Hello everyone,

Let's hope that rain gets to us today, huh? 

We are starting to get closer to fall. I'm not sure what it is this year, but I keep forgetting that it is already mid September. It's as if we have a whole half a summer ahead of us in my mind and attitude and I'm finding myself needing to constantly check in on reality. We are harvesting winter squash this week. Yields still aren't what I would hope for, but they are much better than last year.

We've started opening up new fields on the farm to grow crops for next year. By having more acres in production, we plan to allow larger portions of our active cropland to be fallow (no cash crops growing, just cover crops). Crops grown on land that has been fallow for at least a full calendar year are much healthier, two years fallow is even better! We opened up about 2.5 acres in the lower valley across the street, and 5 acres at the top of the hill across the street this summer. The lower valley is already seeded to cover crop, has had lime and potassium applied to address nutrient deficiencies and we are planning manure and compost applications for the spring and summer next year. 

We are planning on putting our winter squash over there next year, along with potatoes and onions. These crops are tended with less regularity than crops like tomatoes and lettuce, and rotating them, even just a few thousand feet from where they were planted these past few years will really help with disease and pest pressure next year.

The upped five acres won't go into production for at least one year. Those fields have greater nutrient deficiencies and will need more time and care before they are ready to grow food. In the future, we hope to grow straight winter on five fallow acres each year, using that rye as a straw mulch in pathways of cash crops to protect and feed the soil. This system is called "transfer mulching". The idea is that the organic matter and nutrients are staying within the farm system, so even though to are 'taking' the rye from a fallow field, it is being put right back onto other fields, and later in the rotation, rye will be cut from another section and applied back to the section where the rye was cut originally. 

Yes, there are no-till methods that attempt to crimp down a cover crop of rye so the mulch is left right in place (reducing work and increasing the net gain in soil carbon) however we do not have the tools to do this properly, and there isn't' a clear and successful method used by organic farmers at our scale. Most of the no-till done at scale requires the application of broad spectrum herbicides to kill weeds. However, we are excited to start experimenting with no-till methods now that we are getting our feet under us!!

We will have some of Tim's ginger available for sale this week! remember if you did the pre-order, your garlic will be ready for pick up next week - Tim works a full time job with the Gleaners and just needed a little extra lead time to get the orders filled, so he will be harvesting your ginger next week!

There is still time to order if you would like some!

Fall Flower Share - 4 Week fall share starts this week!

I don't know what it is about fall, maybe it's the cooler nights, maybe it's just the different angle of the light in the sky, maybe is the changes in the soil at the temperature begins to drop, but fall flower colors are vibrant!

We will have extra flowers for sale if you didn't sign up!

This weeks bouquet features a lot of zinnia!

Fruit Share

Learn more about the fruit in your share this week: click here to visit the Autumn Hill CSA page.

So . . .What's in the (Vegetable) share?

One head lettuce

Choose one bag: micro greens, pea tendrils, arugula, lettuce mix

Mix and match 3 pounds: spaghetti squash, delicatta squash, potatoes, leeks, eggplant, poblano peppers, onions and zucchini

Choose 3: carrots, beets, chard, hot peppers, mini sweet peppers, 1.5 pounds tomatoes, .75 pounds sweet peppers (repeats allowed on tomatoes and peppers).

Herbs/flavors, choose 2: basil, scallions, 1 bulb garlic, thyme, sage, mexican mint* tarragon, lemon verbena**, rosemary

*mexican mint is a new herb to us, which we were inspired to grow by Kerry. It's flavor profile is like tarrogon, but it grows well in hot climates (unlike tarragon). I love tarragon with squash - if you like trying new things, give this a go!

**lemon verbena we've offered this herb before, but I just want to note, that it is just for tea, not for eating (leaves are too tough). I love it for tea, I had some last night trying to use up last year's dried herbs since it's time to dry more already!

Recipes

Hi - Jess Girotti here. If you have a recipe that you love that you'd like to share with other members or if a recipe link isn't working for you, feel free to email me at jgirotti@live.com. (Please note that I can't re-print a recipe from a cookbook that isn't already online.) Don't forget to check out the recipe pages on the Upswing website if you need more ideas for your other veggies.

VEGGIE STIR-FRY WITH POTATOES, CARROTS, LEEKS & PEPPERS

Veggie-packed weeknight meal! You can skip the ham if you want to keep it vegetarian and leave out the potatoes and serve it over rice for a more traditional stir-fry meal.

HARVEST FALL SALAD

If you're taking advantage of the fruit share, you likely have some pears and apples that can be used alongside your lettuce in this perfect fall salad.

GAZPACHO SALAD WITH CROUTONS

Peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions combined with a scrumptious vinaigrette in this deconstructed gazpacho recipe.

EGGPLANT MOUSSAKA ON THE GRILL

Just because we're past Labor Day doesn't mean we have to be done grilling! Already put your grill away? Don't worry - there are instructions for baking in your oven as well.

LEEK CARBONARA

What's simpler than a carbonara? I love the addition of leeks in this one.

HASH BROWNS WITH LEEKS AND BELL PEPPER

I think of this one more as a deliciously crispy potato pie than hash browns but you decide!