We woke up to  snow covered mountains on Thursday as we prepared for the last share harvest day of the season.  It was a clear sign to me that our growing season is coming to a close.  It is bittersweet to see the end of another season.  We enjoy serving our community and our family with fresh garden food and feel a great sense of accomplishment with another season under our belts.  We wish it could go on longer, yet we are ready for the change of pace.  The life of a gardener is a bit like the life of the plants she tends.   I feel myself slowing as the growth of the plants slows.  I look forward to enriching winter activity, or lack of activity, that will propel me rested and inspired into the next growing season.

We look forward to continuing to provide fresh produce, flowers, herbs, eggs, and poultry next season and hope that we can continue to expand our production to provide even more for this community.

THANKS!

A hearty thanks to all the wonderful members, friends, volunteers, family, and employees that supported us through another successful growing season.  And a special thanks to John Cogswell, who generously allows us to operate our farm and provide farm fresh food for this community on his property. We are so grateful for the opportunity we have here.  We feel very lucky to have such an awesome community and we couldn’t do what we do without you!

We sincerely hope everyone has enjoyed their experience this season.  I will send out a survey out this week to get some feedback on what you all liked and what would make your experience even better.

IN THE SHARES

Garden Share – It’s a heavy one!

arugula

baby beets

carrots

kale

leeks

onions

potatoes

radish

salad turnips

garlic

salad mix

gypsy and jalepeno peppers

pie pumpkin

butternut or buttercup squash

Fruit Share

honey crisp apples

pears

raspberries

UPCOMING HARVEST CELEBRATION EVENTS

Pumpkin Patch

You’re Invited to the 4th Annual Pumpkin Patch.  October 16, 17, 23 & 24.  Saturdays from 10am-4pm and Sundays 12pm-4pm.  Horse-drawn wagon rides to a pumpkin patch, hay bale maze, petting zoo, crafts, games &prizes, food and fun for the whole family! Admission is $5 for all the above activities.  Pumpkins are $3, $6 and $9 depending on size.

Calling All Bakers

Guidestone is looking for folks who would be willing to donate their baking skills and ingredients to a fundraising bake sale to take place at the Pumpkin Patch Festival.  The proceeds of this benefit go to support Farmhands.  If you are interested in participating please contact Andrea Earley Coen at farmhandsED@gmail.com for all the details.  Your help in baking would be greatly appreciated.

Shed Fest, Saturday, Ocotber 16th, 10am-4pm

Another exciting event on the horizon is Shed Fest. This event is a celebration of the local harvest and one last farmers market before the end of the season.  There will be games for kids, lectures and demonstrations, music all day and stay into the evening for The Shed Fest Supper at 5:30pm. Join your farmers, friends and neighbors for a feast of locally grown foods! The meal features imaginatively-prepared tapas by area caterers and a hearty autumn soup made from the fruits of our foodshed.  Tickets for the supper are $25. Purchase yours at the Salida or Buena Vista Farmers Markets, or by calling 719-539-8523.

It is hard to believe that this is the second to last share.  That’s right, next week will be our last share distribution.   The season has been notably long, in the sense that the weather has been favorable, compared with other seasons here.  We are so pleased with how productive our gardens have been this season.  We would love to hear any feedback you may have regarding your experience with the shares.  I will email a survey out next week, but if there are any other constructive thoughts anyone would like to share regarding the CSA please contact us via email.

Though the share season is coming to a close, we will still be busy at the farm through the end of October.  We have lots end of the season clean-up to do as we prepare for the winter.  The last of our meat birds will get processed.  And we also have several harvest events coming up.  See below for details.

IN THE SHARES

Garden Share

Carrots

Chard

Cilantro

Tuscano Kale

Leeks

Potatoes

Corn

Green Peppers

Acorn Squash

Red Onions

Salad Mix

White Salad Turnips

Fruit Share

Plums

Raspberries

Jonagold Apples

4th Annual Guidestone Pumpkin Patch Festival

Come to the farm to enjoy a horse drawn wagon ride, games, a hay bale maze, crafts and face painting.  This event benefits the Farmhands program which is dedicated to providing farm based educational opportunities for kids.  The entry fee is $5. for kids 3 and over and adults.  Weathervane Farm will also provide pumpkins for sale at this event.  There will also be bratwurst, burgers, baked goods and beverages available for purchase.

