Sapsucker Farms

Here is what CSA members will find in their July 2022 harvest:

CABBAGE – One head of green cabbage, either a round head or a cute pointy head.

FENNEL – If you’ve never had this, you’re in for a treat. It is a member of the carrot family and has a fresh, somewhat anise flavor. It can be enjoyed raw or cooked. Just google and see what recipes pop up that you’d like to try.

CUCUMBER – One cucumber for starters, but you can be guaranteed to see more in future bags.

ZUCCHINI – the vegetable that keeps on giving. The trickiest part of about zucchini is harvesting it before it gets too big. But even the big ones are still enjoyable, especially for grilling or making zucchini bread.

TOMATOES – a tiny handful of tomatoes. They are just starting to ripen so I was able to harvest a small handful for all to enjoy. Watch for more next month!

MINT – Mint fresh mint to add to your favorite summer beverage.

BEETS WITH GREENS – a bundle of beets with greens. While the greens may look a little beat up, they are still delicious to cook up as a side dish or add to your salads.

PEPPERS – the peppers are starting to ripen up. You’ll find a combination of sweet and hot peppers.

SCALLIONS – a small handful of these tender green onions.

BEANS – There will be just a small portion of beans, a combo of yellow, purple, green, and dragons tongue. Unfortunately, some sort of hungry, toothy varmint illegally ate up the majority of the crop. I guess they probably knew we were on vacation for a week and attacked while we were away. Anyhoo… there seems to be enough to put together a small bunch for everyone.

GRAB BAG – Take one item from the grab bag. This will be a variety of different options from which to choose. Or you can even swap out something you know you don’t like for something different, and let someone else enjoy what you don’t want. 

3 – FOUR PACKS OF BEVERAGES – Mix and match as you please.

NO EGGS THIS MONTH – unfortunately, the heat has taken a toll on the chickens. When it gets hot out, they start to molt and slow down their egg production. And since they are free-range, they often lay eggs in places that we don’t see, and then show up with baby chicks. The good news is that the baby chickens we started in the spring, are about ready to lay eggs. It is also my goal to make up for the lost eggs this month, and should be able to have two dozen eggs in a future harvest.

Here is what members will find in their CSA harvest this month:

BOK CHOY – This is a crunchy and juicy green that is frequently found in Asian cuisine. It can be enjoyed raw or cooked in your favorite recipe. You will find both green and this cute little purple heirloom variety.

KOHLRABI – If you’re not familiar with this, it’s kind of like a giant radish. My favorite way to enjoy them is to peel it, slice it thin and sprinkle with salt. The large greens are also delicious and you can prepare them just like collard greens. Sadly, a large portion of the kohlrabi crop fell prey to some sort of hungry, toothy varmint. Based on the bite marks in the plants that fell victim, it appears I may have an infestation of crocodiles or a miniature t-rex.

WOMBOKS – A few years ago, one of our farm volunteers from Australia taught me that down under, they refer to Napa Cabbage as “womboks.” While the name sounds more like a kohlrabi-eating predator, I kinda like it, so I’ve adopted the Australian name for this large, versatile, curly-leafed cabbage. Now you too can tell your friends that you have eaten womboks.

RADISHES WITH GREENS – I admit, I’m not a very good radish farmer. I have a hard time thinning them out so the bulbs just don’t get very big. But the good news is that the greens are equally delicious, so you will find radish greens with some tiny radishes in your bag again this month.

RADICCHIO – this green looks like a hybrid between cabbage and lettuce. But it is actually chicory. It’s a slightly bitter green, and I like to put it on the grill which sweetens it up.

ROMAINE – This large-leafed head of lettuce is always a favorite.

ARUGULA – a nice bag full of this spicy green to spice up your salads, pesto, pizza or favorite wombok recipe.

BASIL SPRIG –  The basil plants are coming along nicely. To make the plants turn more into a shrub, they need to be trimmed. So the trimmings from the plants can be found in the sugarhouse. Just grab a small bunch out of a jar and enjoy. (Please leave the jars in place)

ONE DOZEN EGGS – The ladies in the hen spa have been a little fussy with this heat, but they’re still producing. This time of year they tend to slow down production… plus since they are free range, they like to find adventurous, new places to lay their eggs, such as under an apple tree, on the seat of the skid steer, in a wheel barrow, on by bee suit, or under the bunkhouse. So sometimes we just can’t find them. Oops, I digress. Anyhoo, I’m pretty sure there will be enough eggs for one dozen for everyone, but if by chance there aren’t enough, let me know and I’ll try to make it up to you later in the season.

THREE FOUR PACKS OF BEVERAGES – Mix and match any and all of the various ciders, pop, and kombucha. If you chose to substitute the beverages for maple syrup or honey, you will find it on the counter in the sugarhouse.

Enjoy the harvest.

