May 8th, 2024 - SPRING Season Week 6
What's Inside This Week?
👉*NEW* - Monthly Giveaway!
👉This Week's Article "Preserving Heritage with Heirloom Seeds"
👉Featured Gardening Tip of the Week: NEW VIDEO SERIES: "Tools For Your Garden"
👉*NEW FEATURE* - CSA Tip of the Week
👉*NEW* - Upcoming schedule of events for May
👉*NEW* - Event Day Recap
👉Special Offer for our Summer Members!
👉*NEW* - Must-Read Announcements
👉Featured Vendor of the Week: "Garza Farm"
👉*NEW*-Farmer's Market Update
👉Featured Vegetable: "Exploring the Green Gold: The Wonders of Microgreens"
👉*NEW* Also: Don't miss our "Around the Farm" this week, our announcements, our "Weekly Harvest List" and more!
Dear FARMILY!
Holy Moly! I feel like we are going to blow away with all this crazy wind 💨 we've been experiencing lately! I'm not sure how it is in Denver, but down here in Peyton, and in Colorado Springs it's been absolutely nutty! Thank goodness the forecast says that the wind should calm down by the end of the week - but I don't trust weather forecasts very much around here, so we shall see 🤷♂️!
THIS WEEK'S CSA
On the CSA front it is going to be an absolutely AMAZING share this week! I know, I know, I keep saying it week after week after week, but it's true! For our shares to be this abundant in the beginning of May is such a joy and blessing, especially with this really cold weather. I don't know the stats on this season's temperatures yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was the coolest spring we have had in our ten years! It feels very cold and extra-windy this year which makes things a challenge (all the more reason for us to celebrate our beautiful harvests!)🤩.
This week will have a return of our beautiful carrots 🥕(colored ones too!), more radishes, turnips, kale and scallions and the leader this week will be the lettuce. We have loads of beautiful lettuce for you all and it is so beautiful and tasty! Of course we will have more than just those items listed above, so please refer to both the "This Week's Harvest" and the "What's in your Bag" sections this week to get all the details.
FARMER'S MARKET
Of course, when we have a good CSA you know the market is going to be a great one too! Last week's market felt like the best one we have had this year👏, especially with all our vendors and the huge amounts of customers that rolled in constantly. It was busy! It feels like every week is getting better and better and that makes us excited for this week's market. In fact, this week's market is going to be absolutely bustling as we have our second Homeschool Day event as well as the 3rd Grow Your Own class and we also have a great lineup of vendors this week too! So please come on out to celebrate your local neighborhood businesses and while you are picking up your veggies, bread, meat, goodies and more, you can send your kids to our bounce-house and our huge playground! See our list of available veggies down below in the "Weekly Farmer's Market Update" section below.
THIS WEEK'S NEWSLETTER
This week's newsletter is loaded with lots of goodies! It's one of the best newsletters yet with a great new video-series in the "Gardening Tip of the Week" section as we explore the different tools you should use in your garden and how to use them! We also have a fantastic new article for you in the "Article of the Week" section titled "Preserving Heritage With Heirloom Seeds." I know you will enjoy this week's newsletter and if you do, can you please spread the word and also send us some feedback to let us know you enjoyed it!
AUTO-RENEWAL MEMBERS
Please get your payments in as soon as possible. We still have 54 registered Auto-Renewal members who have yet to pay with an outstanding balance of $28,000.00. Remember, auto-renewal members receive huge benefits and discounts as an incentive with the purpose of the membership is to get the farm funds up-front before the season begins so that we can plant, prepare and pay our employees. We need these funds ASAP, so if you are an Auto-Renewal member, we are counting on your registration and asking you to please get those payments in soon. Thank you!
We love you all, our beautiful FaRmily!!!
Farmer Yosef and Family!
WE L❤️VE OUR COMMUNITY!
🚨🚨ATTENTION COMMUNITY! PLEASE READ!🚨🚨
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE HEEDED THE CALL! THANKS TO YOU WE HAVE RAISED ENOUGH FOR AHAVAH COMMUNITY INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT OUR CURRENT SPRING MEMBERS THROUGH THE REST OF THE SEASON! THANK YOU SO MUCH! NOW, ONTO SUMMER! PLEASE CONTINUE TO GIVE!
AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY $3,250.00 AVAILABLE FOR SUMMER CSA MEMBERSHIPS WITH ONLY 4 WEEKS TO GO - THIS IS WELL BELOW OUR GOAL OF $15,000.00! WE NEED YOUR HELP TO GIVE AND SUPPORT THESE WONDERFUL FAMILIES IN NEED!
