SUMMARY: FOURTH 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 4 - The FOURTH Week of FALL CSA 2020!
HELLO DEAR CSA MEMBERS! I hope you have been enjoying your CSA memberships for the Fall. So far they have been abundant and loaded with beautiful varieties of the purest vegetables you can find...anywhere! This week is no exception as we continue to offer an abundance of variety and flavors. This week we have beautiful beets, colorful carrots and luscious lettuce😄! Your share this week has kohlrabi - huge, amazing and full of incredible flavor! We also have more living mint plants and the most tender pak choy on the planet! Onions are also coming this week...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!
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 getting 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
This is Lyn Harwell. Lyn is the volunteer Vice President of the Board of Directors for Ahavah Community Initiative. He's also an all-around great person, activist and dear friend!
Many of you already know Lyn, simply from his exposure to the greater Colorado Springs and Manitou community. He is a renowned chef and the previous owner of multiple amazing restaurants. Lyn has been involved in public service his entire life. From being heavily involved in his church to politics to the local food movement and more, his involvement has made tremendous impact towards his goal and he has even recently been recognized as the "Person of the Year" for Manitou Springs. I could go on and on, but most important is the fact that he is an all around great human being and someone who has been hugely instrumental in our farm and organization since the very beginning (I'm waiting for you to run for Congress Lyn!).
Whether it has been a wise word of support or advice or it has been Lyn's incredible networking abilities or simply his support as a chef to give us some consistent income in the early years, Lyn has been there for us and we owe him a debt of gratitude. As Vice President of the Board of Directors for ACI, Lyn has been a valuable source of networking, community building and with his many years of experience in the non-profit sector his wisdom and experience have brought priceless value to the organization.
Thank you Lyn for all you do, not just for ACI and Ahavah Farm, but for the greater community as a whole. We absolutely love you Lyn!
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!
AHAVAH COMMUNITY INITIATIVE
Ahavah Community Initiative (ACI) is the most important part of the Ahavah Farm mission and yet ACI is a completely separate entity from the farm and is run by a 100% volunteer board with virtually no overhead (although we are hoping to make our first part-time hire soon). The mission of ACI is aimed directly at reaching those families in our local area who are struggling to obtain purest vegetables they deserve (see our mission statement to the right).
We love doing classes, putting on events and hosting school groups. We love doing environmental and community projects and doing educational tours as well. The thing we care most about, however, is in feeding families in need. Thousands and thousands of families in our local area are struggling to acquire the nutritionally-dense food their family deserves. Many are ill with terminal and chronic diseases requiring bio-available nutrition that can only come through regeneratively-grown produce sources, like Ahavah Farm.
The truth is that a large proportion of your fellow CSA members are members who have received free memberships donated by ACI. Whether they are receiving SNAP double-up grants, pay-what-you-can-afford subsidized shares or fully donated shares, there are about 60+ families every season, that are being directly impacted by ACI...in some cases, we are the only source of vegetables for these members.
We couldn't do this without you. We mean this. Without you, not a single person gets impacted - and you may think "Well, I didn't do much," but if you have brought a single dollar, you have! We don't ask for much, and the majority of our fundraising does come from our "Bring-a-buck" campaign at the CSA locations. However, as impactful as this campaign has been, it's not bringing in the funds we need to survive nor what our community needs to thrive.
Every season the applications come through and they are overwhelming. The stories are heartbreaking and the number of applicants are growing continuously. Yet, we can't reach these people without your help. ACI needs more funds, period. We want to reach more people and feed more families. We want to be able to educate our community, do community projects and continue to feed local, struggling families. To be as impactful as possible, we are going to need to hire a part-time employee to help facilitate, organize and manage our programs as well. The bottom line is that if we want to make a bigger impact in our community we are going to need to ask for more money.
We are about to launch the Winter CSA application for donated CSA shares, and we know that we are going to receive a record number of applicants again this season and we know that we won't be able to support them all.
