Fall Share, Week 1

November 4, 2017

Many Hands Organic Farm Fall CSA
November 6 – We are heading into week one

Hi folks,

Welcome back. It seems like it has just been a day or two since we harvested your food! I am always really enthusiastic about the fall CSA. There are less of you so we can take better care of you, and we only pick once per week so we can spend the rest of the week getting the farm ready for winter, doing more food preservation, putting away drip tape, weeding and mulching perennials, fixing bird houses, cleaning up barns and sheds, splitting wood, and the list goes on.

Accompanying this newsletter will be a list of who you all are and where I have you listed as picking up. Check it to make sure I have no made any mistakes. The CSA runs for 4 Mondays. Barre pick up is here. Worcester pick up in at Living Earth and Holden pick up is at Teresa’s garage at 51 Boyden Road in Holden. Food should be ready by noon for pick up here. Jack will usually be leaving here around 1:30 or so to get your bags to Worcester or Holden, so I trust you can pick them up by 3 pm. If ever in doubt about pick up time, just call here at the number above to check that Jack has left.

Would you like weekly eggs? Just send along $28 and we will pop them in your bag. Send me and email right to let me know in time for Monday.

We have a nice line up this week – with frosts still being not too harsh, and our row covers in place to slow the chill.

o Brussels sprouts – I think 2 to 3 weeks all told on these
o Parsley – this may be our last pick
o Kale – good to go for all 4 weeks – it seems all we did was to plant yet one more bed of kale this year to keep you in good supply
o Brassica choice – broccoli/cabbage/cauliflower – these were picked this week to avoid the 28 degree night we had. I might give you a larger quantity of these this week, with uncertainty into the future – hopefully cabbage still coming along later
o Asian Green selection – tatsoi and or Chinese cabbage and pac choi
o Lettuce – two heads this week; I love our late fall lettuce
o Cilantro – I thought this was done already, but it grew back
o Carrots – from our new beds that you received this week – they should go all four weeks – ah, so sweet
o Leeks – for 2 -3 or maybe 4 more weeks
o Dill – I found that out there yesterday – an interesting out of season treat
o Tomatoes – one or two from the basement floor

Later on we will have onions and garlic to add in to the mix, some more celery, plus some combination of the above. We will take a look at our parsnips to see if they are ready enough for harvest – could be a great treat for Thanksgiving week if they are mature enough. I am sad to say that we have no extra potatoes for you – too large of a crowd to feed all winter here. And beets are gone. We had to do an early harvest of all of them because our little cow foamy kept getting out and heading straight for them.

If you haven’t yet, but wanted to, donate to the NOFA Run on my or Jack’s behalf, it isn’t too late. It happens tomorrow, but you can donate until the end of the month. I am looking to raise $1500 and now stand at $1275 – oh, so close – https://www.crowdrise.com/nofamassachusetts1/fundraiser/julierawson

Chickens in the freezer, and also very nice frozen peaches
Pigs going away tomorrow and back in packages on November 17
Turkey harvest for November 21 and 22 pick up here – best Thanksgiving bird you will ever eat!

Bring your bags back each week so we (and you) don’t have to deal with paper ones.

Have a great November. I look forward to spending it with you. Julie