What a beautiful time on the farm!
Randy starts to breathe a little sigh of relief, as he'll be done with all of his seeding and planting for the year in just a few days. This week, we're transplanting some spinach in the greenhouse to be planted in the field in place of the seeds that didn't germinate well. Those will head into the ground early next week.
We also seeded these beds of greens including broccoli rabe, arugula, Tokyo bekana, tatsoi, Asian mix, radishes, and salad turnips. Believe it or not, these come up so quickly that they'll be ready by late October, but they'll carry us through December, too. Randy joked with the crew that this was "the block that kept on giving" last season - our crew harvested from this planting until their fingers were frozen and we left no waste in the field.
We harvest veggies every single day, and every day the medley is different. Four of those days we harvest for our vegetable subscription program, as our members are enrolled to pick up on either Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday (the shorter Peak Season program only), or Saturday.
The day before members pick up, we harvest, wash, inspect, and pack their veggie box with an assortment of veggies. Every week it's a different medley, and we're sure you've seen the list of box contents shared at the bottom of this newsletter.
Last week, the share included these hand-dug potatoes you see Eric harvesting here.
It also included tomatoes and summer squash. This week it includes bok choy, peppers, cucumbers, and more. Next week it'll include broccoli. It changes every week.
Did you know that we grow over 80 different kinds of veggies over the course of a season? One of the things we hear the most from members is how much they love trying new veggies and being pushed out of their comfort zones to vary their diets. We are so inspired by the meals that they share every week in our members' Facebook group. I've found so many wonderful ideas from our customers over the years.
Speaking of, did you also know you can freeze grape tomatoes? I learned that from someone else in our community! You won't be able to enjoy them fresh in a salad, but you can certainly saute them with a little garlic and olive oil and toss them over pasta.
So that we can all learn from each other, don't forget to enter our annual virtual cooking contest...
We're looking for LGF's "SECRET VEGGIE SNEAK"!
Do you have the creativity and stealth to win the 2024 title? How do you hide an extra helping of veggies into what you're cooking? This could be how you hide it from your kids or significant other, or just how you integrate it into your own meal for a little extra veggie boost. Think of recipes such as zucchini bread - you might never know that this sweet dessert has a veggie inside! We're looking for your most creative ideas to share with our community. Submit them to us by email at laurelglenfarm@gmail.com, through social media @laurelglenfarmllc, or by posting them in our members' Facebook group. You do not have to provide a recipe! Simply submit a photo with a caption of what it is and we'll reshare it. Submit by September 21st and we'll choose a winner on Sunday, September 22nd. There is always a custom, commemorative prize for the winner!
Member Jody submitted this one to me today:
"I make meatloaf with leftover puréed veggies and fresh herbs. This meatloaf is made with ground beef, parsley and leftover veggie stew. I made the stew with LGF eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, green beans, yellow beans, onions, tomato and parsley. The veggies add moisture and flavor but remain undetectable. I also add a tablespoon of worcestershire sauce, an egg, and breadcrumbs. The meatloaf can also be made with ground turkey or chicken and a tablespoon of teriyaki sauce. I use fresh herbs that go well with whichever ground meat I am using."
Over the weekend, our family harvested the little bit of apples that our orchard is bearing.
Randy is currently nurturing 44 apple trees of different varieties: honey crisp, McIntosh, granny smith, cortland, mutsu, macoun (did you know this is pronounced mac-OWn like in "house"), ruby rush, and fuji.
This is a really beautiful variety called crimson crisp.
This year the trees are in their third growing season, and they don't fully mature until year five.
Each tree is trained with spreaders that look like this.
Farmer Randy says: "You don't want the branches of an apple tree to grow upward because they're weaker. So when the tree matures and they become heavy with fruit, they're more liable to break. With these spreaders, the branches are trained to grow at a 45 degree angle, which makes them stronger over time"
Farmer Randy has also been known to say to me, "SOMEONE didn't believe in my fruit dream," as he beams with pride next to his fruit. Hardy har har. Sometimes I discourage Randy from trying to take on too much around here, but I suppose I have to eat my words...
While we were up at Booth Hill picking apples, I snapped these gorgeous shots of the field. Greens and cabbage crops are back, baby!
This week we had a visit from Farmer Will of Cecarelli Farms, who is driving his tractor around to local farm stands to gain signatures for various petitions. We handed $199 off to him that our community collected to help keep his staff going a little while longer as they clean up the farm. (In case you missed it, his 125-acre farm was destroyed by hail in August.) He thanked us all for the generosity. Will is hoping to change the way that crop insurance money is distributed when farmers face devastation, as getting a loan isn't a reasonable solution. He'll be at the state capitol on Friday morning to rally for this.
