LAST WEEK OF CSA!

Where did the summer go?  This is the last official week of the CSA.

What's left in the garden?

More lettuce-- black seeded simson lettuce to the left, greens (spicy) to the right.

Bok Choi-- 
Carrots... I just scattered the seeds as I didn't want rows because I didn't want to weed.  It worked!  Although somehow there are broccoli raab that somehow found their way into the carrots. We didn't realize what it was and it flowered already.  Though the carrots are still a little small.  We may have 1 more pickup next week for carrots and more Bak Choi for those who want to come get what is left in the garden.  Last year we had greens until mid November so we'll see how this year goes.  It's starting to get cold here.

A different asian green/ bak choi combination green.  Very, very green!

Also, the last of the garlic.  The rest got planted this weekend for next year.  Yes, it was planting time this weekend.  I am now up to 8 different varieties of garlic for next year.  I think you all have enough garlic to last you the winter.  In one CSA members house this weekend I saw a whole drawer full of shallots and garlic....  she'll be fine for the winter.

Veggies are done......  now onto winter foods.  Homemade pasta with farm fresh eggs, roasts and more meat dishes.  Speaking of meat....  

Pork will be available in December/January.  If you haven't tried whole-hog sausage, try out a pound or 2.  You will be pleasantly suprised and you'll be a trend setter...  whole-hog sausage is going to get really popular-- so be the first and help spread the trend!!!  Your friends will suddenly start inviting you over to their house for potluck dinners and you can also say that you are a cool member of the slow grow, local, sustainable food movement.

We got an email this weekend from one CSA member who helped fix our walk-in fridge and so he got some whole hog sausage to take home.  His email had some language not suitable for this blog-- but it started H__y  S__T.  And something about fantastic sausage and then using the leftovers for breakfast with eggs.  I understand.  It's darn good.

Beef available in November as well as lamb.  Turkeys are sold out.

Now because these are our first 4 cattle and our first lambs-- we're gonna give the first buyers a good deal.  We find it's better to sell your product after you've tasted it.  We had some Belted Galloway meat from the farm in Vermont where they came from and it was great-- but now they are here on our farm.  We know the ground beef will be great and the lamb kabobs will be great and likely nice and lean.  It's the specialty cuts that we're not sure about.  Likely they'll be great.  But until we cut them and eat them, we won't know how the steer and lamb have done on our pasture and you want the right fat and marbling in the meat.  So for this first round--- you'll get a great deal.  And we can't butcher and then bring it home and sell it-- we don't have the freezer space.  4 steers take up a lot of room.  So we'll need to split them up and you'll need to pick what you want up from the butcher.  So talk to Mike and he'll give you the deal of the year.  The meat will be fresh and processed at our favorite butcher so you'll have great meat for the winter.  

All the animals are looking great -- the lambs are looking hearty as are the 4 steers... yes, it's terrible, Mike and I go outside to check out the animals and we think.....hmmm... rack of lamb.... or ribeye....  3-4 more weeks and we'll be fully stocked in our own freezers.... chicken, turkey, venison, beef, pork, lamb--- all we need is rabbit..... coming soon.