Abbe Hills Farm CSA

Greetings shareholders,

This week, we have potatoes and beans for sure (they are in the shed already, so I know we'll have them).  Depending on how muddy and difficult it is to get around on harvest day, we'll also likely have tomatoes, peppers, chilies, edamame soybeans, parsley, basil, cilantro, kale, collards, and a little okra.  Edamames are soybeans that you eat green.  They are delicious.  Look here for the way to prepare them for use as an appetizer or as part of a salad or side dish. 

It's hard to imagine that it's supposed to be nearly 80 degrees and perfect tomorrow.  This afternoon was pretty unpleasant outside.  But, I'm so glad we got the rain.  We were really needing it.  The fall garden is off to a great start and will benefit from the good soaking and a few days of warm and sun.  Next time you pick up vegetables, which will be Saturday, October 2, we should have lots of fall goodies.  I'm expecting to give you winter squash, lots of lettuce and greens, radishes, storage onions, and potatoes.  And if it stays above freezing, we could still have a few tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants then, too.  This is the good eats time of the year!

A deer breached the fortifications around the lettuce garden last week, so Saturday, we put up a second fence outside of the first one.  The fence guy says they can't figure it out when there is a three-dimensional barrier.  We'll find out.  So far, no damage.  And, I got my dog today.  He's perfect.  He's already been out there sniffing the perimeter, and I've been telling him how great it's going to be chasing deer all night and Canada geese all day.  He's eager to get to work.

I'm still figuring out what to do about the late fall CSA.  I'm hesitating because I'm not sure that I'll have enough of the fall vegetables to make it work.  Also, I'm late in getting the hoophouse planted, so there might be a problem getting the greens mature soon enough.  And the logistics of having pickup nights in the dark and cold are a little daunting.   I don't want to promise something I can't deliver.  As an alternative, I'm considering doing several indoor farmers markets during November and December and keeping you up-to-date on the when and where.  They'd all be on Saturdays, in Mt Vernon or Springville, and maybe Iowa City or Coralville.  Of course, the problem with farmers markets is that sometimes you carry quite a lot of valuable produce back home if the people don't come out to shop for some reason.  So, either way, there are some down sides.  I know for sure that I will have produce after the regular CSA season ends on October 23, and don't worry, I'll keep you posted because I'll be depending on you to be there to buy it one way or the other.  And I'm open to some hybrid of a CSA and a market if you can figure one out, or any other suggestions you might have about how to make it work for all of us.

Remember that this the last time that you pick up your vegetables on a week night this season.  The next pickup for everybody is SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2, 10:00 UNTIL 3:00.  Please put it on your calendar.  There will be four pickups in October.  Please plan to come by 2:00 if you don't have Saturday soccer conflicts.  I'll have the doors open and things out for you until 3:00, but the vegetables really lose their quality by that time of the day if it is warm and clear.  It's about impossible to keep the afternoon sun out of the building and off the produce when it drops down in the south like it does in October.

See you this week,

Laura