Our girls have been producing eggs, but realistically we don't have nearly enough chickens to meet the demand. We put a couple dozen eggs in the store most days, but that's about it. Maybe we'll get a bigger flock in the future. If you're lucky enough to snag a dozen, would you kindly return the cartons for us to use?
And one more really cool thing I have to tell you about before I recap information about what you can find in the store now that we have lots of new fall products.
The marinara was such a smashing success that we decided to make one more special product. We're sending off another 1,000 lbs. of tomatoes to the processor on Monday to make something different! They're still bearing so much fruit. Wait until you see the label that Randy's cousin Amanda designed for us. It may just be the cutest thing ever. We'll launch it late next week!
Let's talk about all of the new products you can find in the store...
First up, tea blends from Seasonal Catering.
Other new flavors include throat therapy, smoky mountain sunrise, candy apple, elderberry bliss and more! You'll want to stock up on these to comfort you during the inevitable cold and flu season. (It's already hit our house, how about you?)
We've also got apple maple jam and pumpkin butter from Twin Pines Farm.
Plus maple candy, and all of Sugar Maple Farms' usual maple syrup and honey offerings to go along with your autumn pancakes and cups of tea. We're waiting for a restock of maple sugar - it's really awesome when sprinkled on oatmeal, cereal, coffee, or plain yogurt.
Guardians Farm lip balm flavors like pear, as well as soaps and lotions in fall scents like pumpkin will be available, and their beeswax deodorant is in stock. (Yes, it works!)
We picked up a freshly roasted batch of coffee from Redding Roasters, including pumpkin spice.
Durante's porcini mushroom ravioli is in the freezer, along with spinach and cheese.
Plus, the shelves are stocked with Savor cookie flavors like "Naugatuck" with birch, maple, and cranberry, and "hot" chocolate (which has hot pepper in it but is not spicy - it just gives a warmth!)
And the only produce that we supplement in our store is apples from our friends at Hindinger Farm in Hamden. This weekend we'll have ginger gold, Paula red, gala, and cortland.
We've also ordered a fresh delivery of apple turnovers and cinnamon monkey bread from Wave Hill Breads in Norwalk, so come hungry on Saturday morning! Their boule, baguettes, and pan loaves will also be freshly baked for the weekend.
We can't forget to mention our OWN offerings!
Like mums in four different colors: red, gold, orange, and purple.
Check the tags to see what color they'll be - they're not blooming yet so that you can enjoy them for the entirety of their life span. Mum pots are $10 each or 2 for $18.
They look like this when they bloom.
The first of the pumpkins are out front, as well as gourds and sugar pumpkins inside.
We also harvested the first of the winter squashes: spaghetti, butternut, delicata, honeynut, and acorn. Potatoes, onions, carrots, garlic, and kale are also available now if you're in soup season mode.
And if you're like me, and you're a summer lover, we're also still in full summer harvest mode. Tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, peppers, eggplant, green beans, and so many other delicious warm weather options aren't going anywhere until the first frost. So, grab some of these for the grill now, and stock up on the heartier veggies for the weeks to come.
25 lb. boxes of plum tomato ($45) and tomato "seconds" bulk boxes ($35) are available this weekend on a more limited basis. Simply walk into the store to pick one up when you're ready - we pack them daily in advance. You can message us to check availability if you'd like the security.
Build-a-Bouquet in its traditional form has ended for the year, but we're keeping the spirit alive with $7 pre-made mini bouquets available for purchase this weekend.
And an update our two new special products...
LAUREL GLEN FARM'S SUNDAY SAUCE
You all, the ingredients don't get simpler than this. Our fresh, hand-selected tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, and salt & pepper. Jars are $8 each. We got 650 jars and we've already sold 150 since last Saturday. Stock up now because we won't be restocking for the winter!
AND A WORD ON THE CHICKEN PLUSHIES...
You all bought 25 of these last weekend, and needless to say, Amanda crocheted her hands off to do an urgent restock. Still, what was left was snatched up right away! She needs to take a little break and will use the remainder of the month to make more plushies. We'll announce when they're back in stock in October.
We're still selling $5 bags of "seconds" - these are discounted bags of produce such as tomatoes, onions, squash, peppers, and eggplant that are perfectly good to eat, but of lesser quality than our typical produce. These will be available in our veggie display cooler as inventory allows, already pre-packed in certain quantities.
