- Sep 26

The Ahavah Community Newsletter

September 24, 2024

SUMMER CSA Week 16

THE LAST WEEK OF SUMMER SEASON!!!

The fall crops are looking amazing and waiting for you!

Dear FARMILY!

Well, we made it! It was the best of times and the worst of times, but we made it to the end of the summer season and we are really excited for the coming fall! The summer season had the worst grasshoppers in recent Colorado history, we experienced the "Infamous Flour Fiasco," our commercial irrigation well got struck by lightning, we had emergency room visits and we had long and scary hospital stays and health scares. We also had a lot of blessings that occurred this past season like me (Yosef) being cleared of cancer after a nearly 5 year battle! We planted hundreds of trees that successfully took root and are looking amazing, we also hosted multiple homeschool days, the weekly farmers market, too many classes and events to count and at the end of the day, even with the grasshopper struggles, the CSA ended up being beautiful! Most importantly, we donated a total of 68 memberships to families in need and facilitated the donation of an additional 40 WIC memberships as well!

It was not the best season we have ever had, but all-in-all, it was successful, the feedback we have received from members tells us that many of you thoroughly enjoyed the season, and the farm came out on top while our members all saved money (+3.8% - Small, +9.6% for the Medium and +13.46% for the Large members). It was a good year. The varieties were plenty enough to get us through enjoyably and with some flexibility, the quality was top notch for most of the season and the team worked together very well, and did an incredible job👏!

To all of our amazing members of the Summer 2024 CSA, we want to say THANK YOU! Thank you for your support, your trust and your friendship. We recognize that each and every one of our members is truly important and vital to our family and our farm and we want you to know that we appreciate you and are grateful to have you all as members of our farm family, our FaRmily! If you are continuing with us in the fall, then we look forward to seeing you as we move on, and if your adventure stops here, we hope that one day we will see you yet again and we wish you nothing but blessings, happiness and success!

Fall Preparations

As for the preparations for fall, it looks like it is going to be an outstanding season! As long as the weather is not too extreme, we should have a beautiful share for you week in and week out, as our farm is 100% planted at this moment and the season is completely planned out to be a success.

Change is Good, but Hard!

When it comes to the changes being made in the fall of 2024, they are quite intimidating and to be honest, a little scary too. Though we have been putting in hundreds of hours to plan and prepare for these changes, including utilizing a beta group of CSA members for the last 3 weeks to prepare for the transition, there is nothing that will fully prepare us for the fully-customizable changes and the schedule changes that are coming in just one week. It will be a lot of change for all of our members, and there will be some confusion at first, and there even may be a few mistakes, but we are going to get through it together and make the, already awesome, Ahavah Farm CSA even better for years to come! There is no such thing as a perfect system, and our customization system is no exception. However, as we work through the first few weeks together, and the members begin to get comfortable with the changes, the rest of the time should be smooth sailing. We ask all of our members for patience, understanding and flexibility as we launch these changes that are sure to improve our CSA program!

CSA UPDATES

FRIENDLY REMINDER! For the first four weeks of Fall CSA, all pickups and deliveries will be on Wednesday. Yes, the farm is changing the regular-scheduled pickup and delivery day to Friday, but for the first weeks of October, those days will be moved to Wednesday. The times for these days will not change, however. All the times and all the locations remain the same, but you will need to update your calendars and make arrangements for those four weeks for the day-change. If you have been hiding under a rock and haven't seen the changes, you can do so here😊: Check out the announcement here.

THIS WEEK'S CSA

We are ending the season with yet another wonderful CSA with many different varieties to choose from. However, we did receive a frost this week, twice, and that really but a kabosh on some of the bulk of the harvest, so it might not be as big as we had hoped. This week's CSA is loaded with so many varieties you will have plenty to choose from: Tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers will be coming this week along side many of your other favorites like swiss chard, carrots, radishes, fennel, cilantro and parsley will also be making their way this week with even more varieties available - 21 in total! See the rest down below in the "What's In Your Bag" section.

