies or giving up too much field space. We’ve got the “no soil leaving” part down pretty good, but we need to direct the water a little better to accomodate the bare soil that veggie growing at our scale requires.
And of course, you’ve probably heard us say before, it’s the pounding rains that are hardest on the plants. Pounding rain splashes soil (with bacteria and fungi) onto and even into the leaves and stems, and in a long run of pounding rains, any vegetable farmer (conventional or organic) eventually runs out of tools and tricks to keep a crop healthy enough to make a harvest. Fortunately so far our crops are healthy and weathering those storms, and hopefully the rest of the season’s rains are gentle and well-timed! “Just right rains” for everyone!
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The cool temps have been great for the spring crops. Some went in at our ideal timing, some went in a little late as we waited for rains to pause, but they’ve grown up and the farm has gorgeous food for us this week!
As usual in our climate we start with salad and stir fry fixings and have to wait a few weeks or more for the full juicy fruits and veggies of summer — but the freshness and flavors of these June crops are so nourishing! If you’re not sure what to do with some of it, see the recipes page on our website, or just type the veggie’s name in your search bar, and try something out. We love simple salads, sandwiches with radishes or turnips plus mustard and lettuce, and the heartier greens cooked down in soy sauce or any variation of a stir fry sauce, or a fried egg wrapped in a kale leaf — especially as it gets warmer out, the light salads and the salty greens get into places in our bodies where water and other foods just can’t get.
We have a fantastic crew again this year, and you’ll see them around the farm or coming in and out of the barn. Alex will be staffing the share pickup later in the afternoons, and this week will be helping Erin all afternoon to answer any questions and show the ropes to new folks. Ben will be in and out some, again sorry to not see you in the barn for a shift but grateful to have Alex fill in for him and take something off his plate.
Alex is in her 5th year working with us, and Elliott their 2nd, and we are so happy to be working with them again! We had a couple beloved staff move on to other exciting jobs, but are fortunate to have Seneca join us, and the help of a group of Hmong farmers once a week. We’re often on the move, but especially around the barn, feel free to say hi or ask any of us questions if you can’t find something or need a hand.
We’re all happy to have the chance to work outside with plants and soil, growing food for all of us, and so excited to harvest and fill your kitchens with some good eats this week!
Crop Forecast
Spinach, Leaf and head lettuce, radish, scallions, salad turnips, boc choi, and garlic scapes will be the stars the first couple of weeks, along with Arugula and Asian salad greens. We should have a little bit of asparagus as part of the share this week and next week too. Kale and Kohlrabi likely next week.
This is the best spring spinach crop we’ve had in at least 10 years ( so you get a full bag for a full share, and probably next week too), and the lettuces are gorgeous and delicious. The greens look good too.
The garlic is growing fast and big, and already sending out its flower stalks, aka garlic scapes. The scapes can be used the same as the main stalk, or made into awesome garlic scape pesto (recipe below and on our website). They have strong garlic flavor when raw but are very mild when cooked.
Summer squash and cukes are behind last year , because of these cool nights and days. But this week should push them along, maybe for harvest in 2 weeks. Beets maybe in 2 weeks, carrots in 3-4 weeks.
Overall it’s looking like a beautiful harvest! Our favorites in the kitchen this past week have been spinach, lettuce, boc choi, scapes, cilantro and scallions (and soy sauce!!!) It’s just so darn good to have fresh greens again!
After a few weeks of salad, sandwich and stir-fry fixings, we’ll start having more heartier veggies. Most of those crops look aeons away, but fortunately plants move fast at solstice time. Sometime in later July the tomatoes start trickling in, along with peppers and eggplant. By August we hope to be swimming in the unbeatable mix of juicy and delicious warm-weather fruits and veggies. We often wish it would start right now, but spring and early summer eating is simply lighter and just as satisfying!
What’s for U-Pick?
Many seasons kick off without a Upick crop ready, but we might have a tiny amount of strawberries, and the cilantro is very ready to pick.
