Blog Archives

Summer Bounty / Fall Harvest

8/29/2018

We were really looking forward to August this year because typically that's when the greatest variety of local fruits & veggies are available. This August certainly didn't disappoint! We have been able to enjoy a variety of local fruit/veg, like perfectly ripe tomatoes from North Valley Organics (this week Freshie's of New Mexico) for the entire month and it's not over yet! Not to mention the juicy peaches from Rancho de Santa Fe and Freshies. This week we have more local variety filling out our Shares: eggplant, sweet peppers, basil, and pears! Although August is (quickly) coming to a close, we still have months of abundance ahead of us as we look toward the flavors of the fall harvest season. It's time to get excited about our local green chile, crisp apples and hearty winter squashes. We feel lucky to be connected with farmers that work hard year round so that we can truly enjoy the flavors of each season.

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The Farmer Shuffle: How it Comes Together

8/22/2018

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There is one primary difference between buying local produce and buying produce from a large grocery store: relationships. You can walk in and out of the grocery store without interacting with anyone if you choose, but when you buy produce from local farmers, you form a relationship. The same is true for us when we put together our Weekly Shares. Each local item that we include in our Shares has a story behind it, a partnership that we foster week after week.

Our relationships with our farmers started with a conversation. When we hear about a new farm we're interested in working with, we reach out to see what they offer during each season, what their operation looks like, where they're located, and so on. We tell them what we're all about and what our weekly needs are and we work something out.

Every Wednesday & Thursday we contact our farmers to find out what they will be offering. We piece together a patchwork Weekly Share that we will offer for the following week. On Monday evenings after ordering closes, we touch base with our farmers again to let them know our exact numbers so that they only harvest the amount that we need, being sure not to waste any of their high quality fruit & veg. We get to see them on Tuesdays when they drop off our order. This is a great time for them to check in with us and let us know what they might have for the next week. It's also a great time to hear stories about what's going on at the farm - what they're working on, whether or not the hail did any damage, or something silly that one of the farm dogs did that week. We cherish the partnerships we've built with our farmers and we encourage you to do they same. If you're free on a Saturday, head to the growers market, you'll see many of them there!

Click here to download a PDF of this week's Newsletter!

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Back to School Lunchbox!

8/14/2018

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Quick & healthy ideas that will make you want to pack lunch for your kiddo!

1- minute wraps

These really do live up to their name - they are super quick and easy to make, plus the combinations are endless. They are a great way to pack whole-grains, protein, and veggies into one neat little package. This one is just 1 whole wheat/sprouted grain wrap, 3-4 slices of turkey, 1/2 an avocado, 1/4 cucumber cucumber, and spinach! For a meatless option, just replace the turkey with hummus, or smashed chickpeas/beans with some salt, pepper, lemon juice and oil!

Night-before quesadillas

Contrary to popular belief, quesadillas don't have to be hot to be delicious. They're also a great way to sneak fruits & veggies into your kiddos' lunches. Prep them the night before, let them cool, toss them in a container and you're ready to go for the next morning. This quesadilla has cheese and apples - crispy, sweet, and salty! You can also try sprinkling some diced pepper, fresh corn kernels, and beans for a protein-packed option!

No-bake granola bites

These little bites will satisfy a sweet tooth without processed sugar and preservatives.
What you need: 2 cups quick cooking oats, 1 cup crispy rice cereal (like Rice Krispies), 1 cup creamy peanut butter (ideally natural), 1 cup mini chocolate chips, 2/3 cup honey or agave, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 Tablespoons coconut oil. You can also add nuts, coconut, and seeds!
How to do it: Combine all the ingredients together in a large bowl until well combined. Using a tablespoon and your hands, drop rounded portions onto a lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
Storing: Refrigerate in an air-tight container for up to a week or freeze for several months.

Click here to download a PDF of this week's Newsletter!

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Let's Talk Tomatoes

8/6/2018

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For those of y'all that order on a weekly basis, you may have noticed over the past few weeks that there have been tomatoes in every Weekly Share. What's up with that? Simply, it's the beauty of supporting local farmers! We get what we can during the months that it's available, which is why you have been seeing some of the same classic summer veggies, like tomatoes and cucumbers, in heavy rotation over the past month or so. There is a natural lull in the growing season right now, which is primarily why we're not seeing a TON of variety in this moment, hence lots of (delicious, juicy, perfect) little tomatoes!

Many farmers practice succession planting, meaning that they will plant the same crop multiple times throughout the season to have more than one harvest. Succession planting helps to increase efficiency because it allows small plots of land to yield a large amount of produce, which is huge for our small-scale farmers. Here's an example: in early June, we were getting a lot of zucchini from farmers, but now we're in a waiting period while we wait for the second crop.

Farming isn't only extremely difficult physical labor, it takes lots of planning and thinking ahead. You might not be thinking about winter squash, kale, and broccoli right now, but our farmers are so that they can provide abundance and variety through the fall. In July our farmers were nurturing their tiny kale starts to go in the ground in early fall so that we can enjoy a variety of local veggies through November!

I guess what we're trying to get at here is that when it comes to sourcing locally we just have to go with the flow and enjoy the abundance of the growing season, even if it means learning how add fresh tomatoes to every recipe!

Click here to download a PDF of this week's Newsletter!

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Summer Bounty / Fall Harvest

The Farmer Shuffle: How it Comes Together

Back to School Lunchbox!

Let's Talk Tomatoes

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