Update From Staten Island CSA Re: Cold Snap Hitting Early, Mushroom Kits, Thanksgiving Box With Root Vegs Incl Carrots, Beets, Rutabaga, Etc.
As expected, we were hit quite hard with a freeze last week, three nights in a row with temperatures dipping into the mid 20’s. We harvested a lot of peppers ahead of the cold blast; some green, some ripe, and some in between. They represent the last taste of the summer crops for this season and will be in the shares this week and next (if they hold up well).
For the rest of the share, we are relying on root crops, brassica/mustards, and our storage crops. We still have beautiful cauliflowers heading up–purples, yellows and even some of the other-worldly looking Romanesco. We also have some broccoli, but it is the last large planting and for all members to receive some, it will be in small bunches. We have a small variety of spaghetti squash called Angel Hair. I know that some of you are not fans of spaghetti squash and I wish that I had more of other varieties to share, but, for whatever reason, this is what has kept the best.
The share will be: Lettuce, radishes, rainbow carrots, fingerling potatoes, garlic, choice of arugula, broccoli raab or other mustard greens, cauliflower, bok choi, broccoli, spaghetti squash, choice of cilantro or parsley and Napa cabbage. Premium shares will also include celery root and Yacon. We will have Pink Lady apples and Bosc pears for the final fruit share this week.
Enjoy!
Farmer John
Mushrooms Kits!
Click here to sign up for the mushroom kit.
Joe Aochoa of Innoculated Farms is offering mushroom grow kits for this year. The kits are available to any participant of the Staten Island CSA and can be ordered directly online at https://www.innoculated.com/shop-mushrooms/p/sicsa-grow-kit. Deadline is November 13, because the kits will be delivered with the last CSA share on Nov. 16.
After making your purchase, make sure to send an email to [email protected] with the subject line of “SICSA” and your name and which kit you want in the body. This year we are offering lions mane and oyster kits.
If you have any questions, you can send an email to [email protected].
End of Season “Stock-Up”
Click here to sign up for the stock-up share.
Click here for the payment options.
We will be offering one additional share to be delivered during the week of November 20th (Thanksgiving week). The cost of the stock-up share will be $100, which is an excellent value, equivalent to a wholesale price for the produce included. You can buy a winter share even if you didn’t get a season share–this is a good way to find out more about the CSA. Deadline is November 13.
This “stock up” share will include various vegetables that store well, so that you will be able to enjoy produce from the farm well into the winter months, as well as provide veggies for your Thanksgiving feast. The total weight of this share will be about 60 lbs. In the past, winter squash has made up about a third of the share. However, this season, because of all the rain, it is uncertain if the squash will keep until then. We will include some squash, if possible, but will replace them with sweet potatoes and other crops, as necessary.
The share will also include an assortment of root vegetables such as carrots, rutabaga, beets, parsnips, turnips, and radishes. I expect that the root crops will comprise about 12 lbs. of the share. There will be about 15 lbs. of potatoes and onions in the share. The potatoes will include fingerlings and an assortment of other varieties of potatoes. There will also be shallots, leeks, and garlic. Also included will be green and red cabbage, and greens such as arugula, kale, lettuce, and spinach, which we may still have in the field at this time. It is possible that there will be cauliflower and likely Brussels sprouts.
The potatoes, onions, shallots, garlic, and squash can be stored in a cool dry place such as an attached garage or enclosed porch, where they will not freeze. The root vegetables, leeks, greens, and cabbage are best stored in your refrigerator. I know that this final share will not work for everyone, but I hope that many of you will be able to participate. Doing so will help us to make use of the produce that we have in storage, utilize what remains in the fields, and finish the season with enough money in the bank to pay the bills during the winter months.
Farmer John
Banner Image: Farmer. Image Credit – Heather Gill
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