SUMMARY: Thirteenth Week of Summer 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 11 - Thirteenth Week of Summer CSA 2020!
HELLO DEAR CSA MEMBERS! Well, from crushing hail to an early record-breaking freeze, this was not the year for squash (or cucumbers!)! Yup, they're all done. But so much else survived perfectly! It hit a very chilly 24.3 degrees here on the farm and we got a bunch of snow, but because of our amazing team and our volunteers, we were able to make everything else (almost) survive - even the tomatoes!
So, that's right, we are all done with the cucumbers and squash, but your final two weeks are going to be wonderful! Both weeks should see tomatoes and be abundant. We should also have plenty of roots and fresh greens. One new item this week that you haven't seen for a while will be mustard - yay! We are also hoping to have an abundance of gorgeous turnips (seriously the most requested item lately!), scallions will also be coming and lot's of other yummy, beyond-organic veggies. Enjoy!
Enjoy your share this week and don't forget to join the fun and share your recipes and pictures in the Facebook Community Group!
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
Plenty of Room in our Upcoming Tours
We have one more tour for you to register for on 9/29, It's completely open, so register now!
Tour Schedule:
Tours: NEXT TOUR COMING UP: 9/29! Tours are always a good time and we always learn a lot too! Educational tours are centered on environmental stewardship and the pure standards we have set for our farm. We walk the entire farm and learn about biodiversity, microbiology, the benefits of no-till and our other sustainable farming methods. We talk about energy, nutritional density of our food and we even tour the wash-rooms, the nurseries, our blacksmith shop, our storage facilities and more.
Tours start at 9am on the following Tuesdays: 9/29 (OPEN).
We would like to offer more classes, specifically on food preparation etc. If you are an individual that would be interested in using our facilities to host a class we would love to encourage this. Please reach out to us with your ideas.
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
This is Becca! She loves to come out to the farm to get her weekly dose of microbes, exercise, mind-clearing and sunshine.
Becca is our "Chief Weeder" and the amount of weeds she has pulled this year could probably fill an entire dump truck -and I am not exaggerating!
Over the past few months our team has been able to get to know Becca and we all agree that although she truly is an amazing worker, it's her kind-spirit and loving-nature that appeal to the team the most. What's so amazing about our volunteers, is the incredible amount of consistency when it comes to quality of character. Becca is no exception. The entire team raves about her! Thank you Becca for bringing your smile to our team multiple times per week. You are definitely a part of our team and we ALL appreciate and enjoy having you around!
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
This is our 100% volunteer board (minus Anna who isn't shown, from left to right it's Erin, Havah, Yosef, Patty, Mark, Lyn, Asta and Loni).
Last night was our September meeting and we reviewed all the applications for the Fall 2020 donated CSA share program. Our goal was to go through the applications from struggling families whom have applied for a fully donated or subsidized vegetable share.
This season we are humbled to be able to offer 35 people either a fully donated share or a subsidized share grant. This is wonderful news. However, there were a total of 65 applications, which means that quite a few did not get accepted.
THIS is the reason we are reaching out to you. To donate this much food for 13 weeks of the Fall season will cost us $10,300.00 and we are requesting your help to cover it for your local pure-food community.
With Winter coming and application numbers continuing to rise, and as more and more people are struggling with income and food security in our local areas, the need is only going to become greater and greater still.
Over 35 families will receive the food their family so desperately needs because our amazing community donated a few dollars here and a few dollars there. Every single dollar counts. Whether you donate a single $1 or you donate $1,000, your gift is cherished and will go, 100%, directly to families who need it the most.
We all thank you from the bottom of our hearts for any amount you feel led to give!
Please Consider a Tax-Deductible Donation to help feed struggling families.
DONATE HERE NOW! We truly believe that Ahavah Community Initiative (501C3) is one of the best ways to make a direct impact on YOUR community. Our mission is simple and the finances are completely transparent. 100% of your donations go straight to supporting our mission to "connect under-served people to locally-farmed, regeneratively-grown produce..." etc. Our board is 100% volunteer and there is no paid staff. Our meetings are public and our minutes are available at request.
Please consider a tax deductible donation to ACI by clicking the button below, and please consider making it a monthly donation by clicking the box:
DID YOU KNOW?
Did you know that it takes 70-90 days for carrots to grow and there is only a 2-3 week window where they can be harvested? Carrots, known to be one of the most difficult crops to grow, love aerated soil, even watering and cool weather. There is a fly called "the carrot fly" that loves to attack carrots. Carrots are an annual and they are prone to bolting in the summer, so adding shade can help prevent this. In the winter time there are a lot of other parameters and challenges, and like tomatoes, carrots have many, many different varieties that all have their own set of parameters. What about Radishes? Turnips? Kale? Tomatoes, squash and celery? What about the other 90 varieties that we grow throughout the seasons? All the herbs and microgreens, summer crops, winter crops and shoulder-season crops?
