Wow, what a forecast for our first spring CSA. We are looking at end-of-May type of weather this week. A perfect week for our first field plantings of peas, carrots, beets, lettuce, chard, kale, scallions, bok choy and fresh onions! I'm really grateful we can transplant this week because we were running out of space in our greenhouses!! We filled the hardening-off tunnel with the plants that will go out to this week (left). We use the hardening tunnel (a small tunnel 12'x80' with no heat) to expose seedlings to cooler, windier, drier conditions before planting them out into the field, although, they have pretty much perfect conditions this week!

Our propagation greenhouse is a flurry of activity seeding the next successions of lettuce and spinach, potting on our high tunnel tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, flowers, and lots of work to prepare for the seedling sale!

Just this past week/weekend Kevin (and my amazing Dad) finished jackhammering out the last bumpy transition in the wash pack so we now have smooth floors throughout! It's feeling great in there!

We're building another high tunnel and we've taken some time to do make signs to label all our buildings, greenhouses and sections of the field so everyone can know where everything is! It seems like something that shouldn't be hard to do, but when you work with produce and margins are slim, it's amazing how it can be hard to prioritize the simplest tasks. But we are in year three! The last mega-stressful year of start up! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and it's definitely motivating me to keep moving forward. I'm feeling a lot more hope and joy than I have felt in a long time, I don't think it's just because the sun finally came out!

This tunnel will be used for CSA distribution in Pepperell! NO MORE TENTS!! Thanks to Jamie, our new Field Production manger for spreading chips on Saturday.

The Greens in the share this week are LOVELY. From left to right below: Excellent dark green spinach, sweet claytonia (great as a salad green, very high in vitamin C), tat-soi (like a tender itty-baby bok choy, also high in vitamin C). Plus pea tendrils and micro greens. And some yummy carrots and other root vegetables to mix and match.

Remember, if you were with us for the winter share, the spring share is slightly smaller and definitely lighter since it's a very greens 'heavy' share. And also remember we are every week now! Adding some go-to cooked greens recipes to your weekly menu and buying a bottle of your favorite salad dressing are two ideas for being prepared for the spring share.

Get ready to eat healthy!

Also, Kerry, our flower manager, is conducting a small tulip trial in one of our greenhouses! She and Lindsay dug a tremendous trench last December and planted the bulbs, which have started to bloom! There are only a few hundred more, which will continue to bloom over the next couple weeks. We will send them to distribution for sale, $12/bunch as they are available.

No promises they will be available at any specific location this week or next . . .

*Note that all the tightly budded tulips will open. The very open tulips on the right, above were harvested Thursday, March 29th and the photo was taken a few minutes ago . . ! But I keep my house very cold, so they might not last quite as long in a reasonable warm house. :)

Ok, So What's in the Share!?

One bag of spinach

Choose 3 bags greens: Extra bag spinach, pea tendrils, micro greens, tat-soi, claytonia

Mix and Match 3 pounds: Rainbow carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, purple daikon radish and watermelon radish (delicious and beautiful grated with rainbow carrots on a mixed fresh greens salad. add a little olive oil and salt - that's all this winning combo needs!

*Please note* we do our absolute best to estimate what our customers will prefer when it comes to choices based on years of CSA and market experience and data collection. That said, sometimes a crop is more popular than anticipated and we do run out of that choice. We try to avoid this, but have determined this is a better alternative than not giving choices.

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.

OVEN BAKED CARROT FRIES

If you're not familiar with the Garden in the Kitchen blog, check it out. The chef, Silvia Dunnirvine is local and she has a way with veggies! All of her recipes are delicious, but I think I'll be trying this one out with some of my carrots this week.

SPINACH, APPLE & CARROT SMOOTHIE

I've been doing a detox cleanse for the last 2 weeks and have fallen in love with smoothies. They're a delicious way to use up your spinach!



SPICY RADISH SALAD

If you like Korean food, you'll definitely want to check this out. The recipe calls for Korean radish but you can substitute whatever radish (or turnip!) that you have on hand.

GINGER BEEF STIR FRY WITH TATSOI

Tatsoi is a cousin of bok choy and has a slightly sweet-nutty flavor. It's amazing in stir-fries like this one.

CARROT SOUP WITH PEA TENDRILS OR MICROGREENS

Roasted carrots and onions bring this soup to the next level. Top with pea tendrils or microgreens.

SPINACH LASAGNA

You can use your fresh spinach in any recipe that calls for frozen spinach! Just steam it and then use the same weight that the recipe calls for.

If you want to send someone else in your place: This is a great idea if you are going on vacation! Give your neighbor or anyone who is helping take care of your place your share for the week. Just make sure you forward the person you are sharing with the weekly email so they know pick up procedure. No need to tell us if you are going to do this.

Can't make it and want to donate your share to a local food pantry? Let us know and we will make sure it gets to one of the five food pantries we serve weekly.

Your Farmers,

Brittany, Kevin and the Upswing Farm Team

Also, I'm bad at spelling. I am a generalist, so as long as most of the letters are there, and there is good context, by brain prefers not to be bogged down by details. Also, I am frequently typing these emails late at night or early in the morning after or before a big day of work. I promise I'm not making spelling or grammar errors becauseI don't care. I really, really do care, I'm just no good at copy editing and I rarely have time to send these out for a proof read. I hope you can forgive me.

Also, sorry this first email is so late - it was a BIG day!