Pick Up Details for each location are below the Recipes section in this email.

Reminder: Last distribution is November 18th/19th

Farm Update

Wow, week 6 of 9? How the weeks fly when measured in CSA shares!

We were interviewed and filmed for Chronicle 5 yesterday and they may come to film at CSA pick up today. I haven't watched TV in the traditional sense since living in Massachusetts (I just did the math, and except for 3 years when I was apprenticing in New York and British Columbia, I have lived in MA for 23 years!) So I haven't seen the show, but I said yes. I was a little nervous, but they were actually really great to work with.

The theme of the piece is young farmers in Pepperell. They will also be interviewing the new owners at Kimball Fruit Farm and the folks at Maker Farm. If you know anything about me, you'll know I'm already scheming about how I can insert my opinions about land access and community support for farming in order for more small farms to be able to exist.

In the very preliminary interview, I was asked what makes Pepperell so special that all these young farmers would want to farm here. And believe me, after living here for 6 years I do think Pepperell is special, but I wasn't shopping around for which town I liked best - the question was was, what piece of farm land within range of my current customers could we possible buy/get a long term, secure lease on.

Almost ALL of my farming peers who I worked with as an apprentice have left farming. Some because they actually wanted to do something else, but most because the barriers to entry and success are exceptionally high. Many of them now work for farm adjacent non-profits.

What makes Pepperell unique is that the two farms being interviewed that grow food (us and Kimballs) are both in the Agricultural Preservation Restriction program (APR) run by the state, which buys the development rights to farmland, bringing the purchase price down, and requires it to be owned and managed by commercial farmers. Growing and selling food is the least profitable thing you can do on a farm. Agritourism, weddings, bed and breakfasts . . . all these farm adjacent things are so much more profitable, without the APR restriction, it would be nearly impossible for farmers who want to grow food to access farm land unless they were inheriting it.

I'm currently one of the four farmer representatives on the Agricultural Land Preservation Committee for MDAR - it's amazing to be a witness to the process of land acquisition and transfer under the program.

Pepperell residents had to vote to put town funds towards these restrictions (a small percentage of what the state and federal government contribute), which says that they value farmland, they value open space and want to preserve it. And that's why there are young farmers in town.

So, if more people support farm land preservation through conservation restrictions, they too might be able to have young farmers in town (until we get old - when am I old?).

Ok, onto vegetables. We've got brussels sprouts this week, some stalks are smaller, but there are folks who don't mind this. It's a new variety that I tried this year which I won't grow again because I'd rather grow larger stalks. If you remember last year we had a real problem with aphids in the brussels sprouts so I adjusted the planting date and the spacing. Very few aphids this year, the stalks are definitely smaller, even in our traditional variety, Dagan, but growing a large stalk that is unmarketable doesn't really matter.

We also had poor germination in the Dagan seedlings and had to plant more of the new variety, Silvia, to fill in. I like to try new organic varieties because if we only grow one, and then there is a seed crop failure (which definitely happens) we are forced to trial only new varieties that year, which feels pretty risky. I don't love Silvia, but now I know if I'm forced to grow her again, I'll need to start her sooner, and assume a shorter stalk.

We sell them on the stalk because taking them off by hand is SOOOO slow we can't afford it. The ones that are off in the grocery store have been taken off by a machine. Check out the video (so worth the click through).

Harvest done by machines like this are incredible, and it can feel like, duh, why would you bother growing them any other way? And yea, I sometimes feel like that about brussels sprouts, except that in order to afford that machine they need to be growing huge fields of mono-cropped brussels sprouts that require an exceptional amount of pesticides and fungicides to keep them marketable. There is always ecological compromise to large scale mechanical harvests. I'm not saying it's not the right way, it's just definitely not our way.

Also, once the brussles get to the processing plant (they are most definitely transported loose in tractor trailers) they need to be washed in sanitizer, and I'm just not a fan.

We had some requests for more brussels sprout tops, but, we had already topped them all, so we made some bunches of greens during harvest. Brussels Sprouts are closely related to collard greens. You can cook brussels greens just like collards, but they do have a brussels sprout flavor.

We are going to run out of spinach this week - we are in an odd gap, so it's a great moment to try these, or eat some kale, swiss chard, frisee or . . . .

