NOTE: Your newsletter should have been e-mailed to you.
This will be your LAST paper newsletter unless you contact the office at 823-0823 or e-mail Jennifer@lagunafarm.com
Please check to see if you received an e-mailed newsletter.

Community Supported Agriculture is not only an economic system where members support the local harvest, but also a relationship where the farm supports the local community as well. By being a member of Laguna Farm CSA, you indirectly participated in the formation of the Spiral Foods Co-op, hosted workshops put on by the Transition Town Reskilling group, donated produce to the Ceres Project, Food For Thought and Harmony School, and educated future farmers from SRJC’s Shone Farm. Last Tuesday we invited several artisans to sell their crafts at our “Mother’s Day Boutique”. Many members supported these artisans by purchasing their goods. Thank you for being a part of Laguna Farm CSA and the greater Sonoma County Community.

Be Well,
Jennifer Branham

In Your Box Tuesday 5/15 From Laguna Farm, please enjoy our “Naturally Grown” salad mix, beets, kale, green garlic, sugar snap peas from Terra Firma Farm in Winters, CA and Broccoli from Double D Farm in Coalinga, CA

In Your Box Thursday 5/17 From Laguna Farm, please enjoy our “Naturally Grown” salad mix, turnips, chard, green garlic, sugar snap peas from Terra Firma Farm in Winters, CA and Broccoli from Double D Farm in Coalinga, CA

Farm Market News: Laguna Farm has made it through the waiting list and has been invited to vend at the Santa Rosa Farmers Market in their new location at the Wells Fargo Center. We are excited about this new venue and hope to attend the first market in the new location the morning of May 19, 2012.
Also on the 19th, we will be at the Petaluma Farmers Market from 2:00 to 5:30 in the afternoon. We have missed our dedicated Petaluma patrons and look forward to joining this market again.
As always, Sundays are spent in Sebastopol on the square.
Come early for carrots!

Laguna Fest: get your tickets for Laguna Farm’s open house and reskiling festival.
We will gather on July 14th at Laguna Farm for a full day of workshops, music, tours, food, speakers, vendors and fun. Work-trade positions available!

Ingredients:
• 1/2 pound green garlic
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 cup pine nuts or pistachios
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup freshly shredded Pecorino cheese or other hard, flavorful grating cheese

Directions
• Trim and discard root ends of green garlic.
• Finely chop green garlic, rinse thoroughly and pat or spin dry.
• In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, cook vegetable oil, green garlic, and 1/2 tsp. salt until soft, about 3 minutes.
• Let cool to warm room temperature.
• In a blender or food processor, pulse pine nuts or pistachios to chop. Set aside.
• Add green garlic and process, scraping down sides as necessary, until bright green and smooth.
• With motor running, drizzle in olive oil.
• Pulse in reserved nuts and cheese. Taste and add more salt if you like.

GREEN GARLIC PIZZA
Janet Fletcher, San Francisco Chronicle
Ingredients:
• The Dough
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Approximately 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
The Topping
• 1/3 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
• 2 tablespoons olive oil + olive oil for brushing dough
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 pound green garlic, leafy greens removed, white and pale green parts sliced lengthwise, then into 1/2-inch widths
• Coarse cornmeal (polenta) for dusting baking sheet
• 1/2 pound whole- milk mozzarella, coarsely grated
• 3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
• Pinch hot red pepper flakes
Directions
• To make the dough: Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in a large bowl. Let stand for 2 minutes. Stir with a fork to dissolve the yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes.
• Whisk in the oil and salt. Add 1 1/2 cups of the flour, stirring with a wooden spoon.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, 6 to 8 minutes, adding as much of the remaining
• 1/4 cup flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking.
• Shape into a ball, transfer to an oiled bowl, turn to coat with oil, and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
• Place in a warm spot and let rise for 2 hours.
• Punch down dough, then reshape into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 4 hours. To make the topping:
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the sliced potatoes with 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until the potatoes are done but not brown, about 10 minutes. Watch carefully as they burn easily. Use a spatula to transfer them to a plate
• Increase the oven temperature to 550 degrees and preheat a baking stone for at least 20 minutes
• Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over moderately low heat, add the green garlic, season with salt and pepper and saute until softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Let cool.
• Dust a rimless baking sheet with cornmeal. Punch down dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 13- to 14-inch round. Transfer to the baking sheet.
• Working quickly so the dough doesn’t stick, top first with mozzarella, then with sliced potatoes, green garlic, crumbled goat cheese, thyme and optional hot pepper flakes. Brush the rim with olive oil.
• Carefully slide the pizza onto the hot baking stone.
• Bake until the crust is browned and the topping is bubbling, about 8 minutes.
• Use baking sheet to transfer pizza to a cutting board.
Serves 4.