This is two $5 "seconds" bags' worth of peppers, which I quickly sauteed for the freezer. You can find plenty of pepper seconds in our display cooler now!
WHAT'S IN STORE
Here is the fresh produce we plan to have in stock while supplies last (through Friday, 9/20):
Acorn Squash
Bell peppers
Butternut Squash
Cabbage (green)
Carrots
Collard greens
Cucumbers (slicing and pickling)
Delicata Squash
Eggplant
Fresh herbs (sage, thyme, parsley, rosemary, mint, and basil)
Garlic
Grape tomatoes
Green beans
Honeynut Squash
Hot peppers (assorted)
Husk cherries
Kale
Leeks
Lunchbox peppers
Napa cabbage
Onions
Potatoes (red and gold)
Radishes
Scallions
Shishito peppers
Spaghetti Squash
Tomatillos
Tomatoes
Yellow squash
Zucchini
STORE HOURS
Monday: 10:30 to 6
Tuesday: 10:30 to 6
Wednesday: 10:30 to 6
Thursday: 10:30 to 6
Friday: 10:30 to 5
Saturday: 9 to 4
Sunday: 10 to 3
So sorry, but we can't accommodate early or late arrivals even if we are around. Our staff is scheduled to work on prepping the store with the freshest products right up until we open. We also try to honor personal lives by closing promptly.
** Vegetable subscription pickup occurs during all open hours on members' scheduled pickup day and we hold shares for 24 hours afterward.
MARKET HOURS
Shelton Farmers' Market - Saturdays from 9 to 12 at 100 Canal Street.
Monroe Farmers' Market - Fridays from 3 to 6 at 7 Fan Hill Road.
THIS WEEK'S VEGGIE SUBSCRIPTIONS
MAIN SEASON WEEK 15 OF 20
(Tuesday, September 17th through Saturday, September 21st)
Biweekly pickup occurs on all odd-numbered weeks - 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19.
Share Contents (Listed approximately from shortest shelf life to longest)
Large:
1 bunch of Brussels sprout tops
1 head of broccoli
1 bunch of radishes
1 lb. of beans
2 summer selections (you choose!): peppers, broccoli, zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant, beans, grape tomatoes, husk cherries
2 lbs. of potatoes
Garlic
Small:
1 bunch of Brussels sprout tops
1 bunch of radishes
1/2 lb. of beans
2 summer selections (you choose!): peppers, broccoli, zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant, beans, grape tomatoes, husk cherries
1 lb. of potatoes
Garlic
Caring For Your Share (All of this information, plus long-term storage info, can also be found in our Vegetable Library of Resources).
Most sources will recommend wrapping a head of broccoli in a damp paper towel in the fridge. We think the less air it's exposed to the better. Open air causes it to wilt fast. You can try putting your broccoli in a plastic bag in the fridge and using it within the week. Wash when ready to use.
Store Brussels sprout tops in a plastic bag in the fridge and use within the week. Wash when ready to use.
Remove the greens from the radishes and store them in separate plastic bags. Wash and eat the greens within a few days; the roots will keep for a couple of weeks if stored properly.
Store beans in a plastic bag in the fridge. Wash and blot dry when ready to use.
Store garlic in a cool, dark place out of the refrigerator, like a cabinet or pantry. Ensure that it has air flow. We leave the neck on the garlic to prevent it from rotting at the base of the bulb.
Store potatoes in a mesh bag in a cool, dark place such as a cabinet or pantry, and ensure that they get plenty of air flow. Do not wash until ready to use, but wipe away dense soil, if any. Keep away from onions.
The LGF Cooking Club (Recipes to try in addition to those in the Library of Resources!)
How to Change Your Vegetable Subscription Pickup Day
If you need to skip your share for the week, or change your pickup day, you must provide us with 48 hours notice for any of the options below. This is because we pack shares the day before pickup. Once your share has been harvested and packed, we can not cancel your pickup.
For Tuesday pickups being changed, we need to know by Sunday.
Wednesday pickups, we need to know by Monday.
Saturday pickups, we need to know by Thursday.
You have the option to choose another of those pickup days in a given week: Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday.
You can skip a pickup and receive a double the following week.
If you miss your pickup, we will hold your share for 24 hours after your pickup day, and then it will be donated to a local food pantry. With more members than ever before, we don't have the cooler space to hold onto shares longer than this. This is a great option if you accidentally miss your pickup - just come the next day.
You can always send a guest to pick up in your place by simply notifying us of their name.
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