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A Quick FYI: This newsletter is being sent to all shares, regardless of Half Share Week Splits. Both A and B week half shareholders will receive the weekly newsletter, even on weeks they do not receive a CSA box.
Week Two - June 16
Welcome to week two of the CSA season! First, we would like to say thank you for all of the support and positive feedback about the box that went out last week. Please feel free to reach out to us at anytime and let us know what you think. As a shareholder, we consider each of you an investor and partner of the farm. Wellspring is your farm too! We are grateful to have you joining us this season and would love to hear from you!
Shareholders, we need your help!
Like many other farms in the region, we continue to find folks who don't understand the purpose of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). We need your help to tell these folks about the CSA opportunity and what it means to you. We want more people to understand the excitement that comes with receiving a CSA box, so please share the perks of buying a CSA share with neighbors, family, co-workers, and friends!
Perks of joining Wellspring's CSA include:
- A weekly or bi-weekly share of local and super fresh food that has been grown without harmful chemicals and pesticides
- The opportunity to try produce you otherwise might never grow to love
- Recipes that are made available to match up with 'what's in your box'
- A relationship with your farmer - joining a CSA allows you to get to know who is growing your food
- The ability to visit the farm anytime and attend Wellspring events and more!
If you refer someone to Wellspring (make sure they mention you) and they purchase a half share, you will receive a credit of $15 for any program or farmers market or B&B at Wellspring. If purchase a full share, you receive a $25 credit. No limit to how many you can earn! Help us fill this year's CSA that helps grow our future farmers!
Please contact Theresa with any questions at 414-331-6513 or via email at [email protected].
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In this section of the newsletter, we will provide a weekly update about issues we're facing in the field, as well as the successes we would love to share with you.
What's going on in the field?
The crops in the big field (aka the North Field) are loving the rain and heat this week. Things are really starting to take off! We had a productive week, which was only hindered by the presence of a new pest in the field. Earlier this week, the crew found cucumber beetles in the squash and cucumber plants. They hide on the underside of the plant's leaves and inside the flowers. If no action is taken, they reproduce rapidly and can devour entire plants. We spent hours handpicking the insects off of the plants. So far, the method seems to be working!
Here is a picture of the culprit.
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| Name of Vegetable/Fruit |
Quantity in Box |
Storage |
Salad Mix
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1/3 pounds
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Fridge |
Head Lettuce, Red & Green
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2-3 heads, depending on size |
Fridge
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Radish
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1 bunch |
Fridge, remove leaves and stems.
Set aside to use later. Place radish root in container with cold water and store in fridge.
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Oregano
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1 bunch |
Fridge, store with bottom of stems in jar with 1-2" water.
Do not submerge
leaves.
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Dill
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1 bunch |
Fridge, store with bottom of stems in jar with 1-2" water.
Do not submerge
leaves.
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Cilantro
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1 bunch
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Fridge, store with bottom of stems in jar with 1-2" water.
Do not submerge
leaves.
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Green Garlic
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3 bulbs |
Fridge
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Pac Choi, Loose leaf
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1/2 pound |
Fridge
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White Russian Kale
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1 bunch |
Fridge
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Floral Garnish
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1 stem |
Fridge
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Garlic Scapes
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1 bunch |
Fridge |
Salad Mix - A mix of all the good stuff, including baby leaf lettuces, red Russian kale, pac choi leaves, and mustard greens. The mustard greens add a nice zest to the salad.
Head Lettuce - Excellent for a salad or lettuce wraps!
Radish - Eat them raw, roasted, or even pickled. Don't forget you can also eat the greens! Try them fresh, in soups, or sauteed.
Oregano - Can be eaten fresh or dried. See last week's recipes for drying instructions.
Dill - Dill can be used for more than pickles and fish. It has become a farm favorite and we put it on everything! Dill is great in fresh salads, wraps, and spring rolls. We especially love it on fried and scrambled eggs!
Cilantro - Has a distinct flavor and goes great on fresh tacos or in guacamole and salsa.
Green Garlic- This is what the garlic looks like before it is fully grown and dried. The white bulbous part is what you want to use in your recipes. Part of the green section is also edible, but you may need to remove the middle section as it may have become a bit fibrous. It's mild cooked, but can be a bit spicy when eaten raw. You can use it in any recipe that calls for garlic or experiment with it in salad dressings and meat recipes.
Garlic Scapes - A true sign that summer is arriving! Garlic scapes are the flower bud of the garlic plant. Harvesting them allows the plant to put more energy into growing the garlic bulbs. They have a milder garlic flavor and are great roasted or in pesto. Use in any recipe that calls for garlic.
