SUMMARY: FOURTH Week of Winter 2021! - EXTRA VEGGIES! - ANNOUNCEMENTS - NURSERY 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 WINTER CSA 2021!
HELLO DEAR CSA MEMBERS!
We are still struggling after this incredibly cold, record-breaking month, but we are getting back on track. It looks like the weather for the next few weeks should be warming up which means that we should receive more sunlight and more growth! One thing that is so difficult about growing in the winter is the lack of biological activity, causing a major slowdown in nutrient uptake from the plants, thus causing a slowdown in their growth. When the sunlight is not out and the ground can't warm up, this really hinders the operation and the yield. Unfortunately we can only plan for the expected and cross our fingers that the unexpected doesn't happen this year...but it inevitably does every-single-year! To prepare for this we have a few tricks up our sleeves that we try to use as a last resort like increasing the microgreens, adding living herbs etc. It appears that we may use more of these than we anticipated - but HEY, it's February and that spinach and claytonia tastes OH-SO-GOOD! So there is that! 😁Expect another few weeks of slightly anemic shares though the value will be there, the bulk will not be and it may just be that the 2021 Winter season ends up being subpar and as dissapointing as that is, not all seasons can be as awesome as the last few! Hopefully the Spring and Summer will get us rockin' and rollin' again and we will forget all about our frozen plants, burst pipes and solid ground!
Alright everyone, that's it for now. Be sure to scroll through this e-mail and check for changes and announcements and enjoy the articles!
PS. Please note that some of the veggies have burned tips. These are perfectly safe to eat or can be picked off, and are simply due to freeze burn.
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!
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 SPOTLIGHT
This week we raised another $216!! Thank you so much everyone for leaving your change, bringing your bucks and supporting your community!Help create access to the purest food on the planet and DONATE TODAY!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 here and please consider making it a monthly donation by clicking the box:
Interested in making a tax-deductible donation? Ahavah Community Initiative is registered as a 501c3 with the State of Colorado as a non-profit organization and all donations are tax-deductible.
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!
DID YOU KNOW?
Farming is so much more than just growing calories. For us, it's about growing absolutely pure, about repairing our earth and caring for our resources. It is about putting love into our food, our employees, our animals and our community.
It's been a while since our pledge was reviewed. Now is as good a time as any, and so here it is:
⁕We pledge to never compromise on the purity of our food. This includes the use of any chemicals or anything synthetic (even if it is certified “Organic”).
⁕We pledge to use microbiology, composts, green manures (plant residue) and other organic matter to build and sustain healthy soils.
⁕We pledge to use beneficial insects to control pests and to increase the bio-diversity on our farm.
⁕We pledge to never use pesticides or fungicides.
⁕We pledge to never use GMO’s (Genetically Modified Organisms).
⁕We pledge to use only NOP “Organic” certified seeds, our own saved seeds or locally grown seeds from farms that we trust and are assured of their growing practices.
⁕We pledge to always be transparent in all of our growing practices.
⁕We pledge that we will utilize pure, regenerative practices and we coined the phrase: “Just because it is ‘Organic’ doesn’t mean that it is pure.”
⁕We pledge that we will never use antibiotics or hormones on our animals – unless the animal is sick and the only way to save the animal is through these measures.
⁕We pledge to give our animals adequate shelter, water and food and to feed them before we feed ourselves.
⁕We pledge to reduce emissions and to use as many alternative fuels and sources of energy that are renewable and that our financial capabilities will allow.
⁕We pledge to use water conservation methods and to completely avoid inefficient irrigation practices and systems such as flood irrigation.
⁕We pledge to strive to be as sustainable and regenerative as we can possibly be within the financial parameters and budget of the farm. ⁕We pledge to raise our animals in a humane and loving manner that allows them to live as free, happy and loved animals.
⁕We Pledge to utilize no-till / minimal-till techniques and to only use tillage in extenuating circumstances to protect our soil and the soil-ecosystem.
⁕We pledge to be transparent in all of our business practices and marketing.
⁕We pledge to give back to our community by being a voice for environmental stewardship and the importance of local, sustainable and pure food.
⁕We pledge to allow visitors to our farm and to show them our fertilizer, our growing practices, our soil and water reports and our seeds or anything else they would like to see which is related to our growing practices.
⁕We pledge to use local sources, when available, and when they meet sustainable and purity standards as set forth in this pledge, for all inputs and feed on our farm.
⁕We pledge to continuously improve and to strive to be greater stewards of the earth, supporter of our local community and to never stop learning and increasing our awareness of growing practices that bring health to our community and our planet.
⁕We pledge to allow customers to pay-what-they-can-afford and to never turn away a hungry person when within the financial parameters and reasonable ability of the farm and our family. ⁕We pledge to always pay our employees the best we can and to NEVER give ourselves a raise until we give them one first.
AHAVAH COMMUNITY INITIATIVE
BRING-A-BUCK!
Oh the amazing power of community and crowdfunding!
Every week, at all of the CSA locations, we have a bin or jar that looks like this. We ask all of our members to bring just $1 with them every week to help support their fellow-members and community.
Bring $1 every week and be a part of supporting, directly, families in need.
Don't say your $1 isn't important! The only way crowdfunding works is if we all participate. Therefore, your $1 is vitally important and it is directly through this program that we raise the majority of ACI's food donation funds than any other fundraising program, and yet it is the absolute easiest for all of our members to participate!
Everyone can afford to Bring-A-Buck and if we ALL bring $1, the impact can be enormous - to the tune of feeding 1 family for an entire season for every single week we all participate!!!! WOW!!