. . . radicchio is in the share this week! This is a VERY popular vegetable for farmers to grow - but a hard one to convince a sweet-toothed American customer base to enjoy! It's up there with tomatillos and swiss chard as least popular crop we grow (based on what people choose when it is available). It's also a deer favorite, so we don't grow very much anymore. This is our one planting and we will probably have some through Thanksgiving, but if you haven't given it a try you should.

The top results of a google search were pretty rough for radicchio. One of the first websites called it a cabbage. Wrong. They are round like cabbage but they are in the botanical family asteraceae (with lettuce, escarole, frisée, and actually asters, sunflowers and daisies, too!)

Also, our monarch emerged this weekend! We found a chrysalis in the field several weeks ago, and we have given up that it was alive, but it came out Saturday, and we hope this lovely week of weather we are having is nice for it's travels down to Mexico!

We have had some really cold nights very early in the season this year. So far, everything is fine but my goodness is it throwing us farmers for a loop. We feel behind and out of whack! And then we remember it's still October . . . for at least this week!

Despite the cold, our crops are surviving in the field and growing in the high tunnels!

Pepperell: Farm Stand, Wednesday and Thursday 1pm-6pm until Thanksgiving,

Special Thanksgiving Sale, Sunday, November 22nd 10am-1pm on farm.

Ashland Farmers Market: Thanksgiving Market, Nov 21st, 10am-1pm

Mushroom Shares

We are very happy with our Joyberry Mushrooms and will be offering a FALL MUSHROOM SHARE! Email admin@upswingfarm.com if you would like to be added.

Your Joyberry Farm mushrooms will be labeled with your name, and in a cooler or in the box truck. Please ask for your mushrooms when picking up your share.

We don't know yet what the variety is - we can't wait to be surprised with you!

Mushrooms should be stored in paper bag in the refrigerator. Shiitake can store for a while, but other mushrooms are best used in 4-5 days after you receive them. Don't store in plastic!

Want to add someone to the weekly email list?

Please add their email here.

NOTE: We can only be responsible for communicating with the primary share email (the one used to register for the share originally). We are happy to add as many other folks as you like to this list to enjoy the content, but sometimes we need to communicate through the online store - those emails will go only to the primary share email.

Just a note we are down to 8 items this week. We advertise the share as an average of 8 items per week, but yields were up, so we have had 9 items for the first five weeks. It's likely we will be at 8 items for the rest of the share season - but you never know!

Choose 4: pie pumpkin, butternut squash, brussels sprout stalk, scallions, arugula, dill, parsley, cilantro, two bulbs garlic, swiss chard, kale, lettuce mix, napa cabbage, green cabbage, red cabbage, acorn squash, frisee, radish, 1/2# spinach (will run out - try another green this week!)

Mix and match 4 pounds: carrots, yellow onion, red onion, bok choy, beets, delicata squash, leeks, fennel, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, potatoes*

*until the field the potatoes were grown in is accepted into our organic plan, the potatoes are not certified organic, but have been grown according to our understanding of the organic standards. We grew in another field in an attempt to rotate away from pests (colorado potato beetle and leaf hopper).

Crops you might now know but are fun to try:

Radicchio: Great as a slightly bitter, crunchy and complex addition to a salad. Or try one of these recipes.

Crops we have a LOT of this week:

Kale 30 best kale recipes

Chard swiss chard and garbanzo beans

Bok Choy

Potatoes

Yellow Onions

Crops Coming up next week for fall share:

shallots

purple broccoli will be back next week

A long-time CSA member and volunteer, Jess Girotti helps me by collecting recipes and getting this email formatted each week. If you try a recipe and love it, send it her way to admin@upswingfarm.com

You can always check out the recipe page on our website if you are looking for more information!

SAUTEED SWISS CHARD WITH BEANS 
Just 5 simple ingredients and some salt, pepper and chili flakes. 

HEARTY FALL SALAD WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH & KALE

Hearty kale, creamy butternut squash, crunchy apples and pepitas, sweet dried cranberries, nutty farro, and mustardy vinaigrette for that umami punch.

SAUSAGE STUFFED ACORN SQUASH

I love stuffed squash. It's a whole meal served up in an edible bowl. Great fall flavors of mushroom, apple, nutmeg, and sage are combined with sausage and onions.

NEW POTATOES WITH BALSAMIC AND SHALLOT BUTTER

Perfect as a fancy holiday side, but it all comes together in just 35 minutes, so you could wow your family with it on a weeknight too!!