Dear Ahavah Community,
Since 2018 we have donated over 7,500 bags of freshly harvested vegetables to local families in need. This Winter season alone there are over 50 families who will have received over 400 bags of these vegetables, and this Spring we just approved 69 more families for an additional 690 bags!! That’s right, nearly 30% of our members are families who receive free memberships of these weekly vegetables! These are families that have been suffering with severe illness, are poverty stricken through various means and are struggling to feed their families healthy foods.
As you stand in line for your CSA, or rub elbows with those at our stand, you should know that one of every three of those very individuals are receiving a donated share. These are people with real needs and real struggles, families whom we all love and cherish and people we absolutely must continue to support.
With that said, the Spring season is upon us and our funds are running very low. With over 80 applications at the time of this writing, we are absolutely petrified that we won’t have the opportunity to support them all, and we don’t know how to say no to so many dire individuals and families, nor should we have to – but we can’t do it without you!
Although the Bring-A-Buck campaign has helped tremendously this year and so many have continued to support your neighbors and friends in our community in other ways, we are pleading with you to help us support these families who need fresh, healing vegetables with your additional donations this coming season.
If you have any ability to help, we are simply begging all of our community to pull together and donate. If every one of our members donated $25.00, this would supply all the funds required to support these members for the Spring season.
Please, from the bottom of our hearts to yours, PLEASE HELP support your community by considering an additional donation of $25.00 to help support a local family in need!
100% of every penny donated to this campaign will go STRAIGHT and only to these local community families. Please consider a donation today!
👩🌾Around the Farm This Week👩🌾
👈James, one of our awesome and amazing volunteers and interns showing off some of the sunny harvest. Not only is James amazing, but these sunnies are a staple to our CSA and our members absolutely rave about them! If you haven't tried the sunshoots, you are absolutely missing out!...and if you haven't volunteered here, what are you waiting for!? 😁
👉Havah, the most impressive beekeeper extraordinaire is always impressing me with her bee-knowledge! Here she is checking on the hives and searching for the queen. I was lucky enough to get this quick picture before escaping to safety before being stung! The bees are never very happy about her bee-checks, but hey, she keeps them healthy and thriving!
👈Yisrael and Ryan have been quite the pair lately! They've been weeding, weeding, weeding...and more weeding! Well, that's not all they do, but sometimes it feels like it! They are the field-crew and they do almost all the bed prep, weeding and planting. Thanks to them the farm looks beautiful!
👉Buck-Buuuuuck! This pretty little hen is curious if she should pose for the camera, or try to eat it!
👈I caught this pretty little picture of the walking onion harvest today. Beautiful spring onions with a sharp-onion taste. Just like scallions, but better because they are perennials that can harvest over and over and over again.
ARE YOU SIGNED UP FOR SUMMER YET!?
Please don't wait until the last minute to sign up. The sooner you sign up, the better the farm can prepare!
💥With a Special Offer For Summer Members (SEE BELOW👇!!)💥
...and don't miss out on our REFER A FRIEND program to earn $25.00 for both YOU & a FRIEND!
If you are looking for the freshest, purest and most nutrient-dense vegetables you can this Summer, then you don't want to miss the Ahavah Farm CSA Veggie-Share! 16 weeks of the best veggies you can find. It's going to be an AWESOME year!
Go to www.ahavahfarm.com/csa to register for our Spring & Summer season Community Supported Agriculture Veggie-Shares and get weekly bags of the freshest, most nutrient-dense vegetables available!!
✔The highest quality, 100% local, produce you can find, harvested and delivered fresh every week! ✔Pure, chemical-free, regeneratively grown produce. ✔Flexible payment options. ✔Many discounts are available - see website! ✔4 Locations for CSA pickup (Peyton, COS, DEN and Monument. ✔Door to Door delivery options available! ✔Got SNAP!? Get 50% off your CSA share automatically! ✔Every share supports families in need through donations. ✔Flexible CSA options, holds, credits and more! ✔Classes, events, tours and community opportunities.
⭐100% of everything we sell is grown and harvested and delivered by Ahavah Farm and Ahavah Farm ONLY - All produce is grown 100% on our farm in Peyton Colorado, near Colorado Springs without a single chemical, in rich, composted soil. We use biodynamic principles to grow the purest, most nutrient-dense vegetables available and deliver them to you fresh, every week!
‼️🛑STOP - Please do not miss this section🛑‼️
⚠️ATTENTION MEMBERS! Please share this information with your friends and family members! ⚠️
PEOPLE STRUGGLING TO AFFORD FRESH, HEALTHY, CHEMICAL-FREE, LOCAL FOOD NEED THIS INFORMATION!
