2015 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Program...Here we come!

Well, it has been a year since we ran our first Community Supported Agriculture program (CSA) and were ready to get back into growing! We are now accepting applications for our 2015 CSA program. 

If you don't know what a CSA program is, it is basically a partnership between community members, like you, and a local farm.  When you join a CSA program, you pay a “share” of the annual budget up front (in the form of a one-time annual fee) in return for a share of the farm’s seasonal harvests hereby becoming a member of the farm.  A CSA membership is an investment in the farm for a full harvest season and gives you access to the best selection of locally-grown, hand-picked produce, as well as full access to your farmers and participation in farm events.

The cost of our CSA program will be $720. It will include 12 boxes of organically-grown vegetables with about 8-12 items in each box. We will have boxes ready for you every two weeks from May through October. Basically, it averages out to $30/week or about $4.30/day for delicious produce. It is enough produce to feed 2-4 people. Consider sharing the produce and cost with family members, friends, or neighbors if they feel like it may be too much. We also have payment plans available.

Just talking about starting our CSA program up again has boosted our energy and enthusiasm. It is amazing how the thought of being outside a lot together, starting to grow vegetables from seeds, and getting lists together can boost the 2015 morale.

During our last CSA, we distributed over 200 lbs of organically grown vegetables to each of our CSA members during our last year of growing on the farm! The pictures above depict a snapshot of each of the twelve boxes of vegetables we gave to each CSA member.


If you are interested in signing up or getting more information about our 2015 CSA program, check out this link: http://blog.leafygreensfarm.com/p/blog-page_26.html

Oregon Farms

We recently had the opportunity to travel to Portland, Oregon and its surrounding area. While we were there, we learned a lot about how Oregonians embrace growing there own food, sustainable farming, and farm to table restaurants. We also got to meet Jay from Laughing Worms Farm and she gave us a tour of her farm.

While driving outside of Portland, we saw field after field of red clover surrounded by fields of green. It was beautiful. Later, we found out it is Crimson Clover that blooms in May. It is a a cover crop that farmers plant to replenish the amount of nitrogen in their soil in order to prevent having to add extra fertilizers during the growing season. The state even has a Oregon Clover Commission to help farmers keep their soils healthy.

Another thing we saw while driving around Oregon was that there were greenhouses everywhere. They were located on large farms, small farms, and in many backyards. The growing season in Oregon is shorter than the growing season in St. Louis and therefore greenhouses help extend the growing season.


We also had the opportunity to eat at two restaurants that serve high quality food made from local and organic produce. We ate at Paley's Place in Portland, OR and Recipe in Newberg, OR.  Our meals were absolutely delicious and we give both restaurants our highest recommendations. Our server at Recipe turned out to be a farmer named Jay who owns Laughing Worms Farm. She invited us to come to her farm in the morning and we took her up on that offer.

Her farm is located in front of Roco Winery in the Willemette Wine Country. Jay and her partner have a small CSA, grow vegetables for restaurants, have chickens and ducks, and have a contract to grow organic roses that will be turned into rose brandy. We noticed a lot similarities between Laughing Worms and Leafy Greens and loved our time spent talking about farming.

Garlic

We planted our garlic in November 2013 and it is looking great! Garlic is one of those things that we love to grow because we LOVE to eat it. Whether it is minced, chopped, or roasted whole, we have approximately a thousand recipes for it. In fact, we just used 4 tablespoons of chopped garlic in a vegetable lasagna we made this afternoon.

Did you know that garlic has been used as both food and medicine for thousands of years, dating back to when the Egyptian pyramids were built?  In early 18th-century France, gravediggers drank crushed garlic in wine believing it would protect them from the plague. During both World Wars I and II, soldiers were given garlic to prevent gangrene. It was also used as an antiseptic, applied to wounds to prevent infection.

Today garlic is used to help prevent heart disease, including atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries (plaque buildup in the arteries that can block the flow of blood and may lead to heart attack or stroke), high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and to boost the immune system. Eating garlic regularly may also help protect against cancer.

Garlic is rich in antioxidants. In your body, harmful particles called free radicals build up as you age, and may contribute to heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease. Antioxidants like those found in garlic fight off free radicals, and may reduce or even help prevent some of the damage caused over time.

Besides all the history and wonderful antioxidant properties, we look forward to sharing and selling our garlic at the St. Louis Garlic Fest in Carondelet Park this June 2, 2014. Come join us of you can.

