Laguna Farm CSA
1764 Cooper Rd., Sebastopol, CA 95472 info@lagunafarm.com
Office phone 823-0823 i Barn phone 823-0824
October 9 and 11, 2007

From Farmer Scott
Winter is on its way, bringing along cold, wet conditions. And we are starting to shift into that mode, with plantings going into tunnels to ensure their success. This week’s box is still full to bursting with some of the summer crops, but it is the end — so do enjoy these last summer goodies. There will be plenty of yummy crops to put in the box in the winter (which will include a fruit item for everyone, starting in November). One of the last crops to plant here at the home field is the garlic. We plant the cloves into well composted beds, and then mulch heavily with straw to suppress the weed growth. The garlic easily pushes up through the mulch and gets itself established for the winter, then takes off again in the spring to finish off for the June harvest and curing. Get out your rainjacket or umbrella and clean your woodstove flue……here comes a new season. Be well.

In your box today:
All from the wet fields of the farm, our “beyond organic” salad mix, carrots, peppers, beans, basil, and ‘Tongue of Fire’ Italian shelling beans; also broccoli from Watsonville. Fruit subscribers will receive grape juice pressed here or oranges from the Central Valley, local Sebastopol apples (Vintage Virginia and Rome Beauty) and Asian pears from the farm.
Peppers are members of the same family as the tomato, potato, eggplant and tomatillo. Native to South and Central America, pepper seeds dating from 5000 B.C. have been found in Mexico, and dried peppers have been found in Incan tombs. They were introduced to Europe after Columbus’ visits to the New World. Sweet (not hot) bell peppers are a relatively new development. Red peppers are simply ripe green peppers and are more expensive because of the time it takes for the ripening process (they are very cold sensitive). High levels of vitamins A, C, and E and the minerals iron and potassium characterize most pepper varieties, with red peppers being especially high in Vitamins A and C. They dry well!
Apples contain the bioflavanoid quercetin, which has powerful antioxidant properties. There is some preliminary evidence that quercetin may be helpful for symptoms of allergies: it may reduce the intensity of allergic reactions by preventing the immune cells from releasing histamine (which triggers the reactions). A well-publicized 2000 epidemiological study examined the relationship between lung function (which can be limited in people with allergies) and the quercetin in apples. Researchers found that those who ate five or more apples a week had significantly better lung function than those who did not. Quercetin is also found in buckwheat, grapes, red onions, red wine and white grapefruit.
Pumpkins will be available next week! You will each receive one in your subscription, and the value of your box will be adjusted at $1 per week for the month of October.

Laguna Farm CSA
1764 Cooper Rd., Sebastopol, CA 95472 info@lagunafarm.com
Office phone 823-0823 * Barn phone 823-0824
October 2 and 4, 2007

From Farmer Scott
We have had an early frost this year, which is affecting most of the crops. The most disappointing is the tomato crop: this week will probably be the last one to have tomatoes in all boxes. The summer squash and fresh beans have taken a big hit also. The cooler temperatures have slowed the development of the carrot crop that I was hoping would be…well, further along than they are. We are going to cover some of the younger plantings with floating row cover to give them a little more warmth, in hopes they will grow a little faster over the next few weeks. The trick is to get them up to a good size before the winter temperatures put them into slow motion.
The Harvest Festival was a beautiful day. I hope you had a good time. I always enjoy sharing the farm with folks and celebrating the abundance. It is unfortunately not going to be as abundant as some years with the unusually cool temperatures, but abundant in many ways nonetheless. Thanks to all that have made this year a good one.

In your box today:
All from the abundant fields of the farm, our “beyond organic” salad mix, beets, onions, beans or cucumbers, sungold or heirloom tomatoes, chard and baby spinach. Fruit subscribers will receive strawberries and fresh squeezed apple juice (squeezed last Saturday at the festival).
Spinach – the nutritional powerhouse! It contains the antioxidants beta and alpha carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, as well as potassium, magnesium, vitamin K and particularly all-important folic acid (of which it is the richest plant source). Eating cooked spinach twice a week cuts the need for cataract eye surgery in men by half, according to new studies, as well as halves the odds of macular degeneration. It has been documented to help prevent colon cancer, prevent and reverse memory loss, offer protection against stroke, and help build stronger bones (lowering the risk of hip fractures from osteoporosis as much as 30%).

What about SUSTAINABILITY?
As organic products have spread into the mainstream, marketing has eagerly been directed toward this new group of consumers. Marketing strategies cater to the most actively engaged buyers of organics – but who are they? Organic Processing magazine reported that a recent survey by the Hartman Group identified the “core” of the organic world (defined by those who weigh nearly every decision environmentally) as only 21% of the roughly three-quarters of Americans who at least occasionally buy organics. However, 66% of the American population is actively incorporating organic products into their lifestyles, and 93% has some degree of sustainability consciousness.