Farm to Folk Newsletter     September 2, 2008

“A little extra info from the farms to the folks”
website: www.farmtofolk.com

Remember to come to distribution!  Monday is a holiday and it is easy to forget distribution on Tuesday. Also, please bring in all the small green plastic baskets that you get produce in. If they came from a certain farm let us know and we'll get them back to that farm. If they are extra from a grocery we'll pass them on the farmers to use. Thanks!

Farm to Folk Tee Shirts will arrive on Tuesday Sept 2.

Nick Wallace - Nick Wallace will deliver wild fish, grass fed beef and pork products on Sept 2.  Please order directly from him:  nick.wallace@wallacefarms.com

Meet the Members

Last week, we had the chance to catch up with Kristy Stevens. When we say catch up, we mean that literally. Even though you can't see it, Kristy actually wears a Superwoman cape. She is the mother of five children, ages 2, 5, 7, 9, and 11. Kristy is pictured here with her youngest, Zach, who easily befriends any child at Farm to Folk within smiling distance.  When Kristy is not picking up her vegetables, she is home schooling her children, driving a school bus, or a custodian at our host site, UCC. She also prepares most of her meals from scratch. Stir frys dominate the menu, she says, because they're easy and delicious, and are quickly demolished by the family of seven. Beets are less popular--okay, downright "weird" according to her kids, but Kristy is finding ways to incorporate them and other less common vegetables into family meals.

Originally from Grundy Center just down the road, Kristy met Marilyn at the site last winter when Marilyn was on-site greeting people during dairy distribution.  They struck up a conversation about Farm to Folk and voila--now we have Kristy among our ranks. Each week, we have been learning something new from our members. The takeaway message this week is that strained schedules are no excuse for not eating well. While we may lament we have no time to prepare fresh vegetables, Kristy teaches us it just has to be a priority. If anyone is busy, she is.

Iowa Fresh Produce:

Hello all-

 This week's more moderate temps have finally been accompanied by several showers. These were definitely more welcomed ( as well as more moderate) than those earlier monsoonal  downpours though one of those would definitely be enjoyed by a parched soil these days. The cooler days  seem to make one more productive or perhaps not as tired at day's end but at a price- anything that normally flourishes with those hot humid August days seems to be severely lagging this year. In addition to the tomato scenario melons - both watermelon and muskmelon seem to be very slow to mature this year. Just

today my impatience had finally gotten the better of me and after scouring the melon patch I did find 1 melon that appeared ripe. Dinner tonight will tell just how far along it is. Normally melons are ready for us about the midpoint or waning days of the state fair but not this year!

 Even the wildlife seems to be later this season.  Highway 69 between Ames and Jewell is getting congested as evidenced by all the deer that are forever along the road- both fleeing away and then those that aren't so fortunate. Last Tuesday a fawn which hadn't even lost all its spots was the latest causality. Late in the season for fawns unless this was either a second calving or the rains delayed what deer do. Pheasants follow this as well and startled the be jeepers out of me the other day as I was harvesting okra. That sudden blur of feathers and the accompanying noise while lost in one's thoughts quickly brings one back to the here and now. Barn swallows too are about to the end of the season as the first brood sits along the power lines Mom and POP barn swallow make never ending trips catching bugs to feed the growing brood of fledglings- they'll never have it that good again.

This week we will be bringing:

Bell pepper
Eggplant
Lettuce mix
Beans(?)
Tomato - one of these days they will begin ripening
Onion

We may start bringing melons if they begin ripening between now and then. We have red, yellow and orange watermelons and will try to make it know which is which. Unfortunately my field map with all the mark outs and re-plantings makes it difficult for me to even decipher it. The yellow and orange have the same coloration and vein pattern of light and dark stripes so  it will be a real challenge. All three are good with Nick always asking for the yellow ones (probably because they were novel to him as a youngster) The orange ones are a new variety out just a few years and usually a pastel cantaloupe orange color. Muskmelons will be following soon as well hopefully.

 Think Green- If you don't have a use for those cherry tomato baskets please return them to Marilyn as I will be refilling them. One year I reused them 11 times before they finally began breaking. Think of ALL the plastic trees we can save! ( ouch! a bit of tongue in cheek and I bit myself!)

Enjoy the weekend!

Go 'clones. go hawks ( south hamilton that is )

 Bruce

Small Potatoes Farm

Hello Everyone,

Deliveries

      We will be bringing beets, potatoes ('Kennebec'), carrots, a bag of red Russian kale, some beautiful arugula, summer squash, peppers, some eggplant or beans, and cucumbers. Tomatoes are still a bit spotty, but armed with a sharp knife one can extract considerable goodness from them. 

      The good news, our second bean planting, not wiped out as much as the first (which we are delivering now) is about ready. We had the first dozen pods last night. They are really a great French filet bean and I think you'll really enjoy them next week.

      Greens Share will be lacinato kale and mustard greens.

 Happenings

      The Wapsie Catfish Jamboree was a great success. Stacy and I caught nine catfish, but did not win the tournament. In fact, we let all our fish go back to the river. Everyone was glad to see Tillie. She was passed from aunt to uncle to cousin all day and it gave Stacy a much earned and needed break. The fireworks display resulted in no injuries this year, but rumblings of a ban on 'quarter sticks' - equivalent to a quarter stick of dynamite - has been heard. This will be opposed by my brother-in-law.

      Aphid populations are still quite high. More than I've ever seen and have particularly affected the first cucumbers. I'm trying to treat with soap and water, but there are a million of them and only one of me. Otherwise crops look pretty good. The little rain we had this week and mild weather have definitely helped the new plantings of lettuce I hope to deliver before the end of next month.

       We have a lot of hoeing and weeding to catch up on. With weeding, timing is everything so I'd better be on top of my game in that area this week. We'll have a couple beds of basil to thin. In all, about 280 foot of row. I planted it with the thought any of you could come out before the first frost and harvest enough for freezer pesto. I'll keep you updated on that.

 Upcoming Events

      We have two exciting events coming up. First is a field day of our farm Sept. 13, and neighboring CSA Turtle Farm, followed by a gourmet meal and garlic tasting. It is a fund raiser for Practical Farmers of Iowa, a sustainable agriculture research and education organization. The next weekend, Sept. 20, you are all invited out to the farm for a visit and potluck. I have all the details at http://www.smallpotatoesfarm.com/Events.html.

 In the Kitchen (by Stacy)

      Need something new to do with all those carrots?  Try Tiny Carrots with Dill Butter.  Originally, this recipe was intended for those pre-cut baby carrots sold in bags...so if you want to be true to the recipe cut your carrots small.  In a medium saucepan cook carrots covered in a small amount of boiling water about 10 minutes or till crisp-tender.  Drain.  Stir 2T softened butter, 1/2t dried dill weed (or 1T fresh dill), 1T lemon juice, 1/4t salt, and 1/8t pepper (freshly cracked is best) into carrots and toss to coat.

What Stacy's Mom is Doing

      Stacy's Mom is enamored with life insurance and takes policies out anyone she can.  She recently bought a policy for Matilda and called yesterday to inform us that the policy had arrived, it looked good, and that "...now Matilda is valuable."

 Most Notable Events

      I overheard one of our members say they bought 4 gallons of gas in July. This story must be told! Stay tuned.

 Have a great week,

 Rick, Stacy and Tillie

Recipes – recipe submitted by Stacey Ross from Lidia's Italy 

See you Tuesday!

Marilyn, Corry and Deb