Farm Update for August 13th, 2010

Our Update
...a periodic reflection of what's going on at the farm

Wood Duck Farm

August 13^th, 2010

For those of you that have never visited our farm, we border the Sam Houston National Forest just inside the southern boundary of San Jacinto County; which borders Montgomery County. So our farm is about 45 miles due north of Houston, 20 miles from Kingwood and about 30 miles from the Woodlands. When the weather moderates with cooler temperatures in a few months, we invite you to consider visiting our area for a bike ride or bird watching excursion. Speaking of bike riding, just this past Tuesday I was riding my bicycle down a National Forest dirt road and had a little surprise along the way. Yes I was pulled over by the county sheriff. Not really sure why; perhaps he thought that anyone riding a bicycle when it is 100F outside was mentally unstable. Even worst, maybe he thought I was an escaped mental patient? Okay enough already, I can hear some of my friends validating that thought. Just because I farm for a living, does not make me a "border line mental case" does it? Well possibly! In any event, the sheriff finally said "Oh, You're just out getting some exercise? That's cool," So he let me go. Sorry no surprise ending!

This Week At The Farm? Dusty, hot and dry! In spite of the heat, we were able to seed lots of plug trays for our Fall CSA growing program. We put down over 2000 tomato plants, and about a thousand seedlings each of varieties such as summer squash, cantaloupe, zucchini, multiplying onions, broccoli, butternut squash, eggplant, cucumbers, Napa cabbage, cauliflower and much more. Still too hot to direct seed carrots and beets, but they're coming.

Salads Info? Did you know that Chicory has a lot more essential vitamins and nutrients than most other leafy green vegetables? Since we grow several salad related greens and herbs, I thought some of you might be interested in reading/viewing how different leafy greens compared. Please scroll down to the end of this update to read the entire article from EnvironmentalNutrition.com

What's This CSA Thing You're Talking About? Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a direct partnership between you and the farmer. C.S.A. members pay in advance for a share of the upcoming harvest, thus the farmer is ensured a consistent market and the consumer is ensured high-quality local produce. Produce is delivered to many of our Houston neighborhood pick-up locations within 24 hrs. of harvesting. For additional information visit our website by linking to CSA Details

Additional CSA Pick Up Locations Sought. As mentioned last week, we are still seeking additional "Pick Up locations" for our Fall CSA program, set to begin in late September/early October. Let us know if you have some ideas please. For a review of our current locations go to CSA Pickup Locations .

Other Stuff: This Saturday at the Urban Harvest Farmer's Market, we'll have our normal goodies such as salad mix, baby arugula, and assorted varieties of micro greens such as cilantro, arugula, basil, etc. We'll also have of our prepared food items like "naked" chicken salad, pulled pork, baby back ribs, "par" smoked chicken, and basil pesto w/goat cheese.

All the Best,

Van Weldon

Cell 713 876 8645

www.woodduckfarm.com

csa@woodduckfarm.com

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Salads: Going Beyond the Green to Boost Nutrition

By Andrea Platzman, M.S., R.,D.

Everyone thinks salads are healthful, but some are more so than others-a lot more. And-dare we say it?-not all salads are even healthful. Certainly not if they're swimming in fat-laden mayo or drowning in dressing.

But almost all greens can make a healthful salad; the darker the green, the more nutritious it is. And here's a shocker-even choosing pale but satisfyingly crunchy Iceberg, an American favorite, is okay, if you mix in other more nutritious greens or add healthful toppings (see charts).

For example, add chicory for a vitamin A boost (7,200 International Units per cup); it soars above the rest of the contenders. Cabbage, a cruciferous vegetable, contributes indoles, a class of phytochemicals with anticancer properties. And practically all dark greens are rich in beta-carotene.

Because Americans now average about four servings a day of fruits and vegetables, adding one cup of salad-a serving-can help meet the 5-a-Day goal we should all strive for... and exceed. Eating even more fruits and vegetables can help reduce the risk of certain cancers, heart disease, high blood pressure and eye diseases.