Over the past two and a half years, ACI has raised and donated over $80,000 worth of FREE FOOD and services to local families in need! Partnered with Ahavah Farm, that number gets nearly doubled. Including SNAP and double up grants, together, between ACI and Ahavah Farm, we have donated over $200,000 of free food and services to our local community.
Over the past two and a half years, we have proven that ACI is a valuable asset to our community and we have proven to be responsible with the funds you have honored us to distribute. We have proven that the community needs us and now we are asking you to dig deep and support the community and our organization again. Please consider a tax-deductible donation to support local families in need get the nutritionally-dense vegetables all families deserve.
DONATE HERE NOW
DID YOU KNOW?
DID YOU KNOW that as the temperature dips, the taste increases too!? Yes, that's right! Kale, radishes, turnips and carrots get sweeter, spinach comes to harvest, claytonia and mache are introduced...life is good during the winter months because the food tastes soooo good!!
Why? Well, plants are incredibly smart! When it gets cold and the temperatures drop, the plants recognize this drop and take action to protect themselves. It's this process of self-defense that actually makes the vegetables taste (and nutrition) skyrocket. The plants take all of their energy to create new sugars in their leaves (or roots depending on the crop - like carrots) to protect themselves from freezing to death! The plants convert the storage of starches into sugars and by increasing the sugar production, the plant increases it's resistance to the building up of ice-crystals in the leaves and roots etc. Now, as you know, this increase in sugars also directly correlates to an increase in nutritional density - because, as you know, these sugars and nutritional density go hand in hand. So, although the temperature of the water in the plant will get to below freezing, it won't necessarily turn to ice because of the sugars - thus protecting the cells in the leaves from bursting (due to the expansion of frozen water)! This happens in all cold-weather plants to some degree. and it is one of the sublime pleasures of life as a four-season farmer (or CSA member!!) getting to experience these flavors.
To be able to experience the flavor and texture of vegetables in-season (like in the middle of winter!), from a local, beyond-organic farm that you can trust is a delight that only a select few of this society can really say they have experienced. I hope you all continue to be one of them!
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.
Pak Choy- Between tatsoi, pak choy and kohlrabi greens...I can't decide which one I love more. Oh, and the pak choy flowers are some of the most tasty things you have ever eaten - seriously and I guarantee it will blow your mind! Here is a quick 10 minutes bok choy (similar to pak choy) recipe: https://theforkedspoon.com/bok-choy-recipe/
Carrots- These carrots are not only absolutely delicious, but they are so beautiful!
Beets- Gorgeous cylindra beets this week. Red, juicy and tender. Big and beautiful greens are on these bunches - please do not waste them! They are delicious and they cook, serve and taste just like spinach (and they are often grown as a crop in themselves).
Living Mint- Expect 3 to 4 different living plants this season. This week is mint for about half the members and next week the other half!
Swiss Chard- We love swiss chard - especially sautéed! Here are 13 creative chard recipes from bonappetit.com: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/slideshow/swiss-chard-recipes
Kohrabi Bulbs and Greens- Big bulbs and gigantic greens! The best tasting greens on the farm - so if you were one of the individuals that didn't get any bulbs, that's ok the greens are really where it is at with this crop. Perfect for wraps or to use in so many different ways. Then, those bulbs! We prefer them raw with lemon and salt, but they can be very versatile too! Peel them and enjoy!
Daikon Radish Greens - One of the best greens! Daikon greens are not only purple and beautiful, but they are so tasty with a nice bite of spice!
Tatsoi - I have said it once, and I will say it again - tatsoi is the best! It's hands down our favorite green. Yummmmmmmy!
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.
Lettuce - Big leaf lettuce this week. A versatile type of lettuce, it's great for sandwiches or salads etc.
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
Parsley- One of my favorite tasting greens on the farm. I love eating this raw. Add to your favorite parsley dish or dry it for storage!
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: Prepare for more herbs, lots of greens and plenty of roots next week. Potatoes and onions may also be on the menu and carrots and beets most definitely will be!
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
