Hey, that's me! It's warm hat weather now. Kevin snapped that photo after he helped me un-stick the parking break on the little John Deer 1070 we use to 'lift' the carrot beds, making them easier to harvest. My leg was strong enough to get it stuck, but not to get it unstuck. I needed a few extra pounds and 6 extra inches. I could have figured it out, but it's been a few years since I got over the idea that I should be able to do it all.

I can do a lot of it, but sometimes the better choice is getting help where I need it.

Kevin went for a 4 day backpacking trip the first weekend in October, and was frantically renovating an attached apartment in the back of the farm house before that so one of our summer crew members/local high school latin teacher could move in. I've pretty much been running the farm solo.

It was a great exercise for me to realize one, how much I rely on Kevin and two, that I could actually get by without him - I'd just eventually have to either pay someone a lot of money to do his job, or hire two people to do it. He answers radio calls as "Gopher Kev". Although he rarely touches a vegetable anymore, Kevin makes it so the rest of us can all do our jobs. 

Kevin, the cooler needs to be adjusted to cure the sweet potatoes.

Kevin, I need a cleaned up area with a new wall for flower arranging.

Kevin, I need the transplanter put on the Kubota and filled with water.

Kevin, the front left tire on the grey truck has low pressure.

Kevin, run irrigation all summer . . . 

We make a really great team. It's been a lot of years now, pushing ourselves to keep doing the next thing that needs to be done to make it all work. We've been co-managers of a farm for over a decade, plus we've raised a real human baby together. I'm really lucky to have such a great partner. 

Kevin definitely needed a break and I'm glad he got to get away. I definitely would have figured out a way to get that parking break unstuck if I had to . . . but I was grateful to just be able to call for help.

It's still tunnel flipping season! When you 'flip' a tunnel you take out an old crop, prepare the beds, and plant a new crop. Some farms are large enough that they actually take a tractor into their tunnels to do bed prep. We aren't there yet/probably won't get there(?) so we do it by hand. It's good for the soil, and our tunnels are such productive spaces, taking a little extra time to treat the soil right feels good. By the end of this week all the late fall lettuce and spinach will be planted!

Next week we start building two more high tunnels!!!

We have some really lovely color on the farm right now. And we had our first frost. Fall is here. Last year our first frost was not until the end of October, which is very late, so I'm learning what a cool fall is like. Wet and dry summers, warm and cool falls . . . I'm going to know so much about growing food here by the end of this year!

Fruit Share - Last Week!

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

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

One head lettuce

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

Choose 3: Carrots, beets, radish, frisee, kale, chard, scallions, bok choy

Mix and Match 4 Pounds: Tomatoes, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Pie pumpkin, Onions, Leeks (maybe eggplant and green peppers)

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.

SWEET POTATO SALAD WITH GARLIC BREAD & FRISEE

This fall panzanella style salad is heary enough for a main course. I recommend making extra croutons to use in your salads all week!

ROASTED ROOT VEGGIE BUDDHA BOWL WITH GINGER-TAHINI DRESSING

This is more of a technique than a recipe but great to have on hand. Your choice of leafy green, grain, legume and root veggie. No matter which you pick, it will be healthy and delicious.

QUINOA, BEET & ARUGULA SALAD

Did you know that quinoa has 24g of protein in one serving? Beets, arugula, scallions, goat cheese, and a red wine vinaigrette. The leftovers make great grab and go lunches!

SWEET POTATO AND KALE SOUP

Simple weeknight soup with white beans, sweet potatoes, and kale. Serve with a big wedge of crusty whole wheat bread with a smear of garlic butter.

FRISEE AND APPLE SALAD

The sweet apples and creamy dressing balance out the peppery and slightly bitter flavor of the frisee in this complexly flavored (but easy to make) fall salad.

BEET-CARROT-APPLE JUICE

Haven't got a juicer? You can still make this nutrient-packed juice in your blender or food processor.

Sincerely,

Your Farmers

Brittany and Kevin

Thanks for the spring pic, Melody!

...maybe we need a fall pic? Good luck finding us in the same place at the same time! Our current 'M.O." is "divide and conquer"!

Storing Produce

Greens: In a plastic bag in the fridge, not near the freezer. (Ideally between 34 and 40 degrees with 98% humidity.) If they don't come in a bag, undo the twist tie when you get them home and put them in a bag. They will wilt without one.

Root veggies: All roots (except potatoes, onions and sweet potatoes) want to be in the fridge. You should twist roots like radishes, beets, turnips and carrots off of their greens before storing. The greens are all edible - so you can store them separately if you plan to eat them.

Sweet Potatoes and Winter Squash: Store at room temperature - your countertop or in a cabinet in your kitchen is best.



Onions and Potatoes: These crops like cool and dark, but dry, not moist like inside your fridge. If you plan to use them up in a week, on the counter is fine. If trying to store them for longer a dark (inside a brown bag), dry and cool environment like a basement or garage where they won't freeze is best - although don't forget about them!

Herbs and scallions: Unless you are drying them, they can go in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Tomatoes: Don't like the fridge! Store on the counter at room temp.