by Janet Gamble, Farm Manager

Not long ago, I heard a new term called “Community of Care” and through research, found it was used to describe all sorts of institutional and grassroots movements—in particular for social justice movements. Furthering my exploration of a simple overarching definition I found these:

• Community care is basically “any care provided by a single individual to benefit other people in their life…This can take the form of protests, for which community care is best known, but also simple, interpersonal acts of compassion.” (Heather Dockray)

• “Communities of care promote mental health and wellbeing through community-level prevention solutions, such as fostering social connections, improving the built environment, and increasing access to economic opportunity.” (preventioninstitute.org)

I liked the general concept as it could relate quite well to the farming movement or “save our family farms” movement. It’s exactly what the CSA movement had in mind 30 or so years ago, after the first wave of families losing their farms due to the “Get big or get out” campaign of the ‘80s. The CSA concept envisioned that the community would take on the financial responsibility of the farming operation so that farmers could just farm and grow food for their members. The community would replace financial institutions, providing cash flow to the operation and sharing the risk with the farmers. The whole community had skin in the game, and all were committed to securing land for future generations.

As the CSA movement grew along with the organic food industry, many farms were forced to keep up with competitive trends, which over time led to the dilution of the philosophical framework on which the CSA was built. Farms hybridized their models to keep people interested.

When I made the decision to farm it was because I believed it could change the world. I believed growing the most healthy food possible would enhance humanity. A grand gesture of idealism--but really, I still believe this. I thought the CSA movement would be a model that would keep small family farms viable. I thought it was sustainable. But unless all are in it for the same reason, that premise will be threatened, as we experienced in the recent past. CSA farms fell to the wayside as more organic food choices became available in the marketplace; convenience and other trends pulled us away from the core values that choosing a CSA in the first place stood on. 

I believe we are at a new crossroads. Let’s think perhaps similarly to the original CSA concept but taking account of current thinking and culture. Let’s think of community of care for the land in our case. We are all a part of this culture because we want access to the best food possible. In order to ensure the best food possible, we need to secure our opportunity to have it in the immediate sense and perhaps for the future.

With current issues such as climate change, environmental concerns, the dilution of organic standards, the continuing disappearance of family farms, the rising price of land, it’s more imperative than ever to consider community in this context. How can we who wish to work and steward the land and those who want to secure and preserve our agricultural lands (farmed with regenerative and sustainable practices) come together to take action for ourselves, based in common belief and principles as a community of care for the land. How can we make a new model to ensure good nutritious food, environmental stewardship, and economic security for farmers.

This would take a call to action to bring together young farmers, who need access to farmland, and those who wish to finance it into a framework built on agreed principles. To keep the land in perpetuity for the use of growing food and giving those who wish to pursue this work an opportunity to do so. 

I’d like to hear your thoughts. farmmanager@turtlecreekgardenscsa.com

If you have a slow cooker, here's a way to prep beets for future recipes without heating up the kitchen: Slow Cooker Roasted Beets. Read to the end of the article for how to freeze roasted beets.

Ingredients:

Salt

1 LB farfalle pasta

3 T. butter

1 LB mushrooms, thickly sliced

1 LB thin asparagus, trimmed, cut crosswise into 1" pieces

1 c. mascarpone cheese

Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

¾ c. toasted walnuts, divided

¼ c. freshly grated Parmesan

Method:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add farfalle and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until tender and most of the juices have evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add asparagus and sauté until asparagus is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add farfalle.

Stir in mascarpone and nutmeg; toss until cheese coats pasta, adding reserved cooking liquid ¼ cup at a time to moisten, as needed. Stir in ½ cup walnuts. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mound pasta in a large bowl. Sprinkle with Parmesan and remaining ¼ cup walnuts. Serve.

Servings: 6-8

Recipe adapted from: foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

1 medium beet (or 3-4 small beets), peeled and shredded or spiralized

3 medium carrots, shredded or spiralized

a handful of parsley

juice of ½ lemon

1 apple, diced

½ c. raw pumpkin seeds

3 T. olive oil

2 T. balsamic vinegar

salt to taste (optional)

Method:

Toss shredded beets, carrots, and parsley in a salad bowl.

Slice apple into small cubes. Place diced apple into a small bowl and pour the lemon juice over it. Coat apple pieces well with juice. Add apples to beet mixture.

Add pumpkin seeds, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. Toss to combine. Season with salt to taste.

Servings: 4-6

Recipe adapted from: mariaushakova.com

Ingredients:

2 T. unsalted butter

1 small green cabbage, halved, cored, and cut lengthwise into ½" wedges

½ c. water

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

2 T. red-wine vinegar

¼ c. roughly chopped fresh parsley

Method:

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high. Add cabbage and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften and brown around edges, 4 minutes.

Add water, cover, and cook until cabbage is crisp-tender, 5 minutes. Uncover and season with salt and pepper.

Add tomatoes and cook, uncovered, until they soften, 3 minutes. Stir in vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper and top with parsley.

Serving suggestion: this dish goes well with steak, pork tenderloin, or egg noodles.

Servings: 4

Recipe adapted from marthastewart.com

Ingredients:

3 T. soy sauce

2 t. honey

1 t. cornstarch

1 T. vegetable oil

1 T. finely chopped garlic

1 T. finely chopped fresh ginger

1 LB boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat and sliced ½" thick

½ t. salt

2 medium kohlrabi, peeled, sliced ½" thick, sliced again to look like short French fries

½ c. roasted unsalted cashews

2 scallions, thinly sliced

Rice or noodles for serving

Method:

In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, honey, and cornstarch. Set aside.

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add oil, garlic, ginger, chicken, and salt. Cook and stir until chicken is almost cooked, about 3 minutes.

Add kohlrabi and cashews; cook and stir until chicken is cooked, about 4 minutes.

Stir in soy sauce mixture. Cook and stir for 1 minute; sauce will thicken. Stir in green onions and serve.

Servings: 4-6

Recipe adapted from producemadesimple.com

Bay View: 3835 S. Logan Ave.

East Troy: Zinniker Farm, N7399 Bowers Rd.

Fontana: 4724 Border Dr.

Genesee: S46 W28754 Perren Dale Rd.

Lake Geneva: W1888 N Bloomfield Rd.

Mukwonago: 433 Fritz Way 

Oconomowoc: 826 N. Griffith Rd.

Shorewood: 4213 N. Ardmore Ave.

Whitewater: 185 N. Franklin  (5:00-7:00 p.m.)

TCG: N5105 Pinnow Road, Delavan, WI