CSA #35

Dear CSA-ers,

This week’s preassembled bag will contain Spring Mix, Chard, Carrots, Radishes, Dill, Muir Head Lettuce, and Basil. For those of you placing custom orders, you may do so between now and Tuesday evening on the website at: http://magneyfarm.locallygrown.net/market

The cool damp of deep Autumn has set in with the week’s long and soaking rains. Mushrooms appear in the forest reaping the nutrition of fallen leaves and filling the air with the distinct aroma of moldering leaves. Until Spring, the ground outside will likely remain too cold and wet to plant. Nevertheless we have prepared and planted a lot of cool season vegetables that remain growing strong on the farm. There are even some straggling warm season vegetables looking surprisingly well in the high tunnels. We are harvesting some of the prettiest peppers and eggplants we’ve seen the whole year.

The storms have caused some frightening surprises on the farm. Wet soil and strong winds caused a massive hickory tree to fall just behind the house on Friday evening. Luckily, no dogs, chickens, or farm team were injured, but it did make for quite the startling noise. The hickory will be put to good use cut apart; the sticks will be wildlife habitat whereas larger branches and the rounds of the trunk will be cured and become excellent firewood. Part of agriculture is finding the purpose for things and seeing the silver linings in calamity.

This week’s featured vegetable is the Daikon radish. Bags this week will contain two varieties of Daikon, the ‘China Rose’ (a blush pink) and ‘Icicle’ (a solid white mini Daikon). Though Daikon type radishes are good eaten raw on salads, they really excel as a cooking radish. This is because their texture is firmer; so they hold up well to pickling, soups, and stir-fries. Daikon type radishes hail from Asia, but still have the health benefits of their European cousins. Enjoy them as a good source of Vitamin C, and many trace elements. Like many of our root crops, the green tops are edible when cooked.

As always, we would like to thank you for your support of our farm. Choosing to participate in our CSA is a choice to support local food and a system of agriculture that is both resilient and sustainable. It is ultimately you who make this possible!

Sincerely,
The Magney Legacy Farm Team