Wow, what a difference a week makes! I left for a one-week vacation and in that short time, the fields have transformed from a cover-cropped flood plain to a prepped and planted farm! Now is a great time to take a walk out into the fields to see the early plantings. So much is happening it is fun to track the progress throughout the season. There is a rumor that we will have summer squash in two weeks!!!
I had a great vacation at the annual Buckeye Gathering, a primitive skills camp-out at Ya-Ka-Ama Indian Education Center in Forestville. It is fun to take a break from technology, driving, cooking and telephones for a week. Easing back into modern society, I cherish the time I spent under the stars while truly appreciating the advances humans have made. It is hard to type it in a concise format, but if you were interested in hunter-gather living skills, I would love to talk in person about how you can explore these ways.
Be Well,
Jennifer Branham

In Your Box This Week: From Laguna Farm, please enjoy our “Naturally Grown” salad mix, fennel or beets, collards or chard, parsley and basil. Also, we have artichokes from Santa Cruz and onions from El Centro, CA.
Come visit the Laguna Farm Store during business hours!
Tuesday 1:00 – 7:00, Wednesday 12:00 to 6:00, Thursday 1:00 – 7:00 and Friday 10:00 to 4:00.

Remember your mother! Mom loves farm fresh produce! Consider a gift certificate that mom can
redeem at the farmers market, farm store or for a produce box. Ask us for details and give mom a beautiful fresh, local gift! Produce tastes better than flowers!

Farm Market News! Laguna Farm has made it through the waiting list and has been invited to vend at the Santa Rosa Farmers Market in their new location at the Wells Fargo Center. We are excited about this new venue and plan on attending the first market in the new location the morning of May 19, 2012. Come out and visit us!
Also on the 19th, we will be at the Petaluma Farmers Market from 2:00 to 5:30 in the afternoon. We have missed our dedicated Petaluma patrons and look forward to joining this market again.
As always, Sundays are spent in Sebastopol on the square. Come early for carrots!

Constant Contact: After a week in the woods, it is funny that the top of my priority list is figuring out an automated newsletter system. For years I have cringed at the ream of paper I photocopy every week to distribute the newsletter. While we will still offer paper newsletters for members who prefer not to receive e-mails, it is time to provide an e-option for those members who would enjoy reading it online. Please make sure we have your correct e-mail address, and an e-newsletter with photos and links will be sent to you instead of this soggy little mess!

Thank you Stephen at Toomey Customs for all your help with printing our newsletter & bin labels. Members looking for printing and graphic design, visit our friends at
www.toomeycustoms.com

How to Eat an Artichoke
Artichokes may be eaten cold or hot, but I think they are much better hot. They are served with a dip, either melted butter or mayonaise. My favorite dip is mayo with a little bit of balsamic vinegar mixed in.
1. Pull off outer petals, one at a time.
2. Dip white fleshy end in melted butter or sauce. Tightly grip the other end of the petal. Place in mouth, dip side down, and pull through teeth to remove soft, pulpy, delicious portion of the petal. Discard remaining petal.
Continue until all of the petals are removed.
3. With a knife or spoon, scrape out and discard the inedible fuzzy part (called the “choke”) covering the artichoke heart. The remaining bottom of the artichoke is the heart. Cut into pieces and dip into sauce to eat.

Fennel and Orange Salad

Ingredients
• 1 bulb fennel, trimmed and sliced
• 2 large oranges, sliced into rounds
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
• salt to taste
• 2 bunches arugula – rinsed, dried and chopped
Directions
• Place the fennel and orange in a large bowl.
• Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar; sprinkle with poppyseeds and salt.
• Chill and serve over a bed of arugula.

