Newsletter July 24 and 26, 2007
Laguna Farm CSA
1764 Cooper Rd., Sebastopol, CA 95472 info@lagunafarm.com
Office phone 823-0823 i Barn phone 823-0824
July 24 and 26, 2007
From Farmer Scott
As you know, we have had to increase the box price and delivery fees, which will be implemented as of August 1. I imagine most of you understand the need to increase prices. We are all experiencing the rises in costs in our lives, and the farm is realizing those also. The raises I gave the hard working folks this spring is probably the most significant aspect of this. So I am glad to be able to say to you: thanks for supporting ethical employment in the service of sustainable food production. We at the farm are trying to create right livelihood for our field crew, which means an agricultural employment free of toxic chemicals and strong in personal empowerment. Nacho, Vickie, Fortunato, Santos and Manuel are the best, and I value them highly. Be well.
In your box today:
All from the farm, our “beyond organic” salad mix, saute mix, corn, carrots, beans or squash, sungold or Early Girl tomatoes, garlic and parsley. Fruit subscribers will receive strawberries and melons from Sebastopol.
Our saute mix is a blend of greens that can be used similarly to spinach in stir-fries, bakes and casseroles. There is a pleasing tang or bite to the taste because of the addition of mustards (good for the digestion!).
The abundance of the summer months give us the chance to source all of the contents of your box directly from our fields. This is also a chance for you to deepen your awareness of the seasonality of food, and to become more fully a “localvore,” by decreasing your trading or purchasing of items we source from outside the farm. Instead, we appreciate you relying as much as possible on all Laguna Farm-grown veggies. Thanks!!
PRICE INCREASES as of August 1! We’ve finally had to implement cost-of-living increases. See the website and signs at the blue CSA table.
THANKS TO ALL MEMBERS WHO HAVE SWITCHED TO QUARTERLY PAYMENTS!
We appreciate your commitment, and the lessening of the check processing on this end. Don’t worry if your previous payment is a bit off when adjusted for the new price increases; we’ll help with the changes. See the website for help in figuring out how to estimate quarterly payments: instructions are there.
Laguna Farm CSA
1764 Cooper Rd., Sebastopol, CA 95472 info@lagunafarm.com
Office phone 823-0823 i Barn phone 823-0824
July 17 and 19, 2007
From Farmer Scott
Yum! The first corn from our land! And the sungold tomatoes are coming to your box soon. What is really amazing is how soon the melons are going to be ripe. I am turning the big compost piles this week, to help them transform into rich fertilizer for application in the fields for the fall plantings. For yes, this is the time when we start planting for the winter months. The goal is to plant and manifest lots of carrots and other root vegetables that will slow down into the cooler months, starting in November, and last into the first months of 2008. I hope everyone is having a good summer thus far. Be well.
In your box today:
All from the abundant fields of the farm: our “beyond organic” salad mix, corn, beets, potatoes, squash or beans, peas, cucumbers, and scallions. Fruit suscribers will receive strawberries from the farm and plums from Gabriel Farm here in Sebastopol.
Native Americans called corn, beans and squash “the three sisters,” because they depended so heavily on the nutritional profile created by the energetic link among the three. All three are ancient staple foods of the Americas. Beans are high in protein (even higher when dried), Vitamins A and the B group, calcium and potassium. Sweet corn, as we know it, was developed after the introduction of early corn to Europe in the 1700’s. Even though some nutrition has been sacrificed in the selection of corn strains for their sweetness, modern sweet corn is still a good source of complex carbohydrates, protein, Vitamin A and the B complex, phosphorous and potassium. Steam corn for 6-10 minutes, or leave the husk on and roast in the oven, an outdoor grill or campfire for about 20 minutes.
The abundance of the summer months give us the chance to source all of the contents of your box directly from our fields. This is also a chance for you to deepen your awareness of the seasonality of food, and to become more fully a “localvore,” by decreasing your trading or purchasing of items we source from outside the farm. Instead, we appreciate you relying as much as possible on all Laguna Farm-grown veggies. Thanks!!
PRICE INCREASES! We’ve finally had to implement some cost-of-living increases. See the website and signs at the blue CSA table.
THANKS TO ALL MEMBERS WHO HAVE SWITCHED TO QUARTERLY PAYMENTS!
We appreciate your commitment, and the lessening of the check processing on this end. Don’t worry if your previous payment is a bit off when adjusted for the new price increases; we’ll help with the changes. See the website for help in figuring out how to estimate quarterly payments: instructions are there.
Laguna Farm CSA
1764 Cooper Rd., Sebastopol, CA 95472 info@lagunafarm.com
Office phone 823-0823 i Barn phone 823-0824
July 10 and 12, 2007
From Farmer Scott
You know summer is here when you make your first pesto! And I’m happy to say that pesto made from our basil is now for sale in the store. Our hope is to have good things to sell to you made from the produce we’ve grown, when there is over-abundance in the fields. We are working with some folks who like to make quality processed food, especially with good quality ingredients (such as ours). Currently we have an abundance of basil. There will not, however, be an abundance of peppers, because there is a disaster happening in the tunnel that we planted in the spring. But we’ll hopefully have extra tomatoes to make salsa in the late summer.
We have made the decision to raise the box price and delivery price. It is something we’ve put off for a couple of years, but are feeling the ever-increasing rise in costs. In the spring, the round of raises to the field crew and staff alone made a significant jump in the cost of running the farm. I have not yet invented the free energy device to run our engines (imagine what that would save us!), and insurance, supplies, etc. have only continued to climb in cost. I trust you understand and have seen this in many other parts of your lives. We appreciate your support and know you feel the difference in the food.
In your box today:
All from the farm, our “beyond organic” salad mix, turnips, peas, summer squash or beans, chard, onions, cucumber, and a double bunch of basil. Fruit subscribers will receive apricots from Gilroy, nectarines from Dinuba, plums from Reedley, and peaches from the Santa Rosa Junior College’s Shone Farm.
Basil is native to India and Asia, and has been cultivated for over 5,000 years. It calms nerves and treats digestive complaints, insomnia, headaches, nausea, and parasites. Add to hot tea, soup, sandwiches, salads, vegetables, meats, beans, tofu, eggs, or fish. Pesto can be made a zillion ways: blend in the food processor with oil, pine nuts, walnuts, even sunflower seeds, and parmesan, goat or any sharp cheese. Preserve basil by drying, freezing, or placing in olive oil or vinegar. When freezing pesto, add a top layer of olive oil.
Messages for pick-up subscribers
We need paper bags at the blue CSA table – please bring them in at your convenience. Of course, we encourage you to bring and use your own canvas bags, but it’s helpful to have a supply of paper bags here for various uses.
If you’ve come to pick up your box before 2 PM, and you’d like to shop at the store, remember that the store doesn’t open until that time. But before 2 PM, we are setting it up, and can’t always help you effectively (or set up the store properly). Please be mindful of this scheduling situation and try not to affect the progress of set-up, if possible. Thanks! The store is open 2 PM – 8 PM daily.