BGF NEWS - March 2022 - VOL. XLVII, NO. 5

WHAT’S UP ON THE FARM?

Not quite ready for planting yet...but soon!

Weather in the past month:      Snow: 11.5"

                                                         Rain: 0.25"

                                                        Freezing Rain: 0.10"

                                                        High temp: 69° (2/3/21)

                                                        Low Temp: 5° (3/12/22)

Here we are at the cusp of Spring and all I can do is shake my head and keep planting seeds! We listened to stories of invasion in Ukraine as we enjoyed unseasonably warm March temperatures, followed by devastating tornadoes, and then snow all within 36 hours! Our hearts go out to those affected by violence, both by man and by nature. We were so lucky to miss the tornadoes last week, the closest one was about 14 miles south of the farm, but we know folks who weren't so lucky. So we support those people as best we can and, like I said, keep planting seeds.

The biggest task of the past month was the turnover of the big high tunnel. All the spent crops were cleared, soil amended and new crops either seeded or transplanted. 

At the start it always feels like a rather Herculean task for just one person and it takes me about a week from beginning to end, but like so many things, getting started is the hard part. It's a bit shocking to see empty beds in the tunnel, but they don't stay that way for long, some of the new seedings are already germinating.

Besides the high tunnel work, you probably won't be surprised to hear that sowing seeds has been a large part of our focus in the past month. We've sown flats of celery, lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, kale, collards, peas, and LOTS of flowers! We also direct seeded lettuce, arugula, choi and mustard in the tunnels and transplanted chard, kale, choi and misome. There are baby plants coming up everywhere! It's a good thing spring is just around the corner, because our nursery space is about to explode!

what a difference a month makes!!

Beyond plant care, we have managed to do a few other things, like ordering supplies, fine tuning our planting plans, posting ads for our farm crew and attending online meetings. But it isn't all work...I've also been taking advantage of the snowy weather whenever possible to get in a bit of cross country skiing and snowshoeing. The alpacas aren't too sure about that activity though. 

One of the highlights of our winter is the annual farmers' retreat with our Gang of 5 Farm friends. We alternate hosting the event and this year we were thrilled to spend the weekend with the group at Grinnell Heritage Farm. In fact, that's where we were during the storms that spawned the tornadoes. We've never had to head for the basement during that event before, luckily all was well. Big thanks to my parents for taking care of the farm so we could go! 

We're hiring!

 Do you know someone who might be interested in spending a season outdoors in a beautiful setting, working with great people, eating great food and getting lots of physical exercise? Is it you?? A son or daughter, niece, neighbor or friend? Send them our way ASAP, we'd love to talk to them about the possibilities!

CSA 2022: The first delivery is scheduled for June 7th and we have space available for new members! 

If you are interested in joining us this season and haven't already done so, you can email us at mail@bluegatefarmfresh.com and we'll get you set up. Know someone who might be interested in a season of fresh, healthy, delicious food? Send them our way!

Want to get some great local food in the meantime? VegEmail deliveries continue every two weeks throughout the winter. You can order your farm-fresh produce, preserves, seasonings, (plus Ebersole Cattle Co. eggs & meats and Lost Lake Farm LLC cheese in DM) from the comfort of home (and pick up tasty beverages from Peace Tree Brewing Co. at the same time!) It's like a farmers market in your Inbox! If you want to order and aren't already getting email announcements about the deliveries, be sure to let us know!

That's about it from us this month. Thank you for making it all the way to the end of the newsletter and for joining us on all our farming adventures. It is such a privilege to live in this beautiful place and to raise safe, healthy food for so many amazing people. We wish you all the joys of the season and a bright new year!

Is a monthly newsletter not enough for you? Do you want to read more about our life on the farm and see more pictures? Follow us on Facebook at Blue Gate Farm or on Instagram at bluegatefarmfresh. CSA members can also connect with other BGF members to share recipes or ask questions on our FB community page at Blue Gate Farm Community.

If you have any questions or comments, be sure to let us know.

Best from the farm,

Jill & Sean (and the whole BGF crew)

Luci & Sky

BGF NEWS - February 2022 - VOL. XLVII, NO. 4

WHAT’S UP ON THE FARM?

