Hello There!

Welcome to Week 9! This week's bag features a hearty pork roast for the chilly winter nights that are still ahead of us. There are several tasty recipe links below from our family company, Fresh Fork Market. Also included in the bag is a jam-packed jar of sauerkraut that will pair nicely with the roast. The sauerkraut is a living, fermented product that needs to be stored in the refrigerator. Because it is a fermented product, you may see some bubbles in the jar, the lid may look under pressure or you may hear a pop when you open the jar. This is a completely normal and expected!

AROUND THE FARM UPDATE
This time of year, there is so much going on. The greenhouse is bursting with seeds and sprouts. The farrowing barn is full of little piglets (each sow has at least 8, and there are 8-10 sows in the barn at any given time). Little baby peeps are filling the peep shack. Once the piglets and peeps get bigger and the weather gets warmer, they will move to the outdoors to graze on pasture. The maple woods are flowing with sap and the Keim family has been working all night in the sugar shack boiling the sap into maple syrup.

Just 2 weeks ago we were talking about all the seeds we had planted in the greenhouse. Since then, the greenhouse has become completely filled with tomatoes, broccoli, kale, peppers, celery, herbs and more! The sun and heat over this past weekend really gave a jolt to the sprouts. We keep wishing for more sunshine and warmer weather now that spring is officially here! The cool nights and clear skies keep us on our toes overnight, as we have to make sure the greenhouse temps don't drop too low and cause any shock to the baby plants.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more pictures and videos of life on the farm!
MAPLE SYRUP FACTS
Did you know...?
  • Cool, below freezing temperatures at night and sunny, above 35 degree temperatures during the day make for the best conditions for sap to make syrup.
  • The sap running through the lines from the trees to the sugar shack is clear like water (top picture). It's quite a transformation turning the sap into syrup (bottom picture).
  • It takes approximately 40 gallons of sap to make just 1 gallon of syrup!
If you haven't signed up yet, you can still join us for the season:
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Wholesome, sustainably grown foods.
Bag Contents
Week 9
Pork Roast
Sauerkraut (quart)
Green Beans (frozen)
Lettuce
Feta Goat Cheese
Sunflower Oil
Chocolate Milk (1/2 gal.)

We're getting to the time of year where the fall storage crop supply is dwindling and we are anxiously awaiting the fresh early spring produce in the fields. Part of our mission at Wholesome Valley Farm is to preserve the bounty when it's picked fresh so we can enjoy the bounty off the farm even in the winter months.

The frozen green beans are picked and processed in the summer. We wash, prep and cut the stems off the green beans right after they're harvested. They're packed into quart containers and stored in the freezer for winter meals. They're an easy side dish (recipes below) or in a soup.

Sauerkraut is another preserved product made here at the farm. In the fall, we chop thousands of pounds of cabbage in the bowl chopper. It then goes into a salt + water brine in a 55 gallon jug to ferment. The fermenting process can take months, and the kraut is jarred up during the winter months when the taste is just right! The fermented product is full of healthy bacteria and it will continue to ferment (slowly) in the refrigerator. Eat it plain, or pair it with pork and potatoes.

LET'S GET COOKING - RECIPES
Have you checked out the recipes from Fresh Fork Market yet? Click here for more recipes & inspiration from our family company!


For more recipes & inspiration, follow us on P interest, and check out Fresh Fork Market on P i nterest.
REMINDERS

PLEASE RETURN YOUR GREEN REUSABLE BAG:
Please bring back your "green" bags each week that you pick up a new share bag. It's like trading the empty one for a full one. We need these bags returned every time so we can bring a full one for you the next time. At the end of the winter share season you'll get to keep your last bag. Thanks!


Stop times are different in the Winter.

Deliveries will be every other week.
Impulse Training: every other Friday pick up between 4pm-7pm. If you can't make it on Friday, pick up on Saturday from 7-11am.
Wholesome Valley Farm: every other Friday pick up between 1pm-4pm. If you can't make it on Friday, pick up on Saturday from 9am-4pm unless you have arranged it differently to pick up your bag.
The Bag: One size bag, omnivore option only
Price: $408 Upfront, or Payment Plan(two payments of $216 due in November & February).
Dates: Pick ups every other Friday, 12.1.17-05.04.2018. 12 weeks total share weeks.
Location: Wholesome Valley Farm in Wilmot & Impulse Training in North Canton
Just like the weather, bag contents are subject to change!
We will let you know of any changes when you pick up your share.
If you have any dietary restrictions or allergies, please let us know and we'll give you a substitution. 
Wholesome Valley Farm
(330)359.2129
927 US Route 62
Wilmot, Ohio 44689
thebarn@wholesomevalleyfarm.com
Sign up here!