FYI: This newsletter is being sent to all shares. Both A and B week half shareholders will
receive
the weekly newsletter, even on weeks they do not receive a CSA box.
Week Seven - July 21
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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.
Hello shareholders! We're going to go ahead and state the obvious here. It is really warm outside. Like super hot out there, folks. Like if our driveway wasn't gravel, we could probably fry an egg on it... HOT!
We truly try our best to avoid complaining about the weather, but today and tomorrow are going to be killer. That means we are working diligently to keep the plants as happy as possible. For instance, we are running our irrigation systems so all of the plants stay well hydrated. We use a combination of drip tape, hoses, and sprinkler irrigation to help get water to all of the crops in the field. Here are a couple pictures of the different irrigation set-ups at Wellspring.
Drip Tape Irrigation (Left) Sprinkler Irrigation (Right)
Sign up for your Winter Share Today!
We're only one-third of the way through the CSA season and believe it or not, we already have winter on our minds!
If you've enjoyed your summer CSA boxes, we hope you will join us for the fall/winter season
with our storage crop shares! These shares consist of a larger, 1 1/9 bushel box of various storage crops (onions, carrots, parsnips, winter squash, etc) as well as our frost-sweetened winter greens.
Boxes will be delivered to your pick up site every other week - Thursday, October 27th, Thursday, Nov. 10th, and ending TUESDAY, November 22nd (3 boxes total). These make great shares for storing and eating through the winter (and we provide tips on how to do that like carrots in a box with newspaper in a dark corner of a closet or basement) OR to cook up a feast for Thanksgiving. Delivery will NOT be available at West Bend Farmers Market.
The price of the winter share is $180. The delivery fee is $12-16 depending on your location, or free if you are picking up on the farm. To sign up, please email Theresa at [email protected] and include your name, phone, and preferred pick up location. She will follow up with payment details and answer any questions you many have.
Have a great week and stay cool!
Caleb & Theresa
Co-Farm Managers
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Joe Carruth, Volunteer Extraordinaire
I am excited to be part
of the 2016 Wellspring crew. This is my first foray into farming and I have been working as
a farm crew volunteer 3 days a week since March. The work has been exhilarating and enjoyable.
For the past 25 years, I have worked as an environmental engineer in consulting,
government, and the private sector. In 2015, I decided to jump careers and learn farming. Wellspring was receptive and welcoming to my becoming a non-traditional intern getting an education in farming and a box of vegetables per week.
Aside from the great learning culture at Wellspring, I have most enjoyed getting to the know the young farm crew and our notorious "field conversations."
My favorite new find is the ground cherry. They are delicious and almost ripe.
I live in Bayside, am married and the father of four (the oldest is getting married in two weeks), love the outdoors, and love to cook.
- Joe
Quick note about Joe from the crew :)
Joe started the season before we did! In fact, he spent hours seeding in the greenhouse before the two of us even signed on for the season. We are beyond thankful for the time, energy, and great work Joe offers Wellspring. We love Joe's amazing outlook on life, relationships, and his hilarious one-liners that get us every time! A huge thanks to Joe (and to his family for sharing him with us)!
-Caleb, Theresa, Sam, & Daniel
Side Note from Executive Director Angie
When Joe approached me about learning to farm it was perfect timing. I have been attending national meetings and engaged in the dialogue about training future farmers when many can't afford to give up their "day jobs" to learn. We are looking at how we can do one weekend a month "internships" and other models where they don't live on site or learn and work every day. If you are someone that matches this notion, feel free to contact us about how you might learn to be a farmer in a non-traditional internship. So grateful that Joe found Wellspring and we, him.
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| Picky Eater Tip #3: Sometimes dinner guests aren't actually being picky, but have a legitimate food allergy or restriction. Trying to plan a meal that is gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, paleo, vegan, or nut free can be tricky sometimes, so serve it up buffet style!
- Create a "make your own" taco, sandwich, baked potato, pizza, pasta, or salad bar. This allows guests control over the ingredients on their plate.
- Keep all of the toppings in separate bowls and invite guests to garnish their own food.
