Newsletter for Week 2 of Winter CSA 2022
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Hello FaRmily!
What a a crazy first week! We experienced the coldest weather we have EVER seen (-18.5F!!) and a wacky first-week schedule! It only gets better from here, starting with an exciting share for this week (see below for a preview of this week's harvest).
REMINDER: Every week we will be sending out this newsletter on Monday/Tuesday and every Thursday you will be receiving a shorter e-mail with the details of your bag contents, the extras available for purchase and what to expect to be available for Market-Style members.
👉Please see the weekly updates below including a word from Farmer Yosef, some educational articles, announcements, changes, interviews, highlights and more.
We hope you are enjoying your first CSA of the year and are looking forward to week 2!
📢See below for event updates, new articles and announcements!📢
⭐Enjoy your shares this month and don't forget to join the fun and share your recipes and pictures in the Facebook Community Group!⭐
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ARE YOU PLANNING A GARDEN IN 2022!? Pre-order your seedlings and have them when YOU are ready (you can even have them delivered!)!!
Place your Ahavah Farm Nursery orders (up to April 15th of 2022) and get 10% OFF when you order before January 1st using code: NURSERY10 (All caps no spaces)
Browse our incredible selection of Organic, Heirloom varieties now at ahavahfarm.com/nursery
Questions? Email us directly at Nursery@ahavahfarm.com We can't wait to help you plan your 2022 Garden!!!!
#AhavahFarmNursery #nurserylife #garden2022 #seedlings #gardening #organic #heirloom #AhavahMeansLove
We've added 13 brand new items to our catalog this year! We now have two types of beans, sugar peas, different types of mint, calendula, echinacea, and we will even have some specific things available at the drops and at our Nursery store (when it opens) that aren't available on the website like Aloe, Golden toothed Aloe, Jade, Mother of Thousands, and Spider plants!
Yes, you read that correctly... we're working on opening a Nursery Garden Center store - OPEN IN APRIL! More announcements to come!
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WORD FROM YOUR FARMER:
Hello my dear friends and FaRmily ❤! I can't tell you how grateful I am for all of you. I love you all and am so excited that my health has returned to 70% and I am ready to start returning to the CSA locations...kids in tow! I look forward to seeing you all and...I LOVE HUGS! 🥰
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Volunteer Spotlight: Robin Rock
This is Robin Rock, a long time CSA Member and amazing volunteer. She has been graciously volunteering with us for a few years now and this year alone put in 137 hours!
She primarily volunteers in the nursery doing things like helping to transplant seedlings, pruning, weeding, washing pots for reuse, and preparing plants for sales. She also volunteers at our events, classes, tours, and really anytime we need help with something.
Her amazing organizational skills helped us to move over 700 seedlings from the nursery to the greenhouse and back while we were making infrastructer improvements (like paving and fortifying the nursery greenhouse and walkways) and preparing seedlings for the 2022 gardening season. Lorin, our nursery manager, admitted that she couldn't have done it all without Robin. She has been an incredible blessing to the nursery, the farm, and our community as a whole. She shows up every week, goes right to her tasks and often times we don't even realize she is here until after she's left. While we may not see her to say it often, she has a huge impact on the farm and her work does not go unnoticed!
Robin, we hope you know that we appreciate you more than words can express. You are always warm and friendly and do such a thorough job. Thank you for brightening our little peice of the world. We hope you will continue to volunteer with us and be part of our community for many more years!!
Want to get involved? E-mail us to let us know. We are always looking for volunteers and we would love for you to join the party!
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VOLUNTEERING
Our volunteers are the backbone of our organization and we couldn't do it without them... but we need more help! We need help with so many things, things like:
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, 8:30 AM 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!
🥕🍅🥒🧅🌳🌵EXTRA VEGGIES and PLANTS FOR SALE - Every Week!
Please be sure to check out the extras table, 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!
And as always, remember: SNAP PARTICIPANTS ALWAYS RECEIVE 50% OFF!! & all prices are
"Pay-What-You-Can-Afford."
For Payment: Cash or Check at the drops or the balance can be sent via PayPal to contact@ahavahfarm.com or Venmo to 719-233-7828
FOOD PRODUCING GARDEN PLANTS ALSO QUALIFY FOR SNAP AND DOUBLE-UP BENEFITS!!!
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DON'T MISS OUT ON SPRING & SUMMER!
