Laguna Farm CSA
1764 Cooper Rd., Sebastopol, CA 95472 info@lagunafarm.com
Office phone 823-0823 - Barn phone 823-0824
November 13 and 15, 2007

From Farmer Scott
A nice gentle rain has blessed the farm with needed water. The crops are thriving, and even the cover crops are blanketing the fields with healthy growth that will be the fertility of the future. All the salad greens and cooking greens are being planted inside hoop houses to protect them and give us good succulent growth in the coming cold weather. We have an excellent stand of carrots planted in succession to spread out through the coming months, along with beets, turnips and parsnips. This week’s sugar pie pumpkins will be followed by different hard squashes over the next three to four months. Potatoes and apples in cold storage will be joined by the amazing Mandarin oranges and kiwi fruit from our farming friends in the foothills of the Sierras. We are set for a wonderful winter of produce, given no natural disasters (please knock on wood or the closest gourd).

In your box today:
From the winterizing fields of the farm, our “beyond organic” salad mix, spinach, carrots, rapini (also known as broccoli raab), sugar pie pumpkins, and persimmons; also fresh apple juice from Sebastopol Rome apples.
Pumpkins are native to America — originally south and central America, but by the time of the historic first Thanksgiving, they had been cultivated by north American Indian tribes for centuries, which is one reason they figure so heavily in this holiday. The flesh is high in Vitamin A (one cup provides three times our adult daily need), Vitamin C, niacin, iron, potassium and phosphorus. There are hundreds of varieties of pumpkins, in a wide variety of colors and shapes. The seeds are high in zinc and other minerals, and are an old remedy for enlargement of the prostate. Scoop them out, rinse them off, leave them out for a day to dry them, and then toast them in a frying pan with a splash of olive oil and tamari or salt for a crunchy and tasty snack.

*NEXT WEEK’S THANKSGIVING SCHEDULE
Boxes will be made and delivered on Tuesday and WEDNESDAY, November 20 and 21. Thursday subscribers can pick up boxes after 1:00 on Wednesday.

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!

Laguna Farm CSA
1764 Cooper Rd., Sebastopol, CA 95472 info@lagunafarm.com
Office phone 823-0823 - Barn phone 823-0824
November 6 and 8, 2007

From Farmer Scott
November– and we’re still finding a few strawberries and basil in the tunnels. This warm weather has boosted the growth of a few crops like carrots, which I was worried would not size up before winter really came. I give thanks for the Indian summer.
The fruit share period is over until next June, which means that all of you can look for an element of fruit as part of the regular box through the coming months. I look forward to the Mandarin oranges we usually get from our friends in the Sierra foothills and kiwi from another grower in the same area.
We are busy mulching the garlic planting and rolling up the irrigation pipes in anticipation of the winter wetness. Hope you have your firewood stacked and covered , gutters cleaned and umbrellas and rainjackets ready. And I hope you’re well.

In your box today:
From the autumn fields of the farm, our “beyond organic” salad mix, parsnips, beets, peppers, and bok choy; also cauliflower from Salinas, Shiitake mushrooms from Moss Landing, and persimmons from Fresno. The separate fruit share will resume next spring; throughout the winter, fruit will usually be included as part of everyone’s weekly box.
Parsnips are among the most sorely underrated garden vegetables in the U.S.! In other parts of the world, however, they’ve enjoyed great popularity since ancient times. They grew wild all over the European continent and were heavily cultivated during medieval times. Sugary varieties were commonly fermented into wine. But never since their introduction to North America in the 17th century have they been more than a minor crop here — even though they win the “most sweet and delicious” award of all the root vegetables. Exposure to frost improves their taste and sweetness, as the starches within are transformed into sugars.
Persimmons hang like Christmas ornaments on bare trees this time of year, adding a spice of color to the changing landscape. The type called Hachiya have pointed tips, are eaten when soft and are usually used in recipes calling for persimmon pulp, and are easy to freeze if you wish. The Fuyu type remain firm and apple-like, and slice well.

Sustainably raised and harvested turkeys for Thanksgiving: “heritage” turkeys –- breeds that have been pushed toward commercial extinction in favor of the popular but not particularly flavorful (and mass produced) white-breasted types – are available through several local programs. You can find more information about one such 4H project at www.slowfoodrr.org.