- Be sure to prevent cross contamination if there is a severe allergy or sensitivity.
- If a guest is gluten free, be sure to offer a gluten free option when serving things like pasta, crackers, and bread.
- Save all food labels and offer to show them to any guest with allergies or restrictions.
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| Name of Vegetable/Fruit |
Quantity in Box |
Storage |
| Head Lettuce, Red & Green
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2 heads |
Fridge
Hint: If lettuce begins to wilt, soak for 10 minutes in ice cold water. Spin in a salad spinner or let sit in a colander until dry enough to store in container
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Bunching Onion
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3 bulbs |
Fridge, Cut off greens and use the same way you would use scallions. Store bulbs in airtight container.
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Green Beans
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1 pound |
Fridge |
| Purslane
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1 bunch |
Fridge, Store in airtight container or plastic bag.
Wonderful in smoothies, on salads, in stir-fry's and more.
Some call it a weed. We call it an amazing food. Note the following:
"Newly Discovered Purslane Compound Found Highly Toxic to Lung Cancer Cells: Researchers have just discovered four new alkaloid compounds in purslane (a leafy green vegetable) which killed over 50% of human lung cancer cells (A549) at low concentrations. Purslane extracts have also been shown to be toxic to breast cancer, liver cancer, cervical cancer, and sarcoma in other studies. More info at..."
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub
med/24321009
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Cabbage
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1-2 heads depending on variety and size |
Fridge
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Scallions
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1 bunch |
Fridge, remove rubber band and store with white part in jar with 1-2" water.
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1 bunch
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DO NOT REFRIGERATE, store on kitchen counter top with bottom of stems in jar with 1-2" water.
Do not submerge
leaves.
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| Broccoli
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3 heads |
Fridge
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1 bunch |
Fridge, Store in airtight container or plastic bag.
Hint: If leaves begins to wilt, soak for 20 minutes in ice cold water. Let sit in colander until dry enough to store in container
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Zucchini
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6 zucchini - mix of varieties |
Fridge |
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Cucumber
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3 |
Fridge
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Chard
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1 bunch |
Fridge |
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Garlic Scapes
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1 bunch |
Fridge |
Head Lettuce - Excellent for a salad or lettuce wraps!
Broccoli - Lots of broccoli in the box this week! Try it fresh, cooked, or even grilled. A shareholder recently recommended grilling the whole head with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.
White Russian Kale - It is delicious fresh, sauteed, or baked. Great in frittata recipes and soup too!
Garlic Scapes - They're back in the box this week! We added them to the box one last time for the awesome recipe below. 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.
Green Beans - It's green and it's bean.
Zucchini - Super versatile and can be added to warm and cold pasta dishes. Angie recently made zoodles (noodles made from zucchini) for the crew. Yum!
Scallions - New this week! Often used in Asian and Mexican cuisine, scallions are perfect for adding a bit of zest to a dish. Try chopping and adding scallions to your favorite dips, egg dishes, or just about anything else.
Purslane - A great source of Omega-3 fatty acid! Purslane is somewhat crunchy and has a slight lemony taste. It is a fun bonus item in this week's box and can be eaten raw in salad or by itself.
Bunching Onions - These fresh onion are super sweet and can be added to any recipe.
Basil - We're excited to be adding basil to the box this week. Use in Italian dishes like pesto, lasagna, and caprese.
Napa Cabbage - New this week! Napa Cabbage is an Asian variety originating from the Beijing Region of China. Great in stir fry, kimchi, and coleslaw. Try slicing into 1" slices and baking on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with oil and add your favorite seasonings. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
*A few people will be receiving a round variety of cabbage this week, which can be used in the same way as the Napa.*
Chard - Check out those beautiful colors! Chard can be prepared similarly to spinach and eaten raw or cooked. Try adding to a salad or sauteing will herbs and oil.
Cucumbers - You've been patiently waiting for them and they're finally ready to go in the boxes this week! The varieties we grow are great for salads, slicing, and refrigerator pickles.