THIS EVENT RUNS:

Oct 16th and 17th

October 23rd and 24th

THE TIMES ARE:

Saturdays 10am-4pm

Sundays 12pm-4pm

Check out the Guidestone website for more information http://www.guidestonecolorado.org/Page.aspx?PageID=7002

Guidestone Needs Bakers

Guidestone is looking for folks who would be willing to donate their baking skills and ingredients to a fund raising bake sale to take place at the Pumpkin Patch Festival.  The proceeds of this benefit go to support Farmhands.  If you are interested in participating please contact Andrea Earley Coen at farmhandsED@gmail.com for all the details.  Your help in baking would be greatly appreciated.

Shed Fest, Saturday, Ocotber 16th, 10am-4pm

Another exciting event on the horizon is Shed Fest. This event is a celebration of the local harvest and one last farmers market before the end of the season.  There will be games for kids, lectures and demonstrations, music all day and stay into the evening for The Shed Fest Supper at 5:30pm. Join your farmers, friends and neighbors for a feast of locally grown foods! The meal features imaginatively-prepared tapas by area caterers and a hearty autumn soup made from the fruits of our foodshed.  Tickets for the supper are $25. Purchase yours at the Salida or Buena Vista Farmers Markets, or by calling 719-539-8523.

]]> http://theweathervanearrow.wordpress.com/2010/10/02/one-week-to-go/feed/ 0 theweathervanearrow pumpkin patch festival http://theweathervanearrow.wordpress.com/2010/09/25/a-delayed-post/ http://theweathervanearrow.wordpress.com/2010/09/25/a-delayed-post/#comments Sat, 25 Sep 2010 18:13:14 +0000 theweathervanearrow http://theweathervanearrow.wordpress.com/?p=572 ]]> Apologies to all of you out here in newsletter land.  This post is a bit delayed.  I hope it is still useful to some of you finishing up last weeks share.

IN THE SHARES

Garden Shares

beets

broccoli

kale

leeks

mizuna

onions

potatoes

salad turnips

tomatoes

buttercup squash

Fruit Shares

raspberries

honey crisp apples

cantaloupe

peaches

Mr. Roberts Strikes Again

Some of you may have noticed Seth’s picture, not once, but twice in the Mountain Mail.  And now folks he is on the radio.  One friend told us he woke up Friday morning to Seth’s voice broadcast over his clock radio.  Shanna Lewis did a story on the Land Link project featuring Weathervane Farm and Cottonwood Creek Dairy and David Lynch speaking on behalf of Land Link.  Check it out at the link below.

http://krccnetwork.org/news/2010/09/24/land-link-connects-farmers-with-property-owners/

Kale Soups

I’ve had several folks tell me that the one thing they really like with kale in it is soup.  Here are some ideas for you kale lovers and haters alike.

Roasted veggies and kale:

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/kale_and_roasted_vegetable_soup/

Chorizo and kale:

http://nourishedkitchen.com/caldo-verde/

Kale and Chick Pea Soup with a North African Flair:

http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2008/12/09/seasonal-soup-north-african-chickpea-and-kale-soup/

Shares will continue until the 2nd weekend in October, which means we have 3 weeks left after the share this week.  Suddenly it feels like the end of the share is fast approaching.  There are a few ways to extend the season if you are getting bummed about the end.  Freezing and drying any herbs and vegetables you have left at the end of the week works well.  Most vegetables need a quick blanch and then you can freeze them.  This works really well with broccoli and  kale.  Herbs can be dried or frozen.  You can also order bulk amounts of veggies and fruits that keep well like potatoes and storage apples. There are also tomato and peach seconds available for canning or freezing for the next week.
If you are interested in doing this and getting the full list of what’s available, please contact us via email.  We make our order on Monday mornings for Wednesday delivery so we need any orders for extras by Sunday PM.

That pointy cabbage in your share is called Caraflex.  We were thinking of renaming it either “Elf Head” or “Madonna Bra.”  We are open to any other brilliant ideas.