NURSERY NEWS - IMPORTANT!!!
Attention Home Gardeners! If you are planning a garden this year, you MUST get your orders in soon! We will be cutting off all guaranteed pre-orders no later than April 1st!
Also, if you are planning on purchasing seeds from an online retailer or other retailer, be prepared that your desired seeds will be sold out. We have seen an over 500% increase in seed, seedling and gardening supplies and many retailers are ALREADY sold out! Place your orders today, as supplies across the globe, particularly here in the United States are running very tight and prices for seeds and seedlings are going through the roof! Don't worry though, our seedling prices are set in stone for 2021 and WILL NOT be increasing! In addition, you save 15% off all orders! See below...
PRE-ORDER TODAY AND SAVE 15%
Don't forget you can still save on all your pre-season seedling orders!
If you are planning a garden for 2021, why not save 15% on your garden seedlings and have them guaranteed to be available where and when you are?!
Pre-order all your garden seedlings today and save 15% (remember there is a lag time, so if you are wanting pre-orders for March, you must get on it right away. 6-8 weeks is the pre-order time for all seedlings)
Pre-Order all your garden seedlings for 2021 (over 70 heirloom varieties!) and have them
guaranteed to be available on your selected date in your selected location: Colorado Springs, Denver, Monument and Peyton.
DEADLINE TO PRE-ORDER IS APRIL 1ST!
Use Code NURSERY15 at checkout.
It’s never to early to plan a 2021 victory garden! Go to www.ahavahfarm.com/nursery for more information and USE CODE NURSERY15 at checkout!
ATTENTION AUTO-RENEWAL MEMBERS:
Your automatic renewal will be charged on March 1st, 2021 for the Spring 2021 season. Please make any changes or request known no-later than February 26th. If you would like to change your share size or pickup location, or if you would like to change your Market-Style / Traditional style share or for any other requests, please send them to contact@ahavahfarm.com before February 26th. Thank you.
The following are the amounts to be charged:
Large - Cost $514.95 minus 5% discount. Amount to be charged: $489.21
Medium - Cost $432.56 minus 5% discount. Amount to be charged: $410.94
Small - Cost $308.97 minus 5% discount. Amount to be charged: $293.53
If you are paying cash or with SNAP there is an additional 2.99% discount for cash payment.
INTRODUCING: A Microgreen CSA Share!
Love our microgreens!? Than this selection is for you! Receive 3 types of microgreens every week of the year and save 17% every single week!
Our microgreens are fresh and will last - unlike anything you can find in the store. We pride ourselves on our microgreen quality as being not only absolutely pure - grown without chemicals, fertilizers or inefficient energy (we grow with 100% solar, renewable energy!), but they are absolutely beautiful, long-lasting and delicious! We really can't rave enough, they are THAT good!
What's in a Share?
In your share you will receive a combination of 3 microgreens every week with the option to purchase add-ons and extras when available. Every week we will be growing a mixture of microgreens and you will receive 3 selections of the following: Sunflower Shoots, Pea Shoots, Radish, Kale, Kohlrabi, Basil, Cilantro, Lettuce, Brocolli and more.
Pickup locations and times are the same as Ahavah Farm Veggie Share CSA but you do not have to be a veggie-share member to be a microgreen CSA member - these are two independent programs combined into one.
Go to https://www.ahavahfarm.com/microgreen-csa to learn more and to sign up!
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!
This Week's Harvest
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
Radishes - Only the best tasting and incredibly beautiful radishes ever! Roasting. Hands down is the best way to eat these! I literally cannot get enough of these roasted radishes 😋!
Claytonia - Claytonia is another one of those amazing specialty greens that are ONLY available in the winter and it is super-delicious! Here is an article on this fabulous green.
Spinach - The best tasting thing in the universe during the winter just might be this spinach! It has some burned tips, like the rest, but it is DE-LICIOUS!!!
Tatsoi Florettes - You've had these once already and we have received lot's of positive feedback. We tend to not give too many of these, so when they are available, they are a real treat. Here is an article with a delicious-looking recipe: https://healmedelicious.com/aip-tatsoi-flowers/
Lettuce - Three different types of lettuce are coming your way this week: Red Fire, Green Star and Rouge D'Hiver (a baby red romaine variety).
Celeriac - Yummo! This is the last of the celeriac until next fall! Eat the greens like you would celery and the root is amazing roasted! I, Yosef, have this daily and really enjoy the favor. Here are some ideas: https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/15-best-celeriac-recipes-article
Arugula - Oh, wonderful and delicious arugula! What can we say about arugula, but nummo! Our favorite way to eat arugula is in a frittata! 🤤
Pea Shoots - One of the most desired and sought after items we provide are these pea shoots! Quite literally the best you will find and oh so fresh! If you love the taste of peas, you will love these. Great as a raw snack or added to any dish or salad. Our favorite way is to add them to stews and soups. A perfect topper too! Here are four fun ways to use Pea Shoots: http://blog.bostonorganics.com/4-fun-ways-to-use-pea-shoots
Radish Microgreens - Next to the barley grass and the sunshoots, radish microgreens are some of the most nutritiously-dense items we grow on the farm and not only that, but during our annual survey last year, they ranked as the #1 most requested and love item we grow! They have a fantastic bite to them, last considerably long in the refrigerator and are beautiful in appearance.
Is that it? I think so! We may have missed an item or two, and you never know what the harvest will actually look like in the end, but that should be the most of it! Have a great week!
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
