Letter from a Farmer,

We had a great week last week catching up on many tasks. We harvested new potatoes, planted fall cabbage, cultivated, weeded the sweet potatoes, put up a deer fence around the head lettuce & sweet potatoes, cleaned up harvested crops, staked and trellised the last tomato planting, weeded a bunch of other crops, and harvested eggplant. It was a good feeling to see so many things checked off of our to do list at the end of the week. On Saturday I went around the farm and created a whole new list of things to do. This time of year the tasks just keep rolling in, summer time is go time.

On Friday our new delivery truck finally arrived. We purchased it last November and there was a delay getting the insulated box installed. We were excited to finally be able to drive our new truck and to quit paying for the rental truck we have been using. Upon inspection of the truck we found out the wrong type of lift gate was installed on the truck. A lift gate is like a little elevator on the back of truck to bring the stacks of boxes up and down. Otherwise we would have to hand lift each box on and off the truck. That is way too hard on our bodies and would take way too long. We ordered a special lift gate that stays flat and level during the whole up and down movements of the lift. If you rent a moving truck they usually have a cheaper lift gate that goes up and down at a slight angle. Which doesn't matter so much with a piece of furniture or a few moving boxes. But those kinds of lift gates result in our boxes falling over and spilling. Not fun. There was some miscommunication between the dealer and the lift gate company and the cheaper, not level lift gate was installed on our truck. Now the truck is back at the dealer waiting for the correct lift gate to be welded on. Crossing our fingers it is a quick process. Soon we will be delivering your veggies in our new shiny truck.

This week we are preparing for the garlic harvest. After our crop failure in 2023 due to the late hard frost at the end of May we are happy to have a good crop of garlic growing again. We will most likely still have a smaller amount to deliver this season because we need to save 500 lbs of garlic to re-seed for 2025. So by next summer we will be back to our normal 5 to 8 weeks of garlic in the share. We are also very excited to bring back the Garlic Harvest Party on Saturday! We have missed all of you joining in on the fun. It looks like the weather will be rainy this week but cleared up by Saturday. We hope to see you on the farm! (See the box below for RSVP and details for the Garlic Harvest Party.) ~Jody

ROXBURY FARM CSA GARLIC HARVEST PARTY

Join us on Saturday, July 13 from 9 am to 1pm

for our annual garlic harvest party.

We will harvest our garlic crop in the morning and then share in a potluck lunch and grilled Roxbury Farm CSA burgers at 1 pm.

Wear clothes that can get dirty & sturdy shoes

We recommend gloves, a hat, sunscreen, and a water bottle.

Bring a potluck dish to share.

If the weather is warm we can wade in the creek, too.

Click HERE to RSVP for the party.

Directions:

To find us on Google Maps type in this whole thing: Roxbury Farm Commercial Delivery Access Road (just Roxbury Farm will take you to the wrong location)

with iMaps: Roxbury Farm CSA or Roxbury Farm 2343 State Route 9H, Kinderhook (just Roxbury Farm will take you to the wrong location)

Our physical address is 2343 State Route 9H, Kinderhook, NY 12106, just south of the Martin Van Buren National Historic Site. But many GPS things won't find our address.

We are on a long black top driveway, take it to the red barn and park there. We will be in the field along the driveway so we will be easy to find.

Seeding carrots.

COMING IN NEXT WEEK (may change depending on weather and crop conditions) head lettuce, parsley, scallions, eggplant, onions, zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers, cantaloupe, beets or carrots, and bell peppers

First Fruit Shares: NEXT WEEK (week of July 15)

First Chicken Shares: NEXT WEEK (week of July 15)

Garlic Harvest Party: Saturday, July 13

Click HERE to RSVP

Sweet Potato Harvest Party: Saturday, September 21

Planting cabbage and preparing ridges to seed carrots.

This week's full share: scallions, snow peas, fresh onions, cucumbers, fennel, mini cabbage, parsley, chard, romaine lettuce, new potatoes, eggplant, summer squash, and zucchini

This week's small share: snow peas, fresh onions, fennel, mini cabbage, cucumbers, romaine lettuce, new potatoes, eggplant, summer squash, and zucchini

COOKING TIPS AND RECIPES

Farm Ranch Ranch Coleslaw

Ranch Dressing

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup homemade Mayonnaise (I like using avocado oil for seed oil free mayo)
• 1/4 cup fresh minced parsley or dill
• 2 Tablespoons minced scallion greens
• 1 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
•  1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup

Coleslaw 

• 1/2 of a large green cabbage, shredded (about 4 cups )

• 2 Tablespoons minced fresh dill
• 2 scallions, minced (white and pale green parts)

Preparation

1. Prepare the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a small blender or use an immersion blender and blend until smooth. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed.
2. Add all the coleslaw ingredients to a large bowl and toss with half of the dressing. Add more dressing as needed.
3. Serve chilled or at room temperature. (If you are serving this after it's been in the fridge, wait for 25 minutes before eating so the flavors have a chance to come alive again after being in the cold).

Notes

*Use this recipe as a guide and adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary. www.dishingupthedirt.com

Roasted Fennel & Onions

• 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch wedges
• 2 medium fresh onions, cut into 1-inch wedges
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 2 ounces prosciutto, torn into small pieces (optional)
• freshly grated parmesan cheese
• snipped fennel fronds for serving

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. On a rimmed baking sheet toss the fennel, onions and thyme with the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast until tender and lightly browned on all sides; about 35-40 minutes. Toss the veggies halfway through baking.
2. Remove the veggies from the oven and add the prosciutto. Return the veggies back to the oven and cook for about 5 minutes longer or until the prosciutto become slightly crispy.
3. While the veggies are still warm grate some parmesan cheese evenly and sprinkle with fennel fronds. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Use this recipe as a guide *Adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary *Cooking times will vary from kitchen to kitchen. www.dishingupthedirt.com