Crop Talk September 4, 2017
CSA Week 14

The winter squashes start coming in this week. Here's what Christine Gallary at thekitchn.com says about Carnival squash.

"The carnival squash is actually a hybrid of the sweet dumpling and acorn squash. It usually has a cream-colored background covered with stripes and speckles of green and orange. Warm temperatures tend to yield greener squash. After the squash is picked, the green on the surface will eventually fade with time to leave only cream and orange colors."

What Carnival Squash Tastes Like

"After simply roasting a halved carnival squash seasoned with a little butter and brown sugar, I dug in. It was nutty and sweeter than butternut squash but not as dry in texture as kabocha squash. And my favorite thing about it was that it had a buttery, almost maple syrup-like flavor to it."

Follow this link to a recipe for Carnival squash with apples and thyme from Marilyn's Treats.


Week 14 Shares Include: Carnival squash, wax beans, pears, apples, onions, potatoes

Pick-your-own bonus: 6 apples

Celebrating Virginia Agriculture

On Friday, Basil Gooden, Secretary of Agriculture for the Commonwealth of Virginia, was at the farm helping Kate, Mark, and Bruce cut the ribbon to officially open this year's corn maze, which replicates the famous "Virginia is for Lovers" logo.

"What you have here is what Virginia agriculture is all about," Gooden said before cutting the ribbon. As a farmer himself, Gooden commended the Zurschmeide family for continuing the tradition of agricultural innovation in Virginia, which extends all the way back to Thomas Jefferson.

"Often times I have to pinch myself, because I'm just a farm boy from Buckingham County, but I get to go around the world talking about what you all do here in Virginia, and I love highlighting this sort thing," Gooden said. "So thank you so much for what you're doing."

After officially launching this year's corn maze season, the Secretary joined Ms. Virginia, Julie Wilson, and a couple dozen other guests for lunch at the brewery.

It was a good day to be on Foggy Bottom Road.


Vacation Plans?

  Our thanks to members who have logged into their accounts to request vacation holds for weeks when they will be away. May we suggest that you log back into your account before leaving to confirm that your request was accurately noted? If you see anything unexpected, send an email to CSA@greatcountryfarms and let us know. Thanks.

  
Blue Door Cottage ~ Farm Stay

Ever wish you could stay on the farm for a few days? Now you can experience country living, with a stay at our newly listed Blue Door Cottage. With up to 3 bedrooms available, the cottage sleeps 6 and is great for families or groups of friends looking for a little R&R. GCF is just around the corner, and there is great hiking and river tubing just 10 minutes away. Book your Getaway today!

Stone Cottage ~ Couples Escape

  Looking for a quick get-away to celebrate your anniversary, birthday or other special occasion? The Stone Cottage at Bluemont Vineyard is just the ticket! Nestled among the apple and cherry orchards just below the Tasting Room, the Stone Cottage offers a great escape to reconnect and celebrate with the one you love! 
Dogs Like Good Food Too
  
  CSA members Eric and Julie Parkhurst understand that your dog's health depends on what he eats, just as yours does. That's why they started EJ's Meats & Treats, a family business that produces smoked and dehydrated natural pet treats. Each of their treats is hand-processed, with no unnatural preservatives, additives or fillers. Meat treats are made from all natural free-range livestock and poultry raised on family-run USDA certified farms in the United States. And they use produce from Great Country Farms. EJ’s Meats & Treats takes pride in the quality and love that goes into each treat that goes into your pet's mouth. Never before has spoiling your pet been so affordable.   

  A selection of their treats is now available in our market.
Cooking with Lee 

  Long-time CSA member Lee Draznin has embarked on a blogging project this year: it's called "What Do I Do With This Box?" , and the name speaks for itself. We invite all of you to join us in Lee's kitchen for the next few months, while we learn how he uses the bounty that comes to his door every week. 

Here's Lee's post from Week 13: 

  " Each week is a different highlight.  This week the treat is Asian Pears.  These are a sweet crunchy treat that everyone in my house will fight over until they are gone.  In a good year, Asian Pears last overnight….this wasn’t a good year and they were gone in the blink of an eye.  We will head out for you-pick at Great County Farms on Labor Day.  Hopefully there will be a few of these in the Farm Store.  Otherwise, we will be waiting with much anticipation to see if a few more come in the week 14 box."

  Read more here.

Bonus Value this week: $6.00
Year-to- Date Bonus Value: $166.08

What is the YTD Bonus Value? Each week we total up the market value of the bonus pick-your-own items. The value to date includes 8 quarts of strawberries, two bags of spinach, four bundles of asparagus, three quarts of sweet cherries, a quart of tart cherries, two pints of black raspberries, 3 quarts of blackberries, and 54 peaches, four nectarines, 18 apples, three bags of green beans, one bag of grapes, and six sunflowers.

Please note that bonus amounts do not carry over from week to week, and they are offered while supplies last. 

Wagon rides to the fields will start at 9:15 sharp and continue at the top of every the hour until 5:00. We update our Twitter @TheFarmerSays with the latest picking conditions, so be sure to follow us.

Group Site Members: 
Please remember that you must pick up your box on delivery day. All boxes contain perishable items that spoil easily, so any boxes that are not claimed within the designated pick-up window will be donated. Your host is not permitted to hold your box overnight.
Great Country Farms | 540-554-2073 | CSA@GreatCountryFarms.com | www.GreatCountryFarms.com