BGF News - March 2019-Vol. XLI, No.5

BGF News - March 2019-Vol. XLI, No.5

Seedlings of a new shallot variety we are trialing this year.

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past month: Snow: 2.00"

                                                             Rain: 1.7"

Happy Spring from all of us at the farm! It is a time of huge changes, seasonally speaking. The impressive snows have finally melted, the mud had (temporarily) dried up a bit and the fresh green of spring is creeping across the fields. A rainy afternoon seemed like the perfect time to get caught up on our monthly newsletter before the calendar tells me I missed March. The farm calendar is a wealth of information from upcoming planting dates to past snowfall and temperatures. What I don't need the calendar to tell me is what a crazy winter it was and how glad we are to be on this side of it. This was the hardest/coldest/snowiest winter we've had since moving to the farm in 2005 and we aren't sad to have it in the rear-view mirror. Don't get me wrong, there is still plenty of opportunity to have winter weather, but the trend should be in our favor for warmer  temps at the very least. 

Garlic pushing through straw mulch

It isn't just the calendar giving us seasonal clues. In the past few weeks, flights of snow geese have flown overhead in huge V's and the vultures, meadowlarks and killdeer have returned to the farm from their winter homes to the south. Just this week, the spring peepers (chorus frogs) have woken from their silent winter naps and are filling the afternoon and evening hours with their song and we got our first glimpse of garlic poking up from the straw mulch.

Since last month's newsletter we have hosted a weekend retreat for our Gang of 5 farm friends, sold our wares at a fiber festival, had three VegEmail sales, sown lots of seeds, reset the packing barn, slogged around in A LOT of mud, pulled winter-ruined row cover from two gardens, chased escapee alpacas and started clearing spent crops from the big high tunnel. There's also been a fair amount of paperwork done in preparation for the upcoming season, including all of the garden maps. Here's an example of this year's map of the big high tunnel. It is the most complicated of our growing spaces as it has three rotations and multiple crops in each bed.

2019 crop map for High Tunnel 2

We are now just five short weeks from the opening of the farmers market. YIKES! And just about two months from the start of the 2019 CSA season. If you want more information, check out the CSA page on our website here: Blue Gate Farm . Ready to climb on board? The signup form is quick and easy and you can find it here: 2019 CSA Signup Form.  If you are interested, but don't think you can consume a full share of vegetables each week, let us know and we'll see if we can pair you up with someone else in your community with whom you could split your share. Questions? Shoot us an email at mail@bluegatefarmfresh.com. A bounty of farm-fresh thanks to those of you who have already signed up and especially to those who have already sent in payments!!

If you can't wait any longer for farm-fresh products, we continue to do our VegEmail deliveries all winter long. Every 2 weeks you can order from our list of available products and we will deliver them to Des Moines, Knoxville or you can pick them up on the farm. Eggs, fresh produce, popcorn and herbs all rotate through our availability list until the start of the farmers market season. If you want to receive the VegEmail announcements, just fill out the form here: Mailing List and be sure to indicate which delivery location you prefer.

Is a monthly newsletter not enough for you and you want to read more about our daily adventures or see pictures of the farm?  Follow us on Facebook at Blue Gate Farm and/or share your recipes, experiences and questions with other BGF members at Blue Gate Farm Community.

That’s about it this week, if you have any questions or comments be sure to let us know. 

Best from the farm,

Jill & Sean (and Luci, Indigo & Sky)

BGF News - February 2019-Vol. XLI, No.4

BGF News - February 2019-Vol. XLI, No.4

Just another day in the snow zone

What’s up on the farm?

Hoarfrost at dawn

Precipitation in the past month: Snow: 18"

                                                             Freezing Rain/Sleet: 1"

What a winter we've had so far! Very high snow totals and lower than average temperatures have made it feel like the farm has taken an extended scenic drive to Minnesota instead of being firmly planted in southern Iowa. And though much of it has been very "scenic" the charm has worn rather thin. Don't get me wrong, we're not ready for spring yet...but if the rest of winter could be a little less winter-y, we wouldn't complain.

Close the door, it's chilly out there!

