Erehwon Farm CSA Newsletter week 3 of 19 – June 26, 2005 Farm Report The lack of rain and heat have begun to have a significant impact on our production – Even with the drip system a few crops like spinach just seemed to give up in the dry heat and wind. The peas have stopped flowering and it remains to be seen if they will come back when the weather cools. Heat-loving crops like tomatoes, squash, and peppers seen quite happy as long as we can keep them watered.  On Wednesday we had some fine help from the Kulzers (watering and picking peas), the whole Suevel Family (mulching the squash patch), Arsenio (A regular Museum volunteer who came over to mulch and water), and Barb Hicks and Linda McDonald who came late on Friday to bag lettuce and pick for our Saturday markets.  All of this help came on days with extreme heat and we deeply appreciate your help.  New subscribers have continued to join and while we will fall short of our goal of 75 shares, it looks like we will make more than 60.   It has been great to meet the subscribers who come to the farm: a diverse, intelligent, witty, humorous, good-looking and caring group.  We have enjoyed introducing people to new vegetables and then getting their feedback after they have tried something.  My apologies to those I didn’t recognize or forgot names and also to those who drove around and around looking for our farm…well, I guess a farm with a name like Erehwon just might be a little difficult to find… What’s Coming From Your Garden This Week: Although it’s a little difficult to predict, I expect that everyone will have peas, onions, lettuce and a couple of other items.  This week I’d like regular share delivery customers to pick up to 5 extras from this list (jumbo orders pick as many as you like): (email to me before 5 am on Tuesday) Spinach Beet Greens Kale Arugula Spicy Mix Baby Mizuna (salad greens) Baby Mibuna (salad greens) Swiss chard Kohlrabi Garlic Scapes Baby summer squash Herbs: Basil (medium size)--lemon, lime, italian, thai Cilantro (good sized bag) Thyme Oregano Marjoram Summer savory Winter savory Mint Chives We get Mail Thanks for the newsletter. We always enjoy hearing what's new at the farm. Given the rain situation, it sound like the irrigation system is just in time.  For this week in the Kropf household, I'm wondering if we can forego the spicy mix (I haven't finished last week's yet) and add instead some swiss chard and/or kohlrabi and/or onions (I like to give you options, just in case). The kohlrabi was the first thing we tried last week. We made the second recipe (with the parmesan cheese). Yum! We Lombard-ites had fun on Sunday comparing our experiences with this interesting radish/potato/turnip vegetable. Valerie Yep, as I’ve noticed, it doesn’t seem to take much to keep the Lombardites amused – next week they’ll probably get together to discuss the different shapes of the cooking greens.  tf Greetings Tim! If you cannot find a people organization to take the extras, KARE for Wildlife in St. Charles could sure use them. We try to feed fresh fruit and vegetables to the animals we are rehabilitating that would have that type of food in their natural diet. Currently in the rehab section we have 9 red fox puppies, 26 raccoons, 9 possums, 5 white tailed deer fawns, 3 13- striped ground squirrels and one immature red-tailed hawk. We also have a cadre of permanent animals because either they were seized by the state from someone who had an illegal pet, abused as an illegal pet, or injured too severely to be released. In this category, we house the following: 2 adult raccoons, 5 silver foxes, 1 coyote, 2 red tailed hawks, 1 bobcat, 1 white tailed deer, 2 pot bellied pigs, 2 goats, a dozen or so assorted birds, 1 skunk, 1 pine martin, 1 coatimundi, and 1 great horned howl. We also do educational programs with some of our permanent animals to help raise animal awareness. Everything we do is paid for by volunteers. All of the vet visits as well as the vaccinations and feeding are all covered solely by donations. There is no state funding for wildlife rehabilitators, just licensing requirements. I know farmers tend to dislike raccoons and deer, but I promise we would never release them near your farm. The deer are taken to Oregon, IL and the raccoon have several release sites on personal property scattered throughout this region. I know…feeding humans is very important but if you get into the situation of having to let it rot because you cannot find someone to take the extras, we are out here and we can get someone to the farm to pick it up. Cheers! Jeanine PS: So happy to hear we are getting tomato plants this week. We have a sure fire way for growing them. If some of your subscribers do not have “land” to plant on, tell them they can plant a single plant in a large bucket and it will thrive if they maintain watering. It works great for people in apartments who have patios or balconies. We use the large white buckets that drywallers have. My neighbor grows a whole host of veggies at his rental house by planting them in buckets and putting them along the driveway. Pretty creative… OK Jeanine, you can pick up some leftover greens late on Friday but somehow I’m not sure I’m entirely comfortable with feeding my baby greens to your snakes  -- what happens if they get hooked on arugula and then get released?  