MAPLE ROASTED DELICATA SQUASH

Delicata is my favorite of all of the fall squash. Did you know that the skin is edible? When it cooks, it becomes super soft and tender. 

Pick Up Details By Location

On Farm, Pepperell

Day: Wednesday or Thursday
you can come either day, no need to let us know which day you are coming.
Time: 1:00- 6:00pm

Location:The wood paneled greenhouse next to the big parking lot in the middle of all the greenhouses.

65 Brookline St is the farm address, but that will take you to the house and barns on GPS - the entrance for CSA pick up is to the East, and there is a big white, Upswing Farm Sign.

How to pick up:

1. Please bring a bag, tote, basket or other container to collect your produce.
2. Arrive and CROSS YOUR NAME OFF on the CSA list.
3. Pick up is market-style, so the produce will be out on the table. Follow the signs telling you which produce to pick up. We try to include as much choice as possible in our share, please read the signs carefully.

That's it!

Joella is our regular distribution Manager in Pepperell. She, or an assistant can help you find the list or with any questions.

If a bin is empty just let Joella know - we keep back-stocked produce in a cooler to keep it fresh.

What if?

I don't want something in the share: ask Joella if you can make trade. We do our best to make choices available based on what grows well seasonally in our region.

I'm going to be late:

If you text the farm phone (508-215-8378)

We can usually accommodate requests and we will pack a box with your name on it. It will be INSIDE the walk-in cooler.

If you don't text, you can still come and grab a "farmer's choice" box, which will be unlabeled.

If I can't make it to either pick up day:

If you know in advance, email admin@upswingfarm.com and we can pack you a share to pick up from the walk-in cooler in the farm stand. If you text the farm phone the day of (508-215-8378)

We can usually (NO PROMISES) accommodate produce requests and we will pack a box with your name on it. It will be INSIDE the walk-in cooler to be picked up the next day. If we aren't able to pack you a box, you can come pick up a "standard share".

If I forget to pick up:

email admin@upswingfarm.com

If we have extra standard shares we will let you know and you can come pick one up. We always pack extra - and they almost never run out, so feel free to swing by and grab one - just don't take a share with someone else's name.

If I can't make it one week:

1. Send someone in your place. A CSA share is a great thank you to someone watering your plants or checking your mail. Just let them know the details of pick up and they can pick up for you.
2. ONCE per share season we can accommodate a duplicate pick up the week following a PLANNED missed pick up. Please give us a minimum of two days notice by emailing admin@upswingfarm.com

Weston Nurseries, Hopkinton

Day: Thursday

Time: 1:00pm - 6:00pm

Location: The Back gravel parking lot off of Legacy Farm's Rd North, behind Weston Nurseries in Hopkinton. You cannot get to this parking lot from the Nursery main entrance.

Weston Nurseries lets us distribute shares at no charge in this lot - make sure you show them some love, and let them know you are grateful!

How to pick up:

1. Please bring a bag, tote, basket or other container to collect your produce.
2. Arrive and CROSS YOUR NAME OFF on the CSA list.
3. Follow the signs telling you which produce to pick up. We try to include as much choice as possible in our share, please read the signs carefully.

That's it!

What if?

I don't want something in the share: ask Jeremy if you can make trade. We do our best to make choices available based on what grows well seasonally in our region.

I'm going to be late:

If you text the farm phone (508-215-8378) It is possible for us to leave a box in the parking lot if you aren't going to be too late. Unfortunately, we do not have another location for produce pick up if you don't make the regular pick up window.

If I can't make it that day:

1. Send someone in your place. A CSA share is a great thank you to someone watering your plants or checking your mail. Just let them know the details of pick up and they can pick up for you.
2. ONCE per share season we can accommodate a duplicate pick up the week following a PLANNED missed pick up. Please let us know the weekend prior by emailing admin@upswingfarm.com
3. You can pick up at the Ashland Farmer's Market. Please let us know in advance of your regular pick up whenever possible.

Just a reminder, that a part of what makes a CSA awesome is that we are harvesting and packing highly perishable product just for you. That's how you get such fresh, high quality product. If you don't show up, without letting us know, we will have picked and packed that produce for you, and then donate it to a local food pantry before it goes by.

We also can't just magically make more produce available - we are working with nature, and doing our very best to offer a variety of high quality produce you will love to eat. We are very good at this, but sometimes things happen and crops don't turn out. Usually, another crop is doing well, so you won't get less produce, it just might be a slightly different variety than planned.