In conditions like we've had recently, daily chores take up much more of our time. Trying to keep everyone on the farm warm, well-fed and watered is a challenge. When the temperatures don't get above the teens, eggs have to be gathered every 2 hours or so or they may freeze.  Water, hay and feed are hauled by sled, which isn't quite as much fun as it sounds. Just getting dressed in all the layers necessary to go out in such weather is an investment in time and patience, and doing it every couple of hours gets a bit tiresome. But all whining aside, this is winter on a farm and it could always be worse!  

So besides plowing snow and doing chores, what have we been up to this month? Well, the seed orders have all arrived and been sorted and stored. We start sowing some of those later this week, beginning with onions, leeks, shallots, edible flowers and some slow-starting herbs.  But before we start planting, we have to know how much of each crop we need, so hours are spent at the computer mapping out all of the garden plots on the farm. Since many of the fields are different sizes, the location will determine how many of each crop and variety we plant. It takes a lot of organizational time to put the whole plan together but we've gotten better at it over the years. We're also researching and attending farm-associated meetings to try and learn to do all the things better and more efficiently. 

Lots of fiber work happens at this time of year as well, with the bulk of our inventory created over the winter months. Dyeing, preparing, spinning and washing fibers and yarns adds some much appreciated color to our indoor hours.  So as you can see, we're not likely to get bored anytime soon!

Join us for our 2019 Veggie Adventure!

CSA signups for the 2019 season have begun and are now open to everyone! Regardless if you are a veteran member of the CSA or you are ready to join us for the first time, now is your chance!  If you want more information, check out the CSA page on our website here: Blue Gate Farm . Ready to climb on board? The signup form is quick and easy and you can find it here: 2019 CSA Signup Form. Questions? Shoot us an email at mail@bluegatefarmfresh.com

If you can't wait until spring for farm-fresh products, we continue to do our VegEmail deliveries all winter long. Every 2 weeks you can order from our list of available products and we will deliver them to Des Moines, Knoxville or you can pick them up on the farm. Eggs, fresh produce, stewing hens, popcorn and herbs all rotate through our availability list until the start of the farmers market season. If you want to receive the VegEmail announcements, just fill out the form here: Mailing List and be sure to indicate which delivery location you prefer.

Is a monthly newsletter not enough for you and you want to read more about our daily adventures or see pictures of the farm?  Follow us on Facebook at Blue Gate Farm and/or share your recipes, experiences and questions with other BGF members at Blue Gate Farm Community.

That’s about it this month, if you have any questions or comments be sure to let us know. 

Best from the farm,

Jill & Sean (and Luci & Indigo)

BGF News - January, 2019-Vol. XLI, No.3

BGF News - January, 2019-Vol. XLI, No.3

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past month: Snow: 29.5"
                                                             Rain: 0.5"

Holy snow, Batman!

This is the snowiest winter since we've been on the farm. We've had 48.5" since November 1st. That is twice our normal annual snowfall! Absolutely crazy, and there is still plenty of winter left for more snow opportunities. I like snow, but I may have reached my limit of appreciation for the element.

The farm critters aren't all that excited about the weather either. The hens are mostly refusing to come out of the coops, not that I can blame them. The alpacas are hanging out in their shelters, which says a lot coming from animals who originate in the mountains of Peru. The dogs seem to be the least daunted by the weather, though Luci does particularly like her cozy bed in the utility room right now.

While it doesn't feel like spring is anywhere nearby, the signs are beginning to appear. The buds on the fruit trees are swelling (they may be regretting that this week.) The seed orders have all been placed and most have already arrived. Next up are the supply orders that includes things like: potting soil, pots, flats, packaging and CSA boxes. In just a few weeks our winter "lollygagging" will come to an end, as the seed sowing season begins. First up will be onions, leeks, shallots and long-season herbs.

Let's talk some more about those CSA boxes! Now is the time to sign up for the 2019 Summer CSA. Renewal emails have gone out to our veteran members and we will hold spots for them until February 14th, at which time we will open any available spots to new members. If you are a veteran 2018 CSA member and didn't receive a renewal email, please let us know ASAP and we'll get you rolling. We wouldn't want you to miss out on the beautiful bounty of produce that we are planning for this season. If you would like to become a new member of our CSA or have questions, shoot us an email to mail@bluegatefarmfresh. com and we'll get you rolling.