Sauteed Collard Greens

Ingredients
• 2 1/2 pounds collard greens
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste

Directions
• Remove and discard stems and center ribs of collard greens.
• Cut leaves into 1-inch pieces. In a kettle of boiling water
• cook collards 15 minutes and drain in a colander, pressing out excess liquid with back of a wooden spoon.
• Mince garlic. In a 12-inch heavy skillet
• heat butter and oil over moderately high heat until foam subsides and
• stir in garlic, collards, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Sauté collard mixture, stirring, until heated through, about 5 minutes.
• Drizzle collards with lemon juice and toss well.

Greetings from afar! Cody and I are in Forestville where we are attending the Buckeye gathering; a primitive skills camp at Ya Ka Ama Indian Education Center. This is our annual retreat where we practice the skills that our ancient ancestors used as a part of their daily living and survival. So far, we have made fire with a bow-drill, learned knife sharpening techniques, fashioned a flute out of bamboo, participated in a sweat lodge, witnessed a trade blanket, honed our archery skills and swam in the beautiful Russian River. My deepest thanks go out to everyone at Laguna Farm who encouraged me to take the week off to share this experience with my dear son. He and I are having the time of our lives and could not be at the Buckeye gathering without the support of so many people who have picked up my daily tasks and reassured me that everything will go just fine. I look forward to reporting more about the Buckeye gathering once I get back.
Be Well,
Jennifer Branham
sales@toomeycustoms.com

In Your Box This Week: From Laguna Farm, please enjoy our “Naturally Grown” salad mix, saute’ mix, turnips, kale, spring onions with broccoli and grapefruit from California .

Farm Store Hours:
Come visit the Laguna Farm Store during business hours!
Tuesday 1:00 – 7:00, Wednesday 12:00 to 6:00, Thursday 1:00 – 7:00 and Friday 10:00 to 4:00.

Remember your mother! Laguna Farm is welcoming back several artisans who have beautiful gifts appropriate for Mother’s Day. On Tuesday 5/8 during store hours, we will set up a small boutique inspired by the upcoming holiday. Many of the items for sale will be appropriate for birthdays, thank-you gifts, graduation gifts, and teacher gifts as well. Plan on supporting our local artisans and shop the “Mother’s Day Boutique” in the Laguna Farm Store.

Laguna Fest news! I am thrilled to be meeting so many people who are practicing “old-ways” skills at the Buckeye Gathering. I look forward to bringing many instructors to Laguna Fest to help reteach these ancient arts. Along with building an instructor base, we are looking for sponsors for the event. If you have a business or know of a local business that would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at lagunafestinfo@gmail.com or call us at the farm 823-0823.

Home Delivery and Drop-site members: If you are ever interested in visiting Laguna Farm, please stop by! We have our store hours posted above and we would love to meet you. Now that the fields are drying up, the Laguna is accessible. We welcome everyone to take a stroll out and see the beautiful Laguna that boarders our fields. Look up into the Eucalyptus tree and see the blue heron and her nest. See how the fields are being tilled and planted for the summer. Watch the corn grow from small transplant to tall stalks. You are welcome to respectfully visit your vegetables that are growing in the hoop-houses.

Ingredients:
• 1 bunch Turnip Greens (about 2 lbs)
• 1 Turnip
• 6 slices bacon (or equivalent salt pork, ham hock, or smoked turkey wings)
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic (optional)
• Salt & Pepper
Directions:
• Wash the greens thoroughly in cold water. Remove any tough stems and roughly chop the leaves. Peel and slice the turnip into bite-sized pieces.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add greens and cook about 15 minutes, then drain and discard cooking water. (Turnip greens can be quite pungent, some say bitter. Boiling removes the unpleasant flavor.)
• In a large skillet, fry the bacon until crisp and set aside. Add the onion (and garlic) and saute in remaining bacon grease until soft. Crumble the bacon and return to the pan along with the sliced turnip and the boiled greens.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Add 1 cup water or stock and cook 30 minutes over low heat.
Butter Bathed Turnips
Ingredients:
• 1 bunch turnips
• olive oil
• 2-3 T butter
• leaves from 4 branches thyme
Directions:
• Halve the turnips, reserving any greens for another use.
• Heat a large, cast iron skillet until very hot.
• Add a couple tablespoons olive oil and sear the turnips, cut side down, until darkly colored.
• Flip the turnips, sprinkle them with salt, and continue to sear the rounded sides for another couple minutes, or until deeply colored.
• Add a quarter cup of water to the pan and immediately cover the skillet with a lid or sheet pan.
• Lower the heat and allow the turnips to steam for a few minutes, or until they are as tender as you like them.
• Remove the lid. If the water has not boiled off, allow it to do so now, then add the butter and bathe the turnips in the butter as it melts, a minute or two more.
• Sprinkle the thyme leaves over the top, taste for salt and serve warm. .

