SUMMARY: THIRD 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 3 - The THIRD Week of FALL CSA 2020!
HELLO DEAR CSA MEMBERS! We are passed all the Jewish High Holydays and are looking forward to heading toward a smooth 10 more weeks. The only obstacle we have now is Thanksgiving. Keep an eye out for an update regarding that week's schedule - we will announce it as we get closer.
Well, so far we have had some beautiful shares and this week is no different! Of course, we are done with all the summer crops: All the peppers, squash, tomatoes and other summer crops are gone. But what's coming should be just as exciting! We are moving fully into Fall-mode with fresh beets, carrots, turnips and onions as our main staples with a series of greens and microgreens mixed in. This week you can expect leeks, celery-root, turnip greens, fennel, carrots, kohlrabi, some dried herbs and plenty more.
See below for what's coming in your bags this week.
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 CSA REGISTRATION OPENS THURSDAY, October 15th!
If you are a member that is NOT registered for "Automatic-Renewal," and you want a Winter CSA share, Thursday is the day to sign up! We don't know how the sales will go this time around, but we always sell out and do not expect this season to be an exception.
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.
CLASSES AND TOURS
Today is our last tour of the year!
Unfortunately, this upcoming tour is the last of the year. We won't have any more tours until next Spring!
We will still be continuing our classes throughout the Winter and, as always, we would LOVE for your skills to be represented too! Have a special skill to share? Homesteading 101 skills are great and always in demand. Let us know if you have a class you would like to teach!
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
This is Terri and her husband Mark. Both Mark and Terri have been members of our CSA for years and all along the way they have volunteered with us regularly too.
Mark has been involved numerous times and really enjoys getting involved with projects like construction, while Terri regularly volunteers every week as part of our weeding team. Both Mark and Terri really deserve so much more credit than they have gotten, as they have been involved in so much on the farm and off the farm over the years. During the Bomb Cyclone recovery, Terri and Mark were here many times helping us rebuild. When we had the major hemp harvest of 2019 (pictured above) they were here then too. In between, at the CSA locations, or at the events, from packing bags, pulling weeds, harvesting and washing to projects and more, this amazing couple have really made a huge impact on our farm and we are very grateful to them!
Terri, you specifically have been an incredible blessing to our farm. You show up every week, go right to your tasks and often times I miss you all together! However, you should know that your impact on the farm is hugely beneficial, is recognized regularly and does not go unnoticed. We love having you and the benefit you bring to the farm is probably much bigger than you know! The team appreciates you and you are always so nice and warm and friendly and you always do such a thorough job. Thank you for your smile and your hard work we hope you and Mark will continue to volunteer with us and be members 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!
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 microgreens have been found to be up to 40× more nutritious than mature-leaf vegetables? For instance, one ounce of our microgreen mix is nearly nutritionally equivalent to 3lbs of broccoli!
Crazy, I know. But that's not the ONLY thing that microgreens are good for. Microgreens taste incredible, and there's a reason for that too - the nutrition! Did you know that the higher the nutritional content of a vegetable, the higher the sugar content and therefore the greater the flavor also? Of course you knew this because you read all the "Did-You-Know" sections and you learned this a few weeks back😋! You should also know because the flavor of Ahavah Farm veggies taste so great! That's because they have higher nutrition and thus have a higher sugar content. Who knew😄?
So back to the amazing microgreens. You will experience all of the microgreens throughout the season, and like the rest of the varieties, we try to mix it up so you don't get the same thing every week (which might make some people happy, but not everyone). You'll notice that our microgreens last 2x to 3x longer than the ones you buy in the store. That's because they are super-fresh which means that their nutritional content is even higher. However, they won't last as long as mature vegetables. Eat them quick, within 3 days of receiving them to get the best benefit.
The following are the varieties we grow:
Sunflower Shoots, Pea Shoots, Radish, Broccoli, Barley Grass, Kohlrabi, Cabbage and a few others like basil and dill, cilantro and kale.
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
Leeks- The thing that makes our leeks so special is how deep we plant them! Not all leeks have such a long white stalk as ours do. We also give you all the greens! Don't waste them. The best thing to do with these greens is to use them like scallions - only garlic. You can also dry them into leek chips with some salt and oil!
Dried Dill- We love dill and use it regularly. Used in mashed potatoes, pickling dishes, or in salad dressing, dill has a lot of uses. This dill is preserved from the summer harvest, feel free to strip these and store the herbs in a jar for later use. Here is an article with 20 ideas to use your dill: https://www.thekitchn.com/dill-recipes-200413
Carrots- These carrots are not only absolutely delicious, but they are so beautiful!
Fennel- Oh delicious fennel! Did you know that it changes flavor when cooked? We like to bread it and grill it! Yum! Here are 3 recipes that claim to make any person a fennel lover: http://goodfoodlife.fullcircle.com/three-fennel-recipes-to-make-you-a-fennel-lover/
Celeriac Root and Greens - The newest crop of the bunch, this is the first season we have grown this amazing root. We LOVE celeriac. However, our celeriac is a little on the smaller side (a learning curve issue). That doesn't mean they aren't delicious - they are! In fact, the roots are some of the best we have ever tasted and the greens are a huge bonus, as those don't exist in the stores! The roots are known best for soups, but they are extremely versatile. We love to roast them and I (Yosef) eat it at almost every meal this way, but they can be made into mashed celeriac and can be made into a ton of different amazing recipes. Here is an article with 15 uses for celeriac: https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/15-best-celeriac-recipes-article
Mustard Greens - Oh mustard greens are so good!
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!
Chives- Who doesn't love chives? Kind of a cross between garlic greens and scallions, chives are the best!
Turnip Greens - Grown for the roots, this variety does best after at least 1 cutting of the greens. These greens are the best part of the turnip, in my opinion, anyway 😀! Enjoy sautéed with salt, pepper some garlic and oil and you can't go wrong! Fun fact: There is more bioavailable calcium available in turnip greens than any other plant!
Kohrabi Bulbs and Greens- Big bulbs and gigantic greens! The best tasting green on the farm! 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!
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.
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: 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
