CSA Spring Share 2014 - Week #13 (30 December/ 2-3 January)

CSA SPRING SHARE WEEK #13 Wishing you and your families all the best in the New Year!  We thank you for your support of our farm thus far this season.  This is the last box of the Spring Share.  With the beans and tomatoes starting to appear in the boxes, summer produce is truly here!  We look forward to continuing filling boxes in this next season!!

Please remember, next week's delivery returns to a Wednesday.  Farm pick up returns this week to FRIDAY 2 January 2-5pm and SATURDAY 3 January 8-11am.  

With several families being away over Christmas and several un-collected boxes, the farm donated quite a bit of food to families around the peninsula.  It is wonderful to be able to offer extra produce to the community.  We are lucky to have contact with Lorraine whom works with 'Second Bite', the local Brotherhood centre, and 'Connections', an organisation training disabled people to work in commercial kitchens.  We will continue to have some surplus produce that we can pass on to these organisations.  We will be hosting a "gleaning" harvest day.  With the summer push of growth upon us, we do not have the time to do extra harvesting.  With your help, we could harvest surplus produce for these organisations. Please let us know if you are interested.

There are extra zucchini and cucumbers this week as well as extra items that were ready for harvest.  The half share boxes have 13 items and the full share 17.  We hope that you can take advantage of the extra produce.  We have included ideas below as well as preserving ideas.

NOTES ON WHAT'S GROWING

The growth in the patch is incredible!  The corn has begun tasseling and ears are forming.  Soon the pollen will fall, hopefully pollinating each kernel so that they fill out forming succulent ears of sweet corn.  There are baby pumpkins and the vines have started running.  The first sunflower is blooming.  There are baby eggplant and capsicums.  All of the plants are taking full advantage of the daylight hours with growth in almost double the time of early Spring.

We are harvesting the last of the Summer broccoli. Some of the heads are enormous!!  The population of white cabbage moths has increased.  This is unsprayed broccoli - do check it for green caterpillars.

We still have plantings of English Spinach coming on for next week but the peas will falter as the weather heats up.  This is the last of the Sugar snap peas.  We hope the snow peas will avoid the powdery mildew which plagues late pea plantings.

The beans have started.  The first crop was stunted by the late frost-there are still beans but it is not a huge harvest.  The second planting looks much fuller and healthier.  We have seeded planting five of the beans and the sweet corn...we hope to be harvesting these in March!  We have also begun the seeding in the greenhouse of Autumn crops.

NOTES ON STORING THE HARVEST Please check out our Vegetable & Fruit page on the website to find tips on maximizing the life of your veggies.  We envisage that many of the vegetables you are receiving this week will last for two weeks with careful attention to storing upon arrival. Although we do wash all the greens after harvest, we are washing to take the heat out of the plants and wash away some surface dirt, not to prepare them for consumption.  We also spray a seaweed/herb brew about every ten days.  While this will not harm you, it does have a taste. We do suggest washing your produce prior to eating.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX The following are the items harvested this week.  Items and quantities in your box may vary depending on your harvest day and the total harvest of each crop.  The boxes are completely governed by what is ripe and ready for harvest and how much of it there is.  We endeavor to divide the harvest fairly. 1/4 share: 5-7 items   1/2 share: 8-10 items   Full Share: 10-12 items

Basil Beans – Green and yellow French beans. Broccoli Carrots – Bunches of heirloom multi-coloured carrots. Cucumbers Garlic – 'Australian White'. We put the smaller bulbs in the boxes first as the larger ones store better. Lettuce Peas – sugar snap peas or snow peas. Wonderful in a salad or a stir fry! Radishes Rocket – Great for salads and pizzas Spring Onions

Tomatoes

Zucchini –

Extras Romanesco Broccoli – These are best cooked more like a cauliflower then a broccoli.  They do not have the size of the Autumn heads. Cauliflower Celery Squash – 'Golden Crookneck' and/or 'Bennings Green Tint'(also known as Patty Pans - We like them baked.  Here is the recipe.)

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Beans, Rocket, Black Rice and Semi Dried Tomatoes Tzatziki Dip - Uses cucumbers and is perfect for snacks and entertaining Tomatoes, Basil and Garlic - serve as a bruschetta for finger food or with a fork! Rocket, Blue Cheese, Prosciutto Bruschetta Crunchy Salad - A Jamie Oliver recipe using many of the veggies in the box this week Pasta with Broccoli and Lemon Basil Sauce Zucchini, Prosciutto and Basil Pinwheels - an internet find that is easy, tasty and great for entertaining.

You can search our recipes by looking for the key ingredients on our website recipe page.

Please note - Photo is a randomly selected full share box.

CSA Spring Share 2014 - Week #11 (17 December/19-20 Dec)

CSA SPRING SHARE WEEK #11 We harvested the first tomatoes this morning!

NOTES ON STORING THE HARVEST Please check out our Vegetable & Fruit page on the website to find tips on maximizing the life of your veggies.  We envisage that many of the vegetables you are receiving this week will last for two weeks with careful attention to storing upon arrival. Although we do wash all the greens after harvest, we are washing to take the heat out of the plants and wash away some surface dirt, not to prepare them for consumption.  We also spray a seaweed/herb brew about every ten days.  While this will not harm you, it does have a taste. We do suggest washing your produce prior to eating.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX The following are the items harvested this week.  Items and quantities in your box may vary depending on your harvest day and the total harvest of each crop.  The boxes are completely governed by what is ripe and ready for harvest and how much of it there is.  We endeavor to divide the harvest fairly. 1/4 share: 5-7 items   1/2 share: 8-10 items   Full Share: 10-12 items

Broccoli Carrots Celery Chilies Garlic Lettuce Mesclun Spring Onions English Spinach Zucchini

Extras Basil Tops Romanesco Broccoli Cauliflower Cucumber Onions Squash Tomatoes

NOTES ON WHAT IS GROWING

We have harvested the first tomatoes from the poly tunnel with the cherry tomatoes in the field looking close. We have continued harvesting cucumbers but still not a huge production on the 200 feet of plants...we have only harvested just over 100 cucumbers thus far!

With these few weeks of rain and humidity at times, we made a fermented herbal tea to try and help the plants ward off fungal diseases.  We also applied biodynamic 501 to help the plants use light better and to help them assimilate minerals.  This also helps the plant pores to tighten.

There is lovely broccoli heads in all of the boxes this week.  These were grown in one of the mandala circles which has more protection from wind and insects.  They are beautiful!! The next pea planting is finally podding up!  We hope to harvest sugar snaps for the Christmas boxes. I spied the first capsicum in the field.  Our capsicum are a bit later this year as the whole first seeding died in the glasshouse. We make our own soil mix for the seedlings and the mix we used for the crop was too heavy.  Such a disappointment watching them all die over a two week period.  But we reseeded the crop and had a healthy batch to plant in the field.  The plants look great and are filled with flowers.  We are still protecting them almost every night from cold, wind and the possibility of hail.

We planted our second crop of sweet potatoes this week, our fourth planting of beans and corn, and our leek crop for Autumn.  The pumpkins are starting to vine out and they look healthy.  Early sunflowers are also about six feet high now all over the fields.

There are lots of flowers and herbs to pick during the farm collection times of Friday 2-5pm and Saturday 8-11am.

Please remember, next week the boxes will be delivered on TUESDAY 23 DECEMBER.  Farm pick up is also on TUESDAY 23 DECEMBER from 9-5.  The farm will then be closed for Christmas until Monday 29 December.

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Celery Gratin Thai salad Dressing - Great with the mesclun, spring onions and coriander. Pasta with Broccoli and Lemon Basil sauce Quinoa, Roasted Vegetables, Chickpeas and Feta Salad Spinach and Feta Triangles

You can search our recipes by looking for the key ingredients on our website recipe page.

Please note - Photo is a randomly selected full share box.

CSA Spring Share 2014 - Week #10 (10 December/12-13 Dec)

CSA SPRING SHARE WEEK #10 We spied melons the size of golf balls today while weeding!! The first corn planting is hip high.  There are orange tomatoes in the poly-tunnel. We harvested basil for the boxes this week. The zucchini are going bonkers...must be summer.

NOTES ON STORING THE HARVEST Please check out our Vegetable & Fruit page on the website to find tips on maximizing the life of your veggies.  We envisage that many of the vegetables you are receiving this week will last for two weeks with careful attention to storing upon arrival. Although we do wash all the greens after harvest, we are washing to take the heat out of the plants and wash away some surface dirt, not to prepare them for consumption.  We also spray a seaweed/herb brew about every ten days.  While this will not harm you, it does have a taste. We do suggest washing your produce prior to eating.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX The following are the items harvested this week.  Items and quantities in your box may vary depending on your harvest day and the total harvest of each crop.  The boxes are completely governed by what is ripe and ready for harvest and how much of it there is.  We endeavor to divide the harvest fairly. 1/4 share: 5-7 items   1/2 share: 8-10 items   Full Share: 10-12 items

Basil Tops Beetroot Broccoli Carrots Garlic Lettuce Onions Perpetual Spinach Zucchini

Extras Romanesco Broccoli Red Cabbage Savoy Cabbage Cauliflower Celery Cucumber English Spinach Summer Squash

NOTES ON WHAT IS GROWING

We sent a newsletter out with lots of pictures of what's growing.  If you are not on our mailing list, you can view it here.

The Spring push continues as we try to keep up with the weeding and continue to seed crops.  We will begin our Autumn brassica seeding this week.

There are cut flowers and edible flowers available for U-pick. Friday 2-5pm and Saturday 8-11am.  We do have diverse (and not always friendly) fauna so please wear appropriate shoes.

To include edible flowers in the Christmas box, we need help harvesting them.  If you can help on Monday 22 December,  please let us know.

We are finalizing our list for the Summer Share which begins in January.  If you would like to continue receiving veggies, please email to let us know.  We will also send an email about this.

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Roasted Fennel and White Bean Dip - A great warm dip for holiday parties. Beetroot Dip Broccoli Fritters Zucchini Brownies - This is a great recipe on Kate - The Lunch Lady's site.  Our children and the farm crew love it! Beet and Carrot Salad

You can search our recipes by looking for the key ingredients on our website recipe page.

Please note - Photo is a randomly selected full share box.

CSA Spring Share 2014 - Week #9 (3 December/5-6December)

CSA SPRING SHARE WEEK #9 The garlic is in the shed! More news below.

NOTES ON STORING THE HARVEST Please check out our Vegetable & Fruit page on the website to find tips on maximizing the life of your veggies.  We envisage that many of the vegetables you are receiving this week will last for two weeks with careful attention to storing upon arrival. Although we do wash all the greens after harvest, we are washing to take the heat out of the plants and wash away some surface dirt, not to prepare them for consumption.  We also spray a seaweed/herb brew about every ten days.  While this will not harm you, it does have a taste. We do suggest washing your produce prior to eating.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX The following are the items harvested this week.  Items and quantities in your box may vary depending on your harvest day and the total harvest of each crop.  The boxes are completely governed by what is ripe and ready for harvest and how much of it there is.  We endeavor to divide the harvest fairly. 1/4 share: 5-7 items   1/2 share: 8-10 items   Full Share: 10-12 itemsRed Bok Choy – Nice size heads of red bok choy On the ANDI (Aggregate Nutrient Density Index) chart, bok choy rates 865, over 300 points higher then broccoli! Broccoli Carrots – Bunches of mixed heirloom carrots. Garlic – Planted last April and nurtured through the Winter, our garlic has been harvested! Kale Lettuce – Two heads this week. Onions – They are spicy and pungent. Parsley Spinach – Lovely young English spinach. Zucchini– The plants produced a great number for Wednesday's boxes and we are hoping the same for Friday.  The warmer weather speeds them along.Extras Romanesco Broccoli – These are best cooked more like a cauliflower then a broccoli.  They do not have the size of the Autumn heads. Basil - Bunches of the first basil.  Our first planting was killed in the frost Cucumber – YES, the season has begun. Squash

NOTES ON WHAT IS GROWING

Happy Summer!We harvested our garlic crop last week.  The shed smells amazing!  We will start putting the smaller bulbs in the boxes first as these do not store as well as the larger.  The bulbs are still not completely dry and they can bruise.  Enjoy this new season bio-dynamic garlic!  The flavour intensifies as it dries.We also experimented with growing some warmer climate onions.  This week you have ‘Red Creole’ and next week the sweet ‘Texas Early’. ‘Texas Early’ is a sweeter variety quite like the ‘Vidalia’ onions I ate as a child in the Southern United States.  ‘Red Creole’ is spicy and pungent - great for stir fries and cajun cooking.