EATING HEALTHY SHOULD NOT BE A STRUGGLE!
Dear Friends, we first want to say a very big THANK YOU to all of our supporters and friends! We know that supporting local is not always the easiest, but because of our dedicated supporters and members we are able to continue to serve our community after ten years and we are more grateful to you than any words could ever express!
Our mission at Ahavah Farm is to "provide health to our region, healing to our earth and love to our community by growing the purest and most environmentally responsible food available" and we are proud to say that we have never given up on our mission or compromised our values throughout all of these years.
Our mission has never been about making profit, getting wealthy or about anything other than service to you and to our planet. We strive to grow the freshest, purest, most sustainably grown produce that we are able to, without compromises and we want those that need the food the most to be the ones to get it! That's why we have so many options to make your support of our farm to be more convenient and more affordable!
Whether you pay with SNAP benefits, make monthly or weekly payments, whether you simply
share the support with your neighbors or you simply are having a difficult time making ends meet, we want to serve you and we want you and our whole community to flourish!
We hope you will sign up for our four-season CSA, whether for one season or for them all, and we want to make it easy for you to do so with the following opportunities:
Pay What You Can Afford
Times are tough, and getting PURE food is difficult for so many. Support your local farm, eat fresh, pure, chemical-free food with our Pay-What-You-Can-Afford program! All of our prices are suggested prices and if you can’t afford the suggested price, please be blessed by paying what you can! Select “CASH PAYMENT” at checkout and send us an e-mail telling us how much you can afford! No questions asked! It’s that simple!
Refer-A-Friend and Get $25.00
When you tell a friend or neighbor about our CSA program, not only do you get $25.00, but your friend ALSO get’s $25.00 too! After your friend signs up, simply have them send us an e-mail telling us who referred them and you BOTH get $25.00 for free food!
Flexible, No-Fee, No-Interest Payment Plans
The lump-sum of paying for your CSA share can be inconvenient! That’s why we allow all of our members to pay us, not only WHAT they can, but WHEN they can! These payment plans are INTEREST-FREE and flexible to YOUR needs! Simply select “CASH PAYMENT” at checkout and send us an e-mail to work out a plan that works for YOU!
Got SNAP? Get 50% Off Automatically!
Saving 50% off is a “SNAP” when you pay with your EBT / SNAP benefits! That’s right, when you pay your CSA share with your SNAP benefits you AUTOMATICALLY get 50% off of your CSA membership and all of our veggies at all of our stands! Eating pure has never been more affordable! Simply select “CASH PAYMENT” at checkout and send us an e-mail to let us know you will be paying with your SNAP / EBT benefits!
BECOMING A MEMBER OF ANY OF THESE PROGRAMS IS SUPER-SIMPLE:
Go to ahavahfarm.com/csa and scroll down to select the size share you want (all the details are found there).
2. When checking out select "CASH PAYMENT"
3. Send us a quick e-mail and let us know you will be paying with SNAP or making a payment plan, or let us know how much you are able to afford so we can work with you to make a plan that fits YOUR budget!
Please spread the word and let us know if you have any questions!
PS. We do not get subsidized for any of our vegetables. Not from any one person or from any organization. Ahavah Farm is a for-profit, family farm, but we simply can't stand to see people struggling to feed their families our nutrient-dense produce, when it's needed. The only two things we ask in return is that you tell others about our family's generosity and that you don't take advantage of our generosity. THANK YOU!!!
REFERAL PROGRAM!
🌞TELL YOUR FRIENDS & FAMILY AND YOU BOTH GET $25🌞
Refer a friend to Ahavah Farm's CSA and you BOTH will receive $25 in credit to use ANYTIME you want! Use to buy extra vegetables, or take $25 off your next CSA purchase - your credit will never expire!
New members simply send an e-mail to contact@ahavahfarm.com to let us know who referred you and you BOTH receive your $25 certificate! It's that easy!😁
Weekly Farmer's Market Update
Ahavah Community Indoor / Outdoor Farmer's Market
Every Friday from 10am to 1pm!
If you haven't made it to any of our market's lately, you sure are missing out! We have so many wonderful vendors from our local community here and it's been such a blessing to have such large community support as well!
