SUMMARY: FOURTH WEEK of SPRING 2021! - EXTRA VEGGIES! - FARM CREW SPOTILIGHT - NEW* - NURSERY SPOTLIGHT- ACI DONATION UPDATE AND DONATE TODAY! - DID YOU KNOW? - LOCATIONS AND TIMES - WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEK - WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT WEEK
Week 4 - The FOURTH Week of SPRING CSA 2021!
HELLO DEAR CSA MEMBERS!
WOW! What a turnout yesterday! We had about 25 people come out to volunteer and help us get caught up! Yesterday we got 550 tomato plants in the ground as well as over 3,500 basil plants! We also got a ton of ground prepared for summer planting and some general farm cleanup! PHEW, that was a ton of work, and we are absolutely so grateful for our community for coming out! We are thinking about doing more Sunday volunteer days as the weather continues to warm up - so stay tuned for those announcements!
In other news, the farm is still fairly far behind. There's not much we can do about this, as the weather has been so cold and we still haven't been able to plant anything outside of the hoophouses yet or prepare much outside ground. We have, however, been able to make up some lost time over the past few weeks as our family has been able to step up on the weekends and the evenings to get multiple beds of radishes, mustard, lettuce and fennel planted as well as thousands of leeks, beets, turnips and carrots. The Spring may be behind, but the summer should be extremely abundant, since there will be a sort of "pent up demand" as all the crops are ready to be harvested all at the same time! 😃 (let's hope not!)
What we have planted for Spring and Summer so far: Beets, Radishes, Turnips, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Basil, Scallions, Fennel, Leeks, Garlic, Kale, Swiss Chard, Mustard, Cilantro, Salad Mix, Arugula, Dill, Daikon Radishes, Carrots and more. Still to be planted: Cabbages, Onions, Celeriac, Parsley Roots, Potatoes, Squash, Melons, Pumpkins, Peas, Cucumbers, Kohlrabi, Peppers and more.
See below for event updates, new articles and announcements!
Enjoy your share this week and don't forget to join the fun and share your recipes and pictures in the Facebook Community Group!
Volunteering
Want to volunteer? We need weeders, harvesters, nursery workers, bag-packers, washers, construction/project helpers and we need help at the pickup locations and more! There is so much to do, there is something for everyone! Kids can help too (over 10y/o with supervision).
We still have some openings for some work-exchange shares as well.
Want to volunteer? Simply e-mail our amazing Administrator, Bekka at aci@ahavahcommunity.org to get more information and to sign up!
EXTRA VEGGIES and PLANTS FOR SALE
DON'T FORGET: SNAP MEMBERS ALWAYS RECEIVE 50% OFF!!
&
As always, all prices are
"Pay-What-You-Can-Afford."
See the weekly "What's in your Bag" e-mails that get sent on Wednesdays for your "extras" list.
👀GARDEN PLANTS ALSO QUALIFY FOR SNAP AND 2x DOUBLE-UP BENEFITS!!!👀
For Payment: Cash or Check at the drops or the balance can be sent via PayPal to contact@ahavahfarm.com or via Venmo to Ahavah Farm, LLC or by paying with credit card over the phone.
SUMMER SHARES STILL AVAILABLE - FALL NOW OPEN.
We are almost out of Summer CSA registrations. We only have about 25 left!
We have also opened up the Fall CSA registrations for current members (we are not advertising this).
Go to www.ahavahfarm.com/csa to sign up.
If you are not an auto-renewal member and have not signed up for Summer, but want to save 5%, please e-mail Havah at contact@ahavahfarm.com to be placed on auto-enrollment and automatically save 5% every season.
DID YOU KNOW?
"LOCAL-SUSTAINABLE-PURE," is a lot more than a mere tagline to us: "Ahavah Farm: Local, Sustainable, Pure."
It's the three pillars (foundational principles) that our farm operates by and what we stand on and for. Every single decision we make, whether big or small, must fit into all three of these foundational principles and if the decision does not support all three of these aspects positively, than we will not move forward with it. Period. Whether it is opening a new nursery, moving forward with different crops, expanding the farm or planning on where and how we sell or regarding any other aspect of our business, all decisions must fit into supporting our Local-Sustainable-Pure mission.