The hot night on Sunday caused two lettuce plantings to be ready at the same time.  So extra lettuce this week.  The heat also makes the weeds grow faster so we are busy trying to keep crops from getting overrun with weeds.  The last melon crop and the watermelon crop are in the ground, happy with the heat.  There are the beginnings of capsicums on the plants and also tomatoes on the field tomato plants.

The tomatoes in the poly-tunnel are growing well...no sign of colour yet but they are not far off.  The first cucumbers were harvested today with the plants filled with lots of little ones.  It takes a little time for the plants to start producing lots of fruit but they are well on their way.We hope to put some new photos on our internet site so that you can see how the farm is growing.  Next week we should have another crop of fennel ready.  The peas are finished now for awhile we wait for the planting we had to resow to start to flower.  There will be more beetroot next week too.RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Grilled Zucchini - These are delicious on top the Ceasar Salad (recipe below) or mixed with the English Spinach, olives and semi dried tomatoes. Bok Choy and Tofu Stir Fry Ceasar Salad Bok Choy Salad

You can search our recipes by looking for the key ingredients on our website recipe page.

Please note - Photo is a randomly selected full share box.

CSA Spring Share 2014 - Week #8 (26 November/28-29 November)

CSA SPRING SHARE WEEK #8 We will begin harvesting the garlic this week!! We are starting to find a few cucumbers and the melons are flowering. More farm news below...

NOTES ON STORING THE HARVEST Please check out our Vegetable & Fruit page on the website to find tips on maximizing the life of your veggies.  We envisage that many of the vegetables you are receiving this week will last for two weeks with careful attention to storing upon arrival. Although we do wash all the greens after harvest, we are washing to take the heat out of the plants and wash away some surface dirt, not to prepare them for consumption.  We also spray a seaweed/herb brew about every ten days.  While this will not harm you, it does have a taste. We do suggest washing your produce prior to eating.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX The following are the items harvested this week.  Items and quantities in your box may vary depending on your harvest day and the total harvest of each crop.  The boxes are completely governed by what is ripe and ready for harvest and how much of it there is.  We endeavor to divide the harvest fairly. 1/4 share: 5-7 items   1/2 share: 8-10 items   Full Share: 10-12 itemsBeetroot Bok Choy Broccoli Carrots Cabbage Coriander Lettuce Spring Onions Purple Tatsoi Rocket Zucchini

Extras Artichokes Romanesco Broccoli Broad Beans Dill Shelling Peas Snow Peas Rhubarb Squash

NOTES ON WHAT IS GROWING

The rain on Sunday was fantastic!  There is no comparison between irrigation and a nice steady rain.We are taking advantage of the wet soil to plant the second melon crop, the watermelons, another crop of lettuce, the Christmas mesclun crop, another crop of corn, another crop of cucumbers, another crop of zucchini and a mass of root and green crops.  Very busy planting days.

The field tomatoes are looking great and their are quite large tomatoes in the poly tunnel.  The basil in the poly tunnel is also growing well.  I had to reseed the field basil as the frost killed it.

There is going to be a gap in our pea plantings.  We used a new seeder to sow the next crop of peas and waited three weeks for the peas to emerge.  We had about 50% of the rows with peas and the rest empty.  So we tilled it in and sowed again by hand.  We sow the beans, corn and peas by hand at present while we try and find a seeder that will work for our size endeavour. There is nothing that can replace peas but the later planting means there should be peas for Christmas.

We are excited to begin harvesting garlic this week.  Some of the heads are the biggest we have ever grown.  The shed should smell great for farm pick-up!

The zucchinis are producing well and we have put extra in the boxes.  We hope to begin harvesting the baby zucchini with flowers and will rotate these tender morsels through the boxes.  These are perfect for tempura and stuffing!!

There are buds on the first bean plants and the carrots are getting bigger.  The melons are flowering and there are many cucumbers growing on the vines.  The warmer weather also means lots of weeds and we are trying to keep up with the weeding, planting, and harvesting.

Peter is also busy making more compost.  We have a few people who bring their kitchen waste to the farm to add to our piles.  We welcome any waste that is garbage and meat free. Compost is the best recycling...from waste to nutrient dense gold for the soil! We will sow our summer green manures in the next fortnight.  These also feed the soil and help add to the hummus layer which the plants tap into and feed from.

One of our Spring interns left last week.  We wish her well on her farming journey.  Our other intern will be with us until Christmas.  We really enjoy welcoming aspiring farmers and growers to learn on the farm and also very much  appreciate all of their hard work!

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Grilled Zucchini Beet and Cabbage Kraut - Ferments contain so many beneficial probiotics and aid in digestion as well! This recipe from the internet caught my eye... Classic Russian Borscht Minestrone Soup

You can search our recipes by looking for the key ingredients on our website recipe page.

Please note - Photo is a randomly selected full share box.

CSA Spring Share 2014 - Week #7 (19 November/21-22 November)

CSA SPRING SHARE WEEK #7 We have started harvesting shelling peas!! There was a late frost which knocked a few things and sweetened Spring carrots...what a treat! More news below...

NOTES ON STORING THE HARVEST Please check out our Vegetable & Fruit page on the website to find tips on maximizing the life of your veggies.  We envisage that many of the vegetables you are receiving this week will last for two weeks with careful attention to storing upon arrival. Although we do wash all the greens after harvest, we are washing to take the heat out of the plants and wash away some surface dirt, not to prepare them for consumption.  We also spray a seaweed/herb brew about every ten days.  While this will not harm you, it does have a taste. We do suggest washing your produce prior to eating.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX The following are the items harvested this week.  Items and quantities in your box may vary depending on your harvest day and the total harvest of each crop.  The boxes are completely governed by what is ripe and ready for harvest and how much of it there is.  We endeavor to divide the harvest fairly.

1/4 share: 5-7 items   1/2 share: 8-10 items   Full Share: 10-12 items

Cabbage Carrots Broccoli Lettuce Peas Silverbeet English Spinach Spring Onions Zucchini

Extras Artichokes Beetroot Romanesco Broccoli Dill Fennel Green Garlic Summer Squash

NOTES ON WHAT IS GROWING

We had a late frost last week...This really took us by surprise as in the past six years, our latest frost date has been the 31 October with the other years all falling in late September and the first two weeks of October.  The following are some of the crops that are frost sensitive - basil, beans, capsicum, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, lettuce, melons, potatoes, pumpkins, tomatoes, zucchini.We use plastic cloches to protect the frost sensitive crops.  But just last week we had removed the cloches from the zucchini (which had gotten to big to fit under them) and cucumbers (which had begun to flower...the flowers need to be pollinated by the bees).  Our potato crop we plan to emerge in the first week of November.

The eggplants, capsicums and melons were protected by the cloches and were not damaged.  The pumpkins were set to be planted the day before the frost but luckily the job was put off.  They were all protected as were the watermelons!  We were able to use irrigation to save the tomato crop.  Luckily the beans and corn were not affected.

The frost burned the beautiful zucchini crop but luckily the large leaves protected the growing centers and the flowers and fruit and the zucchini have continued to grow and produce.  The cucumber plants have been frost burned but are growing through it.  Parts of the potato crop were burned.  The first field planted basil was killed.  You may also notice frost damage on the sugar snap peas.  While pea plants are not damaged by frost, the peas are.  The damage shows up as clear spots on the pods.  They are still edible.

Nature is unpredictable and we are trying our best to work with her.

We applied biodynamic 500 tonight and will apply 501 tomorrow.  500 helps to enliven the soil, helping plants root access the hummus layers in the soil and to support soil microbes.  501 helps plants feed from sunlight efficiently and helps the plants to assimilate minerals they are taking in.  It helps tighten the pores of plants helping them to ward off fungal infections and insect attacks. It also helps crops to store...this should help the garlic which is almost ready to be harvested.

Next week we will seed the Autumn parsnips.  The leek crop was seeded months back in the glass house and the seedlings look fantastic.  These will be planted in the next few weeks too.  We now have two corn plantings up and growing with the third to go in next week.  The celery is looking great and growing well as is the early Summer broccoli.

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Feat and Semi-Dried Tomatoes Ottolenghi's Silverbeet Fritters Cabbage Stir Fry Jamie Oliver's Spinach and Feta Pie You can search our recipes by looking for the key ingredients on our website recipe page.

Please note - Photo is a randomly selected full share box.

CSA Spring Share 2014 - Week #6 (12 November/14-15 November)

CSA SPRING SHARE WEEK #6

We have started harvesting zucchini!! The days are getting longer, the nights a bit warmer...Summer must be coming!

NOTES ON STORING THE HARVEST Please check out our Vegetable & Fruit page on the website to find tips on maximizing the life of your veggies.  We envisage that many of the vegetables you are receiving this week will last for two weeks with careful attention to storing upon arrival. Although we do wash all the greens after harvest, we are washing to take the heat out of the plants and wash away some surface dirt, not to prepare them for consumption.  We also spray a seaweed/herb brew about every ten days.  While this will not harm you, it does have a taste. We do suggest washing your produce prior to eating.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX The following are the items harvested this week.  Items and quantities in your box may vary depending on your harvest day and the total harvest of each crop.  The boxes are completely governed by what is ripe and ready for harvest and how much of it there is.  We endeavor to divide the harvest fairly.

1/4 share: 5-7 items   1/2 share: 8-10 items   Full Share: 10-12 items

Baby Carrots Beetroot Broccoli Coriander Fennel Lettuce Radishes English Spinach Turnips

Extras Artichokes Broad Beans Cabbage Green Garlic Radishes Spring Onions Sugar Snap Peas Snow Peas Summer Squash Zucchini

NOTES ON WHAT IS GROWING

We have started harvesting Zucchini!  We are growing four varieties of Zucchini and Summer Squash and will rotate these through the boxes.  The harvest for the first few weeks is light and then the plants really get going.  We have written down who received Zucchini this week and will ensure what we have gets rotated.  We originally planted 200 feet of zucchini but when it started to get attached by the red legged earth mite, we added another 100 feet.  We are thankful we did as that late added row is the strongest in this planting!

We have also started harvesting our second broccoli planting.  Spring is a hard time of year to grow the Brassica family as there are two different moths which both lay their eggs on the brassicas.  Do keep a look out for caterpillars.  We have also had quite a dry Spring and the broccoli heads are not as big as they were last year because of this.

The boxes have been very full these past weeks with surplus greens and extras. We are thrilled that so many of the crops we have sown are doing well and producing in abundance.  The quarter share has 5-7 items, the half 8-10 and the full 10-12.  This week the full share boxes have 17 items!  We hope that you are enjoying the extra produce.  If it is too much, please enjoy gifting it to friends.  The surplus may reduce over the next few weeks.

