October 2 Newsletter
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.