Here is what members will find in their First CSA harvest for 2022

Three 4-packs of beverages* – a mix and match any combination of all of the beverages:  several flavors of Yellow Belly cider, root beer, ginger ale, and several flavors of kombucha. (Must be 21 to pick up any hard cider).  
One dozen eggs – complements of the ladies in the hen spa
Pea shoots – a handful of these tender, sweet tendrils of pea shoots that can be added to salads, stir fries, or just as a delicious snack.
Sunflower shoots – sprouted sunflower seeds that are fresh and nutty, also great for salads and snacking
Heirloom lettuce – A nice bunch of small heads of heirloom lettuce heads including baby oak leaf lettuce (a frilly leaf) and deer tongue (yes, it actually looks like a deer tongue, but it is very delicate and delicious lettuce).
Radish greens with itty bitty radishes:  No doubt you are already familiar with radishes. But what you may not know is that the radish greens are also a treat. They are a peppery flavored green, much like arugula, and can be made into pesto, added to salads, and is great as a pizza topping. The original goal was to actually have a nice crop of radishes, but the radish bulbs just haven’t caught up yet due to the late plantings. However, the greens are delightful, and you will see some teeny tiny, cute little radishes too. More radishes are planted so hopefully they will mature for the June harvest.
Collards and kale – A mixed bag that includes large leaves of collard greens and and kale
Baby spinach – A small bag of baby spinach. I was hoping the spinach would be a little bigger right now, but baby spinach is very delicious. But since the spinach is kinda small, the bag is kinda small.
Arugula – A small bag of this spicy green adds a nice zing to pizza toppings, raw in a salad, or even made into a fun pesto.
Smude’s Microwave popcorn– Made in Pierz, MN using a fancy machine made by our neighbors right here in Quamba. This is the ABSOLUTELY BEST popcorn ever. It is made with Sunflower seed oil grown right here in Mora/Quamba, popcorn and salt. You will see that the bags might be a little oily looking, but fear not, it is just fine. Just pop in your microwave and enjoy. We also have it available in the cider barn.
Basil herb plant – one live herb plant for you to grow in your kitchen window and enjoy. The plants have been recently trimmed, so even though they may not have a perfect shape, they are healthy and growing new branches. Just put it in your kitchen window, or on your deck and watch it grown. Clip it and enjoy.
Looking forward to having you join me in my farming journey for 2022!

The end of the season is here, and the last CSA harvest is ready. Here is what you will find in your final bag of the season:

GINGER – for those of you who have been a CSA member previously, you know just how wonderful this freshly harvested ginger is. For those of you who haven’t had it before, you are in for a real treat. The best way to store it is in the fridge storage drawer, or you can freeze it for future use.

SQUASH – you’ll find some big squash and little squash. Of course, the best way to enjoy is with some butter and maple syrup or brown sugar.

GREEN AND RIPE HEIRLOOM TOMATOES – the tomato crop continues to be prolific, so you’ll find a combination of green and ripe tomatoes. The green ones can be prepared as fried green tomatoes, pickled, or left on your counter to ripen.

PEPPERS – a combination of sweet and hot.

EGGPLANT– some big, some small.

KALE – a big bunch of this popular green.

PARLSEY – a nice bunch of this fresh green herb.

SAGE – a popular fall herb that is wonderful for savory dishes.

EGGS – one dozen, compliments of the ladies in the hen house

BEVERAGES – three four packs, mix and match as you please

Enjoy the harvest! Most of all, I want to thank you all for your support for our farm. It has been a real pleasure providing fresh, certified organic produce for you each month.

First, I need to confess that I forgot to take a photo of the CSA harvest for this month. So the photo pictured above is actually from the September 2020 CSA…. but the items pictured are similar to what was included in the September 2021 except there was actually more produce and only one dozen eggs in 2021. With that in mind, picture if you will:

APPLES – Even though our apple harvest this year is a bit small due to the hot, dry summer, I am happy to say that I am still able to include some apples in your bag this month. You’ll find a variety of different apples, ranging from small (crab apples) to large (pie apples). Some are beautiful, some are not so beautiful, but all are tasty for you do enjoy as juice, baked in apple crisp or pie, or as a snack.

GRAPES – The hot, dry weather also impacted the grapes this year, but I am able to harvest a good handful of these tart, juicy, treats. They small, have seeds, tart, and they are not at all what you find in the grocery store. 

LEEKS – If you’re not familiar with leeks, they look like giant scallions (green onions). They have a mild onion flavor and aroma, and I highly recommend finding a good recipe for potato leek soup.

EGGPLANT – I know, some folks love it, and some folks hate it. I personally love it. For those of you who don’t like it, you can exchange it for something else in the yellow grab-bag bin.

VINE-RIPENED HEIRLOOM TOMATOES – My tomato crop this year is abundant and beautiful. You can expect more tomatoes this month, which are especialy delightful for home-made tomato soup – an autumn favorite here in our household.

PEPPERS – a smaller portion this month of a combination of sweet and hot peppers.

BEETS WITH GREENS – Last I checked I did have some nice looking beets… but that can change quickly if the critters find them and start munching on them. I’ll know for sure tomorrow when I start the harvest. So if you find them in your bag, it’s because they looked great. Otherwise, you may find them in the “optional” bin… meaning that they might be critter munched and you can grab some if you’d like. For what it’s worth, we do enjoy critter-munched beets, but I completely understand if you don’t want them. As always, the greens are always great.

KALE – A nice bunch of this nutrition-packed greens

SAGE – a fall favorite herb, especially great with poultry or pork.

GRAB BAG – A random grab bag of goodies, also used as a way to exchange an item for something you might prefer instead.

EGGS – compliments of the ladies in the hen house

BEVERAGES – Three four packs of your choice, mix-and-match as you please, cider, root beer, or kombucha, or substitute for honey or maple syrup.