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Rising River Farm CSA
Newsletter
Box 2 *** June 28th 2006
13208 201st AVE SW -Rochester, WA 98579
(360) 273-5368
risingirverfarm@yahoo.com www.risingriverfarm.com
Hello,
I hope you all got your first box without incident. We have
finally tweaked our delivery and record keeping system enough
that all seems to have run smoothly (except for a few forgotten
cookbooks-my fault!) In the first few years of our CSA we
would spend our dinner hour fielding many calls on that first
day about boxes at the wrong site-too many here, too few there.
The phone last Wednesday was pleasantly quiet.
We are thankful for the heat and even more so that the hottest
day was our day off. Tuesday Jim and Lydia started at 5:00
to beat the heat. As I look out the window now, it is cloudy
and cool-perfect for that last-minute harvest for your boxes
today.
Though we have been farming here for the past 12 years, for
many reasons this years feels like we are truly and finally
“settled”. There are many reasons for that. A
huge one is that almost two years ago we bought the 20 acres
next door to our leased farm fields. Jim in particular worked
very hard this winter to organize and modify the barn so we
now have a cooler, packing area, wash station, and supply
storage all under one very organized roof, right outside our
door. No more dragging our youngest child all the way over
to the other barn at all hours to get this or that or help
a customer. No more swallow nests preventing us from stacking
things in ½ of the old barn. (Swallows poop a lot,
in case you didn’t know!) We have a covered shop now
to fix tractors and trucks if they should break down (and
they will, believe me!) It feels good.
Over the years we have grown to and settled on 12 acres as
a comfortable and “do-able” amount of cropland.
To expand beyond that at this point would mean hiring and
managing more people and spending less time in the field actually
farming. We like to work with our crew. We became farmers
not to merely tell other people how to farm, but to do the
work ourselves.
The kids are older now, Cylas is 8 ½ and Hazel is 4
1/2. They are becoming more independent and play together
more cooperatively for longer stretches especially when the
weather is nice and they can run around outside. This year
for the first time I was able to do the majority of my greenhouse
work (sometimes for hours at a time) without needing “formal”
childcare. The spring was so warm and dry, they would just
play outside on the swings, sandbox, drag each other around
in wagons, wander out to where the crew was working, or go
visit one of the many good friends we have living nearby.
Hazel just learned to ride her bike without training wheels
so now they can bike up and down our barely traveled dead-end
road.
There will always be fine-tuning, new veggie varieties to
try, new cover crops and fertilizers, modifying amounts of
each crop based on feed back, etc. But the overall system
is finally in place and we will be better farmers for it.
What’s new this week:
Dry Beans: We harvested these last fall. It is a blend of
4 beans that all cook at the same rate. The names are pinto,
Swedish brown, calypso, and Hidatsta shield figure. We recommend
soaking them overnight and then pressure cooking for 15 minutes
or simmer for about an hour-but check on them before that!
They are great in soups, crock-pot stews, baked beans, or
as refrieds.
Cilantro: Cilantro should go perfectly with your beans! I
also like cilantro with rice and stir-fried veggies. It is
an intensely aromatic herb that most often goes with Mexican,
Indian, and Thai food.
Carrots: They are finally ready!!!!!! Despite planting them
in April, they were slower to come on than usual. This is
the latest we have had carrots in years.
Shell peas: Both plantings are on so there are plenty of peas
for all. Remember, these are the ones you open and eat the
pea inside. Soooo tasty. The snow and snap peas are still
taking their own sweet time to ripen however, so look for
those in future weeks.
Parsley: We grow both Italian (flat –leafed) and curly
(crinkly-leafed).
Basil: This is a rotational item. If you don’t’
see it today, look for it in the coming weeks. Pesto is always
a good use for basil. (page 38 in cookbook). I often make
homemade pizza with whatever vegetable is on hand and put
a huge handful of basil on as well.
Coconut cuury sauce for stir-fry
1 Tbls finally chopped ginger
4 cloves garlic-chopped
½ cup chopped cilantro
1 can unsweetened coconut milk
1 ½ Tbls soy sauce
peanut oil to sauté garlic
2 Tbls brown sugar
1or 2 Tbls Thai green curry paste (it is somewhat spicy)
½ bunch scallions chopped-use all the greens.
Sauté garlic in peanut oil then add scallions after
a minute or two. Stir for another minute or so, then reduce
heat to lowest setting and add Coconut milk. Add all other
ingredients except cilantro and heat gently. Bring to table
in a gravy boat and pour over your heaping helping of rice
with stir-fried veggies. Sprinkle fresh cilantro on top.
Use carrots, kohlrabi, scallions, garlic, peas and whatever
else you have lying around for your stir-fry.
Enjoy!
Jennifer
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