Pac Choi, loose leaf -
This Bok Choi relative is great in stir-fry or steamed with soy sauce, ginger and garlic (maybe the green garlic in your box!) It cooks quickly, making a fast and easy side dish. You will notice some small holes in the leaves. Those are caused by the ever-pesky flea beetle. Not to worry, even though they aren't quite as pretty, the leaves still taste great and are free from chemical pesticides because we grew them organically.
White Russian Kale - This type of kale is known for being one of the sweetest. It is delicious fresh, sauteed, or even baked. Check out the baked kale chip recipes below!
Floral Garnish - These bright yellow flowers are edible and can be eaten fresh or cooked. Try adding them to a lettuce salad or cook them in a stir fry. The stem and leaves are also edible, but we recommend removing the harder part of the stem.
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Recipes
Garlic Scape Pesto
Ingredients:
1 bunch (about 7-8) garlic scapes
generous handful of toasted (or raw) walnuts
1-2 ounces parmesan or Asiago stella
3/4 cup (or more) basil leaves
1/3 cups of good-tasting extra virgin olive oil
salt, pepper
Method:
Roughly chop the garlic scapes, with our without the very top, flower part (See note in caption above). Process the nuts and cheese in a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve on toasted bread, with pasta, potatoes, eggs dishes other grains.
Baked Kale Chips
Ingredients:
1 bunch kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
Directions
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces.
Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.
Easy Pac Choi Recipe
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
8 heads baby bok choy (substitute loose leaf pac choi), trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
salt to taste
Method:
Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat, and cook the garlic in the hot oil until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
Mix in the bok choy, and cook and stir until the green parts of the leaves turn bright green and the stalks become slightly translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle with salt to serve.
Creamy Green Garlic Dressing
Ingredients:
½ cup, heaping, sliced green garlic, white part only
¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon neutral flavored oil, such as grape seed
½ cup thick plain yogurt other than Greek style (It is too tart for this recipe)
½ teaspoon dried marjoram
A small pinch of fresh thyme, minced, if you have it
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
In a very small pot, heat enough water to just cover the sliced garlic. When it is boiling, add the sliced garlic and blanch just long enough to soften the garlic, 30-60 seconds. Drain the garlic through a fine mesh sieve over a bowl reserving the cooking water for possible use.
Put the vinegar, sugar, herbs, and salt and pepper in the blender. Whizz a few seconds to mix the ingredients. Add the green garlic and pureé. If it needs more liquid to get moving, add some of the blanching water a tablespoon at a time until it is spinning freely. Pureé until smooth.
With the motor running, drizzle in the oil. Turn off the machine, add the yogurt, then run the blender until everything is mixed and homogenous.
Taste for balance. If the dressing is too thick, but tart enough, use a little of the blanching water to thin the dressing. If it seems flat, add a touch more vinegar.
Store in the refrigerator until needed. Lasts about 5 days before the flavor drops off.
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2016 Summer Farm Camps
Summer camps at Wellspring are focused on outdoor fun and connecting kids to where food comes from. Each session includes activities based on gardening, farming, animals, nature and outdoor play! Kids will have great time on a real working farm. This year, we're offering 1-day mini-camps for kids between the ages of 6-13. We have an overnight camp for kids, ages 8-13. AgriCorps is our program for teens, ages 14-17.
I
ndividual Day Camps
8 am- 5:30 pm
Cost: $50/day
(Breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack included in the price)
Next day camp is on
Wednesday, June 22nd
Nature Explorers!
-- Get your hiking shoes on as we explore Wellspring's gardens, meadows and forest trails. Learn how different wild and cultivated plants, animals, birds, and insects all work and live together as we explore, play nature-based games, and harvest snacks from the garden.
(Ages 10-13)
Week-long Overnight Camp (ages 8-13)
4pm on Sunday until 5:30pm on Friday
Cost: $350
The next Overnight Camp is Sunday, June 26 through Friday, July 1
Life on the Farm-- Put on your overalls and get ready to dig in! We will practice gardening skills over the course of the week while using real tools from the garden shed. Learn to prepare the soil for planting, care for plants as they grow, and explore composting methods (including worm bins!). We'll also take a good look at how plant life, animal life, and soil life interact on a daily basis in the cycles of life. We'll even get to know some of the lesser known contributors in this system, like soil bacteria and fungi. There will be plenty of games and art activities each day, as well.
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Check out our awesome crew after last Friday's harvest!
Left to right, back row:
Joe, Daniel, Lucas (in red), Kyle, Theresa.
Front:
Caleb, Sam
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