Weather in the past month:  Snow: 9.0"

                                                     High temp: 53° (2/8/21)

                                                     Low Temp: -6° (1/26/22)

The days are definitely getting longer and the deep cold spells don't seem to last as long. Even though there is plenty of winter left, the air and light feel different and the bird song in the morning has changed. I guess that means spring is truly on its way. 

The late winter activities are in full swing. Conferences have been attended, supplies are being acquired and most of the seeds have been delivered. Plus a few books have been read for pure entertainment :)

Loaded germination chamber

The first week in February is the traditional start of the seeding season for us and so far we are on schedule! To date we've started all of the allium crops (onions, shallots, leeks and scallions), a few early flowers & herbs and the early greens for the high tunnels.

 

Tubs of freshly sown allium crops

Shelling popcorn

We also took advantage of a warm day a couple of weeks ago and got all of the 2021 popcorn crop shelled. We prefer to let it do most of it's drying while on the ear, and we finally had the right conditions to run it through the sheller. It was perfect timing as we are just about to the end of our 2020 popcorn stock.

Harvesting continues for our VegEmail deliveries and we really enjoy seeing our customers, members and friends on those Tuesday evenings! The sales this year have gone so well that we are sold out of many of our storage crops, but our high tunnel crops are starting to put on more growth again so we should have additional fresh greens to offer in the coming weeks, plus potatoes and turnips! And speaking of fresh, local produce...

CSA 2022:

Veteran member sign up has concluded and we have sent invitations to folks on our waiting list. If you were a CSA member in 2021 and you haven't signed up, but want to, let us know ASAP! Huge thanks to those of you who have already responded and an additional farm-fresh round of applause to those who have already paid (that helps us cover all those new seeds!) If you were on our waiting list and haven't received an invitation, be sure to let us know or if you are interesting in joining us as a new member this season,  email us at mail@bluegatefarmfresh.com.

Also for the upcoming season...

We are looking for one full-time and possibly a part-time employee to join the Farm Crew. Do you know someone who might be interested in spending a season outdoors in a beautiful setting, working with great people, eating great food and getting lots of physical exercise? Is it you?? A son or daughter, niece, neighbor or friend? Send them our way ASAP, we'd love to talk to them about the possibilities!

And finally, we have some sad news to share. We bade farewell to our Indigo at the end of January. It was an unexpected goodbye and we miss his steadfast companionship every day. Run well, buddy!

That's about it from us this month. Thank you for making it all the way to the end of the newsletter and for joining us on our farming adventures. It is such a privilege to live in this beautiful place and to raise safe, healthy food for so many amazing people.  

Is a monthly newsletter not enough for you? Do you want to read more about our life on the farm and see more pictures? Follow us on Facebook at Blue Gate Farm or on Instagram at bluegatefarmfresh. CSA members can also connect with other BGF members to share recipes or ask questions on our FB community page at Blue Gate Farm Community.

If you have any questions or comments, be sure to let us know.

Best from the farm,

Jill & Sean (and the whole BGF crew)

Luci & Sky

BGF NEWS - January 2022 - VOL. XLVII, NO. 3

WHAT’S UP ON THE FARM?

Happy New Year from the farm!

Weather in the past month:      Snow: 5.0"

                                                        Freezing Rain: 0.25"

                                                        High temp: 74° (12/15/21)

                                                        Low Temp: -8° (1/2/22)

The darkest days of winter are now past us and as each each day dawns we have a bit more daylight. The winter crops really appreciate the increasing day length. Crops in the high tunnel are basically held in stasis from mid December until around Valentine's day. Then, it's as though a switch is flipped and they suddenly start to put on lots of new growth (much to the farmer's and VegEmail customers' delight!)

So what are we doing to keep ourselves busy on the farm at this time of year? Mostly, keeping everyone warm, fed and watered, managing and harvesting for the VegEmail sales and massive amounts of office work! (At least that's how it feels.)

Two big recent projects included the annual tasks of The Great Calendar Transfer where all of the target seeding, planting, harvesting and fruiting data is added to the new year's calendar. This is essentially the farm's brain and operations manual. It is amended daily as we go along with weather, task and sales information so at year's end it is the repository of the farm's season. We archive each calendar and then are able to use them as a resource for historical data. Yes, most people probably do this electronically these days, but a paper copy and a handful of colored pens in still how this farmer's mind works and I relish the ritual at the turning of the year.

