Week 5: February 6 - 9
This past Friday, our crew member Elisse, Ashley, and I (Chris) made the trek east to Madison, Wisconsin for the Organic Vegetable Producers Conference - an annual farming conference focused on, well, organic vegetable production. There, we hung out with a couple hundred other growers from the region, listening to presentations and panels, joining roundtables, and swapping suggestions.
Conferences are always an exercise in interpretation. Even within a conference as focused as this, the learnings from other farms don’t always translate easily. Best practices from a CSA farm in Kentucky with 750 share members, or growing tips from a farmer who plants, weeds, and harvests on a tractor, for example, need a little adjusting before they become usable and useful ideas for our little slice of paradise here in Afton.
Overall, the conference crystalized one big thought: part of what we love about this whole farming thing is that there will always be someone who grows better Brussels sprouts or has a promising new way to plant lettuce. But each season we get a chance to learn, experiment, and evolve, trying to improve. We left Madison with our heads filled to the brim with possibilities, things to try and things to adjust.
Perhaps just as importantly, we had a four-hour drive each way, uninterrupted by our wonderful children. As is typical in those moments, we mostly talked farming. And let me tell you, those types of conversations are the best - when we can let the day-to-day work of the farm fade to the background and talk about our hopes and dreams for the seasons to come. What are we most looking forward to this year? How can we continue to nurture an incredible community around the farm? How can we ensure that this work is sustainable for us and everyone who farms with us in the next decade and beyond?
After a weekend away, soaking in inspiration and letting our minds dream, it’s exciting to be back on the farm. Today we depart the Persephone Period, meaning we’ll start getting 10 hours of daylight, and plants will start to grow again. We’re hoping more light will supercharge our spinach growth - we’re taking a few weeks off from harvesting for wholesale and the farm stand, and only offering spinach to you for a little bit! Our spring seeding starts this week, and the tulips in the greenhouses are juuust beginning to bloom. The winter is inching toward its end, and we’re looking forward to seeing what the coming months bring.
Have a studious week,
Chris, Ashley, Hallie & The 10th Street Farm Crew
Reminder: Your bag is hanging BELOW your name on the bag rack.
In Your Bag This Week
Flavor Mix microgreens: Mild and tasty, these make an easy salad on their own or can add some color to any other salad. Try them on eggs or sandwiches – or anything, really! Store in a bag in your fridge.
Sunflower Shoots: Crunchy and nutty flavor, these are a great substitute for lettuce on sandwiches or wraps. Store in your fridge.
Persephone Mix salad greens: Our fresh-cut winter blend of lettuce and cold-hardy greens. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Petite Choi: Miniature pac choi is the perfect addition to stir fry, ramen, or fresh salads. Lightly sauté, steam, or just eat raw. Store in your fridge.
Spinach: Spinach gets sweeter the more it freezes and thaws as the plant produces sugars to use as an anti-freeze to keep the plant alive. That means the best spinach you can eat is grown in a cold place! Use as a salad base, sautéed as a side dish or bake into a casserole. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Carrots: These carrots are sweet, crunchy, and oh so addicting! Store in your fridge.
Radish Shoots: These beautiful purple shoots have a spicy taste and add a pop of color. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Beets: These earthy beauties are good in sweet and savory roles alike. Boil, roast, or grate into baked goods! Store in a bag in your fridge.
Garlic: The best cooking advice we ever received? When a recipe calls for a clove of garlic, use two or three! Store on your counter.
What should I make with what’s in the bag?
Sunflower shoots make their winter debut in the bag! We typically eat these raw - their nuttiness and texture is great with eggs, in salads, on a soup, or on sandwiches. You could try them in a version of this roasted beet salad with goat cheese? Or if you don’t want to eat them raw, this Thai stir fried sunflower shoots recipe looks intriguing! We just might have to try it.
We have an even more versatile green in the bag, as well. Petite Choi is a baby bok choy that’s great in ramen or other soups, as well as in stir fries and salads. And if you’re looking to explore carrots’ versatility, maybe whip up a carrot hummus for the Super Bowl. Go birds!
If you've found a recipe you're loving, please send it our way. We're always looking for new things to cook and share with other members!
We wash everything in your bag but we wash them in bulk so some things may need an extra rinse at home. Thanks!
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