Cilantro is east of the driveway, in front of the parking area, and will be marked by a green flag. You can cut straight across with scissors or rip a few stems by hand. We should have cilantro all summer and fall, and basil and dill into September once they start in a few weeks. We have many other herbs that will be ready in a few weeks too.
Strawberries — Will probably be open this week, please check the Upick board when you get here. We will send a separate email with details on strawberry amounts, later in the week. And we’ll send out short email each strawberry week with the upcoming week’s picking amounts. We should be able to have a 3-4 week picking season.
Snap peas aren’t flowering yet but should be ready by the end of June, and green beans aren’t too far behind.
You can U-pick anytime again, it does not have to be on your share pickup day. Weekends and evenings work for some people, that’s totally fine for us.
This spot in the newsletter will keep you informed about U-pick, and always check the U-pick board when you’re here to see what’s available and picking amounts.
When you’re picking if one or all of us are around, we might not be able to stop and talk, but you are always welcome here.
If anyone needs help picking their U-pick crops, please let us know. We can ask folks to help and we can match you up with a volunteer. If you are interested in helping please email us!
Nuts and Bolts
This first newsletter always gets long, we know, thanks for reading! There’s a lot to cover to start the season.
A special welcome to new members We’re so glad to have you on board! If you have questions about how the share works, please ask one of us. We hope you come and upick and get to know and enjoy the place. Check in on the crops as they grow, pick lots of strawberries, and herbs to add flourishes and depth to your meals, etc — we hope your visits here are a peaceful and health-giving part of your routine. Feel free to sit, rest, and/or play a little. You will be getting this newsletter every other week for the rest of the season. Please look for it on Monday nights–in it you will find lots of great information to guide you through the season.
Porta Potty — is available all the time — walk past the red barn, up the driveway, it’s at the top of the hill on the left, before the big grey shed. Please be sure that kids don’t wander into the shed or onto piles of parts etc
Video link is here — for new folks and when you are sending someone to pick up your share.
CSA Handbook for You — Many years ago we assembled a CSA Member Handbook to answer common questions and help make being a part of the farm as great an experience as possible for you and the rest of your household. It contains info about logistics on the farm, and lots of tips for U-Picking, storing and preserving the farm’s bounty. It is available online on our “Information for CSA Members” page (click here), but we have hard copies too, if you want one please ask.
Kid’s Play Spaces — Outdoor and Indoor — We love having kids here and we have 2 great places for them to play while you get your share. There is a kid’s corner back in the barn, and a fun space cleared under the trees outside for play and rest. Of course anyone can use the chairs and shade!
Reusable Bags for Purchase — We really like Chico bags. They’re washable, durable and last a long time. And are made from plastic bottles. We sell (right above our cost and much less than anywhere else) the same sizes as the disposable plastic bags, so when we say “1/2 thank you bag” of durable veggies and “3/4 produce bag of greens” (or whatever the share size is any week), these Chico bags are the same size to “measure” with. Erin or Alex can mark your bags with a sharpie at 1/3, 1/2, 3/4 etc if you want. “Produce” bags for greens are $3 each and “thank you” bags for durable veggies/ the big table are $6 each.
Sign-In The sign-in board is just inside the door, to your right. No more pins! Just mark an “x” by your name on the dry erase board. This year we split up the names into the type of share you have, i.e. “Tuesday Full Share”, “Tuesday Half Share very week”, “Tuesday Full Share every other week”. Find your category and then look for your last name below. Hopefully, these changes will make the process easier for you to sign in!
For split shares — please email or text your share partner to communicate “Who gets what this time”.
Food Shelf Donations With your support of the farm, each year we are able to donate 4-5,000 pounds of fresh produce to the Northfield Food Shelf. These veggies are simply the leftovers from the share pickups, the same fresh, high quality food that you get in your share. With the help of a few very dedicated volunteer drivers, sometimes CSA members and sometimes CAC volunteers or staff, it gets delivered to the food shelf that same week. So if at any time you do not want to take all that is yours in the share pickup, you can leave it and it will go to the food shelf to help feed those in need.