The other big January task is establishing the garden maps for the upcoming season. These we do electronically, using spreadsheets to visually represent each plot in the field and high tunnels. This allows us to manage our multiple season crop rotation in a fairly efficient manner through simple cut and paste functions rather than having to recreate the entire system each year. There will always be changes on the fly during the season, depending on a variety of conditions, but this sets us up to know how much seed and how many of each plant we will need to start in the coming months. 

Besides paperwork, this is the season of conferences and zoom meetings for farmers. It is also a time of focusing on catching up on fiber work, tool maintenance, organizing, correspondence, ordering supplies and hopefully learning some new things! 

A couple of weeks ago we held out annual "Post Mortem" of the season with the farm crew. This gives us a chance to sit down over a cup of tea and reflect on the season while it is still somewhat fresh in our minds. We review crops, equipment, processes and anything else on which the crew members might have an opinion. This is also the time when I ask them about their plans for the future season (while hoping every one of them declares their intent to return!) 

We were half successful on that mark with two of our crew returning for 2022 and two of them moving on to other things. On that note we want to send three big cheers of congratulations to Rebekah who just celebrated her high school graduation and is looking forward to college in the coming year. 

So what does that mean for the farm? It means we are looking for one additional full-time employee for the coming season and possibly a part-time as well. Do you know someone who might be interested in spending a season outdoors in a beautiful setting, working with great people, eating great food and getting lots of physical exercise? Is it you?? A son or daughter, niece, neighbor or friend? Send them our way, we'd love to talk to them about the possibilities!

Speaking of the upcoming season...

CSA 2022:

Veteran member sign up has begun. If you were a CSA member in 2021, you should have received an email last month with the details and a link to the sign up form. If you didn't receive your membership email for the 2022 season, please let us know ASAP.  Veteran members have until the end of January (just a few more weeks) to lock in their spots and then we will open any remaining shares to our waiting list. Huge thanks to those of you who have already responded and an additional farm-fresh round of applause to those who have already paid (that helps us cover all those new seeds!) If you are interesting in joining us as a new member this season, you can email us at mail@bluegatefarmfresh.com and ask to be put on the waiting list.

Want to get some great local food in the meantime? VegEmail deliveries continue every two weeks throughout the winter. You can order your farm-fresh produce, preserves, seasonings, Ebersole Cattle Co. eggs & meats and Lost Lake Farm LLC cheese from the comfort of home. It's like a farmers market in your Inbox! If you want to order and aren't already getting email announcements about the deliveries, be sure to let us know!

That's about it from us this month. Thank you for making it all the way to the end of the newsletter and for joining us on all our farming adventures. It is such a privilege to live in this beautiful place and to raise safe, healthy food for so many amazing people. We wish you all the joys of the season and a bright new year!

Is a monthly newsletter not enough for you? Do you want to read more about our life on the farm and see more pictures? Follow us on Facebook at Blue Gate Farm or on Instagram at bluegatefarmfresh. CSA members can also connect with other BGF members to share recipes or ask questions on our FB community page at Blue Gate Farm Community.

If you have any questions or comments, be sure to let us know.

Best from the farm,

Jill & Sean (and the whole BGF crew)

Indigo, Luci & Sky

BGF NEWS - December 2021 - VOL. XLVII, NO. 2

WHAT’S UP ON THE FARM?

Precipitation in the past month: Snow: trace

                                                            Rain: 0.3"

Happy holidays from all of us at BGF!

I know, I say it almost every winter newsletter, but I can't believe another month has already passed and now here we are looking at the end of 2021. 

And what a month it has been with weirdly warm temperatures followed by the 2nd scariest storm I've ever seen (the worst being our tornado in 2019). I was terrified of what I would wake up to on Thursday morning, envisioning total high tunnel destruction, all the crops within ruined, but miraculously we found very little damage. I am still nearly speechless with shock and gratitude.

So what else have we been up to in the past month? We finished up the harvest season in the field just this week and have cleared most of the field crops and all of the row covers and hardware. We did leave a few hardy crops in place, just see how they fare if our milder than normal temperatures persist. You just never know! Our high tunnel crops are coming along nicely, though some days I feel like all I accomplish is opening all the row covers to let in the sunshine and then recovering them before the temperatures start to drop in the late afternoon.