The broad bean crop is coming to an end as are the artichokes.  The basil is growing strong though and before we know it, there will be a glut of zucchini.  The eggplants and capsicums are in the ground protected from wind and cool nights with row covers.  The cucumber plants are flowering, the root crops bulking up and next week there may be shelling peas!  We have just started harvesting our first cabbage crop and the cauliflower and Romanesco broccoli are growing strong.

For those whom pay monthly, we are going to try and set up an automated reminder that is sent on the 25th.  This was a suggestion from one of our interns as we are always telling them how time poor we are.  It would save us alot of time if the monthly payments were paid by the first.  Hopefully the reminder will help in this regard.

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Fennel and Radish Salad Spring Lentil, Quinoa, Baby Carrot, Spring Peas and Feta Salad Beetroot, Feta and Almond Salad Cabbage Stir Fry Beetroot and Cream Cheese Dip You can search our recipes by looking for the key ingredients on our website recipe page.

Please note - Photo is a randomly selected full share box.

CSA Spring Share 2014 - Week #5 (5 November/7-8 November)

CSA SPRING SHARE WEEK #5 The baby carrots are here and we are harvesting Spring broccoli. There are peas and mung bean sprouts to help make the bok choy meals more exciting!There are also loads of surplus greens on the farm being shared among our CSA members. This is the advantage of being a member of a CSA. You share in the bounty and in the inherent risks of farming-unpredictable weather, pests, crop diseases. Read on for ideas of what to do with so many greens.

NOTES ON STORING THE HARVEST Please check out our Vegetable & Fruit page on the website to find tips on maximizing the life of your veggies.  We envisage that many of the vegetables you are receiving this week will last for two weeks with careful attention to storing upon arrival. Although we do wash all the greens after harvest, we are washing to take the heat out of the plants and wash away some surface dirt, not to prepare them for consumption.  We also spray a seaweed/herb brew about every ten days.  While this will not harm you, it does have a taste. We do suggest washing your produce prior to eating.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX The following are the items harvested this week.  Items and quantities in your box may vary depending on your harvest day and the total harvest of each crop.  The boxes are completely governed by what is ripe and ready for harvest and how much of it there is.  We endeavor to divide the harvest fairly.

1/4 share: 5-7 items   1/2 share: 8-10 items   Full Share: 10-12 items

Baby Carrots Bok Choy Broccoli Coriander Kale Lettuce Mung Bean Sprouts English Spinach Tatsoi Turnips

Extras Artichokes Green Garlic Radishes Rocket Silver Beet Sugar Snap Peas Snow Peas

NOTES ON WHAT IS GROWING Our bok choy planting was spurred along by the warm weather.  If we did not harvest it this week, it would have bolted (gone to seed). The fennel we planned to harvest this week has been saved for next week’s box.  There is one more bok choy planting in the ground but it should not be ready for another three weeks!

We also have a surplus of Perpetual Gator and Spinach on the farm. Last year our English spinach plantings did not perform well.  This year we are able to harvest from each planting twice. We based the amount of spinach we sowed on last years data...so we have double what we need. We could have left these out of the box but have harvested them and put them in.

If you are receiving more greens then you know what to do with, please, gift some to friends or preserve it for another day.   Spinach is so versatile.  It is very easy to freeze in ziplock bags for a quick addition to a quiche or curry when there is no spinach.  The rocket can be made into pesto which will keep for weeks in the fridge (and takes up much less room this way!) We hope you are enjoying the surplus!

The first melon crop is in the ground and the capsicum and eggplant crops will be planted this week.  The first bean planting is growing well as are the zucchini plants.  The beginning harvest of the cucurbit family (zucchini, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins) is slow as we await a balance between male and female flowers so that the fruit can be pollinated.  The farm bees are very healthy though and there are many fruits forming.

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Black Rice, Rocket and Semi Dried Tomato Salad Thai Curry Baste and Thai Baked Tofu Spinach and Feta Pie Bok Choy and Mung Bean Salad Silverbeet Fritters Quinoa Patties - This is a recipe from Georgia Harding from Well Nourished.  We are trying it for lunch today with home made pickles!

You can search our recipes by looking for the key ingredients on our website recipe page.

Please note - Photo is a randomly selected full share box.

CSA Spring Share 2014 - Week #4 (29 October/31 Oct- 1 Nov)

FOURTH WEEK OF THE SPRING SHARE The Spring beet root harvest began this week!  We also had an explore in the first planting of carrots and got enough bunches for the full shares.  This is just the beginning of both these crops! With a bit of heat, all of our successive "greens" plantings are stacking up on top of each other.  We weren't expecting bok choy so many weeks in a row but if this week is hot, it will go to seed.  So more bok choy, silverbeet and english spinach!  There are ideas for each crop in the description and recipes below.NOTES ON STORING THE HARVEST Please check out our Vegetable & Fruit page on the website to find tips on maximizing the life of your veggies.  We envisage that many of the vegetables you are receiving this week will last for two weeks with careful attention to storing upon arrival. Although we do wash all the greens after harvest, we are washing to take the heat out of the plants and wash away some surface dirt, not to prepare them for consumption.  We also spray a seaweed/herb brew about every ten days.  While this will not harm you, it does have a taste. We do suggest washing your produce prior to eating.WHAT’S IN THE BOX The following are the items harvested this week.  Items and quantities in your box may vary depending on your harvest day and the total harvest of each crop.  The boxes are completely governed by what is ripe and ready for harvest and how much of it there is.  We endeavor to divide the harvest fairly. 1/4 share: 5-7 items   1/2 share: 8-10 items   Full Share: 10-12 items

Beet Root Bok Choy Broad Beans Green Garlic Lettuce Parsley Rocket Silver Beet English Spinach Tatsoi

Extras Artichokes Baby Carrots Broccoli Purple Sprouting Broccoli Peas Turnips

NOTES ON WHAT IS GROWING The first small zucchinis are on the bushes and the corn has germinated.  The wind has snapped a few of the field tomato plants but we have extras to fill the holes. This week we will be planting the first melon crop and getting ready to plant the capsicums and eggplant.  Peter has prepared a new area for the pumpkin crop and we are putting lots of sunflower seeds in the ground.

Spring is the busiest time of year as we try to ensure many of the crops for Summer and Autumn are in the ground with time to grow strong roots before the heat of summer comes.  We are also preparing areas of the farm for Summer green manure crops which protect the soil and then feed the soil before the planting of the Autumn and Winter crops.  Meanwhile the weeds love the warmth and we are trying to keep on top of them. We are also sowing successive crops of roots, greens, peas, beans and corn.

The bees on the farm have been very busy this Spring with about seven swarms utilizing the bait boxes John, our bee man, has put around the farm.  A few swarms have also just started making hives in trees!  John has set up new hives with these swarms.  The hives are so busy he is adding more floors so that they have the room to make comb, store honey and raise brood.  The hives look really healthy and the bees must be very well nourished to have the numbers to send out so many swarms!  There will be honey for sale at farm pick up hopefully by this week.

U-PICK AND EXTRAS AT FARM PICK UP CSA members are welcome to come to the farm during the farm pick up times for U-picks. This week there are U-pick edible flowers.  There will be someone at the shed to give you scissors, show you what is edible and instruct you on where to find the flowers.

At farm pick up we have eggs from our chicken tractors ($7/dozen).  These chickens are rotated through crops and pasture around the farm. There will be honey from the bees on the farm!  And we also have Mountain View Dairy yogurt and halloumi cheese.  This link contains information about Mountain View farm and a price list.  The halloumi is a new item and we will know the price by Friday. If you are interested in their milk, you need to order by Wednesdays. You can email Robin.

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Spinach and Chickpeas - A recipe from Smitten Kitchen Spinach Pie - from Jamie Oliver Roasted Japanese Turnips and their Balsamic Greens Broad Bean Pasta Rocket Pesto Beet Root, Feta and Almond Salad - Great served over rocket! Asian Green Stir Fry Steamed Artichokes

There are many more recipes on our  recipe page. Search under the key ingredients listed in the side bar on the right.

Please note - Photo is of a randomly selected full share box.

CSA Spring Share 2014 - Week #3 (22 October/24-25 October)

THIRD WEEK OF THE SPRING SHARE The beans we seeded last week have already germinated. The zucchini have buds. The cucumbers have transplanted well. The first Sweet Corn is planted and this week, the field tomatoes will go in the ground. The tomatoes in the polytunnel are flowering and the broad beans are getting fat. Must be Spring!

NOTES ON STORING THE HARVEST Please check out our Vegetable & Fruit page on the website to find tips on maximizing the life of your veggies.  We envisage that many of the vegetables you are receiving this week will last for two weeks with careful attention to storing upon arrival. Although we do wash all the greens after harvest, we are washing to take the heat out of the plants and wash away some surface dirt, not to prepare them for consumption.  We also spray a seaweed/herb brew about every ten days.  While this will not harm you, it does have a taste. We do suggest washing your produce prior to eating.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX The following are the items harvested this week.  Items and quantities in your box may vary depending on your harvest day and the total harvest of each crop.  The boxes are completely governed by what is ripe and ready for harvest and how much of it there is.  We endeavor to divide the harvest fairly. 1/4 share: 5-7 items   1/2 share: 8-10 items   Full Share: 10-12 items

Bok Choy Braising Mix Coriander Kale Pea Shoots Pumpkin Radishes Silver Beet English Spinach Turnips

Extras Artichokes Broad Beans Broccoli Lettuce

NOTES ON WHAT IS GROWING The first Spring planting of Broccoli is heading up and the Spring cabbages are also starting to form.  The broccoli will be ready for harvest in the coming weeks- the cabbage will take at least a month to full form a head.

We hope to begin harvesting the Spring planted beetroot next week. We also will begin harvesting the first pea planting. The plants were seriously damaged by the red legged earth mite which infested the farm in early Spring. We are unsure of how many peas we will find in the first planting.  The second planting looks great!

OPEN DAY, U-PICK AND EXTRAS AT FARM PICK UP We had a wonderful open day on Saturday with 60 adults and many children touring the farm.  The tour emphasized our biodynamic practices, crop rotation, green manure crops and SOIL...our favourite muse!  We will try and have another open day in Summer.  All CSA members are always welcome to come to the farm during the farm pick up times for U-picks. This week their are U-pick edible flowers.  There will be someone at the shed to give you scissors, show you what is edible and instruct you on where to find the flowers.

Also at farm pick up we have eggs from our chicken tractors ($7/dozen).  These chickens are rotated through crops and pasture around the farm. We also have Mountain View Dairy grass fed herd, organic yogurt and halloumi cheese.

For farm crew lunch we made a warm french lentil salad served over Spinach with friend halloumi croutons - Delicious! I will try and write a recipe for this.

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Swiss Chard Fritters - from Ottolenghi Spinach Pie - from Jamie Oliver Roasted Japanese Turnips and their Balsamic Greens Bok Choy, Broccolini and Chicken in a Spiced Sauce Pea Shoot and Bok Choy Salad Steamed Artichokes Simple Broad Beans Broad Bean and Quinoa Salad

There are many more recipes on our  recipe page. Search under the key ingredients listed in the side bar on the right.

Please note - Photo is of a randomly selected full share box.