If you can't wait until spring for farm-fresh products, we continue to do our VegEmail deliveries all winter long. Every 2 weeks you can order from our list of available products and we will deliver them to Des Moines, Knoxville or you can pick them up on the farm. Eggs, fresh produce, stewing hens, popcorn and herbs all rotate through our availability list until the start of the farmers market season. If you want to receive the VegEmail announcements, just fill out the form here: Mailing List and be sure to indicate which delivery location you prefer.

Is a weekly newsletter not enough for you and you want to read more about our daily adventures or see pictures of the farm?  Follow us on Facebook at Blue Gate Farm and/or share your recipes, experiences and questions with other BGF members at Blue Gate Farm Community.

That’s about it this week, if you have any questions or comments be sure to let us know. 

Best from the farm,

Jill & Sean (and Luci, Indigo & Sky)

BGF News - December, 2018-Vol. XLI, No.2

BGF News - December, 2018-Vol. XLI, No.2

Napa Navidad! 

And a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past month: Rain: 1.35"

                                                             Snow: trace

It seems like every year the holidays sneak up on us at an ever increasing rate. This year November felt much more like winter than December, but we aren't complaining! We lost most of the fall field crops last month due to those frigid temperatures, but the high tunnels continue to look good and have been a great source of fresh seasonal produce for our indoor farmers markets and VegEmail sales.  Between vegetable deliveries we are getting some seasonal tasks done like cleaning up the packing barn, updating to the 2019 farm calendar, shelling popcorn and spinning & dyeing fiber. In the next week it will be time to dive into the stack of seed catalogs and get our orders placed for the upcoming season. Then the farm maps need to be attended to. So much "sitting down" work to do!

The new laying hens are finally settled in and starting to lay eggs at a more respectable rate, which is much appreciated by the farmers and our egg customers alike! Given our warmer daytime temperatures recently, the chickens are spending lots of time outside in the sun (and mud). The alpacas too are enjoying the extra dose of sunshine, which Percy celebrates by regularly escaping from his pasture and wandering about at will. Everyone on the farm enjoys the "fruits of the harvest" on warm winter days.

Next month we will start sign-ups for the 2019 CSA membership. For now we wish you all the joys of the season and a bright new year!

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 Indigo, Luci & Sky)

BGF News - November, 2018-Vol. XLI, No.1

BGF News - November, 2018-Vol. XLI, No.1

Precipitation in the past month: Snow: 20"

                                                            Rain: 1.55"

What’s up on the farm?

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.

Nov. 25th blizzard, 10-12" of fresh snow!

November is usually the time that the farm really starts to slow down. The regular farmers market season is done, the full-time crew is off and the field crops are mostly out. Somehow, even though all these things are true for the most part, it doesn't feel as "slow" as years past. The weather  has been a major contributor to this departure, in fact, likely THE major contributor. It has been unseasonably cold and snowy for November, we've already had more than 20" of snow, when the average for our area for the whole winter is 24" and we have had few days that even made it up to the average temperature. This has basically wiped out all of the remaining field crops, even with row covers installed.  The high tunnel crops are well tucked in, but it has been a challenge to harvest those as well, since we have no heated space for cleaning and packaging them. Mostly the unseasonable weather just means that everything takes longer to get done.

Despite the weather challenges, it has been a surprisingly productive month. Our VegEmail sales kicked off  the first week of the month with great response from veteran and new customers.  We then had our best ever November indoor farmers market last week, after which we drove home in the first snowstorm of the season. We got 7" in that little weather blip.

Amid the harvesting and market adventures, we sent our most recent flock of laying hens off to "freezer camp". Due to some scheduling challenges, our new birds didn't arrive until more than a week later, so it was strange to be a (nearly) chicken-free farm for a while. We did keep Qwerm, our rooster, and one little escapee hen who won the sweepstakes of having the rooster and coop all to herself for a week. The new girls arrived this week and had less than a day to settle in before the blizzard rolled in, bringing frigid temps along on it's coattails. This combination has led to some serious egg shortages, which our VegEmail and winter market customers will be dismayed to hear. Hopefully warmer temps and melting snow later this week will get the hens into the egg-laying mood!

