SUMMARY: FIFTH Week of FALL 2020! - EXTRA VEGGIES! - CLASSES AND TOURS - VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT- ACI DONATION UPDATE AND DONATE TODAY! - DID YOU KNOW? - LOCATIONS AND TIMES - WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEK - WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT WEEK
Week 5 - The Fifth Week of FALL CSA 2020!
HELLO DEAR CSA MEMBERS! YIKES it's COOOOOOOOLLLLLLDDDDDD!!!!
Last night it got down to NEGATIVE 5 degrees! We don't know how everything faired overnight and we won't know for a few hours at least. We did come in on Sunday and we worked our tails off to do everything we could do to salvage it all, but nothing's guaranteed in this extreme temperatures. In fact, we did lose a few chickens and a duck when the heater died😢. Not to worry, however, we have planned for this and I am fairly positive everything will be just fine.
Now, due to this week's cold snap, and a shortage in staff, your shares may be a little on the smaller side, but that doesn't mean the beauty, flavor and nutrition won't be just as amazing! Unfortunately we lost all of the turnip greens, so we had to top them, along with the radishes. You should also expect some dried herbs this week, potatoes and onions, leeks and more.
See below for what's coming in your bags this week, and more updates!
Enjoy your share this week and don't forget to join the fun and share your recipes and pictures in the Facebook Community Group!
WINTER SHARES STILL AVAILABLE
Fresh Vegetables Grown and Harvested for YOU in the Middle of Winter!?
"My favorite CSA season of all! Getting a bag of fresh greens when there's a foot of snow outside just feels so special. Thank you guys for all you do for us!" - Cary N.
Imagine receiving a bag of fresh greens from your local farm when there is a foot of snow outside! For many of you, this is the best time of year to be a member! If you are a current member that is NOT registered for "Automatic-Renewal," and you want a Winter CSA share, now is the time to sign up. Go to www.ahavahfarm.com/csa to learn about the Winter season details and to sign up.
OR
To make things easier for you, current members can simply e-mail us at contact@ahavahfarm.com (reply to this e-mail) and let us know that you want to be placed on "Auto-Renewal." By doing so, not only will you secure your spot for the Winter 2021, but you will also automatically receive 5% off and an additional 5% off for every season thereafter.
EXTRA VEGGIES 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.
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 or by paying with credit card over the phone.
Ahavah Community Initiative Volunteer SPOTLIGHT
Say "hello" to Mark! Mark is one of our volunteer board members and he was also a volunteer and intern on Ahavah Farm for an entire year. Now, Mark is off on his own starting his own farm...and stealing our employees along the way! (Just teasing Mark, we are very happy that Shane is starting a farm with you and when he is ready to go, we will miss him dearly, but until then we will do what we can to support you both 100%!!).
Mark came to us three years ago as a volunteer looking to learn more about successful market-farming in Colorado. His passion is for the environment, and like me, Mark can't imagine a better way to make a real impact on our environment and our community than farming the right, responsible and regenerative way!
Mark still occasionally comes out to volunteer from time to time, and although it's not as regularly or as often as we would both like, we still get to see him regularly as a member of our board. Also, since his farm is really close (both physically and ideologically - it also helps that we love each other dearly!😉), our professional relationship between our agricultural enterprises will continue to flourish for many years. I'm excited to see what we can do together for our community in the coming years Mark!
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!
AHAVAH COMMUNITY INITIATIVE
The application for a free Winter CSA share membership is now available at www.ahavahcommunity.org/apply
If you, or someone you know is struggling to afford pure, nutritionally-dense food, we want you to please apply to receive a donated share.
The application takes no more than 5 minutes and is completely anonymous. We do not save your information or share it with anyone.
Whether you have applied in the past, received a membership in the past or are a current recipient of a donated share, we still want you to apply for 8 weeks of FREE, regeneratively grown food harvested fresh, every week, from Ahavah Farm. Application deadline is January 11th, 2021. Season begins the first week in February. Click below to apply.
www.ahavahcommunity.org/apply
DID YOU KNOW?
Our produce is always harvested fresh and delivered the same week. It is as fresh as you can get, but it is much more fragile than store bought produce (even Organic) for multiple reasons: Since it is not treated with any chemicals and because they are heirloom varieties and because we don't irradiate or use unnatural preservation methods.