THIS WEEK'S NEWSLETTER

This is the last newsletter I will be putting together until the end of October as we move to monthly newsletters only. For now, I have three brand new articles for your to enjoy including a new Gardening Tip and CSA Tip, our farm schedule through the end of October is also included and some more important announcements are in here as well. Enjoy!

Thank you and we love you all, our beautiful FaRmily!!!

Farmer Yosef and Family!

WE L❤️VE OUR COMMUNITY!

ARTICLE OF THE WEEK

The Complexities of Market Garden Farming—Why Your Support Matters

By Yosef Camire

At Ahavah Farm, our commitment to sustainable, small-scale farming goes beyond providing fresh, nutrient-dense produce. As a market garden farm with a CSA program and host of a farmers market, we represent a model of agriculture that relies on diversity, ecological care, and a deep relationship with our community. Yet, the intricacies of running a market garden farm are often misunderstood, leading some to see local farms as simply a source of produce rather than the vital cornerstone of a sustainable food system that they are. In this article, we want to shed light on the complexities behind our work and why your support as CSA members and market patrons is so essential.

Market garden farming is, by nature, a labor-intensive and highly detailed system of agriculture. Unlike large commercial farms that focus on monoculture (growing one or two crops at large scales), a market garden thrives on crop diversity and small, manageable plots of land. According to Jean-Martin Fortier, author of The Market Gardener, "A market garden farm is designed for small-scale, high-intensity production. Every square inch of space must be meticulously managed to maximize the number of crops grown while maintaining soil health." This approach allows farms like Ahavah to grow a wide variety of vegetables—often over 100 types—within a limited space, while simultaneously keeping the soil fertile and resilient.

However, this level of diversity comes with challenges. Each crop has its own needs—different planting schedules, nutrient requirements, and susceptibility to pests or weather conditions. Managing these factors requires not just hard work but extensive planning and adaptation. For instance, heirloom vegetables, which we grow abundantly, require specific care and attention that industrial farms often overlook in favor of faster-growing, genetically modified crops. Yet, heirloom varieties offer not only superior flavor and nutrition but also help maintain biodiversity, an essential element for long-term sustainability. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) notes that “Biodiversity is the foundation of sustainable agricultural production and food security.”

One of the greatest difficulties we face as a market garden farm is achieving consistency while honoring nature's unpredictable rhythm. Grocery stores create an illusion of endless availability, stocking tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumbers year-round, often without regard to seasonality or environmental impact. However, this comes at a cost—both to the planet and the quality of the food. In contrast, small farms like ours depend on seasonal cycles and the intricate relationships between crops and their environment. We must constantly adapt to the weather, pests, and other natural variables. As Fortier explains, “On a small farm, you are deeply connected to the land, and you must be prepared to adjust your plans as conditions change.” This reliance on nature means that some weeks our CSA shares are more bountiful, while other times, certain crops may not thrive due to unforeseen factors.

These fluctuations, however, are part of what makes CSA farming so special. When you join a CSA, you become a partner in this process, sharing in the risks and rewards of each season. As author and food activist Michael Pollan writes in The Omnivore’s Dilemma, “When you buy food from the farmer down the road, you are not just buying a thing: you are entering into a relationship with that farmer...Food is not just fuel. Food is about family, food is about community, food is about identity. And we nourish all those things when we eat well.” This partnership is key to sustaining small, local farms that prioritize quality over quantity and sustainability over industrial efficiency.

Our farming practices are also more environmentally responsible than industrial models, but they are more labor-intensive. For example, regenerative farming techniques like crop rotation, cover cropping, and composting take considerable time and effort. Yet, they are crucial for maintaining the health of our soil. The Rodale Institute states “If we converted all global croplands and pastures to regenerative organic agriculture, we could sequester more than 100% of current annual CO2 emissions.”” making small, sustainable farms key players in the fight against climate change. At Ahavah Farm, these practices are integral to our mission, but they also require significant labor, making volunteer involvement even more valuable.

