Sandy Spring CSA

September 1, 2010: This week’s featured fruits and vegetables are:

From Pam:

Good morning everyone – another hot sultry day – we are making preparations in anticipation of the pending storm this weekend.

Although we will welcome some rain – we do not need a big blow.

The boxes today are colorful – you should be able to make some nice ‘eats’ for this weekend – even if you have to picnic in the garage or family room

Assorted peppers, carrots, apples, finally – some nice head lettuce, Swiss chard, eggplants, zucchini (or another eggplant - we ran short of zucchini), winter squash – an assortment of kinds & colors – please remember that we only send things that can be eaten – there is a variety of acorn squash in some of the boxes – called Carnival – multi-colored – this is an edible winter squash – not a decorative gourd – we ran into this questions last year – so I am reminding you – as you have asked, and finally a small amount of tomatoes – which unfortunately seem to be winding down rather fast – as the weather has just been so hot & dry.

Meatless Monday is a non-profit initiative of The Monday Campaigns, in association with the Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health. They provide the information and recipes you need to start each week with healthy, environmentally friendly meat-free alternatives. The goal is to help you reduce your meat consumption by 15% in order to improve your personal health and the health of the planet.

Thanks to Unity of Alexandria for introducing us to this idea.

We have been introduced to so many wonderful veggies as a result of our time with the CSA. Our eating habits have been forever changed.

Thank you.

Linda

Is your grocery store harboring ‘bad’ eggs? Learn more here.

A slogan for Coca Cola at the turn of the last century (1900) was “For headache and exhaustion, drink Coca-Cola.” Another was “Coca-Cola is a delightful, palatable, healthful beverage“ (1904) which clearly indicate Coca Cola was originally marketed as a health drink.

What if they are returning to their roots? Read I want my organic coke. It’s a thought provoking blog post by by KOERT VAN MENSVOORT from a blog called Next Nature.

August 25, 2010: This week’s featured fruits and vegetables are: Sweet peppers, hot peppers, potatoes, watermelon, tomatoes, eggplant, beans.

Interested in Fall and Winter fruit/veggies? Click Join to find the sign-up form for the Fall/Winter CSA.

This year CSA goes 4 weeks longer, ending Dec 22, so it will help out with the food intensive holiday celebrations in both November and December. Thanks to those of you who have already joined.

Wild for Salmon

One of our long time CSA members is coordinating the one-time sale of fresh, frozen Alaskan salmon through the “Sandy Spring Buying Club” of WILD FOR SALMON out of Bloomsburg, PA. Click here to read about Jenn & Steve Kurian’s salmon offerings (and while you are there, read their blog to get a good idea of what’s involved in their fishing expedition each summer in the waters off Alaska).

If you decide you want to make a purchase, please send an email to Amy at aj453537@gmail.com and she’ll send you the Buying Club discounted purchase list. The Kurians will drop off the salmon on Thursday, September 16 from 6:15-6:30 PM on the parking lot at the Meeting House. All orders must be completed online by Sunday, September 12.

Scroll down for a short musical treat. A light-hearted jab at GMO tomatoes.

Here’s a tongue-in-cheek song I wrote about genetically modified tomatoes. Click here to listen.

Enjoy,

Dan
CSA volunteer, web guy and part time songwriter

guitar, bass, vocals, drum programming - Daniel David Johnson
electric guitar - Andrew Coupe

Additional thanks to Andrew Coupe for his recording/engineering expertise.

August 18, 2010: This week’s featured fruits and vegetables are: melon, beans, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, zucchini, cucumber and beets with tops.

I’ve become more observant of the weather since joining the CSA.  Too much or too little rain may be an inconvenience to commuters, but it can be a game changer for farmers.

Sun, rain, hail, drought, floods and wind all affect the harvest, not to mention pests like deer, bugs, birds, mold, fungi and diseases.  Makes me wonder how they ever manage to grow food at all. My hat’s off to farmers everywhere.

Fall/Winter CSA

Interested in Fall and Winter fruit/veggies? Click Join to find the sign-up form for the Fall/Winter CSA.

This year CSA goes 4 weeks longer, ending Dec 22, so it will help out with the food intensive holiday celebrations in both November and December. Thanks to those of you who have already joined.  

I’m looking forward to the cool weather and the fruit and veggies that come with it.

August 11, 2010: This week’s featured fruits and vegetables are: Ginger gold apples, a melon (either cantaloupe or watermelon), zucchini, cucumber, onion, pepper, tomatoes and a green – (could be bok choi, head lettuce, romaine lettuce or Swiss chard). The cantaloupes are ripe & ready to eat - as is the watermelon – eat soon – keep in the fridge.

August 4, 2010: This week’s featured fruits and vegetables are: watermelon, sweet corn, zucchini, cucumber, tomato, green or red sweet pepper, onions and a green (either Swiss chard, collards or head lettuce).

It is not really an exaggeration to say that peace and happiness begin, geographically, where garlic is used in cooking. — X. Marcel Boulestin (1878-1943)

A note from Pam:

Good morning all –

A fine looking grey day with promises of rain – we have been busy planting more fall stuff in anticipation of a steady rain for the end of the week.

Husband Paul is driving today – along with helper – farm manager Rachel’s dad –

Here is the line up for today:
watermelon, sweet corn, onions, peppers, cucumber, zucchini, a green – could be one of 3 – swiss chard, collards or head lettuce and tomatoes

hope you enjoy your veggies

best,

Pam

Pam Stegall
farmer
www.calvertfarm.com