We took advantage of the unseasonable warm weather to  spend some much overdue time shoring up our small high tunnel, replacing all the lower lumber and the plastic on the roll up sides. I'm fairly sure these much needed updates contributed much to the high tunnel weathering the recent storm. We've also been transplanting assorted perennials and mulching the strawberries.

We are still harvesting and packing orders for our VegEmail deliveries every two weeks. It gets tricky with the colder weather and sometimes the walk-in cooler is the warmest place to pack and store orders, which seems a bit ironic but we don't have heat in the barn so into the walk-in we go! 

It's been a little crazy with our increased order volume so we are working on a plan to temporarily partition off a small area in the barn that we could heat for packing days. We have lots of parts from "retired" high tunnels and think we can put them back to work for this. It would be a huge boon if it all works out as hoped.  The VegEmail orders been brisk enough that a couple of our crew members come in to lend a hand for harvest & delivery days. I really appreciate their help and company, otherwise I miss them all winter long!

Most of our other tasks these days are indoors. We recently finished our seed inventory and have nearly all of our seed orders placed.  A few of our orders have already started arriving, so that makes for a fun mailbox run. There is something so full of promise in a new seed packet! The rest of the time we are planning and prepping, doing a bit of fiber work and jam-making and attending virtual meetings and conferences.

Speaking of planning, it is time to move forward on the 2022 CSA season.  Given the past two year's unprecedented demand for CSA shares, we are reaching out early again this year to ensure that we are prepared for another rush on local foods. Veteran members should have received an email earlier this week with the details and a link to the sign up form.  CSA members from 2021 will have until the end of January to lock in their spots and then we will open any remaining shares to our waiting list. If you are interesting in joining us as a new member this season, you can email us at mail@bluegatefarmfresh.com and ask to be put on the waiting list.

That's about it from us this month. Thank you for making it all the way to the end of the newsletter and for joining us on all our farming adventures. It is such a privilege to live in this beautiful place and to raise safe, healthy food for so many amazing people. We wish you all the joys of the season and a bright new year!

Is a monthly newsletter not enough for you? Do you want to read more about our life on the farm and see more pictures? Follow us on Facebook at Blue Gate Farm or on Instagram at bluegatefarmfresh. CSA members can also connect with other BGF members to share recipes or ask questions on our FB community page at Blue Gate Farm Community.

If you have any questions or comments, be sure to let us know.

Best from the farm,

Jill & Sean (and the whole BGF crew)

Indigo, Luci & Sky

BGF NEWS - November 2021 - VOL. XLVII, NO. 1

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past month: Rain: 3.3"

                                                           Snow: Trace

VegEmail recipes: 

Roasted Carrots with Rosemary & Fennel

Addictive Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds

BGF's Favorite Kale Salad (see recipe below)

Welcome to our November newsletter. We will publish these on a monthly basis until the start of the CSA season in June. Our goal is to give our members, customers and friends a window into our world on the "back-side" of the seasonal calendar. So grab a hot beverage, sit back and join us for a little tour of the farm this month.

We are thankful for a time to slow down a bit. Not that a farm ever really rests, but November is usually the time that the pace on the farm really starts to ease. The rush of the main planting and growing season is done, the farm crew is on limited hours and the spent crops are largely out. Somehow, even though these things are mostly true right now, it doesn't feel as "slow" as years past. While we have had a few nights dip below freezing, getting as low as 26°, most of our fall field crops are still doing fairly well. We did lose some things due to cold, but that is always the case at some point during the fall and we are pleased that we are still harvesting from the field in mid November. It is particularly appreciated since our VegEmail sales have been very popular again this year. We are SO very thankful to all our amazing customers who place orders throughout the year. We never could have imagined that it would be possible for us to leave our 15+ years of farmers markets and not only survive but thrive! It is only because we have the most AMAZING customers and we are so very thankful for you!

So, besides harvesting and packing a crazy number of VegEmail orders, what have we been doing? Well, even though we have had an exceptionally warm fall, as the temperatures started to cool, it was time to get the row covers on our late crops. Due to the dry conditions, our fall crops were slow growing and many of them hadn't yet been harvested by the end of October. 