This week should be no different! We have a lineup you can't ignore with everything you will need! This week we will have the following vendors:
✅The Sourdough Boulangerie 🥖
✅Good Shephard Coffee Roasters ☕
✅Rohi Ranch - Goat Milk Soap & More 🧼
✅Robynne's Creations 🧸
✅CC's Tamales🫔
✅Scent Together - Candles 🕯️
✅Minions Ranch - Grassfed and Pastured Meats and Eggs 🥩
✅What's Your Bag? 🛍️
✅Jr Js Freeze Dried Treats 🍭
✅Garza Farm - Pickles and More 🥒
✅Ahavah Farm Nursery 🪴
✅The Chicken Math Professor - Hatching eggs and chicks 🐣
✅Ahavah Farm - Beyond Organic Veggies 🥕
🥕🥬🌱Vegetables at the Farmer's Market this week
(May 8th)
✅Radishes ✅Turnips ✅Carrots ✅Lettuce ✅Red and Green Kale ✅Walking Onions ✅Chives ✅Scallions ✅Honey ✅Fennel ✅Swiss Chard ✅Dried Herbs ✅Duck Eggs
✅Living Plants (basil, cilantro, mint, succulents and MANY more) ✅Pea Shoots ✅Sunflower Shoots ✅Radish Microgreens ✅Broccoli Microgreens ✅Wheat Grass
(For CSA location "extras", please see below in the "Extra Vegetables section)
PLANTS!!! We got 'em!
👆DON'T MISS OUR AMAZING SELECTION OF GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD PLANTS!!!!🌻🌸🪴
TOMATOES, PEPPERS, GREENS, CUCUMBERS, SQUASH, HERBS AND A BUNCH MORE!
EVENTS - A LOOK AHEAD!
Not only can you look forward to an awesome Farmer's Market every Friday, here at the farm from 10a to 1p, but we nearly always have something else awesome happening too! From homeschool days, tours, classes and other events you can count on having a great time out at the farm! This week is going to be jam-packed as we have two big events happening in addition to a loaded Farmers Market! This week you can look forward to bringing your kids out to the farm for our exciting Homeschool Day! Homeschooled or not, bring your kids out to have fun and learn! We will have the bounce-house and playground available (as always), and we will have a tour of the farm, a storytime and activity and we will also be offering FREE ZIPLINE RIDES! In addition to our awesome Homeschool Day, we will also be having the 3rd of a four-part series of classes titled "Grow your Own" with Lorin starting at 10am. If you haven't registered for this class, do so! It's going to be an awesome one!
*NEW* - MAY Monthly Give-Away!
Every month we will be having a monthly give-away for our members and non-members. Here is this week's MONTHLY GIVE-AWAY!
SHARE OUR NEWSLETTER AND GET $3.00 TO SPEND!
GETTING A FEW BUCKS TO SPEND AT ANY OF OUR LOCAL CSA LOCATIONS OR OUR FARMER'S MARKET HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER!
IF YOU LOVE AHAVAH FARM AND WANT TO HELP US SPREAD THE WORD, SIMPLY SHARE THIS NEWSLETTER WITH YOUR FRIENDS!
WHEN YOU CHECK OUT AT ANY OF OUR LOCATIONS SHOW US THAT YOU SHARED THE NEWSLETTER AND AUTOMATICALLY RECIEVE $3.00 TO SPEND!🤩
📢FEATURED VENDOR OF THE WEEK!📢
Garza Farm
Garza Farm is a local pickle extraordinaire! Their selection of pickles is unlike any other and our customers rave about the taste and quality of this wonderful local pickle producer!
They offer so many varieties of different pickles including Jalepeno Candy, Hot and Spicy pickles, Dill pickles and a bunch more! They also offer other items like pickled asparagus, pork rinds, different varieties of salsa and even a cheese queso dip.
You are sure to find all your favorite pickled varieties with Garza Farm and they are continuing to grow their product selection regularly. Come by the market and support this growing local small business!
ATTENTION LOCAL BUSINESSES!
We are so excited about our current line-up of vendors, but we are still seeking more!
✅FREE MARKET for all vendors!
✅100% of raised funds goes to feeding LOCAL FAMILIES IN NEED!
✅PERMANENT tents! No need to bring a tent - just come and set up under ours!
✅Indoors and heated on COLD days!
✅GUARANTEED traffic of 200-350 people+ per market!
✅FRIDAY's from 10am to 1pm
👉If you are a local vendor and are interested in attending our farmer's market, please reach out directly at manager@ahavahfarm.com and we will send you information and the vendor agreement.
Article of the Week
"Preserving Heritage With Heirloom Seeds - Part 1 (part 2 next week)
By Yosef Camire
As our members know by now, the majority of all our crops are heirloom varieties, but many of our members don't know what that means, why it is valuable and why they should care. In this article I want to enlighten our members on the incredible benefits of utilizing heirloom seeds and why our goal of using as many heirloom varieties as possible is important to us.