CSA Spring Share 2014 - Week #2 (15 October/17-18 October)

CSA SPRING SHARE WEEK #2 ***TAKE CARE*** There are stinging nettles in your box.  Once the nettles are heated, the lose the formic acid which brings the sting.  Read more about nettles.NOTES ON STORING THE HARVEST Please check out our Vegetable & Fruit page on the website to find tips on maximizing the life of your veggies.  We envisage that many of the vegetables you are receiving this week will last for two weeks with careful attention to storing upon arrival. Although we do wash all the greens after harvest, we are washing to take the heat out of the plants and wash away some surface dirt, not to prepare them for consumption.  We also spray a seaweed/herb brew about every ten days.  While this will not harm you, it does have a taste. We do suggest washing your produce prior to eating.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX The following are the items harvested this week.  Items and quantities in your box may vary depending on your harvest day and the total harvest of each crop.  The boxes are completely governed by what is ripe and ready for harvest and how much of it there is.  We endeavor to divide the harvest fairly.

1/4 share: 5-7 items   1/2 share: 8-10 items   Full Share: 10-12 items

Bok Choy Broad Bean Tops Chillies Chives Lettuce Mung Bean Sprouts Nettles Onions Pumpkin Radishes Perpetual Gator Silver Beet English Spinach Thyme

EXTRAS Artichokes Beet Root Red Bok Choy Purple Sprouting Broccoli Leeks NOTES ON WHAT IS GROWING

We usually try and hold our Winter green manure crops until right before we plant an area.  This year though, they were infested with the red legged earth mite.  This is a mite from South Africa which has become a real problem in Australian pastures.  The Department of Primary Industries suggests several insecticides to try and break the life cycle of the mite.  The biodynamic treatment is to use preparation 500 and 501 together to support the roots of the plants and to tighten the plants pores and help it photosynthesize better to outgrow the damage done by the sucking mite.  We have been using this method in conjunction with tilling in our green manure crops early as these are the major food source of the mite.  Consequently, unless an Early Spring seeded pea crop grows more, we will not have pea shoots this Spring. The mite has also affected our first pea crop.  It is now growing through the damage but the crop is only about half of what it was.  The second crop looks great though.The Spring surge of the sucking insects (like aphids) is happening and many of the leafy greens show the signs of their attack.  Our attitude towards “pests” is wait and see.  We believe in the ecosystem we are cultivating and have seen nature working with the arrival of “beneficials” to feed on the “pests”.  What we see on plants is aphids being fed upon by lacewings with wasps laying their eggs into the aphid eggs.  What you see is bugs.  We get that! And we are working to have high quality, bug free produce.  We also need to balance the whole ecosystem of the farm.  We do not want to spray organic insecticides as they are not selective – killing pests and beneficials. This could lead to a bigger problem later in the season.  So while we watch the ecosystem in action, we have also tried to help it along by purchasing eggs for beneficial bug predators.  We are releasing these around the farm in hopes of increasing our beneficial population.

The early broccoli is heading up well.  We are unsure if they will be ready for harvest next week or the week after.

Theses are very busy weeks on the farm as we get back into the rhythm of harvesting and we rush to get the Summer heat loving plants in the ground.  This week the night time temperatures are still below 10 degrees here.  We have cloches protecting the zucchini and cucumbers.   The potatoes, first plantings of beans, more carrots and beetroot and greens are all in the ground too.  In the next few weeks we will seed our pumpkin and watermelon crop, our second melon planting and our first planting of sweet corn.

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Broad Bean Tops Sesame Salmon with Honey Bok Choy Spinach Pie - a Jamie Oliver recipe which is a real hit for farm crew lunches! Bok Choy Salad Nettle Tartlets Here are some internet nettle recipes which look good. Nettle Spanikopita Quinoa and Nettle Pilaf Nettle and Goats Cheese Pie Nettle Pesto

You can search our recipes by looking for the key ingredients on our website recipe page.

Please note - Photo is a randomly selected full share box with the addition of a whole pumpkin (the boxes received 1/2 a pumpkin).

CSA Spring Share 2014 - Week #1 (8 October/10-11 October)

FIRST WEEK OF THE SPRING SHARE AND OUR 2014-2015 CSA! Here we go...your first box of farm fresh vegetables!  If you have any questions about the CSA or about What's in your box, please email us at petercarlyon@gmail.com or ring us on 5988-5287.

NOTES ON STORING THE HARVEST Please check out our Vegetable & Fruit page on the website to find tips on maximizing the life of your veggies.  We envisage that many of the vegetables you are receiving this week will last for two weeks with careful attention to storing upon arrival. Although we do wash all the greens after harvest, we are washing to take the heat out of the plants and wash away some surface dirt, not to prepare them for consumption.  We also spray a seaweed/herb brew about every ten days.  While this will not harm you, it does have a taste. We do suggest washing your produce prior to eating.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX The following are the items harvested this week.  Items and quantities in your box may vary depending on your harvest day and the total harvest of each crop.  The boxes are completely governed by what is ripe and ready for harvest and how much of it there is.  We endeavor to divide the harvest fairly. 1/4 share: 5-7 items   1/2 share: 8-10 items   Full Share: 10-12 items

Broad Bean Tops Broccoli Fennel Kale Bouquet Lettuce Parsley Pumpkin Radishes Rocket Baby Silver Beet

Extras Artichokes Broad Beans Cauliflower Lettuce Rhubarb

NOTES ON WHAT IS GROWING So much to share about what's growing...Spring!  Even while many of the Summer and Autumn harvested crops are being planted this month, the food ready for harvest now are those crops that do not mind growing during cold nights and in cold soil...GREENS!.  You will notice lots of greens in the boxes for the first three weeks.

We do have carrots and beet root up and growing.  The last of our overwintered root crops were dug last week.  The carrots go to seed at this time of year, making their root very woody.  Our Spring sown carrots are still 3-4 weeks away from harvest.  We just sowed our third planting though.  Root crops that like cool soil and nights are radishes and turnips.  We have Japanese Turnips coming on and a few plantings of radishes. The beet root are the size of a twenty cent piece so expect bunches of baby beetroot in the next few weeks.

We planted peas in mid July, hoping to have them by the first week in October.  They are flowering now and forming pods but still maybe three weeks away from harvesting. Our late winter planted broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower are continuing to grow well with the first signs of broccoli heads visible.  We hope to begin harvesting it in three-four weeks. Our Autumn kale planting is beginning to go to seed, signaling the end of its producing.  We have planted another crop for Spring.

Two years in a row, we have over wintered cauliflower, harvesting heads the second week in October.  This year, the majority of the heads were ready for harvest the third week in September.  The crop has now finished with the last few heads making it into a few of the full share boxes.  Until the Spring planted cauliflower is ready, there will be no more cauliflower.

We have been trying to build our asparagus patch and our rhubarb plantings so that we can include these items in the Spring boxes.  The asparagus crop is three years old this season.  I thought there would be heaps of asparagus, as we have planted 200 plants.  While there is some, there is not enough to harvest for the boxes.  We will have to wait until next year for this wonderful Spring crop.

Rhubarb is another long lived perennial which we planted two years ago.  The plants are growing really well.  There was enough this week for the full share boxes.  We have more plants to add to the field in hopes to have enough for all the boxes in a few years time.

We have had an infestation this year of a mite called red legged earth mite.  This mite has changed the way we manage our green manure crops and impacted our first pea crop.  I would like to write a post about it and share photos.  If you are not already on our mailing list, you can join on our website.

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Fennel and Radish Salad Steamed Artichokes Simple Broad Beans Broad Bean Tops White Bean and Roasted Fennel Warm Dip Broad Bean and Quinoa Salad Kale Chips Rhubarb Cake

There are many more recipes on our  recipe page. Search under the key ingredients listed in the side bar on the right.

Please note - Photo is of a full share box with the addition of a whole pumpkin instead of the 1/3 of a pumpkin which is in the box. The whole pumpkin looked pretty!   It also includes two of the rotated items. The randomly selected box only included one.

CSA Spring Share 2013 - Week #11 (18 Dec/21 December)

WHAT’S IN THE BOX The following are the items harvested this week.  Items and quantities in your box may vary depending on your harvest day and the total harvest of each crop.  The boxes are completely governed by what is ripe and ready for harvest and how much of it there is.  We endeavor to divide the harvest fairly.  A "*" next to an item indicates that this is something that is being rotated through the boxes.  "F" indicates that this item is in the full share box.   "H" indicates that this item is in the half share box.

CHANGE TO THE PICK UP SCHEDULE To accommodate those picking up their Mountain View Farm milk, Farm Pick Up times are Friday afternoon from 3pm-5pm and Saturday mornings from 8am-11am. Please contact us if you need to arrange pick up times outside of these times.

NOTES ON STORING THE HARVEST Please check out our Vegetable & Fruit page on the website to find tips on maximizing the life of your veggies.  We envisage that many of the vegetables you are receiving this week will last for two weeks with careful attention to storing upon arrival. Although we do wash all the greens after harvest, we are washing to take the heat out of the plants and wash away some surface dirt, not to prepare them for consumption.  We also spray a seaweed/herb brew about every ten days.  While this will not harm you, it does have a taste. We do suggest washing your produce prior to eating.

NOTES ON THE SHARE *Basil Beetroot – Bunch in every box Carrots – Bunch in every box *Cucumbers –We expected to have more cucumbers this week but the cool weather slowed them down.  There are loads of babies on the plants. Fennel – This is the last fennel planting until Autumn.  Everyone received two or three bulbs.  We also have excess fennel.  If you would like some in your Christmas box, please request it via email. Garlic – We have almost finished harvesting the garlic.  The shed roof is filled with hanging garlic.  We will continue to sort through, reserving our seed for next year and counting what we have harvested.  We are expecting to be able to continue to put garlic in the boxes through Autumn! Lettuce – Harvesting 'Red Iceburg', 'Red Romaine" and 'Lollo Rossa'.  These are beautiful, succulent heads. Parsley – Bunch of curly parsley in every box. Radish –F– Shelling Peas – The sugars in these plants begin to degrade into starch after harvest - so try and eat them tonight! Fresh peas are so delicious.  We like them raw in salads as well as very lightly steamed.  They freeze well, too.  Shell and blanch them for 1-3 minutes.  Remove from water and cool quickly in ice water. Drain and then freeze. Sugar Snap Peas –F– Bags for the full shares this week. *Summer Squash – 'Golden Crookneck' and 'Patty Pan'.  Here is a recipe for 'Patty Pan' squash, which look like small oval greenish/white gourds.  They are delicate and delicious. The Golden crookneck are so sweet steamed with butter, salt and pepper. Tat Soi – The ANDI rating for tat soi is 824 - higher then spinach and broccoli! (ANDI stands for "Aggregate Nutrient Density Index." An ANDI score shows the nutrient density of a food on a scale from 1 to 1000 based on nutrient content. ANDI scores are calculated by evaluating an extensive range of micronutrients, including vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidant capacities.) The same caterpillar we have been fighting is still present.  There is damage on the leaves but we hope there is still plenty left for you to enjoy. Zucchini – Great harvest of zucchini is continuing.

