CR
Crop Talk
The Newsletter of Great Country Farms
June 8, 2015: CSA Week 2 ~ Berries and Cherries

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A Word from the Farmer
   Our first planting of squash has started to flower, and our second planting went into the ground last week, along with our second year of non-GMO sweet corn. The cabbage is leafing out beautifully, and the tomatoes are almost big enough for trellises. 
















   About fruit: It looks like we're in for one of the best   apricot harvests in recent memory, and the black raspberry bushes are loaded with little green globes that are starting to turn red. Our tart cherries may be ready as early as next weekend, but harvest dates are always weather dependent, and thunderstorms are rolling through the valley now.
Watch our Facebook page for updates.
Week 2 CSA
   Please return your empty box from week 1 (set it out for pick up when we deliver or bring to your pick up site.) We have only enough boxes for 2-3 weeks of delivery, so we need them back each week to pack for the following week. Please also let us know about any problems with delivery or with the contents of the boxes. We rely on your feedback to improve our service.

Week 2 CSA include: 
  • bag of chard 
  • parsley plant
  • bundle of asparagus
  • bundle of spring onions
  • pint of strawberries
  • pint of sweet cherries
   About chard: many of us eat that stuff right out of the bag, or right out of the ground, but if you need to keep it for a while, it should be dry. You might try rolling it tightly in a paper towel, sealing it in a plastic bag, and then storing it in the coldest part of your refrigerator.
   Though chard is remarkably resilient when it's in the ground, it wilts quickly once you pick it, so it needs to stay cold. Once it starts to wilt, the easiest thing to do with your chard is braise it briefly with a couple of those spring onions, and eat it with pinto beans, or chicken legs, or wine. 

U-pick bonus for June 9-14: 2 quarts of  strawberries!
Note that bonuses run from Tuesday through the following Monday each week.

   Wagons will run at least every hour on the hour, from 9:15 until 5:00 -- more Frequently if we are busy. Please allow enough time to check in before the wagon departs. And please bring back your empty berry containers to use again.

Remember that there's no CSA pick-up or delivery on Mondays. 

Also available in the market:
watermelon,  cantaloupe,  tomatoes,  cucumbers,  sweet corn

In This Issue
Father's Day Weekend Features
Beekeeping, a Fishing Contest & Craft Beer

Saturday, June 20:  We are excited to welcome beekeeping expert Bill Bundy to the farm on Saturday, June 20 from 10am-12pm.  Bill has led the Loudoun Beekeepers Association for years and is "The Keeper of the Hives" which help pollinate so many of the fruits and vegetables here at Great Country Farms.  Learn more about honey bees and hive collapse disorder, and watch Bill extract and bottle honey for our Farm Market.
   
Father's Day Fish-A-Rama

Sunday, June 21, 9am-2pm:    
Brian Kelly, Bass Master Qualifier
Join us for our annual Fishing Derby with prizes from Urban Angler for the largest fish caught and the most fish caught.  We are thrilled to welcome back
 Bryan Kelly , a 1994 BASS Master Qualifier and long-time Potomac River fishing guide for a spin-tackle demonstration and a fly-casting clinic at this year's event.
Would you join us for a cooking project?

   On busy nights, wouldn't you love to be able to just pull a healthy meal out of the freezer, pop it into the microwave, and still say you made it yourself - meaning your spouse cleans up? If so, you might like to join us for a cooking workshop that would leave you with 15 meals pre-made from scratch, using organic oils and spices. The cost of the workshop would be $80, which covers oils, spices, and recipes, many of which may include items from your CSA box. If that sounds good, please click here to answer a couple of helpful questions. Thanks!    


 

--Jacklyn Jenkins 


 


 


 

2015 Bonus Ticker

May Bonuses: $25.24

Last week:

$13.96

This week: 

$6.98

Year to date:

$46.52


  
" This refreshing, superhealthy salad is one of chef Marcus Samuelsson's favorite ways to showcase kale; massaging the leaves with vinegar, salt and olive oil makes them tender and sweet. This recipe is adapted from the chef's book  Marcus Off Duty ."

Read more here .

 

Check out this Video of how a Salad Sac Works
Farm Market Feature
We are pleased to offer Salad Sacs again this season to help keep your greens, lettuces and veggies fresh.   Made of a special grade of super absorbent 100% cotton, it preserves  the freshness of your salad by allowing excess moisture to escape into the  Salad Sac.  Pick yours up in the Farm Market or Order one for delivery.