In the modern era of agriculture, where efficiency, uniformity and monetary value often take precedence, there exists a precious legacy that transcends generations—the heirloom seed. These seeds, cherished for their history, diversity, and resilience, are a testament to the wisdom of our ancestors and the importance of preserving biodiversity. As we look into the world of heirloom seeds, we uncover their rich heritage, unique characteristics, and the crucial role they play in safeguarding our food system.
Heirloom seeds have a historied past that dates back centuries, rooted in the traditions of
small-scale farmers and gardeners. Unlike modern hybrid varieties bred for uniformity and shelf life, heirloom seeds are open-pollinated, meaning they reproduce true to type, allowing for the preservation of their unique characteristics (like taste, appearance and nutritional content) from one generation to the next. These seeds have been passed down through families and communities for generations, each variety carrying with it a story of resilience, adaptation, and cultural significance.
Many heirloom varieties have historical roots, going way back to ancient civilizations and indigenous cultures. For example, the Cherokee Purple tomato, which we grow, with its dark hue and rich flavor, traces its lineage to the Cherokee people of the southeastern United States. Similar histories can be said about nearly all of the varieties that we grow, here at Ahavah Farm like blue curled kale, our Detroit dark red beets, rouge d'hiver lettuce and so many more.
In addition to their cultural heritage, heirloom seeds play a vital role in preserving biodiversity. These seeds represent a vast reservoir of genetic diversity, encompassing a wide range of colors, shapes, sizes, and flavors. By cultivating heirloom varieties, farmers and gardeners contribute to the conservation of rare and endangered plants, safeguarding our food system against the perils of monoculture and genetic degradation.
Heirloom seeds have a diverse array of characteristics that set them apart from their modern counterparts. Here are some key attributes of heirloom seeds:
1. Flavor and Nutrition: Heirloom varieties are most-notable for their exceptional flavor and nutritional quality. Unlike many commercial varieties bred for uniformity and shelf life, heirloom fruits and vegetables often boast complex flavors and rich nutrient profiles, making them a favorite among chefs, food enthusiasts, and health-conscious consumers - particularly our members!
2. Diversity and Adaptability: Heirloom seeds come in a bunch of unique shapes, sizes, colors, and textures. This diversity not only enhances the visual appeal of gardens and markets but also provides resilience in the face of environmental challenges such as pests, diseases, and climate threats like drought etc. Heirloom varieties are often well-adapted to local growing conditions, making them a valuable resource for sustainable agriculture, particularly when their open-pollinated seeds are saved year after year in the same location.
3. Cultural and Historical Significance: As mentioned above, each heirloom variety has a story of cultural heritage and agricultural tradition and these histories can often be traced back to the very gardener / farmer that originally bred it or discovered it. Whether it's the quintessential heirloom tomato or the ancient varieties cultivated by indigenous peoples, heirloom seeds connect us to our collective history and the richness of agricultural wisdom passed down throughout the generations.
4. Seed Saving and Sharing: One of the most-defining characteristics of heirloom seeds is their ability to be saved and shared from season to season and from person to person. Unlike hybrid seeds, which may not produce true-to-type offspring, heirloom seeds reliably reproduce the same characteristics year after year, allowing for the perpetuation of their unique traits. This practice of seed saving enhances community resilience, self-sufficiency, and a sense of stewardship over our agricultural heritage.
I hope you enjoyed this article, as this concludes Part 1 of 2. Check back next week for Part 2.
Ahavah Community Upcoming Schedule
UPCOMING EVENTS
👉May 10th @ 10am: ADULT EDUCATION! How to Grow Your Own. Part 3 of 4. w/ Lorin Mattemore. Email Beth at contact@ahavahfarm.com
👉May 10th @ 10am - 1pm: FAMILY FRIENDLY! Ahavah Community INDOOR / OUTDOOR Spring Market
👉May 10th @ 10am - 1pm: FAMILY FRIENDLY! Homeschool Day @ Ahavah Farm! Ziplines, activities, storytime and more!
👉May 10th @ 10am: FAMILY FRIENDLY! Tour of Ahavah Farm! Come and learn, see, ask and do!
👉May 12th @ 10am: REGISTRATION DEADLINE! ACI Applications for FREE FOOD closes. Come and learn, see, ask and do!
👉May 17th @ 10am: ADULT EDUCATION! Composting 101 w/ Farmer Mark Robinson. Email Beth at contact@ahavahfarm.com
👉May 17th @ 10am - 1pm: FAMILY FRIENDLY! Ahavah Community INDOOR / OUTDOOR Spring Market
👉May 24th @ 10am: ADULT EDUCATION! Biblical Agriculture Class 1 of 4 w/ Farmer Yosef Email Beth at contact@ahavahfarm.com
👉May 24th @ 10am - 1pm: FAMILY FRIENDLY! Ahavah Community INDOOR / OUTDOOR Spring Market
👉May 26th @ 5pm to 7pm: FAMILY FRIENDLY! Lag B'Omer Event with Bonfire!