So row covers to the rescue, these big pieces of fabric on wire hoops buy us (and the crops) some extra time. They aren't a fail-safe, but they do help insulate cold-tolerant crops and hopefully allow us to continue to harvest from the fields later in the season. They are "a bit" of a pain, requiring a fair amount of hardware that all has to be installed and maintained and it is always a battle on windy days.

Every time we harvest, the covers have to be taken off and put back on, so everything is more labor intensive but mostly the effort is worth it. This year, it has definitely been a boon to have them in place for those handful of below freezing nights.

So far, we haven't had to start harvesting from the high tunnels yet, which means those crops will be more plentiful once we do have to move inside.  

Some of our crops don't get covers, especially root crops. We just let them grow to the size we want and them harvest them all at one time. We can do this because these crops store well for an extended time in the cooler. This includes carrots, beets, turnips, radishes and daikon. This makes for some very long harvest days as they all have to be washed and topped (greens removed) before going into the cooler. But once that work is done, it is such a delight to have them all ready to be bagged up for orders. Happily, as of last week, these crops are all tucked into the walk-in cooler for the season.

Clearing the beds of spent crops is always a big job in the fall. All the plant matter goes to one of our composting piles. Then all the trellises, support posts and fabric mulch have to be cleared and stored. Irrigation system parts are all rolled up, labeled and stored as well. These tend to be messy and sometimes wet tasks and we were very pleased that this year, those all happened on fairly warm days, as often that isn't the case. 

Usually the final really big fall task is planting the garlic crop for next year. All of the heads are broken into cloves and each clove is hand planted. Our farm crew has gotten really efficient at this task but it is still a big project. This year we planted a bit under 200 pounds of garlic, which translates to about 3600 cloves. 

Then once the cloves are set, they are all covered with soil and the whole plot is mulched with straw. It is a huge project and one that we celebrate once completed!

As I mentioned, we still have most of the fall crops producing, so much of the cleaning up is yet to come, not to mention clearing all that row cover fabric and hardware. So there is still plenty to do outside and we just hope the weather will continue to be cooperative.

This is also the time of year when I start focusing more on our yarn and fiber inventories. There's lots of fiber and yarn to dye and much spinning to be done.

We were super excited to release our new line of hand-dyed sock yarn earlier this month and look forward to continuing our dyeing experiments there. Just a reminder that we offer our UPick Yarn sales on the first VegEmail delivery each month in Des Moines. So locals and stop in a peruse our full fiber inventory. Folks who have yarn interested but aren't in DM can contact us directly for other options and we are happy to ship any of our fiber products.

VegEmail deliveries have now switched over from our weekly summer schedule to every other Tuesday in Des Moines at Peace Tree-Des Moines Branch and in Knoxville at the Grand Theater. We will continue to do these sales every two weeks until the first of May. Our next delivery is Tuesday, 11/23 and the order form  will go out on 11/17 at 5pm. If you aren't receiving the VegEmail order form and you would like to, just fill out the form here: 
VegEmail Sign Up

 CSA 2022: We have already started getting questions about next year's CSA season. Given the strong interest that we had last spring, we are planning to open our sign up period early again this year. So "current" CSA members from the 2021 season can start signing up in early December. Then we will open any available spots to our waiting list in January. So keep your eyes open for more CSA details to come next month.

All the activities and craziness aside, we are thankful for the privilege of living here on this beautiful farm, raising tasty, healthful produce alongside our fabulous farm crew. We couldn't do it without our amazing family, customers, members and community supporters. So we are thankful for you! We hope your Thanksgiving is filled with a bounty of delicious foods and time with your favorite people. Be safe out there!

Is a monthly newsletter not enough for you? Do you want to read more about our life on the farm and see more pictures? Follow us on Facebook at Blue Gate Farm or on Instagram at bluegatefarmfresh. CSA members can also connect with other BGF members to share recipes or ask questions on our FB community page at Blue Gate Farm Community.

That's about it for now. If you have any questions or comments, be sure to let us know.