IN THE SHARES

Garden Shares

arugula

broccoli

cabbage

cauliflower

garlic (Olathe)

kale – redbor

leeks

onions

potatoes (from Salida- three colors)

red peppers (Olathe)

radish

sage

scallions

tomatoes (Olathe)

Fruit Shares

pears

peaches

apples

concord grapes

Herb of the Week: Sage

Use your sage up with your potatoes for some yummy gnocchi:

http://purplefoodie.com/sage-garlic-butter-gnocchi/

This recipe is like an omlette:

http://www.turismo.intoscana.it/allthingstuscany/tuscanycious/sage-pie-recipe/

Fried sage can add a whole new subtlety to sage:

http://www.whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/roasted-potatoes-with-fried-sage-brown-butter-recipe/

Use your sage and pears in this tasty risotto recipe:

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/pear_risotto_with_prosciutto_fried_sage_leaves.html

Here are some good ideas to preserve your sage if you can’t use it all at once.  I didn’t know it was so easy to freeze.

http://oldfashionedliving.com/sage.html

Cut Flowers Still Available

The flowers were granted a stay of execution by the frost governor.  This means there are more flowers to pick and there will be more at the markets this weekend.  If you’re in BV come on by one Saturday to pick yourself a bouquet.  Only $5.00 for 25 stems.

POST FROST HARVEST HOEDOWN TOMORROW!

Just one more reminder, first thing, that we are having a farm party tomorrow.  The Post Frost Harvest Hoedown will be a potluck and will have special musical guest Cahalen Morrison.  The fun starts  at 5pm.  Bring  a friend, a potluck dish and bring your own plate and silverware.  See you tomorrow.

IN THE SHARES

Garden Share

beets

carrots

kale

romaine lettuce

pac choi

cucumbers

corn

basil

tomatoes

Fruit Shares

nectarines

green pears

green seedless grapes

Bittersweet Frosty Forecasts

This week marked a shift in the seasons.  With a frosty morning on Tuesday that took our zucchini and put a final rest to our bean successions, we are starting to feel things wind down a bit at the farm.  This time of year is bittersweet for vegetable and flower farmers.  We are sad to see some of our crops go with the frosts but are happy to feel the transition into a quieter less busy time.  Not to worry though, we have lots of crops out in the garden that thrive in cool temperatures and get sweeter and more tender with a little frost.  We will also have some new crops from our garden and other farmers in the last month of the share season.  Expect potatoes and winter squash  from the West Slope and the San Luis Valley and leeks and cabbage from our garden.  Here’s a look at the condition of the zucchini after the frost on Tuesday.

Caprese Salad

Here are a couple variations on the classic caprese salad which combines basil, tomato, and fresh mozerella.  With tomatoes and basil in the share this week this salad is a great way to celebrate the bounty of the summer. 

This one has a basil vinaigrette and some pictures that are very stimulating to the appetite.

http://steamykitchen.com/5086-caprese-salad-with-basil-vinaigrette.html

This one has a sweet balsamic dressing.

http://savorysweetlife.com/2009/08/insalata-caprese-salad-recipe-with-a-balsamic-brown-sugar-reduction/

This variation has a garlicky flair.

http://www.asweetpeachef.com/salad/caprese-salad/

Tomato Basil Bread

I found this yummy looking recipe en route to the caprese salad recipe above.

http://simmertilldone.com/2009/08/18/upside-down-tomato-basil-bread/

Join us on Sunday, September 12th at 5pm for this celebration and potluck where we will bring  together the whole farm community including Weathervane and Cottonwood Creek Dairy members, market and Colorado Grown supporters, and any friends of the farm who would like to attend.  Bring your own table service and a potluck dish to share.

Along with food and good company we will also have a special musical guest, Cahalen Morrison.  Not only is Cahalen a great musician, he also makes time to stay at our place and help on the farm when he is in town.  He might even harvest something in your share on Friday and he’ll probably rock and sing to Rafe and Lindsey’s new baby.  Check out his website and have a listen. http://www.cahalen.com/

IN THE SHARES

Garden Share

broccoli

toscano kale

green leaf lettuce

sweet onion

scallions

zucchini

sugar snap peas

scarlet turnips

garlic

eggplant

green pepper

jalapenos

tomatoes

summer savory

Fruit Shares

ginger gold and gala apples

red pears

peaches

Red Pears

Though there are some out there that are perfectly delicious, it has come to our attention that some of the pears may not be up to our standards in quality.  If you have a bad batch of pears please let us know so we can measure the extent of the issue and replace pears for you if necessary.

Summer Savory

Summer savory is most commonly paired with green beans.  With a sharp peppery flavor somewhere between thyme and oregano, here is a recipe that uses tomato and zucchini and no shortage of dairy products. Remove savory leaves from the stems and treat like fresh thyme.

http://www.dollopofcream.com/2010/08/summer-fest-tomato-zucchini-gratin_25.html

The author also recommends eating this gratin over a bed of rice and peas.