👉May 31st @ 10am - 1pm: FAMILY FRIENDLY! Ahavah Community INDOOR / OUTDOOR Spring Market
👉May 31st @ 10am: KIDS CLASS! The Wonderful World of Bees! Ages 5+
Go to www.ahavahfarm.com/classes to learn more, to register and to see the rest of our schedule of events and classes!
🥕EXTRA VEGGIES and PLANTS FOR SALE🌻
Can't make it to the Farm for the Friday Farmer's Market? THAT'S OK! Please be sure to check out the extras table at all of our CSA pickup locations: available for all members and even NON-MEMBERS!
Simply come to any of the CSA locations on Thursday and Friday and pick up some of our beyond-organic veggies for sale!
(IMPORTANT: Keep in mind that selection is limited and the more requests and participation we receive, the more vegetables and varieties we will provide)
Food bearing plants also qualify for SNAP !!!
For Payment: Cash or Check at the drops or the balance can be sent via PayPal to contact@ahavahfarm.com or via Venmo to 719-233-7828
Availability for "EXTRA's at the CSA pickup locations this week (Week 6):
(see Farmer's Market Section, above, for market selection this week)
✅Lettuce ✅Carrots ✅Turnips ✅Dried Herbs ✅Radishes ✅Redbor Kale ✅Walking Onions ✅Swiss Chard ✅Chives ✅Living Plants (basil, cilantro, mint, succulents and more) ✅Pea Shoots ✅Sunflower Shoots ✅Radish Microgreens ✅Broccoli Microgreens ✅Wheat Grass
Microgreen CSA Shares Are Available! Sign Up Today and SAVE 💲💲💲!
Microgreen CSA Share: 3 Servings of Microgreens EVERY WEEK! Save 17%!!!
Love our microgreens but haven't signed up for a Microgreen CSA?
All Packaging is Compostable and Green!👉
We pride ourselves on our microgreen quality as being not only absolutely pure - grown without chemicals, fertilizers or inefficient energy (we grow with 100% solar, renewable energy!), but they are absolutely beautiful, long-lasting and delicious! We really can't rave enough!
WHAT'S IN A SHARE? In your Microgreen CSA you will receive a combination of 3 microgreens every week with the option to purchase add-ons and extras when available.
Pickup locations and times are the same as Ahavah Farm Veggie Share CSA but you do not have to be a veggie-share member to be a microgreen CSA member - these are two independent programs combined into one.
Order yours today at https://www.ahavahfarm.com/microgreen-csa
🚨Updated Member Benefits🚨
🚨Easy & Flexible Payment Plans!🚨
🥕Paypal "Pay Later" options on the website! These are no-credit check, interest-free online payment plans so you can make 4 smaller payments directly through Paypal. Ahavah Farm benefits as well by paid immediately, thereby providing the farm liquidity, while giving our members flexibility and ease of mind!
🥕We also still have FLEXIBLE and CUSTOMIZABLE offline pay plans in place if you would prefer to make payments via check. Please email us at contact@ahavahfarm.com if you would like more information on offline payment plan and to set up your payment schedule.
Founded in April of 2018, our mission is to connect people who are facing food insecurity due to financial struggles to locally-farmed, regeneratively-grown produce, and to provide education centered around healthy living and environmental consciousness. We do this by offering donated memberships to a local CSA program. Memberships include a weekly bag of produce along with discounted (often free) farm tours, classes, and events.
We want to help participate in the creation of a local food-system-economy, build on a diversity of local and regenerative food education and provide activities and children's events centered around environmentally responsible agriculture and pure, beyond-organic, local food.
"HI! Did you BRING-A-BUCK Today?!"
Oh the amazing power of community and crowdfunding!
Every week, at all of the CSA locations, we have a bin or jar that looks similar to this. As being a part of Ahavah Farm is also about being a part of a community, we ask all of our members to bring at least one dollar with them every week to help us provide a CSA membership to a family in need next season.
Don't say your dollar isn't important! The only way crowdfunding works is if we all participate. Your $1-$5 is vitally important and it is directly through this program that we raise the majority of ACI's food donation funds than any other fundraising program, and yet it is the absolute easiest for all of our members to participate!
During the Fall season, your Bring-A-Buck dollars will allow us to donate Fall CSA shares to families facing food insecurity and to offer subsidized shares to struggling families as well.
