Staten Island Community Supported Agriculture Provides Update, Info About New Farm Partners Including Mushroom, Egg, Fruit, Flower Shares Now Available
New Farm Partners For Staten Island Community Supported Agriculture, Including Mushrooms, Ornamental Flowers, Eggs, and Fruit
Because of the High Heat and Chance of Thunderstorms, Please Try to Pick Up Early!
The SICO and workers will appreciate your help getting the distribution done quickly. Thanks!
There will also be flowers this week.
Visit Circle Brook Farm on July 30
Roy Fischman and other members from the Great Kills CSA are volunteering on Farmer John’s farm July 30 and invite North Shore members to come along for a Staten Island day. Contact Susan Miceli if you’d like more information or to ride-share.
Week 7: No major meteorological complaints
Hello Folks,
There are no major meteorological complaints to be lodged for this past week–the excessive rainfall has abated, at least for now. There will be some scorching hot days this week, but nothing like what the southern and western US has seen in recent days. The fields have dried out enough to allow us to move ahead with our planting.
I am direct-seeding beans and herbs and my crew have been busy planting more cucumbers and summer squash as well as thousands of brassica family plants for the fall harvest. Fall is the best time for the brassicas, as they thrive in the cooler weather. There are many local farmers who will not even attempt to grow broccoli or cauliflower from spring plantings–it is just too risky. We have just completed sending broccoli three times and will be shipping cauliflower in the shares for the third time this week. This is nothing short of amazing, considering that I half-expected to lose these crops completely during the spring drought. It is gratifying to know that our herculean efforts to keep them alive paid off.
We are bringing in the onion crop currently–over the next three weeks. It will be helpful if we can begin drying down the tops in the field, without the constant threat of rain. The shallots were harvested somewhat franticly over the past ten days, because of the rain. Some were brought inside with the tops still very wet, which means they will probably not store well. We will be sending some of these in the shares this week; use them up quickly. We have a tremendous crop and there will be more to come.
We also have celery for you this week. Our celery tends to be a bit different from the California grown crop–it is a darker green and will have a stronger flavor.
The share for this week will be: Cauliflower, lettuce, kale, rainbow carrots, eggplant, celery, string beans, summer squash, choice of cherry tomatoes or ground cherries, shallots, and choice of an herb–parsley, summer savory, mint, or thyme. Premium shares will also include broccoli and wax beans. There are tomatillos as an “extra.”
Bon Appetit!
Farmer John
Add-ons: Eggs, Fruit, and Now Mushrooms and Flowers, Too!
You must have a vegetable share to purchase an egg, fruit, mushroom, or flower share. Sign up for a vegetable share here.
Egg Share
Birds are free-range and are on pasture for 8 months of the year. They are not certified organic and there is soy in their feed. 1 dozen/week = $130, 2 dozen/week = $240, 3 dozen/week = $340, 4 dozen/week = $440. Sign up for the egg shares here.
Fruit Share
14 weeks (not consecutive) = $250. Two types of fruit each week, averaging 5-7 lbs./ week. Locally sourced fruit to the greatest extent possible. Some local fruit may be organic, but most will be eco-grown. This means organic methods are followed as much as possible, but some spray materials that are prohibited for organic production are used, primarily early in the season.
Shares which include higher value fruit, like strawberries, blueberries, cherries and kiwi, will have lower total weight. The fruit for the final 5 or 6 weeks of the season will be primarily different varieties of apples and pears. Sign up for the fruit share here.
Mushroom Share
24 weeks @ $240. Joe Aochoa is the owner/operator of Innoculated. The company produces certified organic exotic mushrooms in Fairfield NJ. This year, we are pleased to partner with Joe to provide members with a weekly mushroom share. Each week you will receive a half pound box with an assortment of different culinary mushrooms. Varieties will include Blue, Green, or Yellow Oysters, Lion’s mane, Black Trumpets, Pioppinos, and shitakes. Sign up for the mushroom share here.
Flower Share,/b>
10 weeks @ $80. Here at Circle Brook Farm, we grow a large assortment of ornamental flowers. These are sold at our farmer’s markets for $10/bouquet. This year we will offer a flower share during a 10 week period, beginning in Mid-July and ending by late September. Varieties will include: Snapdragons, Lisianthus, Sunflowers, and mixed bouquets featuring Zinnias, Cosmos, Celosias and other beautiful blooms. Brighten up your day! Sign up for the flower share here.
Join us
Circle Brook Farm will again offer a 24-week delivery program for the 2023 season. We anticipate beginning deliveries during the week of June 5. The final delivery will be during the week of November 13.
Premium share. $990/share will contain, on average, 10-12 items and a larger quantity of most of the items in the basic share.
Basic share. $825/share will contain, on average, 9-10 items. It will be approximately 75% of the Premium share.
If you want to split a share and don’t have a partner, email [email protected] and provide your name and email address. We also have a few SNAP shares. Contact Susan Fowler for details.
Banner Image: Harvest on the Farm. Image Credit – Gozha Net
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