To be honest I am not sure what to write about this week. The election knocked the wind out of our sails. The farm team is still hard at work making sure the shares go out to all of you but we are all feeling unsettled and a mix of emotions.

Yesterday by mid morning the farm was covered in a blanket of smoke. At first I was sure the woods across the road had to be on fire to have this much smoke in the air. The local fire departments sent out a message to let us know that the smoke was from fires raging in Ulster and Sullivan counties to the south. The strong winds blew the smoke north. The warm temperatures, lack of rain, and now smoke are not normal weather patterns for November in the northeast. It feels strange and unfamiliar. Last night it rained a bit across the Hudson Valley clearing the air and I hope helping those fighting those blazes to get them more under control. Thankfully we woke up to blue skies and 50 degree temperatures.

The political landscape and what is actually happening to our landscape all around us, leaves us asking what can we do. It feels daunting and some days impossible. We will do small things like being part of non-profits in our community that protect land from development, that work to keep land affordable for farmers and provide access to capital to those who don't usually have access to it, that organize with immigrants & allies to collectively support, empower, and protect our communities, partner with food access organizations to work towards equitable food access for all, and continue to work on being a more environmentally responsible farm. It doesn't feel like enough for what we are all facing.

This morning the resident farm four-year old joined us for morning circle. His enthusiasm and giggle are contagious. Then we drove out to a bed of broccoli that we stuck next to the sweet corn because we ran out of room in the field with all the fall brassicas. As you know the sweet corn was finished weeks ago so the broccoli was all alone in the field. It didn't feel fuel efficient to run the irrigation pump for 10 hours for just one bed of broccoli. So we deemed it dry land broccoli (after dry land tomatoes that are grown in California with no irrigation) and as the farm four-year old says, "let's see what happens". And broccoli happened. It is actually some of the nicest broccoli we have grown. The field has some of the best soil on the farm but it also tends to flood when we get too much rain. So a year when it doesn't rain much in September or October, it's perfect for fall broccoli. We will take our wins where we can find them and the laughter, too.

As the 2024 season winds down, with the last regular season CSA deliveries next week, we turn towards some winter rest and doing our best to plan for the 2025 season. There is also the winter share (sign up today!). We hope you will join us for both. ~Jody

ORDER YOUR WINTER SHARE TODAY!

Eat from the farm all winter long. Deliveries are once a month in December (week of Dec. 10), January (week of Jan. 7), and February (week of Feb. 4).

Click HERE for more details and to reserve your share today!

ROXBURY FARM CSA PORK & BEEF AVAILABLE FOR ORDER

We now have our own pork and limited stock of beef available to purchase by the cut on our website. Click HERE to see what we have in stock. Place your order and we will send it with your CSA share. We will send you an invoice once we will your order, you can pay online or send a check with the invoice that will come with your order.

Harvesting Brussels Sprouts

COMING NEXT WEEK (may change depending on weather and crop conditions) carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, green cabbage, onions, daikon, popcorn, beets or winter squash, and kale or broccoli

IMPORTANT DATES

Pork Share 2: THIS WEEK Week of Nov. 12 -15

Chicken Share 5: Week of Nov. 19-22

Last week of egg shares: Week of Nov. 12-15

Last week of regular season CSA shares: Week of Nov. 19-22

First Winter Share: Week of Dec. 10-13

If you can't pick up your pork, chicken, or eggs please let us know and we will send it another week.

Broccoli that never received any irrigation

This week's full share: potatoes, cilantro, arugula or broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, watermelon radies, carrots, beets, and rutabaga

This week's small share: arugula or broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, carrots, beets, and rutabaga

FRUIT SHARE: Crispin/Mutzu or Macintosh apples



COOKING TIPS AND RECIPES

Winter Panzanella

Roasted Vegetables:

• 1 medium small butternut squash peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 1 medium sized sweet potato, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced in half lengthwise (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 3-4 Tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper

Croutons:

• 1 loaf of good quality crusty bread, sliced into 1 inch cubes (about 6 cups)
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
• 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
• pinch of fine sea salt

Balsamic Dressing:

• 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon dijon style mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salad:

• 1 small red onion, finely sliced
• 1 bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
• 2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 425F. Toss squash, sweet potato and brussels with oil, salt and pepper. Place in a single layer on two prepared baking sheets and roast until fork tender and lightly browned on all sides. About 30-40 minutes. Rotate the pans halfway through cooking.
2. Toss the bread with the fresh thyme, oil and salt. Place on a prepared baking sheet and toast in the 425F oven until golden on all sides. Roughly 10-12 minutes. Toss the bread halfway through toasting. Remove and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
3. Whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing. Taste test and adjust seasonings if need be.
4. Assemble the salad by tossing the squash, sweet potato, brussels, bread, onion, parsley, dates and walnuts with the dressing. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and toss until evenly coated. Serve at room temperature. www.dishingupthedirt.com

Balsamic Roasted Beets with Pasta & Walnuts

• 4 medium sized beets, washed and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• fine sea salt and pepper
• 8 ounces Rigatoni pasta (or pasta of choice)
• 4 ounces arugula
• 1/3 cup toasted walnuts
• 2 ounces organic goat cheese (optional but recommended)
• Sprinkle of organic Parmesan Cheese (optional but recommended)
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 425F
2. Toss the chopped beets with 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Place on a prepared baking sheet and roast in the oven until fork tender and lightly browned. About 20-25 minutes. Toss beets halfway through cooking.
3. Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, remaining olive oil, dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain pasta and set aside.
5. Place the walnuts in a small skillet over medium heat and toast, shaking the pan often, until they're lightly browned. About 3 minutes.
6. Toss the warm pasta with the cooked beets, arugula, toasted walnuts, cheese and drizzle with the dressing. Toss until well combined.
7. Divide the pasta between plates and season to taste with salt and pepper. www.dishingupthedirt.com