Just how do we plant these crops, anyway? In shade, in the sun? By direct-seeding, or by transplant? Are the varieties cold-hardy? What about heat resistance? How long until this crop is ready for harvest - is it different in summer vs. winter? What about bugs, which ones attack which plants and how do I control them without chemicals? What are the nutritional needs for this crop vs that crop and how do we feed the plants using biology and biodynamics? What about the harvest, are there special harvesting techniques or tools? Then there is the storage of the crop, crop rotation, disease issues, transport...and so so so much more to know about each and every crop we grow. Mix in the tumultuous weather in one of the most difficult environments in the country to grow food and mix in a little human error and a 48 week per year schedule in some very harsh conditions, add in nearly 400 CSA memberships and 5 different CSA locations, all the safety and business-related issues and add in a tight-budget, debt, infrastructure, certifications, government licensing and regulation and an overloaded amount of work during Covid-19 and the added pressures of the economy and you have yourself one heck of a complex business! (There is a reason there are so few farms in the area - one fact we are actively trying to change. If you are interested in interning or have questions about starting a farm, let us know - we want to help!)
Farming is not easy, and to do it well is nearly impossible, or it at least seems that way! Yet, it seems that every year we tend to pull-off that very seemingly-impossible feat (probably because I am so incredibly stubborn!🤣). Farming keeps us on our toes. It's pressures challenge and refine us.
Before farming I was in a complex industry as a field-leading, published and semi-acclaimed engineer. I was good at my job and my job was an extreme challenge. When we started farming, I was like everyone else that thinks, "How hard could it be?" After six years under my belt, I can honestly say that it is one of the most difficult undertakings I have ever done - harder than fighting cancer, harder than any of my degrees, more difficult than losing our home and business in Hurricane Katrina, harder than the other 6 businesses I have owned (the only thing that I have done that has been harder has been to raise 6 children and to have a sustaining 17 year marriage), yet in the same breathe I can honestly say that it is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done as well!
Farming has taught me patience. It has brought our family together in a way that I couldn't imagine. It feeds us amazing food and has created a community where there wasn't one before. The life-lessons that have come through this entire experience are beyond anything I could fully express. It's been life-changing and I don't resent any of it's challenges - not the hail in 2016, the drought of 2018, the bomb-cyclone of 2019, the Covid-19 of 2020 nor the cancer that I am currently fighting (well, as long as I survive🤣!).
As hard and challenging as farming has been in Peyton, CO, the patience, blessing, freedom and wisdom that it has brought our way has been and will always be a sweet and precious gift that we will always hold dear. Yet, I mourn the fact that that most of our country has no conception of what it takes to get their food to their local grocery and to their table (and I know, because I used to be unknowing and unappreciative as well).
Oh, how I wish the world could understand just what it takes, just how little we get paid and just how much appreciation farmer's have for their craft due to the fragility of our undertaking. To do this the right way without chemicals, tractors or sprays, to grow 90 to 100 varieties in one of the harshest growing areas possible at 6,500ft elevation takes a certain amount of ingenuity, creativity and fortitude. I am so proud of how well Ahavah Farm has done in the face of these challenges and it is my goal to give all the credit to our team and our volunteers and community.
Our team is impeccable. They are morally strong and virtuous and physically able and collaborative. Without them, without the volunteers and all of you who have supported us through all the good and hard times, this farm WOULD NOT EXIST. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you! We can't express it or shout it enough!
CSA PICKUP LOCATIONS AND TIMES
NOTATE TIMES: Times are subject to change.
(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 bags with us! 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
Turnips - The harvest of turnips this week was unbelievable. Not only are the turnips themselves unbelievable, but the greens are also! WOW!😍
Tatsoi - Oh my! This is so beautiful and one of my (Yosef) favorite things on the farm! So delicious raw, and even better saute'd. Nom Nom! Enjoy!
Radish Microgreens - The spicy variety of microgreens that we will be offering this week, though they will only be for sale and won't be included as part of the CSA this week.
Head Lettuce - Beautiful head lettuce this week. Red and green.
Beets - Oh my, these are some of the most beautiful beets ever - like every week!!! Gorgeous huge roots with very tasty tops!
Cabbage Microgreens - The sweet variety of microgreens. Like the radish micros, they will only be for sale and won't be included as part of the CSA this week.
Broccoli Microgreens - Nutritious and yummy! Just a little kick of spice to these microgreens.
Jalepeno Peppers - Big, beautiful and tasty! Perfect to dry and save for winter too! Drying them is so easy: CLICK HERE
Tomatoes - Tons of tomatoes. Some minor grasshopper damage on some.
Parsley - One of our favorite things to eat on the farm. Here is a link of 15 ideas of what to do with fresh parsley: CLICK HERE
Basil - Remember to dry this if you don't use it! We give you a bunch too, so it's great for pesto!
Kale - Lot's of blue-curled kale this week. It's very pretty! Don't forget to massage it!
Radishes - Depending on the harvest this week, we may only include them for sale.
Scallions - Some of the most beautiful scallions we have ever harvested! Don't forget to put them in water for a continual harvest.
Sunshoots - Our sunshoots have been on a roll for 4 straight weeks and the feedback is continuing to roll in about how much you all love these! We have had a few people say that once they got creative with them they fell in love with them. Here are a few great ideas for your sunshoots, the most nutritious thing we grow: 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.
Swiss Chard - Big beautiful chard. Some minor grasshopper damage, but waxy and beautiful none the less.
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!
What to expect NEXT week:
Next week should be beautiful once again. Expect a few new items including a return to peppers: Leeks, salad mix, more tomatoes and more herbs. Expect carrots next week and onions too as well as all the rest!
That's it for this week! Love you to pieces! Yosef, Havah, Kids and Team The Camire Family
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