Local
We pride ourselves on being more than just a farm - WE ARE A COMMUNITY! We are volunteers, customers, members, supporters and friends. We work together, love each other and are building a stronger local-food-movement as a TEAM.
Also, by being a "Local" farm, not only do you the consumer have the opportunity to "Meet the Farmer" and visit the farm and see first-hand what and how we are growing and producing our food, but you also get to support the local economy and support the "little guy." In addition, by being local, the food you get is usually picked either the same day, or pretty close to it. Ripe, fresh and not shipped in from Mexico, California or worse, China. You know where your food is coming from. You know that it is fresh. You know how it is produced. You also know who you are supporting and that you are not contributing to greenhouse emissions and pollution from the transportation of your food over thousands of miles.
Sustainable (And Regenerative)
Every decision we make includes the impact on our world and environment.
Whether it is our 100% solar energy we use to run all electrical power on our farm, our irrigation methods, our minimal-till, carbon reduction, tractor-free commitments, minimal fossil fuel consumption, deep mulching practices, and biological / biodynamic farming practices that builds soil through composting and our animal by-product fertilization, our farm takes our commitment to sustainability seriously and our passion to regenerate our land and environment is at the core of everything we do!
Every ounce of support you give to Ahavah Farm goes not only to supporting our family and employees, but also to repairing the world.
Pure
Pure ties this all together. Because we use regenerative farming practices, your food is pure. It's not simply "organic," it's better-than-organic. No synthetic chemicals, fertilizers, sprays or genetically engineered seeds etc. are used. This means that it has not been altered in any way. In addition, we use row-covers, hand-tools and old-fashioned pure and natural farming methods to avoid pests and to control weeds. Your food is harvested fresh and ripened on the plant and not on a truck. The same goes for our animals. Our chickens and ducks get to roam the land eating bugs and grasses as well as our kitchen scraps and our left-over produce. All supplemented feed is certified organic, soy free and the animals are loved, well-cared for and simply the cleanest birds you have ever seen! In short, there is no possible way to get fresher, healthier and more PURE produce and eggs than you can from our farm
🔦 Ahavah Community Initiative SPOTLIGHT 🔦
Please consider making a year-end tax-deductible gift to Ahavah Community Initiative (registered 501c3) by CLICKING HERE.
Since 2018 We Have (not including Spring and Winter CSA's for 2021)...
Donated 154 CSA memberships to families in need! - Over A value of $53,900.00 of free food - OVER1,800 weekly BAGS of veggies😮!
Facilitated the donation of 42 Double Up Food Buck Grants valued at $15,750.00 of free food!
Taught 31 full-length classes on regenerative and biological agriculture.
Attended 48 outreach events to spread regenerative agriculture education to our community including school events, speaking engagements and markets.
Have provided 27 educational tours.
Hosted 4 large public events.
Educated 5 regenerative farming interns.
In addition, Ahavah Farm (aside from ACI) has donated an additional $56,750.00 worth of free food to numerous outlets and families in our local community
We have paid ZERO dollars to salaries or to "other" overhead.
Interested in making a tax-deductible donation? Ahavah Community Initiative is registered as a 501c3 with the State of Colorado as a non-profit organization and all donations are tax-deductible.
Want to get involved with either ACI or as a volunteer on the farm? E-mail us to let us know. We are always looking for volunteers and we would love for you to join the party!
🚨CLASSES AND EVENTS!!!🚨
So many classes are happening this year and registration is filling up!! Go to www.ahavahfarm.com/classes and click on the calendar event to register. Don't miss them!