Besides fun with the weather, we are stocking up for the Winter farmers market on 12/14-15 with more jam, yarn, dyed fibers and wool dryer balls. Finally one of our biggest challenges is keeping Sky entertained through all the weather challenges! Anyone ever lived with a puppy with cabin-fever? It isn't pretty! Indigo & Luci mostly just consider it bonus napping weather, but the puppy is another story. We are having to be very creative with toys and "indoor" training. Though that said, she is one hardy little pup. She never misses an opportunity to romp through the deep snow with the other dogs. She love to visit the alpacas too, though she still isn't quite sure about them.

Sky & Percy

We mentioned it in passing earlier, but did you know that we deliver farm-fresh eggs and produce all winter long? It's true! Through our VegEmail program you can custom-order our products every two weeks (Nov-April), to be delivered to Des Moines and Knoxville or picked up on the farm. Every 2 weeks you can order from our list of available products and we will deliver them to Des Moines, Knoxville or you can pick them up on the farm. Eggs, fresh produce, stewing hens, popcorn and herbs all rotate through our availability list until the start of the farmers market season. If you want to receive the VegEmail announcements, just fill out the form here: Mailing List and be sure to indicate which delivery location you prefer.

Is a monthly newsletter not enough for you and you want to read more about our daily adventures or see pictures of the farm?  Follow us on Facebook at Blue Gate Farm and/or share your recipes, experiences and questions with other BGF members at Blue Gate Farm Community.

That’s about it this week, if you have any questions or comments be sure to let us know. 

Best from the farm,

Jill & Sean (and Luci, Indigo & Sky)

 Did you know that we deliver our farm-fresh eggs and chemical-free produce all winter long? It's true! Through our VegEmail program you can custom-order our products every two weeks (Nov-April), to be delivered to Des Moines and Knoxville or picked up on the farm. In fact, our first delivery is coming up on Tuesday, November 6th from 5-6pm at Peace Tree Brewing Company-Des Moines Branch, Grand Theater in Knoxville and on the farm.

If you would like to receive the announcements and order form for these events, just sign up on our mailing list below and they will appear right in your email box. If you are too far away to get our produce and would just like to receive our farm newsletter then the "Not Local" option is the one for you.

Subscribe to our mailing list

* indicates required

Email Address *

Last Name

First Name

Location

• Des Moines delivery
• Marion County delivery
• Not local/Newsletter only

Email Format

• html
• text

Never fear, we will not share your information with any outside entity. Also, if you do sign up and later decide it isn't your thing, you can easily unsubscribe by clicking a button at the bottom of the email.

 

BGF News - October 16, 2018-Vol. XL, No.20

BGF News - October 16, 2018-Vol. XL, No.20

In this week’s box:

Carrots: Mixed bunch
Kale Mix

Lettuce Mix

Napa Cabbage: Rubicon
Onions: Copra

Sweet Peppers: Ace or Revolution (red bells), Islander (purple to orange bell), Quadrato D'Asti 

            Giallo (yellow bell), Golden Marconi (long, pointed yellow) or PASS (flat, yellow)

Turnips: Hakurei
Winter Squash: Butternut, spaghetti or Acorn

 and perhaps one of the following:

Broccoli: side shoots (entire shoot, including leaves, is edible)

Cauliflower: Sicilian Purple (purple, entire shoot, including leaves, is edible)

Spinach: Mix     
    

For those with the Egg option [full shares]: one dozen free-range eggs (asst. colors)

For those with the Herb option: sage, ginger mint, fennel

  

Beautiful Napa cabbage harvest

Featured Recipes:  ** indicates a BGF favorite 

Stir-fried Napa Cabbage with Spicy Garlic Dressing

8 Things To Do With Napa Cabbage
Herb Roasted Parmesan Acorn Squash
BGF Squash & Sausage Bake** see recipe below

What’s up on the farm?

Precipitation in the past week: 0.35" rain + snow flurries!

Welcome to the final delivery of the 2018 Summer CSA. It is hard to believe that twenty deliveries have gone by so quickly. And yet again, at the end, it suddenly seems like we are getting all the seasons at once, our tardy summer rains, crisp fall days and freezing weather complete with snow! The freeze Sunday night finished off all the warm season crops including field tomatoes and peppers. We cleared the hot peppers from the field today and will start pulling the rest of the spent summer crops later this week. Luckily we were able to get all of the new fall crops covered before the really cold temps rolled in

We are still trying to get the last of the high tunnel crops finished up. This has been delayed by some moderate high tunnel flooding from the heavy rains. We finally got the last of the peppers cleared and most of the bed prep done in our final bed, but the northern 1/3 of the bed is still too wet to work the soil, so we wait.

