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July Newsletter from New Hampshire CSA
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Produce is sizing up in the high tunnel and field. A lot of members are asking what we have growing so here is a list:
Roma, Beefsteak and cherry tomatoes
Cucumbers, Scallopini and Delacatta Squash, Sweet corn, Kale, Eggplant, Broccoli, Watermelon, Cantelope, Kholrabi, Snap peas, Peppers, Yellow beans, and in late season Pumpkins!
This is in addition to all the other items we source from partner farms.
We also planted a Raspberry patch this year that will be producing next June.
If you are a Londonderry site pick up; you can just show up at Innovative Realty across from Londonderry Ford between 2:30-5 to pick up your shares. Go to the receptionist on the 2nd floor and ask. If you get home and forget what that "thing" is go to the site and check out the veggies id chart.
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We are still actively looking for members to participate in a working share program. Participants would do weeding, seedlings, transplanting, pruning depending on skill level.
Perhaps you have a friend that would like to experience CSA but have a limited budget. Let them know. It can be mutually beneficial!
email if interested 
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by Fran Van Geyte, RD CSP
Heirloom Vegetables: The History Behind these Charmers
Heritage vegetables AKA heirloom vegetables have as colorful history as they do appearance. These quirky vegetables are hard to resist at farmers' markets, CSA and upscale restaurants with their lack of uniformity, intense flavors and odd shapes and color. These historical 'hand-me-downs' are making a comeback and in a big way. Although heirloom varities may be centuries old from Europe, Asia African, most known varieties were introduced aroound the early 1950s when the first hybirds were commericialized. Families held on to seeds from their harvest and passed them down through generations and thanks to this tradition we now have over 25,000 known heritage vegetables today.
Most connoisseurs of heirloom crops will say that you truly don't know vegetables such as lettuce and beans until you've tried them the way nature intended. Unlike the typical hybrid vegetables sold at supermarkets, heirloom vegetables are grown from seed and come back true to type; they are open-pollinated and can reproduce. Hybrid ones are cross-pollinated meaning they are the result of different varities that are bred for designing uniformity with tough skins to reduce damage from automated harvesting, pesticide applications and long distrance travel, The majority of vegetables found at markets today are not bred to preserve taste or nutrition value but about maximizing tolerance to handling/shipping and overall yield and profit margins. It is possibly one very real reason children don't 'like to eat their vegetabbles.' They just don't taste as good. Certainly not the way nature intended.
Not only are open-pollinated vegetables a visual treasure to behold and tastier, they are also possibly nutritionally superior. Studies have supported this reporting that since the 1950s, over 40 crops have shown to have less concentration of protein, calcium, phosphorus, Vitamin C, riboflavin and iron. Nature seems to always have a way of reminding us that when it comes to our food and environment, when we work against the rules of nature, we have yet to truly come up ahead.
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Ever get home and forget what that new vegetable is,
check out our veggie ID chart here.
Thank you to all the membership, we look forward to seeing our returning members and meeting all the new ones.
Enjoy and Eat Well.
Best Wishes for the coming growing season,
Gary and the crew
NHCSA
603 548 5550
The NHCSA is a multi farm CSA. We have created an alliance with accomplished growers who are either certified organic or growing organically. By supporting us, you're helping to sustain multiple small farm growers in their quest to provide quality produce.Together, we'll provide you with a colorful array of vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers that are fresh-picked and organically grown.
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