Salad-Tossing Tips

When selecting salad greens, choose fresh, tender, blemish-free leaves with a healthy green color. Avoid leaves that are yellowish and wilted; these are signs of decay.
Avoid mayo-laden salad bar offerings and creamy dressings; both can ruin an otherwise healthful salad...and your waistline. (Two tablespoons of regular ranch dressing can add 150 calories and 16 grams of fat.)
Be creative at home. Add what you like to your salad, even if it isn't a typical topper.
Use croutons, bacon bits and cheese sparingly. Better yet, select toppings with monounsaturated fats, such as olives, walnuts, avocado or soybeans.
To make salad a complete meal, toss on fresh fruit, nuts and beans and add a whole grain roll.

Nutrition Comparison of Salad Greens
(Serving size is one cup.)
Salad Green	Calories	Vitamin A (IU)	Vitamin C (mg)	Potassium (mg)	Calcium (mg)
Arugula (rocket, roquette)	5	480	3	74	32
Butterhead lettuce (Boston, Bibb)	7	534	4	141	18
Cabbage, red	19	28	40	144	36
Chicory	41	7,200	43	756	180
Endive	8	1,025	3	157	26
Fennel	27	117	10	360	43
Iceberg lettuce	7	182	2	87	10
Leaf lettuce	10	1,064	10	148	38
Romaine lettuce	8	1,456	13	162	20
Spinach	7	2,015	8	167	30*
Watercress	4	1,598	15	112	41
mg = milligrams; IU = International Units * Much of the calcium is not available to the body to use.

Nutrition Comparison of Healthful Salad Toppings
Topping	Serving Size	Calories	Bonus Nutrients
Adzuki beans	½ cup	147	Protein, potassium, magnesium and fiber.
Almonds	1 ounce	165	Protein, vitamin E and calcium.
Artichoke hearts, in olive oil	1 heart	40	Fiber, folate, potassium and calcium.
Asparagus	½ cup steamed	22	Vitamin C and folate.
Avocado, California	¼ of whole fruit	77	Monounsaturated fats, vitamin E, folate and fiber.
Beets	½ cup boiled	37	Folate and potassium.
Broccoli	½ cup raw	12	Vitamins A, C, calcium, potassium, fiber, lutein, zeaxanthin and sulforaphane.
Carrots	½ cup raw	31	Vitamin A, beta-carotene, alpha- carotene and fiber.
Cauliflower	½ cup raw	13	Vitamin C, indoles and isothiocyanates.
Celery	½ cup raw	6	Vitamin C and potassium.
Chicken breast	3 ounces white meat	173	Protein, niacin and vitamin B6.
Chickpeas (garbanzo beans)	½ cup boiled or canned	135	Protein, folate, calcium, potassium, zinc and fiber.
Corn, yellow	½ cup fresh or frozen, boiled	89	Folate, potassium, fiber and lutein.
Egg	1 whole	78	Vitamins A, E, B12, D, riboflavin, folate, selenium and zinc. Limit to one egg.
Mandarin oranges	½ cup canned	77	Vitamins A and C, beta-cryptoxanthin and lutein.
Mushrooms	½ cup	9	Riboflavin, niacin, potassium and selenium.
Olives	5 small	20	Monounsaturated fats and polyphenols.
Onions	½ cup raw	30	Allium compounds and quercetin.
Peppers, red, yellow, orange	½ cup raw	14	Vitamins A and C, beta-carotene, beta- cryptoxanthin and fiber.
Raisins	1/3 cup	98	Iron, potassium and ellagic acid.
Sardines	3 ounces	160	Protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
Strawberries	½ cup slices, fresh or frozen (thawed)	23	Vitamin C, potassium, manganese, fiber, ellagic acid and anthocyanins.
Sunflower seeds	1 ounce	160	Vitamins E and B6, niacin, folate, copper, magnesium, zinc, fiber and linoleic acid.
Tofu, processed with calcium sulfate	½ cup	94	Protein, calcium, iron, manganese and isoflavones.
Tomatoes	½ tomato	13	Vitamins A and C, potassium and lycopene.
Tuna, canned in water	3 ounces	99	Protein, niacin and omega-3 fatty acids.
Walnuts	1 ounce	190	Protein, vitamin E, magnesium and alpha- linolenic acid.

For more info visit this publication at http://www.environmentalnutrition.com