One of the biggest distinctions between us and large-scale operations is that every step of our process is done by hand. From planting to weeding to harvesting, the care we put into each vegetable is laborious but results in higher-quality food. This is in stark contrast to industrial farming, where machinery and chemicals often replace human labor and the connection to the land. As Wendell Berry, a prominent farmer, author and environmentalist, notes, “The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope.” By knowing your farmers and supporting local agriculture, you become part of this mission to care for the Earth and ensure that food is grown in harmony with nature.

However, this personalized care means that farms like ours cannot offer the same economies of scale as industrial farms. We are not a grocery store; we cannot produce uniform, perfectly shaped vegetables in endless supply. Each vegetable in your CSA share was planted, nurtured, and harvested with great care. It’s important to understand that when you support a farm like Ahavah, you’re choosing quality, sustainability, and community over convenience and mass production. Supporting local farms is more than a transaction—it’s an investment in a resilient food system that values health, environment, and people.

This brings us to why your support is so vital. Whether through purchasing a CSA share, shopping at the farmers market, or volunteering your time, your involvement ensures that small farms can continue to exist in a world dominated by industrial agriculture. In a recent report, the United Nations concluded that small-scale farmers feed over 70% of the world’s population, yet they receive disproportionately less support than large agribusinesses. Your choice to invest in a CSA program helps shift this balance, encouraging the growth of sustainable, community-focused farming.

We also want to invite you to take an active role beyond financial support. Volunteering on the farm offers a unique opportunity to witness the complexities of market garden farming firsthand. Whether you’re helping with planting, harvesting, or general maintenance, every contribution makes a difference. As you work alongside us, you gain a deeper appreciation for the care that goes into growing your food. Wendell Berry once said, “A community is not something you have, it’s something you do.” By volunteering, you become an integral part of the community that sustains this farm and contributes to a larger movement toward food sovereignty and environmental stewardship.

Market garden farming with a CSA and farmers market is a challenging yet incredibly rewarding endeavor. The complexities of managing diverse crops, the unpredictability of nature, and the commitment to sustainable practices make small-scale farming both demanding and delicate. Your support as a CSA member goes far beyond receiving fresh vegetables—it sustains a way of life that values the Earth, the community, and the future. Together, we can continue to build a food system that is resilient, ethical, and centered on the relationship between farmers, land, and people.

Thank you for your ongoing support, and we hope to see you out on the farm, perhaps with dirt on your hands, working alongside us as we nurture the food that sustains our community.

CSA TIP OF THE WEEK!

Embracing the Seasons—The Arrival of Fall

-By Yosef Camire

As the summer season draws to a close and we prepare to welcome fall next week, there’s an exciting transition happening here at Ahavah Farm. The change of seasons brings with it a fresh variety of vegetables that reflect the richness and diversity of fall’s bounty. While summer has treated us to vibrant tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and an abundance of leafy greens, fall has its own special offerings to look forward to—root vegetables like celeriac, hearty squashes, earthy brassicas, and so much more.

Fall is a time of harvest, when the earth begins to offer more grounded, nutrient-dense vegetables that are perfectly suited to the cooler months. One of the unique crops you can expect in your upcoming shares is celeriac root. If you’ve never tried celeriac before, get ready for a delicious surprise—this knobby, rustic-looking vegetable has a subtle, celery-like flavor with a texture similar to a potato. It’s fantastic in soups, mashes, and even roasted. Celeriac, along with other fall favorites like pumpkins, turnips, kale, mustard and beets, marks the beginning of a season that is both comforting and nourishing.

Eating with the seasons means that your body is naturally aligned with what the earth provides at any given time. Fall vegetables, with their heartier textures and deeper flavors, are packed with nutrients that help you transition from the lightness of summer to the warmth and coziness of fall. As temperatures begin to cool, our bodies crave the sustaining energy that root vegetables, squashes, and brassicas provide. These crops are rich in vitamins and minerals that support your immune system, helping you stay healthy as the days grow shorter. AMAZING!

One of the most exciting aspects of fall at Ahavah Farm is the opportunity to experience varieties of vegetables that aren’t available at other times of the year. In addition to celeriac root, you’ll find other cold-season crops that thrive in our region’s fall climate like spinach, tatsoi and onions. Seasonal eating, especially during this transition period, keeps your meals interesting and flavorful. It also encourages you to expand your culinary repertoire as you experiment with these less common vegetables.