Change of plans for Leafy Greens Farm CSA

Damian and I had full intentions to provide a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program again in 2014 because we had a lot of fun doing it last year. Unfortunately, we have decided that we are no longer able to provide a CSA this year. We will still be growing cool vegetables and providing a few "Veg Out and Be Healthy" boxes in 2014. Our careers (outside of the farm) have gotten busy and we recognize that we need another year to focus on building up our finances. Our ultimate goal is to buy our own property to live on and farm on. We are going to work hard and try to bring back the CSA in 2015!

8 THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT FARMING THIS YEAR

This year we have farmed more and harvested more vegetables than we ever have in previous years.  As Fall approaches and our growing season winds down, we wanted to take a little time to reflect on what we love about farming this year. Below are 8 things we love about farming this year.

1. BEING OUTSIDE IN THE SUN. Now granted, every day was not sunny while we were farming; however, it was marvelous on the days that were. On days where we got out to the farm early, we were able to see the sun heat up the dew on the leaves of our vegetables and create a swirling steam effect much like a hot cup of coffee on a cold day. In the afternoon, the sun would warm up our bodies and give our plants the necessary dose of light energy to create photosynthesis. In the evening, we often found ourselves working harder and racing the sun so we could get home before dark. There is something to be said for getting out of the house, away from computers, and soaking up the sun's rays.
2. THE VARIETY OF VEGETABLES THAT WE ARE GROWING.  This year, we branched out beyond our leafy greens and tried growing many vegetables that we haven't tried before. Most were successes. We were proud to get root vegetables such as beets, carrots, and parsnips to grow this year. We tried out several squashes and cucumbers this year and found out we are in love with spaghetti squash. We were able to grow beans and tomatoes like never before after learning from our mistakes in the previous years. We also discovered some spicy leafy greens such as arugula and nasturtium leaves that we plan to grow more of next year. When we look in seed catalogs, there is so much variety. We know we can grow them all, but we sure can try enough variety to learn how to be dangerous. :)
3. HAVING CSA MEMBERS AND BEING ABLE TO TALK TO THEM EVERY OTHER WEEK.  This year, we started a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program and provided produce to 10 families every other week. It has been so cool to see their faces as we give them a box of vegetables and explain what they are getting in the box. We get to talk to them about what we do on the farm, healthy living, and fun recipes to try with the vegetables they are getting. We get to learn about their families, jobs, and interests. It is so fascinating what brings each family to the decision to eat healthier and support local farmers. We appreciate each and every one of them. 
4. KNOWING THAT WE ARE FEEDING OTHERS WITH PESTICIDE FREE PRODUCE.  We have recognized in the past how disconnected we were with where our food came from and what chemicals had been used to grow the vegetables we bought in the store. By farming, we are able to control how our vegetables grow and we choose not to contaminate them with questionable chemicals that have even more questionable long-term effects on our bodies. It takes more time and effort to farm organically, but it is worth it to know that our food does come from industrialized factories. We cover most of our growing vegetables with row cover to protect them from insects, we weed by hand instead of by using herbicides, and we clean our produce with good old-fashioned water instead of chemical-laden preservatives or waxes. We are making an impact in the local community and letting companies like Monsanto know that we don't need them to be sustainable or grow successful crops.
5. EATING MORE FRESH VEGETABLES THAN WE EVER HAVE BEFORE.  Even after providing our CSA members and wholesalers vegetables, we have a lot of extra vegetables. We are eating them, canning them, and freezing them like crazy! We have discovered the wonderful versatility of kale and collards this year. We have probably cooked zucchini 1,000 ways and loved most of them. We have replaced pasta with spaghetti squash in several recipes. We have taken more salads in our work lunch boxes than ever before. Even though it is a lot of extra work now, we have also frozen pre-made dinners with vegetables, soups, and blanched vegetables so that we can enjoy them all winter long. We probably have over 50 different vegetable dishes in our deep freezer right now.
6. SHARING A FOCUSED GOAL WITH MY PARTNER. There is something beautiful about sharing a farming hobby in a relationship with a loved one. Most couples bond by a shared interest in the beginning of their relationship and sometimes it is challenging to keep that going through the years. Whether it is going out dancing, drinking, or mountain biking, it is good to have something other than responsibilities and bills to share with your partner. Damian and I share the mutual love of farming and have a goal to keep farming for many years to come. 
7. WORKING HARD WITH A PURPOSE. Americans get a bad rap for being lazy and we don't want to be lumped into that category. There is so much that can be done to make our lives and our world more interesting, but often we wait for someone else to get things started.  We don't want to just want to be spectators in our world. We wanted to make an impact by growing organic produce. In order to do that, it takes A LOT of hard work. From putting the seed in the soil, taking care of each plants basic needs, and getting the fully grown vegetables to the consumers, it is a lot of love and work that has to go into it. We have watched sweat roll off of each other and witnessed crabbiness from exhaustion. When one of us is tired, the other one pushes us to finish what we have to get done in order to go home and be rewarded with a delicious meal. No one ever told us farming would be easy. Most of them told us that it is a lot of hard work. They were right.
8. WATCHING HOW EACH OTHER DEALS WITH CHALLENGES AND THE GROSS PARTS OF FARMING. Everything we planted has not grown. Deer, bugs, and mother nature have caused us to lose plants and caused us frustration. When it rains, the plants get watered for us, but it also means we have to weed a lot more. When playing out in nature every weekend, we ran into some pretty gross things that I don't even want to go into detail about. Mostly smells and rotting dead things, but I still don't think this blog post needs to get into the icky details. Through the year, we have gotten better at communicating with each other about how to get through challenges we have at the farm. We have to be able to let things go and recognize that we are not "perfect farmers" or anywhere near that. We still have a lot to learn. When we encounter challenges at the farm, we might squeal, curse, or puke depending on the situation. However, we are still hear to tell about it and poke fun at each other for how we reacted to certain things. Thank goodness we have had each other to witness the best and the worst of farming because I don't think I could have done it alone.

