On Saturday morning the first frost of the season blanketed the landscape, a drastic change from the blistering 90 degrees we had earlier in the week. As we come to the end of our regular season it is time to transition once again; to surrender to the inevitable ebb and flow of the seasonal cycles. Walking underneath the trellised apple orchard I see the cover crop starting to germinate, and a calm silence has settled in after the season’s hard work. The colorful foliage blanketing the ground is nature’s sign that it’s time for a rest. We are all looking forward to taking a short break before the winter season, with its scaled down CSA program, starts up on Thursday, November 29th.
If you haven’t made up your mind whether to sign up for the winter share, let me entice you! We still have about 40 shares left. And we have a stellar lineup of winter veggies including rotations of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, red and golden beets, newly dug potatoes, lettuces, and our fabulous Brussels sprouts. Of course leeks and onions from Pinnacle Organic plus the ever-trusty cooking greens like chard, collards and kale (kale gets especially sweet and wonderful in winter!) will be regular staples. Cabbages, winter squashes (butternut, acorn, kabocha, sweet dumpling, hubbard) and root veggies like parsnips, celeriac, rutabagas and turnips will be abundant as well, and late in February we’ll have our early green garlic. Although the fruit selection is less diverse, all the shares will enjoy Meyer lemons and a generous selection of Gala, Fuji and Pippin Apples. To round out the shares we will regularly add mushrooms from Far West Fungi, early artichokes from Swanton Berry Farm, and jars of summer preserves made by Happy Girl Kitchen. Wow, this is over 20 different items we’ll be able choose from throughout the winter to put together some wonderful shares for you! We will of course continue to offer the Bread Option from Companion Bakeshop, as well as the Preserves Option from Happy Girl Kitchen, plus of course our popular Pasture-raised Eggs Option. So, join us now for a winter season that will ensure an abundance of healthy, earthly treats.
I wasn’t raised on a farm, but I am certain that my love for food and my journey as a farmer started in my mother’s kitchen. If your kitchen is anything like ours, much of our family time is spent around the kitchen table, preparing, sharing and enjoying food. It’s a place where food is more than just food — it is sustenance for our bodies and our souls; it is where we feel connected and alive. The Live Earth Farm team has worked tirelessly to care for and nurture this land in order to collect her abundant and healthy gifts. Every week you receive a sampling of our effort in the form of food which in turn becomes a part of your kitchen table and family meals throughout the season. I am filled with thankfulness for all who contributed to making this another nourishing and successful season. It is inspiring to know that the seeds we plant are supported by a living network of everything from minute soil organisms to the diverse human community of fellow farmers, farm employees, farm suppliers, CSA members, farmers market customers, artisan food producers, cooks, teachers, students, and friends.
We are grateful for your commitment to share in this bounty, and hope to continue celebrating these mutually supportive relationships for many more harvest seasons to come. Happy Thanksgiving!