On the other hand I am very comfortable feeding deer at a location other than my garden. tf PS: we are still searching for an organization that would like to have some leftovers. Hi Tim- the Johnsons here. We would love more kohlrabi this week if there is extra to spare. We never had it before last week, but let me tell you, we couldn't get enough of it! Thanks to Beth for the simple yet tasty recipe! Hoping to try another one this week. We would also like a bit of the winter & summer savory this week. I will also love to take home a couple tomato plants! Can't wait to see yall on Wednesday... Until then- happy farming! Jamie Yes, another kohlrabi convert.  If you want to find out a little more on the subject, such as the fact that the Romans probably had this vegetable, try this web page: http://www. vegparadise.com/highestperch24.html   By the way, it was the Johnsons, along with Heidi Ackerman and Jenny Gresko who came out a few weeks ago and helped us plant the peppers – they look great, by the way. Tf And... I don't know what the broad leafed veggie was, but at first I thought is was baby collards. So I sauteed up some yellow onions in butter and olive oil. I chopped up the mystery greens that I thought were collards and tossed 'em into the pan with onions. When they started cooking, it was obvious they weren't collards, so I improvised and added a little (about a tbsp.) fresh squeezed lemon juice, then sprinkled in a bit of soy sauce. Man o' man were they scrumptious! So what were those broad leafed mystery greens I got last week? Cheers, Robin Yikes, I hope we didn’t accidentally get the Mizuna into the compost pile and the Burdock into the Jumbo subscriber bags!  If it’s green, I know the Migallas are going to try it.  Tf Hi, Tim: I think I already submitted my standing order for extra basil, but I'll also take onions and mint this week, if supplies allow. Last year I started making pesto so late in the season that our winter supply ran out quickly--no chance I'll let that happen this year... I made my first batch already (with a bit of grocery supplementation on the basil front) and can't wait for more. It's so good to have your wonderful fresh veggies back again. Jane Halteman Thanks Jane. Make sure you try a batch of pesto using lemon or lime basil, too.   I know that Beth is working hard to get the basil patch growing. Fortunately, it’s pretty happy in the hot weather. tf Tim, Thanks for the newsletter. I have a question about the extras. Do we have to pay for them? How does it work? I'm definitely interested in the kohlrabi, basil, cilantro and oregano. Please let me know before Tuesday. Our drop-off point is Robin Migalla's. Thanks. If you are looking for a place that would appreciate the excess from the markets, there is a homeless shelter in downtown St. Charles called The Lazarus House. It's a WONDERFUL place. I'm sure they'd take you up on your offer. So far Scott and I have truly enjoyed everything we have received from your farm! Keep up the good work. You are appreciated! Regards, Claudia and Scott Paquet (Elgin drop-off) Claudia, thanks for your kind words.  I’m hoping to contact Lazarus house next week.  As far as extras go, there is no extra charge unless I specifically mention one.  Tf Hi Tim - we're looking forward to our next delivery, especially our double-batch of flowers! :) ha-ha! If you have extra, we'd like some Kohlrabi (it was great sauteed with olive oil, romano cheese, kosher salt, pepper and fresh cilantro). I'd also like some mint and either or both savory herbs. I'll have to look up some recipes to use them in. I'm open to any suggestions... Thanks much and have a great week! Beth & Dave Tortorici Yep, our subscribers never let us forget when we mess up an order – keeps us on our toes, I guess.  Now, did you find your savory? Did you look closely at your flowers? Ha-ha! :)  tf   PS:  I have to watch Beth pretty closely for she’s forever putting my vegetable flowers into her arrangements. Hello Tim, For extras, I would like the Swiss chard and Mike would like the cilantro. If no one has claimed a tomato plant, we will try to grow one. (I have basil growing it looks like it needs a companion tomato plant.) Hey, I juice the chard and kale (from last week) would you like the pulp? It would be organic – it’s from you. I can put it with the coffee. Do you know a website that instructs how to rain dance – I won’t do it in public but every little bit helps! Thanks!!!! Georgine, you get the award for recycling down to the last gnat’s eyelash!  Planet Earth loves you!  As for the rain dance,  maybe you should tread lightly here.  With our luck we’d get a year’s rain in a day and Erehwon Farm would go sailing off down the hill to the Fox River. tf