Amid finishing up the 2018 season, the work for 2019 is already beginning. The crop mapping for next season is underway. This is an important first step, because we will plant garlic in the next couple of weeks and we have to know where it fits into the rotation. Now that we know the location, we just have to prep the garlic, prep the beds, plant the garlic and mulch it.

Last, but not least, we'd like to introduce the newest member of the BGF farm crew. Meet "Sky." She joined us this past Sunday and is keeping us well entertained. She is a mini Blue Heeler/Aussie Shepherd/Border Collie cross and is already showing a strong leader personality, which is exactly what we were hoping for (heaven help us!) Indigo & Luci aren't at all sure this was a good idea.











Final Delivery Note: Today is the final delivery of the 2018 CSA season. Thank you for joining us on this Veggie Adventure. We hope you have enjoyed the journey! 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 2019 CSA season in January. Special thanks to our delivery hosts, Peace Tree Brewing Co. and the Grand Theater for giving us a home away from home.

VegEmail Sales:  Starting the first week of November we will send out an email with a link to an order form that lists all of the produce/products that we have available for sale that week. 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. Payment is due at the pickup. We will do it (nearly) every 2 weeks from Nov to the start of market in May (though we are planning to take New Year's Day off). If you were a member of the CSA in the past year or ordered during the Jan-May VegEmail season earlier this year then you are on the email list. 

If you can't wait until November to get your fresh produce, we hope you'll come visit us at the Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market. We're there every Saturday until the end of October.

Final 2018 CSA delivery: Today! October 16th

VegEmail sales begin: Tuesday, November 6th

Fall  Indoor Farmers Market: November 15-17

Winter Indoor Farmers Market: December 14-15

A little detail on your produce this week:

Carrots: These young carrots are the first of our fall crop. They should be sweet and tasty, perfect for eating fresh or cooking in any recipe. Remove the leafy green tops, leaving about an inch of stems. Refrigerate dry, unwashed carrots in a plastic bag for two weeks or longer. Peel carrots or scrub carrots well with a stiff brush just before using. Trim off any green spots, which can taste bitter. When slicing or chopping carrots for cooking, be sure to make all the pieces relatively the same size; this will ensure an evenly cooked dish. Greens can be added to soup stock for flavor.

Napa Cabbage: Store Napa cabbage whole in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. To prepare the entire head at once, cut it in half lengthwise, remove the core, and chop as desired. Or, separate and wash individual leaves as needed.  

Winter Squash:  Store winter squash in a cool, dry, dark place with good ventilation for up to a month, depending on the variety. Once squash has been cut, you can wrap the pieces in plastic and refrigerate them for five to seven days. To make it easier to prep winter squash for your recipe, try the prebaking method: pierce the squash to allow heat to escape while it is in the oven, then bake the squash whole at 350° F until it is just barely tender to the poke of the finger, 20 to 30 minutes. This softens the shell and makes cutting and peeling much easier. 

A few other details: 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.  

** 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 and you want to read more about our daily adventures or see pictures of the farm?  Follow us on Facebook at Blue Gate Farm and/or share your recipes, experiences and questions with other BGF members at Blue Gate Farm Community.

That’s about it this week, if you have any questions or comments be sure to let us know. 

Best from the farm,

Jill & Sean (and Luci, Indigo & Sky)

3/4 cup canned coconut milk

3 sage leaves (or fresh thyme)

2/3 cup finely grated parmigiano-reggiano

2 links Italian sausage, precooked, cut into rounds

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.

Toss squash with coconut milk, sage, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Bake, covered, 30 minutes.

Stir in half of cheese and sausage. Sprinkle remainder of cheese on top. Roast, uncovered, until squash is tender and beginning to brown, about 20 minutes. Let stand about 5 minutes before serving (cream will thicken).

Recipe Source: Blue Gate Farm, adapted from www.epicurious.com