However, because of the freshness of the harvest, the vegetables are still ready to last for quite a while if you store them properly. The key is what you do with it when you get home. For us, we will have lettuce and microgreens that lasts for more than 3 weeks and the root crops should last for months. In short, there is no reason for your produce to go bad before it's eaten. So copy us and your produce will last just as long!
First, what causes the veggies to go bad too quickly?
Rot due to too much moisture.
Rot due to too little moisture.
Temperature.
Age.
Follow these instructions to store your veggies:
Do not wash your produce when you get home. Wash it when you need it. Actually, the truth is that much of the produce doesn't need to be washed at all. First of all, we use absolutely no chemicals. Second of all, they are already pre-rinsed and dried to the right moisture percentage. Unless you are concerned about Kashrut (Kosher preparation), washing of most of the produce is not purposeful (in fact, the more you wash it the more of the good biology and bacteria will all be gone - think vitamin B12).
As soon as you receive your produce, remove your veggies from the paper bags and place your veggies in an airtight container (like a plastic bag or Tupperware) and immediately place in the fridge. A little air is not bad, it helps the produce breathe. Therefore, a plastic bag with holes or a container with holes or a vented lid is best.
A lot of people like to wash the veggies immediately and store them in the refrigerator wet or with a moist paper-towel. We have not had good success with this method because it's hard to get the moisture level correct and it rarely succeeds. Remember, too much or too little moisture and your veggies will rot, and too much moisture is always worse than too little moisture. WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS METHOD.
That's it. The key is in balancing the moisture levels so that the plants don't have any noticeable moisture on them, but they aren't wilted either. The easiest way is simply to store them, as is, in an airtight container and they will last for at least 1 week, often 2 to 3 and sometimes even longer.
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.
(photo credit: Megiddeh Goldston)
THURSDAYS:
COS North / Monument @ Beasts and Brews (7 Spectrum Loop, Ste. 140)
12pm to 1pm (Drive Thru)
NOTE: Beasts and Brews IS OPEN for business! They are doing take out orders and still offering a special discount for CSA members. Inquire inside or call ahead to pick up lunch to go! Go to www.beastsandbrews.com to learn more.
Denver @ JCC (350 S. Dahlia St.):
2:30pm to 4pm (Drive thru)
FRIDAYS:
Colorado Springs @ Ranch Foods Direct (4635 Town Center Dr.):
1pm to 2:30pm (Drive Thru)
2:30pm to 6pm (Inside store)
NOTE: The Ranch Food Direct Store IS OPEN! Please go in and support your local food producers - bread and baked goods, meats and veggies and so many other local goods and necessities. They are stocked! Go to www.ranchfoodsdirect.com to learn more!
Peyton @ Ahavah Farm (7545 Log Rd.):
10am to 11am (Drive Thru)
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! __________________________________
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!
__________________________________ What to expect THIS week:
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
Onions- Expect these to be a fairly consistent staple for the rest of the season.
Potatoes- These rainbow potatoes are perfect!
Leeks- No one, and I mean NO ONE beats our leeks! Ok, I am sure someone can, but boy our leeks are awesome! We grow them in a special way to make really long and tender white stems. Even a small leek will give you more "leek" than most large ones found in a local grocery store!
Turnips- We have two varieties of turnips here: Purple Top and Hakurei. The hakurei are the ones you are used to: Sweet and all white. The purple top are the ones you should peel. You don't have to, but the skin is fairly bitter. Once peeled, these turnips are just as sweet and delicious as the hakurei variety.
Radishes- These are amazing radishes! Perfectly beautiful and consistent in shape, they are sweet too! Not too much spice with these radishes...absolutely PERFECT for roasting!
Dried Basil - Store this basil for up to a year! You get a special jar with it too, so that's a bonus!
Radish Microgreens - The spicy variety of microgreens that we will be offering this week and also one of the most beloved. It was one of the top five items we provided this year. All members should get some this week.
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
Pea Shoots - We love these raw as an anytime snack. We also add them to soups. Like peas? You will love these. Here are 4 unique ways to use your pea shoots (besides eating them raw out of the bag before you even make it home🤣!!!) http://blog.bostonorganics.com/wordpress/2013/03/14/4-fun-ways-to-use-pea-shoots
Is that it? It's a lot, but I think so! I may be missing something...who knows, you might be surprised with something else too!
Next week: Next week should be amazing! Beets, carrots, kale, chard, cilantro, fennel and so much more!
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