Best from the farm,

Jill & Sean (and the whole BGF crew)

Indigo, Luci & Sky

BGF's Favorite Kale Salad  

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

2 tablespoons dried cranberries or cherries
5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided
3 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 bunches kale (about 1 pound), center ribs and stems removed, leaves thinly sliced crosswise
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds, (if using salted, cut down on the 1tsp salt above)
Parmesan cheese shavings

Place cranberries in small bowl; add balsamic vinegar, seasoned rice vinegar, honey oil and salt and allow to soak several hours (overnight is even better).

Place kale in a large bowl, add cranberry mixture and toss to coat. Let marinate 20 minutes at room temperature, tossing occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with cheese shavings and sunflower seeds just before serving.

Also very tasty topped with cooked chicken, tuna or salmon for a one-dish meal!

Recipe Source:  adapted from an epicurious recipe by Dan Barber

BGF NEWS - October 12, 2021 - VOL. XLVII, NO. 20

In this week’s box:

Carrots: asst.

Chard: Bright Lights Mix

Cherry Tomato Mix

Fennel

Garlic: Music

Lettuce Bouquets: asst. varieties

Onions: Patterson (yellow storage onion)

Tomatoes: asst.

Turnips (baby): Hakurei

and perhaps one of the following:

Bean Mix

Broccoli/Purple Peacock: florets & leaves

Eggplant: Orient Express (thin, dark purple, Asian-style), Orient Charm (thin, neon purple, Asian-style) or Listada De Gandia (purple/white striped, Italian-style)

Red Okra: Burgundy and Candle Fire

Summer Squash:  Slik Pik (lt. yellow, long), Zephyr (yellow & light green)

For those with the Herb option: curly parsley, garlic chives, thyme

Featured Recipes:  

Tomato Vinaigrette

Baby Turnips with Lemon & Mustard

Roasted Fennel Turnips and Carrots

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week: 1.65"

Well, here it is, the final delivery of the 2021 CSA season. It's mindboggling to me that 20 weeks have gone by, seemingly in the blink of an eye! CSA veterans will probably recognize that I say this every year at the last delivery, but it never fails to amaze me.

In starting work on this edition of the newsletter, I was curious what the first photo was that I took at the start of the CSA season. Turns out it was this one of the turnip harvest for that first delivery. It seems somehow appropriate, turnips to start the season, turnips to finish!

Last pic of the 2021 CSA season

First pic of the 2021 CSA season

We spent much of the past week cultivating in the high tunnels and the fields, knowing (hoping) our dry conditions would soon come to an end. 

If we can stay ahead of the weeds at this point in the season, we are way ahead of the game when we have to put all the row covers on the crops which should happen soon. I feel like the beds now look about the best they have all season. 

With the rain and cooler weather recently, we've been tucking into the barn with the dogs for extended garlic, shallot and onion cleaning sessions. By the end of the day Monday, we finally got through the last crate! So now all of the allium crops are ready for storage and/or sale. We still have to prep all the seed garlic for planting, but we are now one step closer to that goal!

Final Delivery Note: In case you missed it above, today is the final delivery of the 2021 CSA season. Thank you for joining us on this Veggie Adventure. We hope you have enjoyed the journey! Special thanks to our delivery hosts, Peace Tree Brewing Co. and the Grand Theater for giving us a home away from home. Starting in November, we will publish a monthly newsletter updating you on the current goings-on around the farm. We will start sign-ups for the 2022 CSA season in early December. 

VegEmail Sales:  Don't worry that with the end of the CSA season you'll be stuck with grocery store eggs and produce, we continue to do weekly Saturday VegEmail sales until the end of October. Starting in November we will move to bi-weekly Tuesday evening sales. You should continue to get the VegEmail announcements. If you see things you would like to purchase, just fill out the order form and then meet us that following Tuesday at Peace Tree in DM or the Grand Theater in Knox. 

Upcoming dates of note:

Tuesday, Oct 12th: final CSA delivery of the 2020 season

Saturday, Oct 30: final weekly Saturday VegEmail delivery

Tuesday, Nov 9: bi-weekly VegEmail deliveries begin. We plan to  continue these deliveries on Tuesdays, every 2 weeks until the end of April.