Go to www.ahavahfarm.com/csa to learn more (Auto-renewal members receive 5% Off Plus if you pay by check you get an additional 3% Off!).
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SNAP / EBT
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⚠ ⚠ ⚠ 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!
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REFERAL PROGRAM!
Refer a friend to Ahavah Farm's CSA OR to Ahavah Farm Nursery's microgreen CSA and you BOTH will receive $35 in credit to use ANYTIME you want! Use to buy extra vegetables, or take $35 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 $35 certificate! It's that easy!😁
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DO YOU KNOW? How to Keep Your Produce Fresh for Weeks (Hint: It's Not Always in the Fridge)
There’s nothing like the crunch of raw carrots fresh from the farm or the taste of beyond-
organic greens tossed ontop of a salad, stir fry, or in a soup. But keeping perishables perky once you get them home can be a real challenge. A few simple strategies can help you enjoy your farm fresh produce longer—and minimize food waste.
Consider the conditions
When storing fresh produce, you have to consider “temperature, ethylene, and airflow—the big three,” wrote Lesley Stockton in an article on this topic in The New York Times. A lot of produce keeps well in the refrigerator, while some items like potatoes, onions, and garlic are best left at cool room temperatures.
And then there’s ethylene gas, which some fruits—such as apples and bananas—naturally release. It hastens the ripening (and eventual decay) of certain types of produce that are ethylene-sensitive, like cabbage, leafy greens, lettuce, and broccoli, just to name a few. Whether you refrigerate or not, you should keep ethylene-sensitive fruits and veggies separate from the gas-emitting ones.
Produce that keeps best at room temperature needs air circulation. Plastic bags equal premature spoilage. Even if the bananas, potatoes, or onions you bought came in a perforated plastic bag, they’ll last longer if you take them out and let them breathe.
Most refrigerated produce stays fresh longer when sealed, whether in zip-top plastic bags, reusable silicone pouches, or containers with tight-fitting lids. These containers hold in moisture, preventing produce from dehydrating, and they help protect sensitive produce from the effects of ethylene gas. You can use produce bags from the grocery store, too.
The factors that affect produce freshness (temperature, humidity, how long ago an item was harvested before you brought it home) can vary widely. Many of us hope to limit food waste—whether for economical or environmental reasons—and you may be able to get more life out of your produce than the timelines in this guide suggest. Use your judgment—if something looks, smells, and tastes just fine, you may not want to default to throwing it away. On the other hand, if something feels off, trust your instincts and follow the food safety adage: When in doubt, throw it out.
Potatoes and sweet potatoes
Don't refrigerate.
Store in a cool, dark place with relatively high humidity.
Allow air circulation.
Keep separate from onions, bananas, and other ethylene-producing items.
Whether they’re starchy (russets) or waxy (Yukon Golds), potatoes keep for a few weeks when stored in a cool, dark place such as an air-conditioned pantry or a cellar, away from large appliances, which generate heat. In a book called Keys to Good Cooking: A Guide to Making the Best of Foods and Recipes, Harold McGee writes: “At warm room temperatures, potatoes will sprout and decay. At refrigerator temperatures … they convert some starch into sugar, and can brown too quickly and scorch when fried.” Potatoes are also ethylene-sensitive and shouldn’t hang out near onions or bananas.
Even under ideal conditions, potatoes eventually sprout or turn green. Advice about whether they’re still safe to eat at that point is conflicting. Poison Control says to toss potatoes if they’re green or have sprouts. Personally we've found that as long as the potato is still firm, you can cut off the sprouts and eyes before you cook and be just fine. Green skin or flesh, however, is an indication that the potato contains toxic levels of two glycoalkaloids and should be thrown out.
Sweet potatoes and yams do well in similar storage conditions but might have a shorter shelf life (about one to two weeks) than regular spuds. Refrigerated sweet potatoes develop a hard center and can take longer to cook, so stash them with your other potatoes in a cool, dark place. Sprouted sweet potatoes are safe to eat; just trim off the sprouts before cooking. But you should discard any shriveled, moldy, or rotten sweet potatoes. Bonus tip: You can convert a wine fridge into a root cellar. I’m not advocating that everyone buy a special refrigerator for their potatoes. But if you have a wine fridge with an empty shelf or two, stash some potatoes in there. I did just that, and my russets, Yukon Golds, and sweet potatoes are pretty happy chilling with the vino.
Other roots and tubers
Remove any leafy green tops (don't disgard).