Fennel and Leek Gratin With Feta
•
Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds fennel, trimmed, quartered, cored and chopped (about 4 cups chopped)
• 1 bunch leeks, white and light green parts, cleaned and chopped (about 3 cups chopped leeks)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 3/4 cup)

Directions:

• Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, nonstick skillet, and add the fennel and leeks.
• Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to soften.
• Add salt to taste, and continue to cook, stirring often, until the fennel and leeks are very tender and fragrant, about 10 minutes.
• Add the garlic, and stir together for another minute or two, then stir in the dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish.
• Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Crumble in the feta, and stir in the fennel mixture. Combine well. Scrape into the baking dish, and bake 35 to 40 minutes until set and the top and sides are beginning to color.
• Remove from the oven, and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.

What a beautiful shift in seasons we are seeing at the farm. The hot sunny weather created a growth spurt in the basil, so here it is in your box one week earlier than last year. We are keeping busy by mowing the fields in preparation for early planting while the asparagus is still producing and our farm market patrons are buying us out in Sebastopol on Sundays!
Our “LagunaFest” plans are moving along smoothly with the generous support of our community we are lining up workshops, vendors, music, food and volunteers. This event is going to combine elements of our annual harvest festival along with more “reskilling” types of classes. I understand that “reskilling” is a term not many may be familiar with. It is used to generally describe home skills that are being lost to automation or outsourcing. They are the skills that while we may not use them every day, it is important to keep them in our collective memory. Canning, sewing, basketry, cheese making, knitting, seed-saving, composting, mushroom cultivation, herbal medicine making, wild food foraging are just a few of the skills we are sharing at the festival. In addition to the “reskilling” component, we will offer educational walks along the Laguna de Santa Rosa, Laguna Farm, and the Herb Garden. Please join us on July 14th and find a way to volunteer!
Be well,
Jennifer Branham

In your CSA box this week: Salad mix, green garlic, chard, carrots, basil, sugar snap peas from Esparto, CA and brown rice from the Massa Family near Chico.

——————————————————————————————————————————————-

Laguna Fest 2012 Volunteer, Demo/Workshop/ Vendor Sign-up
Saturday, July 14th – 11am to 11pm
For ticket info: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/230853
Contacts: lagunafest2012@gmail.com , 707-823-0823

? I want to teach a demo/workshop.
Name of the demo/workshop – what is the activity?_________________________________

How many people? ______How long?__________

Name:____________________________________

Email:__________________________________

Phone:___________________________________
? I want to be a vendor.

Name of business:_______________________

Contact:________________________________

Email:_________________________________

Phone:__________________________________

Price point:__________________________

What do you sell?_____________________

_________________________________________

————————————————————————————————————————-
Laguna Fest 2012 Volunteer, Demo/Workshop/ Vendor Sign-up
Saturday, July 14th – 11am to 11pm
For ticket info: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/230853
Contacts: lagunafest2012@gmail.com , 707-823-0823

Volunteer Sign-up – Volunteers receive 2 tickets for 3 -hour shift
Area of Interest
? Food Support
? Demo/Workshop Support
? Vendor Support
? Administrative support
? Music Support
? Sponsorship/raffle support
? Set-up – 7/13 or 7/14 (specify)_______
? Graphics/Printing Support
? Clean-up
? Miscellaneous/other When do you want to volunteer?

? Prior to the event.
? Day of the event:
? Morning
? Afternoon
? Evening

Name:________________________________________

Email:__________________________________________

Phone:__________________________________________

So many of you have asked about how things are going on the farm. I am so grateful that members of the CSA community are genuinely interested in how well things are going. In a nutshell, things are pretty awesome. We started the Sebastopol farm market early this year, we expanded our farm store to better serve our members, our membership is growing and we are welcoming many new faces to the farm and delivering to more houses weekly, and the weather is warm and windy after each spring rain. This weather pattern dries out the fields well enough so we can get the tractors out to disc before the next rain storm. While things are going well, a lot of this is due to the hard work that we are putting in. Good fortune does not come easy in farming, and while we are thankful for the many blessings, we are also putting in the time to make the most of what is available right now.
Along with this, we are tightening a few things up to better ensure our fanatical sustainability. As of May 1st, we will be increasing a few of our prices. We looked at our dairy prices and we are not covering our cost to sell them. The dairy will be raised during the 1st week of May. We will give dairy members details on how the prices will affect their standing order.
Be Well,
Jennifer Branham

In Your Box This Week: From Laguna Farm, please enjoy our “Naturally Grown” salad mix, spinach, parsley, radishes or turnips, beets from Petaluma, onions from Hollister and sweet potatoes from Livingston.

