MOUNTAIN BOUNTY FARM NEWS
Winter 2019-20, Week 16 of 25
Dear Farm Members,
I occasionally meet folks who have no idea what it means when I say I work on a CSA farm. And, an enthusiastic CSA farmer to my core, I often struggle to give these folks a short answer. CSA’s are such a powerful tool for farmers and communities in so many different ways.
So what is a CSA? For one, CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. And in the simplest iteration, yes, it implies that you pay up front to receive a box of veggies each week. But really, signing up to be part of a CSA means investing in a relationship with your farm. You’re providing your CSA farmers with funding early on in the season to pay for the overhead expenses that are implicit to growing food - seeds, supplies, infrastructure, labor - that occur long before that food is ready to sell. You’re also supporting the growing resilience of a small farm community and healthy food system by putting your dollars towards a living wage for our crew members, organic practices, and local economy.
I think that many of you are familiar with these concepts, and hope that in some way they lie at the core of your interest in being a Mountain Bounty CSA member. The CSA is our bread and butter, and of huge value and benefit to our ability to survive as a small organic farm. What I can’t emphasize enough is what a huge value our CSA boxes are for all of you. Reason #3 why CSA’s are awesome? Value!
When you sign up to be a CSA member, you’re buying into the ups and downs of the season. That means that when things are going well for us, the abundance and diversity of produce in your boxes will reflect that success. It also means committing to being okay with the things that don’t work out as perfectly. Fortunately, after over two decades of farming, we’ve gotten pretty good at consistently growing beautiful produce. And as far as value goes, it’s excellent across the board - although the summer CSA is where we really shine. On average, a summer season regular share contains 15% more value in produce than the actual cost of the box. That’s more food, and more bang for your buck - an easy, delicious reward for your continued support. Enjoy!
Farmer Kale
It's that time of the year again... sign up online at anytime to keep your vegetable subscription going all summer long. More information including detailed instructions to follow. Current subscriptions end May 14th.
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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:
Butter Lettuce (Pinnacle)
Carrots (Pinnacle)
Parsley (Pinnacle)
Broccoli (Coke Farm)
Spring Onions (Coke Farm)
Romaine Lettuce (Terra Firma)
Chard (Terra Firma)
Stir Fry Mix (Riverdog)
Bok Choi (Full Belly Farm)
Sweet Potatoes (NorCal)
SMALL BOX:
Butter Lettuce (Pinnacle)
Carrots (Pinnacle)
Parsley (Pinnacle)
Spring Onions (Coke Farm)
Chard (Terra Firma)
Stir Fry Mix (Riverdog)
Sweet Potatoes (NorCal)
FRUIT SHARE: (Provided by Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits)
The last delivery for fruit will be April 1st/2nd.
Navel Oranges (Lee Family Farms)
Cara Cara Oranges (Lee Family Farms)
FLOWERS: (Provided by Little Boy Flowers)
Early Spring Flower shares are available and will begin in 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.
The salad days of CSA season are upon us! Appreciate the abundance of greens that late winter and early spring boxes have to offer by digging deep into your salad skills. Give yourself a boost by prepping your greens ahead of time. Wash/tear/chop lettuce as soon as you bring it home, and store in a big tupperware in your fridge for easy access. Bonus points if you take a moment to prepare a big batch or two of salad dressing to use throughout the week - homemade dressings are easy to make and (we think) so much more delicious than anything you can find in the store. Need dressing inspiration? Take a peek at this helpful cheat sheet
Lebanese Tabbouleh (substitute spring onions for shallots)
Sweet Potato and Avocado Green Salad (perfect with stir fry mix!)
Butter Lettuce with Mandarin Orange, Almonds, and Citrus Vinaigrette
Green Onion Sweet Potato Fritters
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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