Refrigerate covered for the longest life.
For a shorter term (up to two weeks), store loose in your crisper drawer.
Beets, turnips, rutabagas, carrots, parsnips, and ginger are long-term storage superstars since they aren’t fussy about where in the fridge you keep them. Because they don’t release much ethylene gas, you can store root vegetables next to more gas-sensitive produce like leafy greens, cabbages, broccoli, and cauliflower. Ginger is especially hardy and can handle a decent amount of abuse.
When you get carrots, beets, or turnips with their greens still attached, remove those tops down to the root before storing, since they pull moisture out of the vegetable. The roots will stay fresh for at least a few weeks sealed in zip-top bags or airtight containers in the refrigerator. Beet and turnip greens are delicious in soups or stir fries! Store them separately as you would other leafy greens, and they should stay fresh for about a week. R
adishes, while technically part of the cabbage family, act a lot like other root vegetables. They stay fresh for a long time in the fridge—sometimes up to three weeks—when stored in an airtight container, and they keep longer without their leafy greens attached (you can eat these, too).
Onions and garlic
Don’t refrigerate.
Store in a cool, dark place with low humidity.
Allow some air circulation.
Keep separate from potatoes and sweet potatoes.
Common onions and garlic, members of the allium family, are easy to keep fresh if you keep them away from moisture, which makes them spoil faster. First, choose firm, unblemished bulbs with dry skins. Second, store them in a cool, dry, dark place with air circulation—never in a plastic bag or airtight container. I keep my garlic and onions in a dry food storage container without the lid. You can store onions and garlic together, ideally not near the stove or other appliances, but keep them separate from potatoes: Onions and garlic thrive in low humidity (65 to 75 percent), while potatoes love cool, humid (85 to 90 percent) air. Refrigerate leftover cut onions wrapped in plastic or beeswax wrap or sealed in a food storage container.
And don’t stress if alliums sprout green shoots from the top. Both the bulbs and shoots are safe to eat, but you can also cut away the green parts and proceed as normal.
Cabbage and its cousins
Refrigerate in sealed containers.
Uncut heads can be refrigerated without a bag.
Once cut, seal in an airtight container.
I don’t know if there’s a more perfect food than a humble head of cabbage. It shines in soups, braises, salads, slaws, and stir fries. It’s delightful pickled, fermented, broiled, or grilled. And it lasts for what seems like an eternity in the fridge. Although a whole head is bulky, you can store one naked in your crisper drawer. If space is an issue, you can store it quartered in a zip-top bag. The cut edges may start to oxidize after a week or two, but you can shave off the discolored parts (feed to chickens or put in your compost) and be back in business. Like cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower are hardy and versatile. Whole crowns stay crisp for up to two weeks in plastic bags or in containers with lids.
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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 Ahavah Farm CSA memberships. Memberships include a weekly bag of produce along with discounted (often free) farm tours, classes, and events centered around healthy living, environmental conscienceness, and growing food regeneratively.
Ahavah Community Initiative is a one-of-a-kind, registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that serves our community in a unique and wholesome way. Being a registered non-profit means that your donations are tax deductable! We believe in this mission so much that all board members (including the Camire family) donate personally to it.
Since 2018 we have
Donated over 220 CSA memberships to families in need! - A value of over $85,000.00 of free food - OVER 3,000 weekly BAGS of veggies😮!
Facilitated the donation of 73 Double Up Food Buck Grants valued at over $15,000.00 of free food!
Donated 400 plants to families in need, so they can grow their own gardens!
Taught 46 full-length classes on regenerative and biological agriculture, fermentation, environmental classes, nursery classes and children's classes..
Attended 54 outreach events to spread regenerative agriculture education to our community including school events, speaking engagements and markets.
Have provided 35 educational tours.
Hosted 6 large public events.
Hosted 5 regenerative farming interns.
In addition, Ahavah Farm (aside from ACI) has donated an additional $75,000+ worth of free food to numerous outlets and families in our local community.
ACI BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEMBER OPENING
Do you have a passion for helping others? Do you want to do more good in our community? We have a couple of openings on the Ahavah Community Iniative Board of Directors that can help you with that! This is a non-paid, volunteer position for two years with monthly meetings. All details and an application can be found
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AHAVAH COMMUNITY INITIATIVE BRING-A-BUCK!
"Hi, nice to see you! Did you bring your buck today!?"