UPCOMING CLASSES:
Seed starting and Nursery Management 101 – by Lorin, manager of Ahavah Farm Nursery
* April23rd @ 10am
Cost: CSA Members: FREE. Non-Members: $10
Description: Starting a garden this year? Want to learn how to start, manage and maintain your seedlings from scratch? Join Ahavah Farm Nursery’s manager Lorin for a fundamentals nursery class: Learn nursery set up and organization, sourcing seeds, direct seeding vs. transplants, caring for seed while sprouting, learn about diseases and troubleshooting and more!
Class Length: 1 Hour
KIDS CLASS!! Natural and Organic Mother’s Day Windowsill Herb Garden. 2 Weeks. – By Asher Camire
* Class # 1: April 30th @ 10am
Cost: CSA Members: $35. Non-Members: $45 (Includes materials)
Description: Bring children out to make a Windowsill garden for Mother’s day! A beautiful pine box stained with an organic wheat-based seal to make for a gorgeous addition to your Mom’s kitchen! We will build the box from scratch and fill it with four beautiful herbs to take home to your Mom for a wonderful gift! Herbs included: Chives, Oregano, Thyme and Parsley
Class Length: 2 Hours.
TOURS:
Tours are educational in nature and last for about 1 hour. We see all the facilities, walk through and see most of the gardens, test some veggies, meet the crew and learn all about regenerative agriculture and our growing methods. Tours have a suggested donation of $10 and is free for all CURRENT CSA members.
Next tour is scheduled for:
* May 11th @ 10am
EVENTS - Put it on your calendar!
Summer Festival, Sunday July 11th from 5pm to 9pm. More information and details to come.
Harvest Festival, Sunday October 17th from 5pm to 9pm. More information and details to come.
AHAVAH COMMUNITY INITIATIVE
BRING-A-BUCK!
Oh the amazing power of community and crowdfunding!
Every week, at all of the CSA locations, we have a bin or jar that looks like this. We ask all of our members to bring just $1 with them every week to help support their fellow-members and community.
Bring $1 every week and be a part of supporting, directly, families in need.
Don't say your $1 isn't important! The only way crowdfunding works is if we all participate. Therefore, your $1 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!
Everyone can afford to Bring-A-Buck and if we ALL bring $1, the impact can be enormous - to the tune of feeding 1 family for an entire season for every single week we all participate!!!! WOW!!
🔦 The Farm Crew Spotlight🔦
Joe is such a great guy and he is ALWAYS smiling! A hard worker with a laser-eye for perfection, Joe is a special member of our team that we love having around because he elevates all of our farming game!
One thing about Joe that is unique and special is that Joe is passionate about all things outdoors or related to health - including farming! Whether it is a whole-food and organic diet, teaching yoga or exploring the great outdoors via kayaking, hiking, backpacking or absolutely owning the Manitou Incline nearly every weekend, Joe has a deeply ingrained sense of what is wholesome and tangible and he doesn't waste much time on things he considers to be without value! Joe's mission is to live life to the fullest and this attitude is attractive and motivating to be around!
Joe's started with us full-time, but due to his mission to live life to the fullest, Joe decided to go back to school and get his Masters degree in Natural Medicine (see what I mean about that healthy-living stuff!?😉)
So, nowadays we only get to see Joe 3 days per week but every time he is here he is a relief to the team! He picks up an enormous amount of slack, knows just about all aspects of the farm and is not only an awesome worker and teammate, but he is a genuinely good guy to have around and all the kids love and trust him!
We are so glad you are here Joe! Thank you for being such an upright, wholesome and all-around good guy. You are an enormous benefit to our team and it wouldn't be the same without you!
In Their Own Words...
How long have you worked for Ahavah Farm?
I think it's been a year and a half now.
What is your job title and what do you do on the farm?
Organic Farmer. Just about everything (including musicals!)!
What do you like most about your job?
The humans. Definitely the humans.
Can you share one thing you have learned by working for Ahavah Farm?
Take the tape off of your bin lids or else! That, and regenerative farming. Yes, I learned a lot about regenerative farming.
Do you have a favorite hobby?
Yes. I'd say hiking and reading. I loved "The Alchemist" as one of my all-time favorite books.
Do you have a favorite quote?
"Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you are right." - Henry Ford
What is a fun-fact that only a few people know about you?