Extras Capsicum –The capsicum harvest has begun.  The cooler, wetter weather this week have slowed the capsicum and chilies down.  Still,  we harvested some 'Purple Beauty', 'Emerald Giant', and 'Corno di Toro'. To identify what you receive, please go to our Capsicum and Chillies post. Chilies – By Request and availability–To see the varieties we are growing and to identify what you receive, please go to our Capsicum and Chillies post. Pimiento de Padrons –Delightful "sometimes hot, sometimes not" chilies that are wonderful fried as a Tapas style entree.  They have a lovey full flavour great for pizzas and stir fries too. These are rotated through the boxes.  We have lots of plants but the harvest has only just begun.  It might take awhile to get them into everyone's box. Tomatoes –We have started harvesting tomatoes.  With the cold, there are not many turning colour.  The flavour of tomatoes are better ripened away from direct sunlight so we do harvest ours before they are fully ripe.  We leave them on the kitchen counter to ripen which should take about three to four days.  The natural sugars in tomatoes are lost if they are refrigerated.  We are currently harvesting heirloom varieties 'Black Russian', 'Rouge de Marmande' and 'Ox Heart Red'.  There are many more in the poly tunnel so we hope that this is just the beginning of the crop. Japanese Hakurei Turnips –These are lovely, tender, subtle flavoured turnips.  They are sometimes called salad turnips because you can eat them raw.  They are also delicious thrown into a stew or fried in duck fat.

NOTES ON WHAT IS GROWING Thank you to all those members whom have filled out the survey.  We have had about 30% of our CSA members answer the seven questions so far.  This is very helpful in planning our crops for Late Summer and Autumn and for helping us plan our box sizes.

We have based what we are growing on surveys done last year and on research from CSA's in America.  We value all of the feedback we receive.  In addition to trying to grow nutrient dense food, free from chemicals, we are also trying to refine our CSA to cater to our community.   Most of the Summer share crops are all ready seeded and growing.  There will be more plantings of the quick crops such as summer greens and radishes.  Your responses really help us in the planning of the Autumn crops, which we began seeding this week and for next year's Spring season.  If you need the survey email resent, please let us know.

The sweet corn is knee high and growing strong.  There are already many pumpkins formed and growing bigger.  The potatoes are flowering, as are the field tomatoes.  There are heads forming on the next broccoli planting.

Next weeks Christmas box will contain potatoes, baby rocket, mesclun, perpetual spinach, carrots, peas, zucchini, beans (we hope) and more.  The cooler weather of the past two weeks have slowed the beans down but the next few days are predicted warm so hopefully the beans will grow! Those people that have requested extra herbs will receive bunches of thyme, sage and rosemary in their Christmas box.

This was a big planting week with the second crop of cucumbers and zucchini going into the ground. This will ensure a steady supply through the summer and early Autumn.  We also direct seeded more basil, spinach, spring onions, carrots, beetroot, lettuce, melons, the first of the Autumn broccoli, parsnips and early winter brussel sprouts.  We did our last application of biodynamic 500 which helps increase the soil life.  We also did an application of biodynamic 501 which helps the plants use light and also helps them to draw up minerals.  The 501 increases the "sweetness" of crops ready for harvesting and also tightens the plant's pores to assist with resistance to fungal diseases.

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Carrots and Peas in a Sweet and Spicy Sauce Pasta with Yogurt Sauce, Peas and Chillies Parsley, Fennel and Spinach Soup

You can search our recipes by looking for the key ingredients on our website recipe page.

WHAT'S IN THE BOX EMAILS Expect the What's in the Box email before noon on Wednesday's.  If you do not receive it, please let us know so that we can work out why.

Please note - Photo is of a full share box.

CSA Spring Share 2013 - Week #10 (11 December/14 December)

WHAT’S IN THE BOX The following are the items harvested this week.  Items and quantities in your box may vary depending on your harvest day and the total harvest of each crop.  The boxes are completely governed by what is ripe and ready for harvest and how much of it there is.  We endeavor to divide the harvest fairly.  A "*" next to an item indicates that this is something that is being rotated through the boxes.  "F" indicates that this item is in the full share box.   "H" indicates that this item is in the half share box.

CHANGE TO THE PICK UP SCHEDULE To accommodate those picking up their Mountain View Farm milk, Farm Pick Up times are Friday afternoon from 3pm-5pm and Saturday mornings from 8am-11am.

NOTES ON STORING THE HARVEST Please check out our Vegetable & Fruit page on the website to find tips on maximizing the life of your veggies.  We envisage that many of the vegetables you are receiving this week will last for two weeks with careful attention to storing upon arrival. Although we do wash all the greens after harvest, we are washing to take the heat out of the plants and wash away some surface dirt, not to prepare them for consumption.  We also spray a seaweed/herb brew about every ten days.  While this will not harm you, it does have a taste. We do suggest washing your produce prior to eating.

NOTES ON THE SHARE *Artichokes – Still rotating small and medium artichokes through the boxes! *Basil – Bunches in the AM delivery boxes this week and in the full shares Bok Choy – The ANDI rating for bok choy is 824 - higher then spinach and broccoli! (ANDI stands for "Aggregate Nutrient Density Index." An ANDI score shows the nutrient density of a food on a scale from 1 to 1000 based on nutrient content. ANDI scores are calculated by evaluating an extensive range of micronutrients, including vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidant capacities.) The same caterpillar we have been fighting is still present.  There is damage on the leaves but we hope there is still plenty left for you to enjoy. *Capsicum –The capsicum harvest has begun.  The cooler, wetter weather this week have slowed the capsicum and chilies down.  Still,  we harvested some 'Purple Beauty', 'Emerald Giant', and 'Corno di Toro'. I have put a photo of the varieties at the end of this email to help with identification. Carrots – Bunch in every box Chilies – By Request and availability–We sent an email out with a description of the chilies we are growing this year.  We will try and add that information to our website as well so you can identify what you receive. *Cucumbers –We expected to have more cucumbers this week but the cool weather slowed them down.  There are loads of babies on the plants. *Japanese Hakurei Turnips –These are lovely, tender, subtle flavoured turnips.  They are sometimes called salad turnips because you can eat them raw.  They are also delicious thrown into a stew or fried in duck fat. We hope to have more next week so that everyone gets to try them. Lettuce – 'Red Iceburg'.  These are beautiful, succulent heads. Mesclun – Bag of mixed lettuce and greens in every box. Parsley – Bunch of Italian parsley in every box. *Pimiento de Padrons –Delightful "sometimes hot, sometimes not" chilies that are wonderful fried as a Tapas style entree.  They have a lovey full flavour great for pizzas and stir fries too. These are rotated through the boxes.  We have lots of plants but the harvest has only just begun.  It might take awhile to get them into everyone's box. Rocket – Bunches of rocket. *Romanesco Broccoli – This is much more of a cauliflower then a broccoli.  We are rotating this through the boxes like the cauliflower.  You may receive 'Romanesco' or cauliflower. Shelling Peas – The sugars in these plants begin to degrade into starch after harvest - so try and eat them tonight! Fresh peas are so delicious.  We like them raw in salads as well as very lightly steamed.  They freeze well, too.  Shell and blanch them for 1-3 minutes.  Remove from water and cool quickly in ice water. Drain and then freeze. English Spinach –F and H delivery pm– A planting of English spinach was ready for harvest.  It was a new seed variety and the germination was not what we had expected.  Consequently there was not enough for everyone.  The full shares and the afternoon deliveries have received this.  The morning deliveries and Saturday pick up will receive 'Perpetual Spinach'. 'Perpetual Spinach' – H delivery am and Saturday– A delightful, tender silver beet with a fresh lemony taste.  These are bunches of teenage size leaves. Sugar Snap Peas –H– Bags for the half shares this week. *Summer Squash – 'Golden Crookneck' and 'Patty Pan'.  Here is a recipe for 'Patty Pan' squash, which look like small oval greenish/white gourds.  They are delicate and delicious. The Golden crookneck are so sweet steamed with butter, salt and pepper. *Tomatoes –We have started harvesting tomatoes.  With the cold, there are not many turning colour.  The flavour of tomatoes are better ripened away from direct sunlight so we do harvest ours before they are fully ripe.  We leave them on the kitchen counter to ripen which should take about three to four days.  We are currently harvesting heirloom varieties 'Black Russian', 'Rouge de Marmande' and 'Ox Heart Red'.  There are many more in the poly tunnel so we hope that this is just the beginning of the crop. Zucchini – Great harvest of zucchini is continuing.

NOTES ON WHAT IS GROWING This has been a funny harvest week with bits and pieces of many new crops.  The beginning of a crop is like that, especially with the cooler weather.  This Spring has been very different to last Spring.  We have had a few hot days and lots of rain.  The greens are loving it!  The "fruiting" vegetables like beans, cucumbers, eggplants, tomatoes, capsicums would like it warmer.  We had hoped for beans by Christmas and the plants are filled with flowers and some 2cm beans.  Two weeks to go and only the weather will tell if we will have them or not.

The melon plants are full of flowers and there are already some pretty big looking pumpkins growing in the pumpkin patch.  This years watermelon crop is the strongest looking we have grown.

We are continuing to be vigilant about blights and powdery mildews that thrive in these damp conditions.  We will do another biodynamic spray at the end of this week as well as more herbal brews mixed into the seaweed spray.  All of these help the plants to tighten their pores.  The biodynamic spray also helps the plants uptake minerals which results in nutrient dense produce that is more resilient.

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Turnips with Carmelized Onions and Toasted Lentils Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Greens, Feta and Semi-dried Tomatoes Ottolenghi Red Rice, Quinoa and Rocket

You can search our recipes by looking for the key ingredients on our website recipe page.

WHAT'S IN THE BOX EMAILS Expect the What's in the Box email before noon on Wednesday's.  If you do not receive it, please let us know so that we can work out why.

Please note - Photo is of a full share box.

CSA Spring Share 2013 - Week #9 (4 December/7 December)

WHAT’S IN THE BOX The following are the items harvested this week.  Items and quantities in your box may vary depending on your harvest day and the total harvest of each crop.  The boxes are completely governed by what is ripe and ready for harvest and how much of it there is.  We endeavor to divide the harvest fairly.  A "*" next to an item indicates that this is something that is being rotated through the boxes.  "F" indicates that this item is in the full share box.   "H" indicates that this item is in the half share box.

CHANGE TO THE PICK UP SCHEDULE To accommodate those picking up their Mountain View Farm milk, Farm Pick Up times are Friday afternoon from 3pm-5pm and Saturday mornings from 8am-11am.

NOTES ON STORING THE HARVEST Please check out our Vegetable & Fruit page on the website to find tips on maximizing the life of your veggies.  We envisage that many of the vegetables you are receiving this week will last for two weeks with careful attention to storing upon arrival. Although we do wash all the greens after harvest, we are washing to take the heat out of the plants and wash away some surface dirt, not to prepare them for consumption.  We also spray a seaweed/herb brew about every ten days.  While this will not harm you, it does have a taste. We do suggest washing your produce prior to eating.