Incorporating seasonal fall vegetables into your diet has additional benefits beyond their delicious taste. Since these crops are grown during cooler months, they often have a longer storage life, making them an ideal choice for stocking up and preserving. Celeriac, for example, can be stored for several months if kept in the right conditions, allowing you to enjoy its flavor well into the winter. This is one of the many advantages of seasonal eating—by following the natural growing cycle, you can continue to enjoy the flavors of each season even after it passes.

As a CSA member, you’re also benefiting from the sustainability of eating locally grown, in-season produce. Fall crops typically require less water and energy than summer crops, as they are more suited to the cooler, wetter weather. This reduces the environmental footprint of farming and helps support the regenerative practices we prioritize at Ahavah Farm. By choosing to eat with the seasons, you’re not only nourishing yourself with the freshest, most nutrient-dense produce available, but you’re also contributing to the health of the planet.

Another key benefit of fall’s arrival is the opportunity to reconnect with the rhythm of the natural world. As the leaves begin to change and the air turns crisp, fall encourages us to slow down and appreciate the bounty of the earth. Seasonal eating is about more than just food; it’s about aligning ourselves with the cycles of nature and recognizing the beauty in what each season offers. Whether it’s the rich, earthy flavors of fall vegetables or the cozy meals shared around the table, there’s a special kind of warmth that comes with the changing of the seasons. Imagine living in a time when food transport was limited to a few hundred miles! Today, we get our food delivered from all around the world and we have truly lost touch with this incredibly important cycle of life.

As you prepare for the upcoming fall CSA shares, we encourage you to embrace the new vegetables that will be arriving in your boxes. Fall is a wonderful time to explore new recipes and try your hand at preserving some of the season’s offerings. Roasting root vegetables, making hearty soups, or even experimenting with fermented vegetables are just a few ways you can make the most of this season’s bounty.

The end of summer doesn’t mean the end of fresh, exciting produce—it’s simply a transition into a new chapter of delicious, nutritious foods that are perfectly suited for fall. As we move into this next phase, we want to thank you for being part of our CSA and for choosing to support local, sustainable agriculture. Together, we’re celebrating the best that each season has to offer, and we’re excited to share the richness of fall’s harvest with you in the coming weeks.

AHAVAH COMMUNITY SCHEDULE

What's In Your Bag?

Market-Style Members Selection - Summer Week 16

Scallions, Turnips, Fennel, Parsley, Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Squash, Sweet Peppers, Bell Peppers, Jalepeno Peppers, Cilantro, Salad Mix, Carrots, Radishes, Swiss Chard Plants, Sunflower Shoots, Pea Shoots, Broccoli Microgreens, Radish Microgreens

"EXTRA's at the CSA pickup locations this week - Summer Week 16:

Scallions, Turnips, Fennel, Parsley, Red Kale, Green Kale, Onions, Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Squash, Sweet Peppers, Bell Peppers, Jalepeno Peppers, Cilantro, Salad Mix, Carrots, Radishes, Swiss Chard Plants, Sunflower Shoots, Pea Shoots, Broccoli Microgreens, Radish Microgreens

Harvest Expectations for October

Carrots, Turnips, Radishes, Kale, Lettuce, Salad Mix, Arugula, Onions, Sweet Peppers, Hot Peppers, Green Tomatoes, Red Tomatoes. Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Pumpkins, Cilantro, Scallions, Beets, Swiss Chard, Sunflower Shoots, Pea Shoots, Broccoli Micros, Radish Micros, Kohlrabi Micros, Kohlrabi, Basil, Celeriac, Dill, Parsley...and more.

Updated and rolling on a 150 day basis:

May 20th, 2024 - Today we had a board meeting to approve or deny applications for ACI. Over 85 applications were submitted and 68 were approved. Funds are limited so the board approved 8 weeks only with hopes that funds will be available to extend an additional 8 weeks.

June 16th, 2024 - The 10th Annual Summer Festival is going to be the best we have ever had! With thousands expected to participate and with dozens of vendors, activities, rides and more, it's going to be not only an awesome night to remember, but a fantastic way to raise money for families in need! We are hoping to raise about $10,000 - $15,000 for local families!