From LuAnn at the Medicinal Herbs Garden
DID YOU KNOW? Your CSA membership covers your personal use of the medicinal herbs and occasional educational sessions offered during CSA pickup times. You may be curious about this garden and what is growing there, or you may be interested in knowing a bit about herbalism — how so many plants can be used in remedies for common physical ailments and imbalances. During the following CSA pick-up days — Tuesday, June 18 and Thursday, June 20 (2nd week of CSA pick up) — I will be offering brief orientation sessions at the garden 2:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 6:30 p.m. I look forward to seeing many of you again and hopefully meeting our new CSA members. In the meantime, check out my website, LuAnn’s Herbs For All or visit my Facebook group. I look forward to seeing you soon at the farm.
Share Pickup Hours TUESDAY and THURSDAY 1:30-6:30 pm.
Change Pick-Up Day Form — Click here. Please fill out this form instead of emailing us. Thanks!
Where is the farm? 4151 320th Street West, Northfield. 2 miles north of Northfield off of Highway 3. From Highway 3, go west on 320th Street West, and pull in the 1st driveway on the right.
Parking Please park on the right (east) side of the driveway. Try to pull in perpendicular to the driveway so you can turn around as you back out. Or back in, perpendicular to the driveway, so you can pull straight out. We ask that you not use the turnarounds near the barn or the house during the share pickup, to help keep kids safe around the barn.
KID SAFETY —Please Drive Carefully —Children are everywhere.
Please know where your children are at all times. ESPECIALLY note that All buildings, except the shareroom area of the barn, are off-limits to children. This includes the barn and the machine shed (hiding in the woods up the hill). There are sharp tools and parts in many places, of all shapes and sizes. Please keep kids near you when U-picking.
Be aware that farm trucks and tractors may be going up and down the driveway, near your cars and/or near the barn. We all drive carefully but please pay attention to small children especially in those areas, and back up carefully.
Another hazard you should know about is a small drainage pond / mud pit west of the barn— we have it fenced off for safety and it is completely off limits. It catches, and drains, excess rain water from parts of the hill, along with water and soil from washing veggies in the barn, and keeps it all from eroding into the fields. We’re glad to have a decent solution to that problem but need your help in making sure kids know it is not a place to play.
We love having all of you come to the farm and hope it can be safe and fun for all! Thank you for making it such a great place to be! Thank you so much for your support!!
Your farmers,
Erin and Ben, with Allia, Alex, Elliott, Seneca, Sai Ding and crew
Recipes
10 minute garlic boc choi recipe
from the forked Spoon
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 5 cloves garlic – minced
- 2 large shallots – minced
- 2 pounds baby bok choy – halved or quartered
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper –
- Add the oil to a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl to coat the entire surface of the pan. Add the garlic and shallots, stirring continuously for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant.
- Add the bok choy, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Toss to coat and cover. Cook for 1-2 minutes, uncover and toss, and then cover and continue to cook until bok choy is cooked to desired doneness (approximately 3-5 minutes more).
- Sprinkle with crushed red pepper and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Sautéed Japanese (Hakurei) Turnips With Turnip Greens Recipe
- Kosher salt
- 1 1/2 pounds (675g) Japanese (Hakurei) baby turnips, with green tops
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- Freshly ground black pepper
- note from Open Hands Farm: add a garlic scape to the final cooking step!
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, cut greens from turnip bulbs, leaving a small portion of stem (less than 1/2 inch) attached to each bulb. Wash leafy greens and turnips well of any sand. Slice each turnip pole to pole into 4 to 6 wedges of 1/2 inch thick each.
Add leafy greens to boiling water and cook just until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Using tongs or a spider, transfer greens to cold water to chill, then drain, squeeze out excess water, and chop into small pieces.
Heat oil in a cast iron, carbon steel, or stainless steel skillet over high heat, just until the first wisps of smoke appear. Add turnip wedges, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring and tossing occasionally, until well browned in spots, about 3 minutes; lower heat if turnips threaten to burn.
Open Hands Farm 