NOTES ON THE SHARE *Basil Beet Root – Bunches in every box Red Bok Choy – The ANDI rating for bok choy is 824 - higher then spinach and broccoli! And with the Red Bok Choy, you are getting different phytonutrients to last week.  (ANDI stands for "Aggregate Nutrient Density Index." An ANDI score shows the nutrient density of a food on a scale from 1 to 1000 based on nutrient content. ANDI scores are calculated by evaluating an extensive range of micronutrients, including vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidant capacities.) *Cauliflower – Harvesting 'Early Snowball'.  The heads are smaller then Autumn...caused usually from plant stress which these plants have had with the wind and the bugs.  Those who have been missed for the past two weeks will receive these gorgeous heads. Chilies – By Request and availability–We sent an email out with a description of the chilies we are growing this year.  We will try and add that information to our website as well so you can identify what you receive. Coriander – Beautiful bunches with the roots! Fennel – Tender, young bulb or two in every box Green Garlic – This is a treat for all of us who grow and use our own garlic.  The bulbs are starting to ripen...we can tell by the stronger smell when we are harvesting.  The greens are also becoming stiffer - only use the white part.  Do not cook them very long if at all.  I like to mix them into stir fries at the very end and use them raw in salads. Lettuce – 'Perella Rougette', 'Grandpa Admire's', and 'Lollo Rosso'.  With the two days of heat, our lettuces have rushed ahead giving us a surplus of lettuce.  Two heads in every box.  These are heads in their prime.  If you can not eat them, gift them to friends! *Pimiento de Padrons –Delightful "sometimes hot, sometimes not" chilies that are wonderful fried.  They have a lovey full flavour great for pizzas and stir fries too. These are rotated through the boxes.  We have lots of plants but the harvest has only just begun with enough for one full share.  It might take awhile to get them into everyone's box. Radish – Bunch in every box. Rocket – Bunches of rocket. *Romanesco Broccoli – This is much more of a cauliflower then a broccoli.  We are rotating this through the boxes like the cauliflower.  You may receive 'Romanesco' or cauliflower. Shelling Peas – The sugars in these plants begin to degrade into starch after harvest - so try and eat them tonight! Fresh peas are so delicious.  We like them raw in salads as well as very lightly steamed. Spring Onions – Bunch in every box on Wednesday. Sugar Snap Peas –F– A new planting just coming on. *Summer Squash – 'Golden Crookneck' and 'Patty Pan'.  There is a recipe for 'Patty pan' squash on the website. Zucchini – Here we go with 150 feet of zucchini producing.  There has been a great harvest this week with the two warm days.

NOTES ON WHAT IS GROWING We have started harvesting Chilies and sent an email out describing the varieties and asking you to let us know if you like them or not.   There are capsicums on the plants growing bigger but not yet big enough to harvest.

This will be the last week of cauliflower and 'Romanesco Broccoli' until the Autumn.  There is another broccoli planting which will be ready in two-three weeks.

We harvested the first three cucumbers today with many more on the vines.  Hope to be getting these in the boxes next week...depending on the weather.

There are some tomatoes turning colour in the polytunnel. We are hoping for enough for everyone by Christmas. The beans are also flowering...three weeks until the Christmas harvest if we get more warm days!

The warm weather of last week did make a few lettuce plantings ready on top of each other.  The change of seasons always brings with it some excess of Spring crops while the Summer Crops ripen.  The timing of things is an uncertain game and we try and err on the side of expecting for colder weather.  If you have an excess of greens, give lettuce away, make rocket pesto and freeze it for the winter and make some green pies or green curries that you can freeze. You can also freeze an excess of peas for winter enjoyment...if they make it that long!

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Crunchy Salad Stir-Fry Bok Choy with Tofu Moroccan Inspired Dressing - I know that there are no carrots this week in the box, but I have been using the dressing in this recipe of steamed beetroot, feta, coriander and chickpeas and serving it with lettuce and cous cous with preserved lemon and coriander.  It has been delicious. Rocket Pesto - If you just cannot eat any more greens, turn the rocket into pesto to use as a dip or on pasta or gnocchi! Beetroot, Persian Feta and Rocket Salad - As all boxes are receiving beetroot and rocket and their flavours work so well together, here is Nikki Fisher's fantastic recipe

You can search our recipes by looking for the key ingredients on our website recipe page.

WHAT'S IN THE BOX EMAILS Expect the What's in the Box email before noon on Wednesday's.  If you do not receive it, please let us know so that we can work out why.

Please note - Photo is of a full share box.

CSA Spring Share 2013 - Week #8 (27 November/30 November)

WHAT’S IN THE BOX The following are the items harvested this week.  Items and quantities in your box may vary depending on your harvest day and the total harvest of each crop.  The boxes are completely governed by what is ripe and ready for harvest and how much of it there is.  We endeavor to divide the harvest fairly.  A "*" next to an item indicates that this is something that is being rotated through the boxes.  "F" indicates that this item is in the full share box.   "H" indicates that this item is in the half share box.

CHANGE TO THE PICK UP SCHEDULE To accommodate those picking up their Mountain View Farm milk, Farm Pick Up times are Friday afternoon from 3pm-5pm and Saturday mornings from 8am-11am.

NOTES ON STORING THE HARVEST Please check out our Vegetable & Fruit page on the website to find tips on maximizing the life of your veggies.  We envisage that many of the vegetables you are receiving this week will last for two weeks with careful attention to storing upon arrival. Although we do wash all the greens after harvest, we are washing to take the heat out of the plants and wash away some surface dirt, not to prepare them for consumption.  We also spray a seaweed/herb brew about every ten days.  While this will not harm you, it does have a taste. We do suggest washing your produce prior to eating.

NOTES ON THE SHARE *Artichokes – There are two varieties being harvested 'Green Globe' and 'Purple Jesi'.  The 'Purple Jesi' have thorns on the tops so be careful.  These are easily cut off before steaming or grilling.  The artichokes are still producing. Basil –F– Bunches in the full share boxes. Bok Choy – Bug Free and lovely bunches. The ANDI rating for bok choy is 824 - higher then spinach and broccoli! (ANDI stands for "Aggregate Nutrient Density Index." An ANDI score shows the nutrient density of a food on a scale from 1 to 1000 based on nutrient content. ANDI scores are calculated by evaluating an extensive range of micronutrients, including vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidant capacities.) Broad Beans – YES...this really is the last of the broad beans!  The plants have all been pulled out now so that is the end-  What a great season it has been! Double podding them is a great way to see their green colour. Broccoli – There are broccolini bunches and small to medium heads. *Cabbage – 'Green Acre' and 'Purple Savoy'-  This is the last of the cabbage for a few months. Carrots – Bunches of baby heirloom varieties mixed. *Cauliflower – Harvesting 'Early Snowball'.  The heads are little...caused usually from plant stress which these plants have had with the wind and the bugs.  What we harvested was put into the afternoon delivery  boxes. Coriander – Beautiful bunches with the roots! Green Garlic – This is a treat for all of us who grow and use our own garlic.  The bulbs are starting to ripen...we can tell by the stronger smell when we are harvesting.  The greens are also becoming stiffer - only use the white part.  Do not cook them very long if at all.  I like to mix them into stir fries at the very end and use them raw in salads. Lettuce – 'Perella Rougette" and/or 'Grandpa Admire's'.  Great names for lovely lettuces! Perpetual Gator Silver beet – Bunches in every box.  Tender and lemony. Radicchio – Radicchio is a hit or miss plant.  The conditions have to be just right for the plant to produce the tight round heads.  These raddichio have not done that but since we were told people still eat this cooked, we have included them in the box. The leaves are bitter and chickens LOVE them if you do not. *Romanesco Broccoli – This is much more of a cauliflower then a broccoli.  We have not noticed the distinct spirals that are characteristic of 'Romanesco'.  We are rotating this through the boxes like the cauliflower.  You may receive 'Romanesco' or cauliflower. Shelling Peas – The sugars in these plants begin to degrade into starch after harvest - so try and eat them tonight! Fresh peas are so delicious.  We like them raw in salads as well as very lightly steamed. Sugar Snap Peas –F– Last of the harvest for the full shares. *Summer Squash – 'Golden Crookneck' and 'Patty Pan'.  There is a recipe for 'Patty pan' squash on the website. *Zucchini – Pretty good harvest this week.  As the plants mature, they produce more zucchini and we begin to have a steady supply.

NOTES ON WHAT IS GROWING The beans are getting close to flowering, celery is bulking up and the first corn is about 30 cm high....AND today I spotted a bit of colour on the polytunnel tomatoes!

We are tilling in the brassica plantings as we harvest to try and ensure the brassica moth does not become a plague.  This means no side shoots of broccoli.  We do have another planting that should be ready in three weeks.  We have almost finished the cauliflower and 'Romanesco Broccoli' plantings and have finished all of the cabbage for a few months.

This week we planted the 2nd planting of melons and tomatoes and Christmas mesclun, more lettuce, spinach, rocket, radishes, carrots, green onions and beetroot.  We will be planting the second crop of zucchini and  cucumbers in a fortnight and our watermelons on Friday.

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Greens, Feta and Semidried Tomatoes Quick Pesto Pasta Creamy Pasta with Roasted Zucchini, Goats Cheese & Basil Bok Choy Salad And here is a link for a Spinach and Pumpkin Curry for all of you who still have pumpkins from Autumn.  We made it for the crew who loved it.

You can search our recipes by looking for the key ingredients on our website recipe page.

WHAT'S IN THE BOX EMAILS Expect the What's in the Box email before noon on Wednesday's.  If you do not receive it, please let us know so that we can work out why.

Please note - Photo is of a full share box.

CSA Spring Share 2013 - Week #6 (13 November/16 November)

WHAT’S IN THE BOX The following are the items harvested this week.  Items and quantities in your box may vary depending on your harvest day and the total harvest of each crop.  The boxes are completely governed by what is ripe and ready for harvest and how much of it there is.  We endeavor to divide the harvest fairly.  A "*" next to an item indicates that this is something that is being rotated through the boxes.  "F" indicates that this item is in the full share box.   "H" indicates that this item is in the half share box.

CHANGE TO THE PICK UP SCHEDULE To accommodate those picking up their Mountain View Farm Milk, Farm Pick Up times are Friday afternoon from 3pm-5pm and Saturday mornings from 8am-11am.

NOTES ON STORING THE HARVEST Please check out our Vegetable & Fruit page on the website to find tips on maximizing the life of your veggies.  We envisage that many of the vegetables you are receiving this week will last for two weeks with careful attention to storing upon arrival. Although we do wash all the greens after harvest, we are washing to take the heat out of the plants and wash away some surface dirt, not to prepare them for consumption.  We also spray a seaweed/herb brew about every ten days.  While this will not harm you, it does have a taste. We do suggest washing your produce prior to eating.

NOTES ON THE SHARE *Artichokes – There are two varieties being harvested 'Green Globe' and 'Purple Jesi'.  The 'Purple Jesi' have thorns on the tops so be careful.  These are easily cut off before steaming or grilling.  The artichokes are still producing.  But we are not sure for how much longer. Broad Beans – There are extra broad beans this week! I have added a few simple recipes, one a broad bean pasta and the other a dip. We are unsure what next week might bring.  The broad bean season is relatively short compared with other crops - one month.  Hope you are still enjoying them! *Beetroot - Bunches of baby beetroot.  So tender you can steam them! The tops are very edible as well.  Lovely mixed into a salad or eaten like silver beet.  We were able to find bunches for the afternoon boxes this week and hope to be able to find enough for Saturday's boxes.  We will wait a few more weeks before exploring again. Broccoli - Harvesting 'DiCiccio' and 'Greenbelt'.  As we have said before, the broccoli crops have been effected by wind (blowing many plants right out of the earth) and bugs, reducing the vigor of the crop and producing small heads.  There has been one fantastic planting which the afternoon boxes last week received.  The morning boxes received these heads this week. Cabbage – Heads in every box.  The cabbage, being in the brassica family, has been affected by the caterpillars.  We found though that the insides are gorgeous.  We have given everyone a whole head so that there is plenty to use after removing the bug damage. Carrots - These are bunches of baby carrots 'Little Fingers'.  These are very tender and only need a little scrub with your hands.  You can roast  or steam them whole or have them raw.  SAVE THE TOPS!  One of our members, Amy Minichiello, is a fresh, local food lover opening a cafe in Rye in December.  She made a pesto using the carrot tops.  Sounds perfect for this time of year as the baby carrots and peas work so well in a creamy pesto pasta and the basil is itty-bitty...awaiting some warmth to grow.  We will ask if she wants to contribute the recipe and post it on our website. *Cauliflower - We began harvesting 'Early Snowball'.  The heads are little...caused usually from plant stress which these plants have had with the wind and the bugs.  There was enough for the afternoon half-share boxes.  We hope to continue harvesting next week. Coriander – Bunches of the leaves with roots (which have a great flavour!). Fennel – Baby fennel.  We harvested the last of the current planting.  Everyone is receiving one or two bulbs. Green Garlic – This is a treat for all of us who grow and use our own garlic.  The bulbs are starting to ripen...we can tell by the stronger smell when we are harvesting.  The greens are also becoming stiffer - only use the white part.  Do not cook them very long if at all.  I like to mix them into stir fries at the very end and use them raw in salads. Lettuce – Harvested 'Marvel of Four Seasons' and  'Buttercrunch'. There may be a gap now in the lettuce harvest as we lost two plantings to rot. Limes – Special treat, organically grown on Peter's uncle's farm. He had a glut and offered to give us enough for every box to receive two this week.  Perfect companion with the green garlic and coriander for Thai or Mexican dishes. Radishes –F–  The last of the 'Purple Plum' has been harvested for the full share boxes. Rocket – Bunches of rocket in every box.  Rocket is also in the brassica family and effected by the caterpillars. There are holes in the leaves but still plenty left for you to enjoy. Silver beet – 'Perpetual Gator' bunches.  This is one of our favourite silver beets as the leaves are so tender and the flavour very fresh. Snow Peas – Saturday's boxes will receive the last of the snow pea harvest! Sugar Snap Peas –F–The full shares received some 'Sugar Anns' this week.  Like the Snow Peas, you can eat the pod and all.  They are succulent and sweet.

