MOUNTAIN BOUNTY FARM NEWS
Winter 2019-20, Week 14 of 25
Dear Farm Members,
This warm spring weather we find ourselves in the midst of is hard not to love. Beneath blue skies, with wild plum trees blooming all along Birchville road, the farm is bustling and humming to life in anticipation of an early season. And as nice as it’s been to live and work unburdened by the inconvenience of weather, the reality of a February without rain is deeply troubling. As farmers, we worry about the consequences of drought and the constant threat that fire danger brings to our land and community. We are intimately acquainted with climate change, always working to adapt to whatever curveballs it might throw our way.
Which brings me to this: In honor of this week's National CSA Day, I’ll be spending the next 5 weeks highlighting our CSA and a few of the things that make Community Supported Agriculture so darn cool. The first reason I’d like to highlight, in the wake of this dry, dry month, is that it’s better for the environment.
Choosing our CSA means committing to local, organic produce that traveled a shorter distance to get to you and required less machinery to grow. That means reduced dependency on fossil fuels and a smaller carbon footprint. In a world where we’re used to convenience, It’s easy to forget that much of the food and flowers we purchase have flown halfway around the globe just to get to us! And as we face climate change, it’s more important now than ever that we build sustainable communities. Supporting your local farmers is the first step. Thanks as always, to all of you, for helping us change our world for the better!
Farmer Kale
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THIS WEEK'S CSA CONTENTS
Disclaimer: Box contents are dependent on actual harvest, but this is what you’ll likely receive in your boxes.
REGULAR BOX:
Romanesco (Pinnacle)
Broccoli (Pinnacle)
Onions (Pinnacle)
Cilantro (Pinnacle)
Butter Lettuce (Pinnacle)
Beets (Terra Firma)
Spinach (Full Belly Farm)
Leeks (Riverdog)
Curly Kale (Riverdog)
Japanese Sweet Potatoes (Atwater Farm)
SMALL BOX:
Broccoli (Pinnacle)
Onions (Pinnacle)
Cilantro (Pinnacle)
Butter Lettuce (Pinnacle)
Spinach (Full Belly Farm)
Curly Kale (Riverdog)
Japanese Sweet Potatoes (Atwater Farm)
FRUIT SHARE: (Provided by Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits
JOHN'S BREAD: (Provided by John Tecklin)
Online ordering is open now through May! The ordering window is Wednesdays at 8am through Saturdays at 8pm for delivery to your local pick up site the following Wednesday. More information and ordering available at https://mountainbountyfarm.com/johns-bread.
FLOWERS: (Provided by Little Boy Flowers)
Early Spring Flower shares are available and will begin in early March. Members will receive 8 weeks of incredible spring blooms from tulips to anemones to ranunculus and our first peonies. More information can be found here.
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RECIPES
Recipes may sometimes call for more or less of a certain item in your boxes, or an ingredient you might not have on hand. We encourage you to enjoy the creativity associated with eating locally and seasonally.
This week, leeks and kale shine in a spring-themed minestrone verde. Celebrate your roots and shoots with a colorful chopped beet salad and zesty green spinach rice that would make Popeye proud. Bake your sweet potatoes and top off with a giant scoop of cilantro pesto, and/or serve alongside a big plate of steamed romanesco with lemon-garlic sauce.
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HOW TO PICK UP
1. Check the delivery list for what is listed next to your name.
2. Take only what is listed there.
3. Initial next to the account's order.
4. Return empty boxes every week in a neat, unfolded stack.
If there's a problem, please take what we’ve delivered for you and contact us ASAP by email or phone.
If you share your subscription, please use this handy partner calendar to organize pick ups. Make sure you check in every week about who will pick up so one of you does not accidentally take someone else's order.
If you send someone else to pick up for you, please make sure they know the pick up procedure.
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HELPFUL MEMBER LINKS
Log into your account with CSAware(place your box on hold, update your account, renew your subscription)
Mountain Bounty Farm