Community Supported Agriculture
 

Farm Notes:
         
This year's corn harvest has not been the biggest, but this past week's corn was some of the best yet. The kernels were small, tender, sweet and full of corn flavor; especially, the all white corn we harvested towards the end of the week. Our goal has been to have a nice even harvest of many crops each week. Often harvests can come in all at once, which is nice from a harvesting perspective, but not so nice from an eating perspective.

Farmer Dave's is one of the few CSAs which grows everything in the vegetable share. This makes it a real challenge on the growing side to have the harvest come in with a good quality and quantity each week. It would be much easier if we could just pick up the phone and order certain items like a produce buyer for a supermarket.

But, this CSA system is not designed primarily to be easy, for the farmer or the eater. It is designed to be primarily BETTER for the farmer and the eater. With Farmer Dave's you know where and by whom your food is being grown. 100% of your share is grown right here in your own community by Farmer Dave and crew! This close relationship between us makes for a true and superior Community Supported Agriculture program and makes for a healthier environment, a healthier community and a healthier you.

Thank you for knowing and appreciating good food and for being part of a better food system.

Farmer Dave
What's In My Share

The official end of summer has passed and everyone is headed back to school but summer harvests are still pouring in. This week is a great week to make a big pot of chili just in time for the start football season!

Don't forget to use the swap box! It's not just for trading for your favorite vegetables. If you won't use something in the share, have a busy week and won't be able to cook everything, or just feel overwhelmed leave your extras in the swap box and they'll be donated to one of our many hunger relief partners.

Vegetable Shares
  • Kohlrabi or Hakurei Turnips
  • Lettuce, Tatsoi or Bok Choy (harvest dependent)
  • Broccoli Rabe, Arugula, or Swiss Chard
  • Cubanelle or Green Bell Pepper
  • Kale, Winterbor, Red Russian or Tuscan
  • Slicing or Pickling Cucumber
  • Plum Tomato
  • Cherry tomato
  • Slicing tomato
  • Herbs
  • and more!
Fruit Share
  • Ginger Gold Apples
  • Zestar, Jonah Red, or Paula Red Apples (harvest dependent)
  • Peaches
  • Watermelon
  • And possibly more depending on harvest conditions.
This is what we are planning and hoping to harvest this week.  Ultimately Mother Nature has the last word so the actual contents of your share will vary.
 
VEGISODE™ -  
VEGISODE™ - "Gettin Salsa-fied"

In this VEGISODE™, Stacey and Denise show you examples of how to use your vegetables to make different varieties of delicious salsa.

This week Stacey will be going to the following CSA pickups to answer any questions about the late fall CSA shares and any veggie
questions people may have (cooking, storage, preserving etc):
  • Tuesday - Dracut
  • Wednesday - Tewksbury
  • Friday - Malden.

     
Swiss Chard
Try These Recipes From Our Blog
Check out all our Vegisodes and subscribe to be notified when timely new videos are added.
These videos are designed to help you make the most of your CSA share with tips on storing, preparing and preserving your veggies.  

Try our New Zucchini Pickles !

Made from Farmer Dave's zucchini at CommonWealth Kitchen, Greater Boston's nonprofit food business
incubator and food manufacturing social enterprise, located in Dorchester
MA.

It's peak season for Tomatoes for sauce and dehydrating!  Add some jalapenos for a large batch of homemade salsa!

Add-on Order Deadlines

All orders must be placed online before your order deadline listed below. If you are even a minute late CSAware (our ordering system) will attach the order to the next week's share. Please double-check the time before completing your order.

Pick-up Day
Add-on Order Cut-off
Monday
Sunday - Noon
Tuesday
Sunday - Noon
Wednesday
Monday - Noon
Thursday
Tuesday - Noon
Friday
Wednesday - Noon

If you are having trouble placing an order online, make sure you are logged into your account. If you don't know your log-in information, send us an email, and we will send you an invitation to reset your password or create your account. Creating an account on the spot won't help; it needs to be the same account that is connected to your CSA shares.

CSAware will ask that you attach your order to a share. If you don't have a current share, you cannot purchase add-ons. If you attach your order to a share that is not activate it will not be sent to you.

If you do not pick up your add-on order, it will be donated or distributed, we do not offer
refunds for missed add-ons.


Pick-Your-Own Apples Every Weekend!
We are excited to announce Pick-Your-Own Apples will be beginning at both our Dracut and Westford locations:  

Farmer Dave's 
437 Parker Road, Dracut

Farmer Dave's at Hill's Orchard
4 Hunt Road, Westford

Your CSA member benefits include 25% off PYO apples as well as one free 1/2 peck of apples per CSA membership for the 2018 PYO season. 

We would love our CSA members to come and see their farm!

Farmer Dave's picking guidelines apply.
Please check our website below for picking conditions and times.
School tours are beginning in September!  School tours include apple and/or pumpkin picking along with a hayride through our orchard and fields in both Dracut and Westford.  Contact us for rates, days and times.
Group tours are also available.

School Tours at Farmer Dave's!
School Tours at Farmer Dave's!



Groundwork Share-a-Share
Thanks to generous donations by you (our CSA Members) to the Groundwork Share-a-Share fund, we were able to subsidize the cost of shares in 2017 for over 30 individuals and families, as well as shares for local food pantries.  
Please consider helping us in our efforts to make the CSA accessible to more families by donating to Groundwork Share-a-Share.