Corn Fritters

I know we don’t have corn in the share this week, but I highly recommend trying this recipe if you have any corn left from a previous share that needs using.  We have an odd tradition at the farm of getting donuts on harvest morning.  At first it was like a special indulgence, a break from those healthful veggies.  However at some point last year we all collectively realized that coffee +donuts+stress =feeling like crap.  That equation makes you wonder about the stereotypical cop.  Anyway, yesterday our friend Kristine surprised us with the perfect replacement.  These corn fritters are awesome.  They fill the sweet niche and still use fresh produce.

http://projects.eveningedge.com/recipes/helena-hershbergs-famous-corn-fritters/

Substitute canned corn in this recipe for freshly cooked corn cut off the cob. This is the recipe closest to the one Kristine made us.  There are all sorts of corn fritter recipes out there both savory and sweet.  Here is another one more like a pancake that looks mighty delicious.

http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/08/sweet-corn-pancakes/

Come Pick Flowers

We are approaching the last weeks of flowers in the garden.  We will be open for you pick until the frost picks them all.  Come to the farm Fridays from 4-7pm or Saturdays from 9am-7pm to pick your own.  The price is 25 stems for 5.oo with a few .50-1.00/stem exceptions.  You may also call ahead to make a u-pick appointment. Come hang with the hummingbirds and enjoy the beautiful colors.

IN THE SHARES

Garden Share

broccoli

carrots

cauliflower

romaine lettuce

napa cabbage

sweet onion

red pac choi

sugar snap peas

zucchini

sweet corn

thyme

tomatoes

Fruit Share

1 box with peaches, apples and pears.

Napa Cabbage

Here is a great example of the risks and benefits you may face as a CSA member.  Some of you may notice some manicuring of your napa cabbage.  We had a good crop this week, but not quite enough of the perfect ones to go around.  These cabbage were bugged a little by the cabbage looper larvae. The larvae leave behind frass (digested leaf material) and holes in your cabbage.  Much of   the cabbage is still edible even when it has been bugged a bit.  Please accept our apologies if you get an inferior cabbage example and please enjoy the bits that are still nutritious and delicious.

Tomato Corn Salad with Zucchini

I love to find recipes that use several ingredients in the share.  This one looked yummy.

http://www.relishmag.com/recipes/view/33596/corn-tomato-salad-lemon.html

Carrot Salad

Unfortunately our mint didn’t make it through the winter.  I wish we had it in the share this week.  But this salad looks really good

http://www.relishmag.com/recipes/view/42349/mediterranean-carrot-salad.html

Thyme

Fortunately our thyme has done well this season.  Here are some recipe ideas involving this herb and some of the other share contents.

Cream of Zucchini Soup

http://www.relishmag.com/recipes/view/40061/cream-of-zucchini-soup.html

Grilled Corn Chowder

http://www.relishmag.com/recipes/view/22952/grilled-corn-grilled-corn.html

Herbed Buffalo Burgers – use your parsley if you still have it from last week.

http://www.relishmag.com/recipes/view/36045/herbed-buffalo-burgers.html

Fruit Cobblers

The fruit shares seem easier to keep up with  than the vegetable share.  It is easy to eat fresh, exciting to store for winter in the freezer, and fun to make into a sweet dessert.  I was looking for a cobbler recipe that involved all 3 fruits this week and I came up with a whole website dedicated to cobblers.

http://fp.enter.net/~rburk/cobblers/cobblers.htm

Chicken Harvest

We have a chicken harvest scheduled for this Monday, August 30th.  We have a few chickens still available.  Please contact us by email, info@weathervanefarmbv.com, if you would like a chicken from this harvest.  All of the chickens are distributed fresh and ready to use or put in your freezer.  They are $4. a pound and are generally between 3 and 5 lbs.  We will fill your request on a first come first served basis.  Any orders over what we have will be served from our October harvest if you wish.  Our last harvest will be in mid to late October.  Feel free to contact us if you would like to reserve chicken for winter from that harvest.

Farm Community Celebration

Please join us for a community potluck and farm celebration on Sunday, September 12th at 5:00pm.  Along with a potluck meal and some farm games, we will have a special musical guest, Cahalen Morrison.  Please RSVP to info@weathervanefarmbv.com  if you think you will make it to the party.