More recipes: Asian Lettuce Wraps & Zucchini Fritters

ZUCCHINI FRITTERS

Ingredients

Soy Dipping Sauce

• 3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• Crushed red pepper flakes

Fritters

• 1 1/2 pounds zucchini (about 3 medium), grated
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

Directions

Soy Dipping Sauce

• Mix vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and a pinch of red pepper flakes in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

Fritters

• Place zucchini in a colander set in the sink and toss with 1/2 teaspoons salt. Let stand 10 minutes, then wring zucchini dry in a clean kitchen towel. Place zucchini in a large bowl and gently mix in egg, flour, chives, and cornstarch; season with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in 2 batches, drop 1/4-cupfuls zucchini mixture into skillet, flattening slightly; cook until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer fritters to a paper towel–lined plate; season with salt. Serve with soy dipping sauce.
• DO AHEAD: Fritters can be made 30 minutes ahead. Keep warm in a 200° oven.

ASIAN LETTUCE WRAPS

Ingredients

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 pound ground beef
2-inch piece ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 scallions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 head Boston lettuce, leaves separated, cleaned and dried

Directions

In a skillet over medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil and saute beef until brown. Stir in ginger, scallions, garlic, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and hoisin and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the peanuts. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm wrapped in lettuce cups.

Fun soup recipes for late summer vegetables -Creamy Tomato Basil Soup, Butternut Squash Soup, and Ratatouille

Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup

Total Preparation Time: 1 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped red onions (2 onions)
• 2 carrots, unpeeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 4 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped (5 large)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves, plus julienned basil leaves, for garnish
• 3 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• Croutons, for garnish

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and carrots and saute for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and stir well. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very tender.
Add the cream to the soup and process it through a food mill into a bowl, discarding only the dry pulp that's left. Reheat the soup over low heat just until hot and serve with julienned basil leaves and/or croutons.

 

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped

2 medium potatoes, cubed

1 medium butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and cubed

1 (32 fluid ounce) container chicken stock

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large pot, and cook the onion, celery, carrot, potatoes, and squash 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Pour in enough of the chicken stock to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 40 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.
2. Transfer the soup to a blender, and blend until smooth. Return to pot, and mix in any remaining stock to attain desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. 

 Ratatouille

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more as needed
1 1/2 cups small diced yellow onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups medium diced eggplant, skin on
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 cup diced green bell peppers
1 cup diced red bell peppers
1 cup diced zucchini squash
1 cup diced yellow squash
1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Set a large 12-inch saute pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the onions and garlic to the pan. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they are wilted and lightly caramelized, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the eggplant and thyme to the pan and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is partially cooked, about 5 minutes. Add the green and red peppers, zucchini, and squash and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, basil, parsley, and salt and pepper, to taste, and cook for a final 5 minutes. Stir well to blend and serve either hot or at room temperature. 

Ingredients