Member Spotlights: We want to thank all of our members who took the time to share a bit with the group this season. Whether featured here in the newsletter or folks who posted recipes, photos, experiences and questions in the BGF Community group or even just shared a question or suggestion with us or another member at a pick up. That "value-added" aspect of the CSA is such an important part of the experience. It is the aspect of "Community" Supported Agriculture that often goes unrecognized in most forums but one that we strive to foster and celebrate!

A little detail on your produce this week:

Beans: Fresh beans are an easy "store."  Just leave them in their plastic bag and keep them in the produce drawer.  Can last up to 2 weeks.

Broccoli: Wrap loosely in a plastic bag and keep it in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator for up to a week. Immediately before cooking, soak head down, in cold, salted water (1 teaspoon salt to a 8 cups of water) for 5 minutes. Any [organic] critters will float to the top where you can rescue them or allow them to suffer a salty death. (Note: If soaked in salt water before storing, it will become too rubbery and wilted to enjoy.) Slice the juicy, edible stems and use them wherever florets are called for. Peel particularly thick skin before using.

Eggplant: Eggplant prefers to be kept at about 50° F, which is warmer than most refrigerators and cooler than most kitchen counters.  Wrap unwashed eggplant in a towel (not in plastic) to absorb any moisture and keep it in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator.  Used within a week, it should still be fresh and mild.

Many people like to peel, salt, and drain their eggplant to draw out any bitter flavor; however, bitterness develops only in eggplant that has been stored for a while, so with farm-fresh specimens this is generally not necessary.  Many recipes call for salting in order to make the vegetable less watery and more absorbent—much like draining tofu.  Salting is not an essential step, but it can greatly enhance the taste and texture of your dish and is well worth the extra effort.  The shape of an eggplant determines how it is best prepared.  Slice a straight, narrow eggplant into rounds for grilling or broiling, and cut a rounded, bulbous eggplant into cubes for stews and stir-fries.

Fennel: Cut off the stalks where they emerge from the bulb. To use the feathery foliage as an herb, place the dry stalks upright in a glass filled with two inches of water, cover the glass loosely with a plastic bag, and store in the refrigerator for up to five days. The unwashed bulb will keep in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for at least a week. To use, remove any damaged spots or layers. Cut the bulb in half lengthwise and check the inner core. If it’s tough, remove it with a paring knife. Fennel should be washed carefully, because dirt can lodge between the layers of the bulb. Chop or mince the leaves.

Okra: These lovely, dark red, horn-shaped vegetables are a warm weather treat. Extremely cold sensitive, store in their plastic bag in the warmest part of your fridge, or place the plastic bag in a small paper sack and store in the crisper drawer and use within the week. Traditional southerners will cut into rounds, bread in cornmeal and fry, but our favorite version is our dear friend Annie's method, "All I do is rinse off the pods and lay them in a saucepan with a little water in the bottom. Ten to fifteen minutes is all it takes...twenty if the pods are really big and "woody" feeling. I put salt on them and eat as finger food. It reminds me of young sweet corn."

Root crops: Remove leafy tops and store them like other greens. The roots should be placed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator and used within a few weeks.

Summer Squash/Zucchini: Refrigerate unwashed zucchini and summer squash for up to a week and a half in a perforated plastic bag or in a sealed plastic container lined with a kitchen towel.

Tomatoes: prefer to reside on your counter and not in the refrigerator unless they have been sliced.

All of your GREENS will keep best if stored in a plastic bag, with the top folded over and placed in the produce drawer of your refrigerator. Large leaf greens can benefit by being wrapped in a linen or cotton towel inside the bag if excess moisture is a concern.

** NOTE: You will notice over the course of the season that some box contents listed above say "Perhaps one of the following..."  These are items that we can’t harvest in sufficient quantities for the whole CSA to receive at one time.  We do track who gets what and we will do our best to ensure that everyone eventually receives each item.  On some items this may take several weeks, so please be patient.

Is a weekly newsletter not enough for you? Do you want to read more about our life on the farm and see more pictures? Follow us on Facebook at Blue Gate Farm or on Instagram at bluegatefarmfresh. CSA members can also connect with other BGF members to share recipes or ask questions on our FB community page at Blue Gate Farm Community.

That's about it for now. If you have any questions or comments, be sure to let us know.

Best from the farm,

Jill & Sean (and the whole BGF crew)

Indigo, Luci & Sky