PLEASE REMEMBER YOUR BUCKS!🙏
Video Series:
"Tools For Your Garden."
- By Yosef Camire
In this week's newsletter I decided to start a new series titled "Tools For Your Garden." I figured that instead of writing a new article every week, as we have been for quite some time, I would take a break and change things up a bit by recording a video of a lot of the practical tools you can use in the garden and show you what they are, why they are important, and how we use them. I hope you enjoy the video and more importantly, I hope you enjoy our weekly Ahavah Community Newsletter which we publish every week.
VOLUNTEERING
Our volunteers are the backbone of our organization and we couldn't do it without you...but we need more help!
We need help with so many things:
Construction Projects
Landscaping Projects
Composting Projects
Harvesting, washing and prep.
Weeding
Bag Packing
Teaching Classes
General farm cleanup
and more...got a skill you want to share? Let us know!
Volunteering is Monday through Friday 9AM to 4PM.
Please let Jessie know you are interested, she will send more information and necessary paperwork, and we will welcome you with open arms!
What's in your bags this week?
SPRING Week 6 - May 8th
CSA MEMBERSHIP SAVINGS THIS SEASON*:
AUTO-RENEWAL MEMBERS:
👏SMALL +15.26% 👏MEDIUM +23.46%👏27.13%
NON-AUTO-RENEWAL MEMBERS:
👏SMALL +10.26% 👏MEDIUM +18.46%👏22.13%
*MARKET-STYLE MEMBER SAVINGS MAY BE GREATER OR LESSER DEPENDING ON SELECTION MADE BY INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS. THE ABOVE SAVINGS ARE CALCULATED VIA BAGGED TRADITIONAL-SHARE MEMBERSHIPS ONLY.
Market-Style Members Selection - Week 6
Carrots, Lettuce, Red Kale, Radishes, Turnips, Mustard, Swiss Chard, Scallions, Walking Onions, Fennel, Chives, Dried herbs, Plants, Sunflower Shoots, Pea Shoots, Broccoli Microgreens, Radish Microgreens, Wheat Grass
CSA Tip of the Week!
Try traditional. Try market. Try them both!!
Change Any Time!
Did you know that you can choose either Traditional OR Market-style for your CSA membership? That's right, and it's one of the things that makes the Ahavah Farm CSA program unique. Not sure which one to try?
Try them both - feel free to change your share selection any week.
Simply e-mail Beth and let her know that you would like to change from a Market to Traditional or vice-versa any time you choose. PS. You can do the same with your locations!
This Week's Harvest
As always, nothing is guaranteed. These are the items that are "in season" and are anticipated to be ready this week (which may or may not be available at the CSA).
Small = 4-6 items per week ($23.50/wk)
Medium = 7-9 items per week ($33.50/wk)
Large = 10-12 items per week ($43.50/wk)
Sweet Baby Carrots - Only the sweetest, most delectable carrots you have ever tasted! Be careful not to eat these too fast!!!
Swiss Chard - Swiss chard is one of our absolute favorite items to saute. We love to put this into a cast-iron skillet with loads of garlic, salt and perhaps a little oil and cook it well. It's to die for! Want some more ideas? Check out this article HERE.
Fennel - The fennel is back and is one of our fan-favorites! Absolutely one of my most favorite raw veggies to chew on, I love just taking the greens and snacking on them for a fresh and clean feeling! DID YOU KNOW? Did you know that when you cook the fennel it changes flavor!? That's right, try it. Add some garlic and onions and whatever else and saute these beautiful bulbs for a delightful treat - or, better yet - DRY THEM! Hang those greens upside down and dry them and use them when you want to to add a wonderful flavor to pasta or salad!
Garlic Chives - These little chives are incredible! With a hint of garlic and a hint of onions, chop them up and add them to...EVERYTHING! Salads, sandwiches, to top soups, you name it - these add a flavor like nothing else!
Living Herbs - We have tons of these beautiful herbs available - from mint, to basil, to chives, to marjoram...and more! - See our article on living herbs HERE.
Scallions -The whole scallion, from the root to the tip of the greens are not only edible, but DELICIOUS! Did you know that if you save those roots (about an inch above the bulb or so) and stick them in a glass of water you can grow new greens? It's true. Try it!
Red and Green Kales - The best tasting kale in the world! Great for soups and saute's, sure, but as a raw kale salad, massaged with tihini, nutz, cranberries and shredded carrots? It doesn't get any better. Then again, get creative...to help, click here are 30 ideas.
Walking Onions- With a little more kick than the scallions, you don't need as much of these greens, and unlike the scallions, these do not include the roots. So use them and enjoy! Just like any other green onion you can chop these greens up on salads, on sandwiches, into sauces....everywhere and on everything 😋!
