Laguna Farm CSA
1764 Cooper Rd., Sebastopol, CA 95472 info@lagunafarm.com
Office phone 823-0823 i Barn phone 823-0824
November 27 and 29, 2007

From Farmer Scott
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Farmer/ Fix-it man Scott has been working on dialing up the salad washing system. With the winter temperatures lowering the water to ice cold levels, I installed an on-demand water heater to temper the first wash tank (this is where the extensive barehand work of picking out unwanted material, such as weeds, occurs). This will make things more comfortable for the person washing. In the second tank, where we do a final rinse and mix, I have installed an ultraviolet water treatment unit to further treat the ozonated water, so that it will be EXTRA free of unwanted microbes. This is because I believe most people assume the salad is a ready-to-eat product. I personally eat directly from the bag, but if you want to be sure there are additional treatments, you could choose to wash the salad again for your own use. Pretty much all well water has good and bad microbes in it, and city water, depending on the treatment (which mostly consists of chlorine treatment) can also be questionable. We have had an ozone system on the water for many years, but I wanted to know that the final water would be impeccably sterile, so I have gone to direct treatment of that water. Salud.

In your box today:
From the ever-colder fields of the farm, our “beyond organic” salad mix, kale, broccoli, Delicata squash, fennel, and radishes on Tuesday or turnips on Thursday; also, pomegranates from Fresno or apples from Sebastopol.
The fennel bulb (not the same as the common fennel growing wild, or naturalized, from the Mediterranean) is an enlarged underground stem, and is highly aromatic. Mix it with other vegetables, such as potatoes, tomatoes and onions, for a surprise flavor twist. It’s great in potato salad!
Pomegranates are steeped in legend, most widely known being the Greek myth of Persephone, who was consigned to spend part of each year in the Underworld after eating pomegranate seeds while she was there. The juice from the inner translucent capsules, or arils, contains one of the highest known sources of antioxidants, as well as large amounts of Vitamin C and potassium.

WE DON’T HAVE TO TELL YOU ABOUT EATING LOCAL…..
….because you already do. So you know that eating local is a smart way to effect environmental change in your community; it helps cut energy usage and pollution by reducing the number of miles your food travels. It is also more healthful because your veggies and fruits are allowed to ripen longer and produce more nutrients. And eating local fosters a deeper connection with the origins of your food and the people who helped produce it. According to a recent survey from the Hartman Group, more than 75 percent of consumers would like to know more about where their food comes from. As usual, you’re way ahead of the crowd.

Laguna Farm CSA
1764 Cooper Rd., Sebastopol, CA 95472 info@lagunafarm.com
Office phone 823-0823 i Barn phone 823-0824
November 20 and 22, 2007

From Farmer Scott
Got to love this weather. This has been the warmest November (and fall) I have experienced in the last twenty years. I was out harvesting beets in the far right field and couldn’t get over the growth of the cover crops and grass. It felt like it was spring. Let’s hope we get some of this on Thursday, for the walk after our big meals.
I have been following a recent passion: olives. I harvest olives green and ripe, or dark, from local trees, and then cure them. I’m experimenting with multiple curing methods such as dry salt, wet salt, brine curing, and pickling. They may even be available in the farm store soon. It has been a pleasure learning about it, and following an ancient process for food storage. We need to learn and practice as much food security methodology as possible, for the “what ifs” of natural and man-made disasters.
May your holiday meal be full of incredible edibles and wonderful friends and family. I give thanks for everything you do. Be well.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
In your box today:
A Thanksgiving bounty from our harvest fields: our “beyond organic” salad mix, chard, beets, potatoes, broccoli, and parsley; also sweet potatoes from Livingston and celery from Salinas.
Boxes are being made and delivered on Tuesday and WEDNESDAY this week (pick up after 1:00 PM). You can pick up boxes on Thursday too, but the store won’t be open. Itwill be open on Friday.

REMINDER about box pickup and store hours
You can pick up your box after 1:00 on your subscription day (Tuesday or Thursday). The cooler is also open every day from 9 AM to 9 PM, EXCEPT SUNDAY AND MONDAY, so you can come and get it anytime after it’s made during those hours. You have until 9:00 PM Saturday evening to pick it up, after which it will be donated to local food banks. The farm is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
The Laguna Farm store is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 2 – 8 PM, and Friday 3 – 6 PM. Please come and support our local artisans and producers!

As you feed your family, remember: organic food really is better! The London Times reported the results of a four year study which found that organic fruits and vegetables contain as much as 40% more antioxidants, which scientists believe can cut the risk of cancer and heart disease, Britain’s biggest killers. They also had higher levels of beneficial minerals such as iron and zinc. And levels of antioxidants in milk from organic herds were up to 90% higher than in milk from conventional herds.