July 7th, 2024 - Thank you to everyone who came out for the Summer Fest! It was an absolute disaster with the hail and rain, but for those who came out - we solute you! Thank you for standing with ACI! Yes, it was a huge loss, but we are hoping that the Fall Festival will be better! We still had about 1,200 people come out though!

July 22nd, 2024 - Due to funding limitations, the current donated CSA shares were scheduled for cancellation, as funds ran out and were not able to be extended. Ahavah Farm stepped to the plate and donated the rest of the season to all members for no cost.

August 9th, 2024 - Our homeschool day was a huge success with about 50 kids in attendance! We had tons of outreach to the community and got to interact with and teach the kids all about regenerative agriculture. Kids got to do a petting zoo, play with the local Soccer-Shots organization, listen to story time, go down the zipline and, of course, we had lots of other activities too!

August 19th, 2024 - Unfortunately due to financial constraints and limited bandwidth, we have decided to cancel the Fall festival. We are sorry for any inconvenience.

August 28th, 2024 - Do not miss the deadline to apply for free CSA shares for the Fall season! The deadline to apply is September 15th. Please go to ahavahcommunity.org/apply

September 15th, 2024 - Application for fall season now closed.

September 17th - Board meeting. The board reviewed applications for the fall season and approved 18 memberships. Although we had a record number of applications, due to financial limitations and donation declines we were only able to extend memberships to a limited number of individuals. We are thankful we were able to provide food for these 18 struggling families and are incredibly thankful to all those who help support this initiative.

How to Make and Apply Liquid Compost Extract

By Yosef Camire

Making compost extract is a breeze and it is one of the absolute best things you can add to your garden. We love it as a soil drench as well as a garden spray, but really it is an awesome way to extend the spreadability, the nutrient bioavailability and the cost of your compost to make it the most impactful way to use in your garden.

To make compost extract all you really need is some compost and water, but we like to add a few nutrients depending on what we are doing.

We also like to add molasses to the mix which gives the bacteria in the soil a great boost.
To go the extra mile you can use any of your biodynamic preps to add to the mix as well. We like to use the Pfeiffer Field Spray (found at the Josephine Porter Institute for Applied Biodynamics, Inc.). This is a super-packed bacterial spray that will help inoculate your garden with an enormous amount of living bacteria that will continue to reproduce (especially when combined with the compost extract and the molasses.
If you don’t have access to organic molasses you can also use regular organic sugar to help feed the bacteria (a cup of molasses or sugar to a 5 gallon sprayer is more than enough to do the trick).
Want the compost extract to be more fungal? Add wheat berries to water, allow them to soak over-night and add the water to the mix, this will beef up that fungi!
Making the compost extract is super-simple:

Take about 1 lb of compost per gallon of water (DO NOT USE CHLORINATED WATER!) and add it to a bucket and mix it, along with any of the other ingredients mentioned and stir it really good. We like to take a paint mixer (the kind that goes on the end of a power drill) and mix it up real good. We also like to allow the mixture to sit for about an hour to ensure a good release of the nutrients from the compost (but this isn’t necessary).

Next, use a strainer to strain out the liquid (so the compost doesn’t clog the sprayer) and separate the solids from the liquid. Cheesecloth will work well, but we prefer to use paint strainer bags instead – but this is up to you.

Now, take all the solids you are left with and use it as a mulch around your plants (or place back into the compost pile to re-use it again in a few weeks). Take the liquid, add it to your favorite sprayer and spray the leaves and the roots of all your plants. This will make a huge difference in not only providing bacteria and fungi, but also in providing nutrients and protection against disease! To give you an idea of the spray rate, about 10 gallons can cover an acre (however, you can go nuts and not worry about overapplying).

If you don’t have a sprayer, that’s ok too…just spread it around and use it as a soil soak at the base of your plants. They will love it! However, without a sprayer, you won’t be able to spray the leaves as a foliar spray (one great way to get rid of leaf-diseases like powdery mildew etc.