NOTES ON WHAT IS GROWING The shelling peas were not ready for harvest yesterday.  They may be by Saturday and are definitely hoping for them next week.  We have finished the first sugar snap and snow pea plantings.

We are hoping to be able to harvest kale again next week.  As it is in the brassica family, the leaves have been very effected by the caterpillars.  The caterpillar population is reducing...but the damage has been done to several broccoli plantings, the cauliflower, cabbage and kale. We will know more about the kale when we actually harvest it.  The new leaves are looking good!  Just hard to determine how much of the planting is too damaged to include.

The broad beans may have one more week of harvest!

In looking ahead to next week, growth has been slowed this week by the weather.  This weeks box is full.  Next week may be a bit lighter. Most of the items will store very well with careful attention. The cabbage will last for at least two weeks, even once it is cut.

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Broad Bean Dip Silver Beet Fritters from Ottolenghi's Jerusalem Barley Gratin with Beet Greens and Green Garlic Broad Bean Pasta - This is very simple - a few flavours that combine together to make a delightful dish.  Children love it too! Nikki Fisher from The Wholefood Mama's recipe for Beetroot, Rocket, Persian Feta and Walnut Salad Cabbage Stir-fry - Even though there are no Asian greens in the box this week, you can use the baby carrots and broccoli in this stir fry that our children love.

You can search our recipes by looking for the key ingredients on our website recipe page.

WHAT'S IN THE BOX EMAILS Expect the What's in the Box email before noon on Wednesday's.  If you do not receive it, please let us know so that we can work out why.

Please note - Photo is of a full share box with a cauliflower head from the half share box.

CSA Spring Share 2013 - Week #5 (7 November/9 November)

WHAT’S IN THE BOX The following are the items harvested this week.  Items and quantities in your box may vary depending on your harvest day and the total harvest of each crop.  The boxes are completely governed by what is ripe and ready for harvest and how much of it there is.  We endeavor to divide the harvest fairly.  A "*" next to an item indicates that this is something that is being rotated through the boxes.  If you did not receive it this week, expect it in the next one or two weeks.   "F" indicates that this item is in the full share box.   "H" indicates that this item is in the half share box.

CHANGE TO THE PICK UP SCHEDULE Next week the deliveries will be back on Wednesday 13 November. Farm Pick Up times are Friday afternoon from 3pm-5pm and Saturday mornings from 8am-11am.

NOTES ON STORING THE HARVEST Please check out our Vegetable & Fruit page on the website to find tips on maximizing the life of your veggies.  We envisage that many of the vegetables you are receiving this week will last for two weeks with careful attention to storing upon arrival. Although we do wash all the greens after harvest, we are washing to take the heat out of the plants and wash away some surface dirt, not to prepare them for consumption.  We also spray a seaweed/herb brew about every ten days.  While this will not harm you, it does have a taste. We do suggest washing your produce prior to eating.

NOTES ON THE SHARE *Artichokes – There are two varieties being harvested 'Green Globe' and 'Purple Jesi'.  The 'Purple Jesi' have thorns on the tops so be careful.  These are easily cut off before steaming or grilling.  The artichokes are still producing.  But we are not sure for how much longer. Broad Beans – We have been wading our way through the blown over broad beans to harvest the pods - such a delicious food of Spring. There may be more next week.  The harvest is wrapping up, though. *Beetroot - We had our first explore into the beetroot plantings.  There were enough baby beetroot bunches for the morning delivery boxes. The first two plantings of beetroot are starting to bulk up.  These may continue as a rotated item as we wait for a bit more consistent warmth to help them grow. Broccoli - Harvesting 'DiCiccio' and 'Greenbelt'.  There are either bunches of smaller heads or one or two medium size head.  See the "notes on what's growing"  below about the brassicas. *Carrots - These are bunches of baby carrots 'Little Fingers'.  The afternoon deliveries, full share and Saturday's boxes received these this week. These are very tender and only need a little scrub with your hands.  You can roast  or steam them whole or have them raw.  First carrots of the season! *Cauliflower - This week finishes the two overwintered cauliflower plantings, "Green Macerata" and "Purple Sicily".  We have a Spring planted white cauliflower planting that is starting to head up.  See the "notes on what's growing"  below about the brassicas. Green Garlic – This is a treat for all of us who grow and use our own garlic.  By this time in Spring, our garlic stash is either used up or sprouting.  And so we sneak into the garlic patch and thin out the small bulbs that will not amount to much later.  They are so fresh, sweet and full flavoured - not quite as pungent as matured garlic!  Use them like Spring onions - tops and all.  Do not cook them very long if at all.  I like to mix them into stir fries at the very end and use them raw in salads. Lettuce – Harvested 'Marvel of Four Seasons' for the half shares. The full shares received a green head of  'Buttercrunch' *Radishes –  'Champion', 'French Breakfast' and 'Purple Plum'.  Those who did not receive them last week, should have received them this week. Silver beet – Bags of baby silver beet and baby spinach.  These are lovely tender greens good eaten raw or cooked in an omelette or as a side. Spinach – Bags of English Spinach.  This has a wonderful flavour and would be better cooked then raw.  Lovely as a side or mixed into a slice, soup or omelette. Snow Peas – These are wonderful raw or slightly steamed.  Sweet and tender! Sugar Snap Peas –H–The half shares received some 'Sugar Anns' this week.  Like the Snow Peas, you can eat the pod and all.  They are succulent and sweet.  I honestly do not know anyone with children that actually ends up with any leftover to cook - They all get eaten straight from the bag!

NOTES ON WHAT IS GROWING We talked about the bugs last week, I am happy to say that the aphids are happily in check with lacewings, lady bugs and hover flies all in huge populations.   The caterpillars in the Brassicas (Bok Choy and other Asian Greens, kale, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, rocket) have not yet found that balance.  We have a huge infestation of a moth which burrows in leaves after hatching...and not just the brassica family's leaves.  We have spoken with two other local growers who have the same infestation resulting in leaves that look like they have been shot. We have tried this year to have Spring broccoli plantings on both sides of our farm.  The side of the farm that did not get battered by the winds is fairing better then the other.  Plants that have been stressed find it harder to defend themselves.

We are working to increase the beneficial bugs in the new land but may have to till in the first broccoli planting to try and bury eggs.  Last year we had a similar problem that remedied itself by Autumn with huge harvests of broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage.    In the meantime, the bok choy this week looked more like bug choy.  We included the red bok choy in some of the boxes.  While the green still had lovey stems, there wasn't much left of the leaves.   We are not sure how the white cauliflower heads will turn out.  If there is too much bug damage, we will till the crop in.  The cabbage looks good and will be ready for harvest next week.  We have another broccoli planting which is young (maybe ready in December) and it looks healthy so far.  And the 'Romanesco' is heading up and looks healthy.  The Spring heads of Romanesco are smaller then the Autumn heads.

We have noted that most people really like Broccoli.  The brassica family is one of the more difficult plant families to follow as it can have a detrimental effect on other plants.  Consequently, we do not have huge plantings in the Spring, opting to have more in the Autumn when the bugs are not such an issue.

We harvested the first zucchini's from two plants starting to produce in the polytunnel.  There are 50 plants in there and the others have not even started to flower yet.  But they are full of buds!  The field planted zucchini are also full of buds as are the cucumbers.  There are many more green tomatoes in the polytunnel and the plants are now over a meter tall.

There are lots more peas to come, including shelling peas.  And hopefully more beetroot and carrots.

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Broad Bean and Quinoa Salad Ottolenghi's Herb Pie - This recipe is in Jerusalem  and was also in his Guardian column. You can use different greens and any herbs you have around.  We substituting the green onions with the green garlic. Bok Choy, Broccolini and Chicken in a Spiced Sauce - This works well with the snow peas too.

You can search our recipes by looking for the key ingredients on our website recipe page.

WHAT'S IN THE BOX EMAILS Expect the What's in the Box email before noon on Wednesday's.  If you do not receive it, please let us know so that we can work out why.

Please note - Photo is of a full share box.

CSA Spring Share 2013 - Week #4 (30 October/2 November)

WHAT’S IN THE BOX The following are the items harvested this week.  Items and quantities in your box may vary depending on your harvest day and the total harvest of each crop.  The boxes are completely governed by what is ripe and ready for harvest and how much of it there is.  We endeavor to divide the harvest fairly.  A "*" next to an item indicates that this is something that is being rotated through the boxes.  If you did not receive it this week, expect it in the next one or two weeks.   "F" indicates that this item is in the full share box.   "H" indicates that this item is in the half share box.

CHANGE TO THE DELIVERY/PICK UP SCHEDULE Due to Cup Day on Tuesday 5 November, next week, we will be harvesting on Wednesday 6 November for Delivery on Thursday 7 November.  We chose to change the delivery day as opposed to harvesting on Monday and not delivering until Wednesday. We apologise for any inconvenience.

With the arrival of Mountain View Farm milk, yogurt and grass fed beef on Fridays, we have also changed our Farm PickUp times to Friday afternoon from 3pm-5pm and Saturday mornings from 8am-11am.

NOTES ON STORING THE HARVEST Please check out our Vegetable & Fruit page on the website to find tips on maximizing the life of your veggies.  We envisage that many of the vegetables you are receiving this week will last for two weeks with careful attention to storing upon arrival. Although we do wash all the greens after harvest, we are washing to take the heat out of the plants and wash away some surface dirt, not to prepare them for consumption.  We also spray a seaweed/herb brew about every ten days.  While this will not harm you, it does have a taste. We do suggest washing your produce prior to eating.