Farm Store Hours:
Come visit the Laguna Farm Store during business hours!
Tuesday 1:00 – 7:00, Wednesday 12:00 to 6:00, Thursday 1:00 – 7:00 and Friday 10:00 to 4:00.

Earthday Clothing Swap: For women, men and kids of all ages, come to the Sebastopol Farm Market and participate in the clothing swap. Bring your gently used clothes to the farmers market and swap them out for different gently used clothes. Then come by the Laguna Farm booth and show us your new digs!

Laguna Fest news! We are happy to announce that we have booked the bands “Black Sheep” and “The Jug Dealers”! They will be headlining at Laguna Fest on July 14th. We are actively looking for businesses that would like to sponsor our sustainability/ reskilling/ farm open-house! Join us in celebrating the harvest, honoring the Laguna and sharing new skills. If you have a business or know of a local business that would like to be a sponsor, please contact us at lagunafestinfo@gmail.com or call us at the farm 823-0823.

Price Increase! Our cost for all Dairy Items has increased and we need to adjust our prices accordingly. As of May1, 2012, we will increase all dairy items. Standing orders will be affected. Every dairy share will have an individual letter next week with all the details. Thank you for understanding.

Last week, we found our new system of providing members with a full-service barn store was very well received. We appreciate that our members are able to adjust with our changes. By expanding our farm store offerings, we also need to expand our customer service.
Last Friday, a group of us walked out to the Laguna de Santa Rosa. We are featuring the Laguna in our summer festival “Laguna Fest”. I am excited that our event will feature workshops and nature walks that highlight this valuable natural resource. As we were walking back to the barn, a beautiful blue heron flew to the top of the Eucalyptus tree. Looking through binoculars, we saw she has a huge nest!
If you would like to be a part of “Laguna Fest”, please let us know. We have sign-up sheets that are task specific on the old blue weigh station in the barn. Home delivery and Drop-site members are encouraged to call in and let us know how you might like to lend a hand. Instead of a recipe sheet next week, the back side of the newsletter will feature the ways you can get involved.
Be Well,
Jennifer Branham

In Your Box This Week: From Laguna Farm, please enjoy our “Naturally Grown” salad mix, saute’ mix, kale or collards, Broccoli from Hollister, Royal Tangerines from Las Palmalitas, Lemons from Sebastopol, Spring Onions from our friends at County Line Farm in Petaluma.

Farm Store Hours:
Come visit the Laguna Farm Store during business hours and add on to your regular CSA.
We are open:
Tuesday 1:00 – 7:00, Wednesday 12:00 to 6:00, Thursday 1:00 – 7:00 and Friday 10:00 to 4:00.

Farm Pick up members: Your CSA is available on you farm pickup day after 1:00 and until Saturday night at 9:00. If you need your box saved for Monday, call us before Monday at 9:00 am. The farm is Closed on Sunday. Visit us at the Farmers Market on Sunday at the Sebastopol Farmers Market from 10:00 – 2:00. We will let you know when we are at other markets throughout Sonoma County this late spring.

Home Delivery Members: If you would like to put a cooler out on your porch, we will be happy to transfer your veggies into a cooler for you. It is encouraged, as we like to get our bin back, and your veggies stay fresh!

Tell A Friend about Laguna Farm! Laguna Farm is filling up fast and though I hate to send out a rumor that we have a waiting list, I would like to encourage you to get your family, friends and business associates on board. Summer is coming soon and the basil is already getting tall!

Price Increase! Our cost for all Dairy Items has increased and we need to adjust our prices accordingly. As of May1, 2012, we will increase all dairy items. Standing orders will be affected. Every dairy share will have an individual letter next week with all the details. Thank you for understanding. s