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Recipes
Green Beans and Zucchini with Sauce Verte
Ingredients
Sauce verte:
1/3 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
1 green onion, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons (packed) fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons drained capers
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, peeled
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Vegetables:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound green beans, stem end trimmed
12 ounces zucchini, halved lengthwise, each half cut lengthwise into 1/3-inch-wide strips
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley leaves (for garnish)
Instructions
For sauce verte:
Blend first 7 ingredients in processor until finely chopped. With machine running, gradually add olive oil. Process until coarse puree forms. Season sauce verte to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
For vegetables:
Heat oil in heavy large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add vegetables; stir until coated. Sprinkle with salt and 3 tablespoons water. Cover; cook vegetables until almost crisp-tender, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Uncover; cook until vegetables are just tender, about 2 minutes longer. Stir in enough sauce verte to coat vegetables generously. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Spicy Pickled Swiss Chard Stems
Makes two 8-ounce jars or one 16-ounce jar
Ingredients
One large bunch of rainbow chard stems, cleaned and cut to fit into mason jar, about 3/4 inch from the lip
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
3/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar or 3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons sriracha
1/4 teaspoon celery seed, divided
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, divided
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds, divided
2 cloves garlic, divided
Instructions
Add each half of the celery seed, peppercorns, mustard seeds, and garlic to each jar. (If just making one jar, this can all go together.) Pack chard stems tightly into jars. Bring vinegars, sugar (or maple syrup), salt, and sriracha to a boil, in a small saucepan until sugar and salt is dissolved. Then pour over chard stems. Let sit until cool, then put lids on and refrigerate. Wait two days before eating for flavors fully develop. Will last 1 month in refrigerator.
Mediterranean Grilled Broccoli, Napa Cabbage & Zucchini
Ingredients
3/4 c. oil (sunflower or olive)
Juice & zest of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. fresh or 2 tsp. dry Mediterranean herbs (like rosemary, oregano, thyme, etc.)
1 garlic scape, finely minced
Salt & pepper to taste
2 heads broccoli, carefully cut lengthwise through stem & florets into 1/4" slabs
1 head napa cabbage, outer leaves removed, cut lengthwise through core in half & then each half lengthwise into quarters
2 zucchini (or summer squash) cut lengthwise into 1/4" slabs
2 lemons, cut in half
1/4 c. parsley, coarsely chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Heat grill.
- Whisk together oil through salt/pepper in a large bowl.
- Make sure veggies are dry & toss in oil mixture until well coated. Rub cut side of lemon in oil mix.
- Grill in a single layer about 2 minutes on each side, until just starting to char a bit. Grill lemons cut side down.
- Serve on a large platter topped with parsley & grilled lemons to squeeze over veggies while serving.
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Upcoming Events
AgriCorps Week-long Overnight Camp (ages 14-17)
Business Planning Education in an Agricultural Environment
When: July 31- August 6
Cost: $350, Includes overnight lodging, all meals, snacks and transportation to the farmers market.
Summer Learning Program for Teens: AgriCorps is a weeklong resident program for teens (ages 14 - 17) to learn business planning skills through organic farming. AgriCorps members will receive educational lessons, lectures from local farmers and participate in hands on farming/gardening activities. Teens will learn how to grow veggies as well as various business skills that can be applied to a career in sustainable agriculture or any future business endeavors.
At the end of the week, the group will help with a veggie harvest, put into place their marketing/advertising plan, and sell their produce with Wellspring at a Saturday farmers market!
Additional information and sign up for AgriCorps can be found at our website -
Click Here
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with Chef Greg & Orry
León
315 E Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Enjoy seasonal cooking while seeing the re
cipe prepared and having the opportunity to taste it and then go home with the recipes. Fast and easy is the mantra for these classes so that
you can find ways to incorporate these healthful, delicious veggies into your busy life.
Monday, August 8
-- Tomatoes!
Monday, September 12
-- Carrots and Fennel!
Monday, October 17
--
Winter squash and Cauliflower
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Save the Date for our Agri-Culture Fest
Saturday, Oct. 8
10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
FREE Festival with music, games, workshops, hay rides and more!
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