NOTES ON THE SHARE *Artichokes – There are two varieties being harvested 'Green Globe' and 'Purple Jesi'.  The 'Purple Jesi' have thorns on the tops so be careful.  These are easily cut off before steaming or grilling.  The artichokes are still producing.  But we are not sure for how much longer. Broad Beans – We have been wading our way through the blown over broad beans to harvest the pods - such a delicious food of Spring. Broccoli - Harvesting 'DiCiccio' and 'Greenbelt'.  There are either bunches of smaller heads or one or two medium size head. *Cauliflower - We are harvesting heads from an Autumn sown crop of 'Green Macerata'.  This is an heirloom green cauliflower...but with heirloom seeds, sometimes they grow "untrue" to their parent.  Such is the case with this planting.  The heads being produced are either true green cauliflower or a broccoli-flower.  Both are delicious!  The broccoli and its broccolini work great in a stir fry. We are also harvesting from an Autumn sown crop of "Purple Sicily", another Italian heirloom.  We grew this in the Autumn and produced cauliflower that was purple.  But the same seed overwintered has produced small heads of purple broccoli-flower.  Still delicious.  It works well added to a stir-fry, steamed or baked! These plantings have almost finished. Fennel – Harvested beautiful young fennel.  The flavour of this is milder then full size fennel.  Delicious sliced thinly in a raw salad or roasted (with artichoke hearts). Green Garlic – This is a treat for all of us who grow and use our own garlic.  By this time in Spring, our garlic stash is either used up or sprouting.  And so we sneak into the garlic patch and thin out the small bulbs that will not amount to much later.  They are so fresh, sweet and full flavoured - not quite as pungent as matured garlic!  Use them like Spring onions - tops and all.  Do not cook them very long if at all.  I like to mix them into stir fries at the very end and use them raw in salads. Lettuce – Harvested 'Green Mignonette' for the half shares. The full shares received a green head of 'Crisp Mint' or 'Green Mignonette' and Brown Mignonette'.  The outside leaves of the lettuce are tip burned.  We think this is due to the wind effecting the available moisture.  The inside "hearts" appear fine. Mibuna –F– With a mild, spicy flavour, this Asian green is good raw ( mixed into salads) or braised in a stir-fry. This is the last of this planting. Parsley –  We overwintered parsley to have nice big bunches for the Spring.  But unfortunately, we did not plan our crop rotation quite right and it was in the way of the summer crop planting.  It has been tilled in.  These bunches are very young Spring planted parsley.  We need to mulch the planting before it gets too big to help it grow better through the summer heat.  To do so, we need to clear all of the leaves that are around the plant, leaving just the ones growing up.  These are small bunches. There will be big bunches of parsley again as this planting matures. *Radishes –  'Champion', 'French Breakfast' and 'Purple Plum'.  Those who did not receive them this week, should next week as the 'Purple Plums' are just coming on. Silver beet – Bunches of young, tender 'Perpetual Gator'. With its slightly lemony taste, it is good raw or cooked. Snow Peas – These are wonderful raw or slightly steamed.  Sweet and tender! Sugar Snap Peas –F–The first planting of these had enough for the full shares this week.  Like the Snow Peas, you can eat the pod and all.  They are succulent and sweet.  I honestly do not know anyone with children that actually ends up with any leftover to cook - They all get eaten straight from the bag! Tat Soi – Asian green nutritious raw or cooked. This is the last of this planting.

NOTES ON WHAT IS GROWING This week saw the planting of our eggplant and capsicum crops.  We usually row cover these with a fabric covering to give them extra warmth but the wind this year is tearing the fabric.  So Peter made 100 foot plastic cloches using steel hoops and greenhouse plastic.  The mature seedlings that we have been nurturing since late July in the glass house, are very happy in their little poly tunnels.  And we are so happy to see the seedlings standing up straight and growing strong even through the wind and heavy rains we have had.  We have put the first field zucchini crop under these little poly tunnels and will use the tunnels for the first melon crop which will be planted out in about a week.

The glass house looked like a theatre after a show.  Cleaned out!  But the emptiness lasted for less then a day with the starting of the watermelon crop and the second melon planting, the second tomato crop, more lettuce, celery, parsley and Asian greens.

The first planting of beans has germinated.  The celery is growing well. The Autumn parsnips have germinated.  The first planting of corn is in.  The carrots are about one to two weeks away from baby carrot bunches.  The beetroots are about the size of a twenty cent piece.  Cabbages are almost ready and we may start to see some 'Romanesco' Broccoli in the next few weeks.  There are more pea plantings in flower and another crop of broccoli that is starting to form heads.

A note on carrots - carrots overwinter well in our climate.  Any left still as the soil warms in Spring begin to grow new roots...they actually become quite hairy!  And then the root changes from this sweet, succulent food to a hard woody stem and the plant sends up a flower to produce seed.  This usually happens about mid September.  The carrots are no longer edible.  Carrot seed need soil temperatures of about 17 degrees to germinate.  We seeded our first planting of carrots on the 19 August.  It took three weeks for the seed to germinate.  The carrots are a bit thicker then a pencil and about as long now.

The beneficial bugs are increasing which is great as the "pests" are really causing damage to the greens.  We do harvest plants with insect damage believing there is still more then enough left for you.  This week though, we left a braising mix planting in the field as the bug damage was so extensive.

We will send a newsletter out with photos in the next week.

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Broad Bean and Quinoa Salad Quinoa and Mibuna Salad with Lemon Pistachio Dressing - I found this recipe on the internet and liked the fruit and nut combination.  It would work well with any of the greens. Warm Artichoke Hearts and Fennel Leek and Silver Beet Tartlets - These would be lovely with the 'Perpetual Gator' and the green garlic

You can search our recipes by looking for the key ingredients on our website recipe page.

WHAT'S IN THE BOX EMAILS Expect the What's in the Box email before noon on Wednesday's.  If you do not receive it, please let us know so that we can work out why.

Please note - Photo is of a full share box.

Why we are a CSA farm...

As our Spring CSA Season gets underway it seems like a good time to write about what our CSA farm is all about – and what it is not.

There are many variations on the models of CSA and numerous explanations of what CSA means… we have included links on our website – but the USDA sums it up surprisingly well… “Community Supported Agriculture consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community’s farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production.”

For us, CSA is a relationship of mutual support and commitment between farmers and members. In return for a seasonal membership fee to help cover the production costs of the farm, CSA members receive a weekly share of quality, organically-grown produce from our farm. When "consumers" obtain food from local farmers, they are directly supporting sustainable agriculture in their community as well as receiving the freshest available produce. We provide practical education for people wishing to grow food (on any scale) and we are trying to promote small-scale agriculture as being a viable and sustainable method of feeding local communities…as it used to be.

All of the food received by our CSA members is started from seed, planted out and grown on our farm and then delivered (or picked up) within 24 hours of harvest. This is local, seasonal, fresh, nutrient dense produce. We grow everything using Organic and Biodynamic practices.

For us, LOCAL means our farm’s location SEASONAL means the weather on our farm FRESH means picked yesterday NUTRIENT DENSE means produce that is really filled with the minerals and nutrients you expect – and was grown without artificial chemicals and fertilizers.

Like any farm – we have our crop failures, weather nightmares and human errors.

The CSA model we have adopted is one where the CSA members share the risks and the bounty with us. In return they know who has grown the food they are eating each week, how it was grown, when it was picked and how far it has traveled to get to their plate.  From our experience this means that some weeks the boxes we provide our members are overflowing and some weeks they are not as full as we had planned.  Some weeks there is a nice balance with what’s in the box – even including nectarines, melons and watermelons -  and other weeks the box is filled with lots of different leafy greens. Even though we plan for a box that will suit many different tastes and family situations,  our best efforts do not always guarantee this will happen. This year for example, unrelenting wind and occasional hail have made it seem more likely that broccoli will be ready in November even though it was planned for mid October. These are the realities of eating from the box. No matter what the yield, the food received by our CSA members is not only good for them - Our goal is to produce the food while bettering the natural system within which it is growing.

WHAT WE ARE NOT is a convenient weekly vegetable and fruit box scheme – that is beyond our understanding of what a true CSA model is all about. These “box schemes” more often than not source products from all over the country (or world), just as most grocery stores do. They are catering to our ideas about what is in season.  There may be no opportunity to build a relationship with any of the farmers involved and it is difficult to even find out where the produce really came from and how long that process took.

Our members do not receive carrots from us in early October, they do not eat tomatoes from us in August and they are probably hanging out for beans and sweet corn in November – but all we can provide is what can be grown on our farm for our members in our community with our climate and our season.

We recognize the challenges posed by eating a seasonal diet – especially as what is seasonal is clouded by the availability of everything in all seasons.  We try to “sweeten” the deal by sharing ideas as a community about what seasonal meals look like, building poly tunnels to push the seasons, covering produce with row covers to help it grow protected from the weather, planting extra crops just in case.  We continue to grow as growers, learning more about this art we call farming.  We keep experimenting with new varieties, new planting times, different row spacing, all in hopes of filling the boxes with diversity and quality. We think about our resources such as water and soil and devise systems which use these wisely and continue to renew them – Building soil fertility and using water conservation practices.   We hope that our members will participate in whatever capacity they feel inclined. We have many volunteers helping with harvesting, weeding, planting. We have farm Open Days and workshops and U-pick crops for members.

Last year we priced our boxes against two local sources – the grocery store and an organic retailer.  The average value of the $40 box was $62.  There were many weeks in summer and autumn where an 8-10 item box contained 15-18 items.  With that said, please do not join our CSA if you are looking for cheap produce.  We may not meet your expectations and the pressure of trying to is not sustainable.  Growing food the way we do is not an inexpensive method.  We like to believe that our CSA members are involved in this endeavour because they really want to eat nutrient dense, chemical free produce, to localize their food consumption, to move away from big business monopoly and control over our food system,  to know how their food production is impacting their whole community and to eat seasonally. We also hope they understand that the season will provide what it will – for better or for worse.

After a day on the tractor…and under it fixing leaking hydraulic hoses… and harvesting, watering, plumbing, spreading compost, weeding and seeding, I am happy to sum up this post using a quote from Elizabeth Henderson…

“As I see it, reducing CSA to a mere food box subscription scheme would castrate the CSA model, taking away its power to create lasting relationships between the people who grow and eat food. As Slow Food founder Carlo Petrini would say, CSAs allow citizens to become “co-producers” with their farmers, rather than passive consumers. At their best, authentic CSAs are a win-win-win. Farmers get living wages and freedom from worry about profits and losses. Everyone weathers the tough times and benefits from the good times. Nothing goes to waste, and community investments help pay for land and equipment. Most of all, eaters get healthy food, good company, and the deep — if not always “convenient” — satisfaction that comes from playing an immediate role in transforming the food system.”

I believe the “convenient” to which Elizabeth is referring is akin to receiving fennel two weeks in a row, endless Spring greens or other vegetables that make the evening meal more challenging…but the CSA model we have adopted is definitely not one based around convenience – this is something we are learning on a daily basis. So at the start of our Spring Share I felt the need to write to our members about CSA in the hope that it may shed more light on the ideals behind what we are farming for and the differing perceptions we all have about ‘convenience’.

We ate the first broad beans tonight from our April sown crop – 6 months of nurturing and work. Convenient? Well no – not really I guess. Watering, feeding and weeding since April, the Spring winds then blew the crop down and picking the beans is like trying to find a ball in a sea of blown over trees! Delicious? Absolutely!

We hope that our Spring Share will unfold with delicious food for our members and look forward to any suggestions or involvement they would like to have with our farm. We thank all those that have chosen to support us.

This is why we are a CSA farm.

Here is some further reading on the importance of Community Supported Agriculture:

CSA – Just a vegetable subscription or a way to truly connect with your farm – Elizabeth Henderson – GRIST.

Community Supported Agriculture: Why Inconvenience is Better – Margaret Betz – One Green Planet

Community Supported Agriculture: What it is, and Why it’s Awesome – Emily Glass – One Green Planet

The State of the CSA – Gloria Dawson – Modern Farmer

Or something to listen to…

Back to The Start – Willie Nelson