These are the words you should hear every week when you show up at the CSA locations to get your veggies.
That's because, supporting families in need through ACI, is the MOST IMPORTANT and BEST part of being a CSA member with Ahavah Farm! Don't say your $1 isn't important! IT IS!! The Bring-A-Buck program is how ACI has sustained its food donations, so we thank you members! - EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS!
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Microgreen CSA Shares
Love our microgreens but haven't signed up for a Microgreen CSA?
✔ You can sign up anytime after January 26, 2022 to recieve your weekly Microgreen CSA starting the first week of February. You can cancle anytime in 2022 too!✔
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
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Be a part of our ZERO-WASTE mission here at Ahavah Farm and bring us your compost! PLEASE REMEMBER - NO PLASTIC BAGS or Animal products (except egg shells). Want more information? CLICK HERE to learn about the program. Thank you everyone who has been bringing their compost! We are so excited that we can help on your personal mission to become Waste Free!
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CSA PICKUP LOCATIONS AND TIMES
Times are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances.
**Please be aware that it is your responsibility to check the newsletter at www.ahavahfarm.com/blog for updated information and changes.
North Colorado Springs @ Colorado Mountain Brewery
- THURSDAYS
- 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM
- 1110 Interquest Parkway,
Colorado Springs, CO 80921
Go to cmbrew.com to learn more about this location.
Denver @ Jewish Community Center
NOW INSIDE! Turn left, park then use main enterance. Bring ID. Thanks.
- THURSDAYS
- 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
- 350 S. Dahlia St, Denver CO 80246
Go to www.jccdenver.org to learn more about this location.
Peyton @ Ahavah farm
NEW CSA LOCATION AT AHAVAH FARM!!
- FRIDAYS
- 1o:00 AM to 11:00 AM
- 7545 N. Log Rd., Peyton, CO 80831
ATTENTION FARM PICKUP MEMBERS! There is a new location. Please see the map above and the video to the right👉! We are so excited because this will make things easier and more streamlined for
weather interruptions and a much shorter walk! We even have introduced Handicapped Parking!
Central Colorado Springs @ Ranch Foods Direct
NOW INSIDE! Enter the bay right of the main enterance.
- FRIDAYS
- 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM (All)
- 2:31 PM to 6:00 PM (Traditional ONLY)
- 4635 Town Center Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80916
- Go to www.ranchfoodsdirect.com to learn more about this location.
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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
Medium = 7-9 items per week
Large = 10-12 items per week
Mustard - our red splendor mustard is back! It's the best tasting mustard we have ever tried and a new staple crop for 2022. Enjoy it raw or cooked, the flavor is amazing. CLICK HERE for 10 ways to prepare and use mustard greens.
Radishes - Our radishes are crispy and crunchy! They are not bitter like store-bought radishes and due to their incredible taste and the huge demand we get for them, they are a staple crop for the fall, winter and spring seasons. The best way to enjoy them? ROASTED! Check out this recipe (and include the other roots too!): Garlic Roasted Radishes
Turnips - Oh, the precious and amazing hakurei turnip! No, these are not your typical purple topped turnips - these are special, incredible, delicious and sweet! Try them, enjoy them, love them...and be amazed!! CLICK HERE to learn about their "Surprisingly delicate, almost fruity flavor..."
Pak Choy - Pakalinni! - These are Pak Choy FLOWERS! They are so incredibly tender and tasty! The flowers are edible, the stocks are edible and the leaves are edible...a real luxury only available a few times per year and amazing as a garnish in a salad, to add to a sandwich, a stir fry or in a soup!
Garlic - amazing hardneck, stored and cured onions from Fall. Only a limited supply, so get it while you can!
Onions - Oh yummy yummy onions! a few more weeks of these left so enjoy them while they last!
Carrots - Of course! these are THE BEST tasting carrots on the planet...oh so sweet! What's a CSA share without carrots!?🥕🥕🥕
Dried Herbs - Basil, dill, mint and fennel (our herb room smells like heaven!😇).
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-shoots
Kale - Specifically, redbor kale. We don't have much, but what we do have? OH MY GOSH. The best tasting kale - but don't forget to massage it! Yum Yum! Want some kale tips? GO HERE.
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
That's it for this week! We love you to pieces, are incredibly grateful for each and every one of you and we are blessed to the core to be YOUR farmers!!
Yosef, Havah, Kids and Team The Camire Family
