Crop Talk August 21, 2017
CSA Week 12

   This week we're starting to pick the fall apples -- Honey Crisp rather than summer Pristines -- and the peach crop is beginning to wind down. Before you know it, we'll be picking winter squashes.
This would be a good week for the Nicoise salad from Cook With What You Have. It calls for several of the items in this week's box, plus the stray cucumber you may have left from last week.

  And Here's a potato salad suggestion from Kate at Cookie and Kate :

"I honestly never met a potato salad I loved until I made this one. It’s a riff on classic French potato salads, which contain no mayo and lots of herbs. I opted for lemon juice instead of vinegar for a super fresh-tasting salad."

Read more here.

  A few reminders as we reach the midpoint of the CSA season:
1. CSA shares are not available on Sunday or Monday.
2. The you-pick bonus for each week begins on Tuesday -- your bonus for week 11 won't be available until tomorrow, for example -- and bonuses are always contingent on supply.
3. To forestall confusion among non-members, please consume your bonus items only after you have exited the wagon and the market. And please remember to grab wristbands before getting on the wagon. 

Thanks for your help in these matters.


Week 12 Shares Include: kale, corn, beans, carrots,   tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, potatoes,   peaches, apples, onions

Pick-your-own bonus: 6 peaches, 6 apples, bag of beans


Vacation Plans?

  Our thanks to members who have logged into their accounts to request vacation holds for weeks when they will be away. May we suggest that you log back into your account before leaving to confirm that your request was accurately noted? If you see anything unexpected, send an email to CSA@greatcountryfarms and let us know. Thanks.

  
Join us to Celebrate Bluemont Vineyard's 10th Anniversary~ August 25-27th

It has been 10 years since Bluemont Vineyard, our sister farm winery, first opened its doors, and we are excited to celebrate this special milestone with you! To kick off a year of festivities, join us for the ultimate end-of-summer Oyster Fest, with live music, wine slushies, and plenty of food to go around.

Dogs Like Good Food Too
  
  CSA members Eric and Julie Parkhurst understand that your dog's health depends on what he eats, just as yours does. That's why they started EJ's Meats & Treats, a family business that produces smoked and dehydrated natural pet treats. Each of their treats is hand-processed, with no unnatural preservatives, additives or fillers. Meat treats are made from all natural free-range livestock and poultry raised on family-run USDA certified farms in the United States. And they use produce from Great Country Farms. EJ’s Meats & Treats takes pride in the quality and love that goes into each treat that goes into your pet's mouth. Never before has spoiling your pet been so affordable.   

  A selection of their treats is now available in our market.
Cooking with Lee 

  Long-time CSA member Lee Draznin has embarked on a blogging project this year: it's called "What Do I Do With This Box?" , and the name speaks for itself. We invite all of you to join us in Lee's kitchen for the next few months, while we learn how he uses the bounty that comes to his door every week. 

Here's Lee's post from Week 11: 

  " It is hard for me to believe that this week marks the half way point of the CSA season. The rare combination this week of Potatoes, Peaches and Apples marks what has been an unusual and wonderful growing year. Getting carrots (or at least 1) this week is another indicator of how special this year has been. The GCF newsletter talked about the amount of clay in the local soil, and how the carrot root will grow towards the softest soil. This makes carrots grow in odd formations. Ours this week looks a little like a small ball with a bunch of fingers growing out of it. It looked really funny but tasted delicious. It is further confirmation that just because a fruit or vegetable doesn’t look like what we see in the grocery store doesn’t mean it won’t taste good. In fact, most times it tastes even better."

  Read more here.

Bonus Value this week: $12.29
Year-to- Date Bonus Value: $151.08

What is the YTD Bonus Value? Each week we total up the market value of the bonus pick-your-own items. The value to date includes 8 quarts of strawberries, two bags of spinach, four bundles of asparagus, three quarts of sweet cherries, a quart of tart cherries, two pints of black raspberries, 3 quarts of blackberries, and 54 peaches, four nectarines, six apples, three bags of green beans, and six sunflowers.

Please note that bonus amounts do not carry over from week to week, and they are offered while supplies last. 

Wagon rides to the fields will start at 9:15 sharp and continue at the top of every the hour until 5:00. We update our Twitter @TheFarmerSays with the latest picking conditions, so be sure to follow us.

Group Site Members: 
Please remember that you must pick up your box on delivery day. All boxes contain perishable items that spoil easily, so any boxes that are not claimed within the designated pick-up window will be donated. Your host is not permitted to hold your box overnight.
Great Country Farms | 540-554-2073 | CSA@GreatCountryFarms.com | www.GreatCountryFarms.com