I used to teach yoga for ten years!
What are three words that describe you?
Vital, Tenacious and Resilient
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Either homesteading or practicing natural medicine.
Anything else you would like to share with us?
Stay hydrated and trust your intuition!
NURSERY NEWS
Pre-orders are over, but did you know that you can still buy our beautiful seedlings every week at the CSA locations?
That's right - everything from tomato plants to lettuce and kale (and more) seedlings will be available - best part?
ALL CSA MEMBERS STILL RECEIVE 15% off!
Microgreen CSA Share!
Love our microgreens!? Than this selection is for you! Receive 3 types of microgreens every week of the year and save 17% every single week!
✔SIGN UP ANYTIME AND START YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AT ANY TIME OF YEAR!✔
Our microgreens are fresh and will last - unlike anything you can find in the store. 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, they are THAT good!
What's in a Share?
In your share you will receive a combination of 3 microgreens every week with the option to purchase add-ons and extras when available. Every week we will be growing a mixture of microgreens and you will receive 3 selections of the following: Sunflower Shoots, Pea Shoots, Radish, Kale, Kohlrabi, Basil, Cilantro, Lettuce, Brocolli and more.
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.
Go to https://www.ahavahfarm.com/microgreen-csa to learn more and to sign up!
COMPOST
Be a part of our ZERO-WASTE mission here at Ahavah Farm and bring us your compost! PLEASE REMEMBER - NO PLASTIC BAGS. 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 mission to become Waste Free!
CSA PICKUP LOCATIONS AND TIMES
NOTATE TIMES: Times are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances. Please be aware that it is your responsibility to check Facebook and this blog on ahavahfarm.com for updated information and changes.
THURSDAYS:
COS North / Monument @ Beasts and Brews (7 Spectrum Loop, Ste. 140)
12pm to 1pm (Drive Thru / Market Style)
Denver @ JCC (350 S. Dahlia St.):
3pm to 4pm (Drive thru / Market Style)
FRIDAYS:
Colorado Springs @ Ranch Foods Direct (4635 Town Center Dr.):
1pm to 2:00pm (Drive Thru / Market Style)
2:00pm to 6pm (Inside store - 🚨TRADITIONAL SHARE MEMBERS ONLY!!)
Peyton @ Ahavah Farm (7545 Log Rd.):
10am to 11am (Drive Thru / Market Style)
BAGS! We need your bags!!
Thank you everyone for recycling your LARGE bags with us (thank you, but we do not need the small ones, only the large ones)! 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!
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
Radishes - Only the best tasting and incredibly beautiful radishes ever! Roasting. Hands down is the best way to eat these! I literally cannot get enough of these roasted radishes 😋
Kale- Absolutely amazing kale! The best we have ever had, you really can't beat this variety of Blue Curled kale. An heirloom variety that is super sweet and delicious! (don't forget to massage it - no really!).
Rouge DiHiver Red Lettuce - An amazing heirloom romaine that is just stunning in color!
Turnips- One of the most desired of all the things we grow are turnips. Now, for you newbies, I know you are thinking that sounds crazy...but until you try these amazing, mouth-watering turnips, you won't believe it!!!
Spinach - The best tasting thing in the universe during the winter just might be this spinach! It has some burned tips, like the rest, but it is DE-LICIOUS!!!
Living Plant - You will have the choice of Oregano, Chives, Mint, Kale, Tomato, Basil, Mustard or Marigolds (and more).
Mustard - Red mustard. A little milder than the green southern giant, and stunning in appearance! Have you ever made a frittata? Ever made one with mustard greens😋😋? Learn about 10 recipes and how to use them here.
Dill - Did you know that the name "dill" comes from the old English word "dilla" meaning to "lull" because dill has been used as a medicine for toothaches, stomach pain and other ailments - particularly in infants to treat colic. Did you also know that dill is fantastic on roasted veggies or to make dressings or to pickle things - other than cucumbers? Dill is one of my favorite veggies and I use it nearly every day!
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
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
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