]]> http://theweathervanearrow.wordpress.com/2010/08/28/little-helper/feed/ 0 theweathervanearrow junipershares3 Junipershares2 Junipershares1 http://theweathervanearrow.wordpress.com/2010/08/21/beans-beets-broccoli-parsley-pac-choi-peas/ http://theweathervanearrow.wordpress.com/2010/08/21/beans-beets-broccoli-parsley-pac-choi-peas/#comments Sat, 21 Aug 2010 16:11:36 +0000 theweathervanearrow http://theweathervanearrow.wordpress.com/?p=494 ]]>

We’ve been playing chicken with the rain on our Thursday harvest.  This picture was taken in a sun cycle.

IN THE SHARES

Garden Shares

beans

beets

broccoli

cilantro

winterbor kale

green leaf lettuce

parsley

pac choi

peas

scallions

corn

green pepper

jalepeno

tomatoes

zucchini

Fruit Shares

peaches

watermelon

Bulk Fruit Available

If anyone is interested in getting boxes of fruit for preserving or extra eating we can order those for you from the Austins.  We can get 1sts and 2nds of peaches, tomatoes, pears, and apples.  Please let us know via phone, 719 207 2287, or email, sethro@weathervanefarmbv.com if you would like to make an order.  We make our fruit order on Monday every week.

PICK YOUR OWN BOUQUET

On Saturdays at the farm we will have flower u-pick through the first frost.  Caitlin will give you a quick tutorial and then you can pick your own bouquet.  The cost is 5.00 for 25stems with the exception of a few of the larger stemmed varieties that will be .50-1.00 per stem.  Come out to the farm and frolic in the flowers with the hummingbirds.

Beans and Peas

Here are a couple simple green bean and snap pea recipes.

Beans and peas:

http://addictedtopi.blogspot.com/2008/06/simple-green-bean-salad.html

Just Beans:

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/mexican_green_bean_salad/

Pickled Peas:

http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2010/07/pickled_sugar_snap_peas.html

You Say Bok Choy, I Say Pac Choi

Several folks have asked me if pac choi is different than bok choy.  You can be assured that they are one in the same though there are  many varieties of this Asian green.  Here is a simple recipe to enjoy.

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/baby_bok_choy_with_cashews/

IN THE SHARES

Garden Share

green beans

cabbage

cauliflower

fennel

kohlrabi

purple pac choi

romaine lettuce

zucchini

scarlet turnip

mizuna

Fruit Share

peaches

1 cantaloupe

Cabbage, Kohlrabi, Scarlet Turnip

Not quite sure what to do with these goodies.  An easy way  to use them up is to grate them up into a slaw.  Slice the cabbage, peel and grate the kohlrabi, wash and grate the scarlet turnip and your on your way to a colorful slaw.  Add your favorite dressing and your set for a nice side to a bbq.  Simply use your base ingredients and find some ideas here to spice your coleslaw up a bit.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Salad/Coleslaw/Top.aspx

I am going to make this letter brief this week so I have some time to get the farm house ready for the newest member of our household.  Lindsey and Rafe just welcomed Jad Wilder Quinton on Friday at 2:41 a.m.  He was 5lbs. 14oz.  and 18 1/2 inches long. He has a head of dark hair and great color in his face.  Jad and Lindsey are doing great; happy and healthy.  The whole family is enjoying the new arrival.  I’ll see if I can get a picture up at some point soon.

I felt honored to attend the birth of Jad and am so thankful to our families, crew, friends, and most of all Seth, for helping me to find the space in my schedule to be there with Rafe and Lindsey.  It never ceases to amaze me the support that is out there and seems to come through for us.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Member Newsletter Contributions

If anyone feels inspired, it would be a great week to share with the CSA community recipes and ideas for what you have been doing with your farm share.  Simply comment in the comment box below and provide links to recipes you have found useful or write out a recipe if it is not online.  Tips on storage would also be greatly appreciated.

IN THE SHARES

Garden Shares

arugula

green beans

napa cabbage

carrots

winterbor kale

green leaf lettuce

scallions

spinach

turnips

corn

yakuna savoy

tomatoes

Fruit Shares

1 box peaches

Please Note: We put a few extra peaches in the share this week to make up for some damage that occurred last week. If you experienced excessive loss and feel more compensation is necessary please let us know.