Lettuce - Not much to say about lettuce, except that it is wonderful and fresh and delightful and all that stuff! We love it. It's light and fluffy and delicious!
Sweet Turnips - By far, these are the most beloved vegetable we grow - I know, I know, it's a turnip...but is it really🤔!? No way is this a normal turnip! I'm telling you, if you have eaten them than you know, but if you haven't you will find out! Taste this amazingness raw - then, if you don't eat them all by the time you get home, then roasting them is our favorite way to eat them. We love to roast these turnips with garlic, or honey, or salt and pepper..but the truth? Raw...I'm telling you, the sweetness of these turnips is to die for! Our kids call them "Ground Ice Cream!"
Dried Herbs - We have a mixture of dried herbs for you this week. We have dill, basil, mint and fennel.
Wheat Grass - Many of our members absolutely love our wheat grass and use it religiously. We hope you take the time to learn and enjoy this most amazingly nutritious green! Wheat grass is used mostly for juicing. However, I, Yosef (and many of our team members) love to use ian energy and nutrition
Radish Microgreens - Next to the barley grass and the sunshoots, radish microgreens are some of the most nutritiously-dense items we grow on the farm and not only that, but during our annual survey last year, they ranked as the #1 most requested and love item we grow! They have a fantastic bite to them, last considerably long in the refrigerator and are beautiful in appearance.
Pea Shoots - One of the most desired and sought after items we provide are these pea shoots! Quite literally the best you added to any dish or salad. Our favorite way is to add them to stews and soups. A perfect topper too! Here are four fun ways to use Pea Shoots: http://blog.bostonorganics.com/4-fun-ways-to-use-pea-shootst as
Broccoli Microgreens - Last week we told you that Radish Microgreens were the #1 most loved item we grow, well, these microgreens weren't on the list then! I have a sneaking suspicion that these microgreens are the real winners!
Sunshoots - Our sunshoots are certainly some of the nicest, most high-quality sunshoots you will ever find (that actually goes for all our microgreens). They are one of the most beloved items we grow as well and a regular staple to our CSA. Here are some ideas to use your sunnies this week: https://www.martinsgardenacf.com/sunflower-shoots-recipes
Veggie of the week!
Exploring the Green Gold: The Wonders of Microgreens
Oh the amazing and wonderful microgreen! These tiny, immature greens, bursting with flavor and packed with nutrients, are a favorite among health enthusiasts and chefs alike. Microgreens are most notably appreciated for their nutritional benefits, but for many who have had them, the flavor is what really brings them the most credit!
Despite their small size, microgreens boast an impressive nutritional profile. Research indicates that these miniature greens can contain up to 40 times more nutrients than their mature counterparts!!🤩 Rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, microgreens offer a concentrated dose of health benefits. For instance, studies have shown that microgreens such as broccoli contain high levels of sulforaphane, a compound known for its anti-cancer properties. Additionally, microgreens are a good source of fiber, which aids in digestion and promotes gut health.
The versatility of microgreens knows no bounds when it comes to culinary creativity. Here are some creative ways to incorporate these miniature plants into your meals:
1. Salad Sensation: Elevate your salads by adding a handful of vibrant microgreens. Not only do they lend a pop of color, but they also impart a fresh, peppery flavor that complements a variety of salad ingredients.
2. Sandwich Stuffers: Give your sandwiches a nutritional boost by layering them with microgreens. Whether it's a classic pastrami sandwich or a veggie-packed wrap, microgreens add a crunchy texture and a burst of flavor (although I wouldn't add them to a PB&J! 😂) .
3. Garnish Galore: Use microgreens as a garnish to enhance the visual appeal of your dishes. Sprinkle them atop soups, omelets, or pasta dishes for an elegant finishing touch.
4. Smoothie Supercharge: Incorporate microgreens into your morning smoothie for an extra dose of nutrients. Blend them with fruits, yogurt, and a splash of juice for a refreshing and nourishing beverage.
5. Culinary Creativity: Experiment with microgreens in various culinary creations, from homemade pizzas and sushi rolls to savory pancakes and omelets. Let your imagination run wild and discover new ways to enjoy these miniature greens.
ENJOY!
⚠ ⚠ ⚠ BAGS! We need your bags (PLEASE🙏) !!⚠ ⚠ ⚠
Thank you everyone for recycling your LARGE bags with us! When we receive your bags we immediately quarantine them for 2 weeks before reusing them to ensure they are safe of any yuckies. Thank you for bringing them and any others you may have (we need any large PAPER-ONLY grocery bags you may have) THANK YOU!
Comments