second to the last

I'm nearing the end of my internship at Side by Side Farm. 

Today is the second to last time I'll be involved in the process of packing the CSA shares. Devin is away (as I type he is driving towards Maine, lucky fellow!), so it was just Jean and myself. I weighed out brown bags of potatoes while she let the chickens out. Then we filled the shares with peppers, eggplants, basil, garlic, and lettuce. On the table inside the spring house there were extra hot peppers, celery, and heirloom tomatoes for the members to select. 

I checked on the seedlings Devin and I started last week. Most of them (the New Red Fire Lettuce did not go so well) have germinated nicely.

Exactly three months ago, on my first morning at the farm, Devin and I planted ginger in the lower hoop house. This is what it looked like today: 

After the shares were all filled they had to be taken down to the spring house. Today we had to organize them: some with peppers inside, some with eggplants. The tomatoes too were sorted: small - medium and large ones. There was goat cheese, eggs and honey set out for sale. I wrote up the chalkboard sign that sits outside the door, a task I do enjoy. While Jean picked flowers to beautify the spring house a bit (and added a touch of lavender oil to the water), I harvested more hot peppers. 

Before I left for the day, Jean ripped out some tall stalks of ragweed that had grown up around the spring house and dragged them to a spot outside of the barn, for the donkeys to munch on. Now allergin troubles have been averted and the equines have a treat.

packing the shares

Wednesday was the day of the second share. It included: lettuce, chard, spring garlic, basil, beets, celery, and sugar snap peas.

The process of packing the boxes for the CSA members starts early in the morning. Devin and a helper from down the road, Bryce, were already harvesting when I arrived. They had three crates of lettuce which Jean (the owner of the farm) and I soaked and cleaned.

This is the washing station. It's somewhat strange and makeshift but it does the trick.

We picked the peas, harvested the basil and garlic and returned to the wash station. Leafy things like lettuce and basil are soaked in cold water before they're packed. Peas are rinsed and run through the salad spinner. Beets are hosed off and bunched.

As we go, we snack. Yesterday we ate sugar snaps peas while we picked and later Devin wrapped slices of tomato in a pieces of lettuce with a leaves of basil.

When there is minimal dirt left on everything, it's all carefully put into the boxes, which are then transfered to the spring house. CSA members arrive throughout the day and following days to pick up their share. Each arrival is marked by Ruby's high pitched yap.

I enjoy harvest days. I like seeing everything come together. 

inside the first share

Inside our first share from Side by Side:

sugar snap peas 

lettuce 

kale 

garlic scapes 

sprouted lentils 

arugula

bok choi 

   

The peas were used in a stir-fry with string beans (from our garden) and ginger root. The lettuce, lentils and arugula is being put on wraps, sandwiches and salads. I'm planning to turn the kale into a kale and feta crustless quiche. I'll probably throw in some sauteed garlic scapes too (a post all about these little treasures is coming soon). The bok choi we consumed after roasting it (the general consensus being that it would probably be yummier cooked some other way). 

For more information on CSAs, read this post. 

harvesting the first share

This morning, Wednesday morning, I was at the farm earlier than I'd ever yet been. It was harvest morning. The morning of the first CSA share.

I found Devin in the fields with a helper from down the road. They'd already gotten the bok choy and I joined them in gathering the kale. As we worked, someone commented about how good it felt to get up so early and harvest real, nourishing food for people. I agree.

We also picked more sugar snap peas, lettuce and arugula. Then we headed down to the wash station and cleaned everything up. The heads of lettuce were soaked in chilly water, the peas too. The arugula was washed and then spun in the massive salad spinners (the red blob in the background of the above photo). It was bagged and boxed, then taken down to the spring house. Through the afternoon and next couple days the CSA members can come an pick up their boxes. There were also plenty of garlic scapes for the taking.

I came home with a share of my own and I'm excited to show you was it's comprised of, plus what we cook with it. But that will have to wait. The day has rather done me in.