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this week's
HARVEST
This list may change, but here's our best guess of what you'll be getting in your share this week.
Basil
Beets
Carrots
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Garlic
Hot Peppers
Onions
Peppers
Tomatoes
Zucchini
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| 2014 CSA MANUAL |
Just about everything you need to know about the Rushton Farm CSA is located HERE! 
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KEEP US IN THE LOOP!
Email is our primary means of communicating all CSA matters, so please contact us if your address changes, or if you'd like a family member's address to be added to the CSA mailing list.
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WHEREABOUTS
Rushton Farm is located within the 85-acre Rushton Woods Preserve on Delchester Road, just south of Goshen Road in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. |
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Week of July 28, 2014 - Issue No. 11
PAW PRINTS wisdom from Max
 The other day, while wandering around a random hedgerow, I bumped into a Shar Pei. After sniffing each other a bit, I commented to him that it might be the year of the horse in China, but out at the farm it's the year of the rabbit. I then lamented to him about all the bunnies on the farm; how they bounce about all day all through the fields-right under the humans' noses!-and how there's nothing I can do about it, because of this dumb electric string strung up all over. The Shar Pei, after listening to my whimpering for a minute or two, simply turned to me and barked. I think it was like a Zen thing. You know how Shar Peis are.
So, the next day I was out at the farm, again, and the guy I live with was messing around with a bunch of plants, again, and I was watching a bunny chew on some leaf about ten feet away from me, again, and all that familiar frustration rose up in me like a giant, colossal wave. This time, though, instead of bottling it up, I let it out. I barked. And let me tell you, it was amazing. I mean, once I started, I couldn't stop. I must have barked non-stop for hours! And even though I didn't catch a rabbit, or even appear to frighten one, at the end of the day, I really felt like I'd accomplished something.
I highly recommend this. The next time you're feeling powerless about something in your life, and it feels like that sensation might just overwhelm you, possibly sending you into a puddle-slurping, compost-eating, shame-spiral: bark. Bark like you mean it.
Peace and Bones,
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THE DIRT notes from the field
While bunnies still occasionally munch our crops we are happy to say our new electric fence system has greatly reduced our wildlife pressure. Each of the fields we use for crop production has an electric fence around it that is powered by a solar charger. In February we put these fences up and bait them with sugar to attract the deer. Upon licking the sugar on the fence the deer receive a mild shock "encouraging" them to change their herding pattern. With 80 acres of nature preserve to roam they usually choose to stay clear of our 6 acres of crops.
This has worked for the last seven years with very little deer pressure until fall when hunting season begins and our growing season is dying down. The one area where the fence has not been effective until this year is preventing rabbit and groundhog damage. With the help of Wellscroft Fencing we were able to engineer a third galvanized wire to be strung 6 inches off the ground- perfect for "encouraging" our ground predators to feed elsewhere. This has resulted in an increase in the yield and quality of our crops, particularly greens and root vegetables.
In the past we have relied on the pointer patrol of Max and Hackett  who are trained to stay out of the crop fields but still patrol the perimeters. Thanks to the fencing their time chasing bunnies has been greatly reduced (as has the barking). Although we still employ our "4 legged animal control" team of Max and Hackett, they are spending more time in the hedgerow than on the farm. After 10 years chasing deer and rodents Max is ready for retirement. Hackett on the other hand has moved on to chasing Frisbees.
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RECIPES what to do with all those veggies
Loving Eggplant, For Those Who Don't
Many years back, I can remember unloading my CSA bag and pulling out eggplant. Although beautiful in color and form, eggplant tends to be an interloper on many tables. It's seeds and liquid are apt to be bitter and its uncooked dense innards are unappetizing. Sure you might like Eggplant Parmesan but really anything breaded, fried, and smothered in tomato sauce and cheese is tasty and by the way outrageously high in calories.
Additionally, the eggplant has for a long time been misunderstood as a non-nourishing food when in fact it is highly nutritious and low in calories. The skin and meat promote blood circulation, protect you from colon cancer, control high blood pressure and relieve stress!
Here is a wonderful recipe that incorporates so much of this week's share, takes you beyond Baba Ghanoush and is the perfect condiment for grilled chicken, lamb, beef and fish. I promise you are going to love it and so will your heart and waistline!
- Mary Smith
Eggplant Caponata
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb eggplant, cubed
- I red pepper, chopped
- 1.5 cups zucchini, chopped
- 1 cup chopped red onion
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
METHOD:
- Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Add 1 lb cubed eggplant, 1 chopped red bell pepper, 1˝ cups chopped zucchini, 1 cup chopped red onion, and 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme.
- Sauté until tender, about 15 minutes.
- Add 12 oz chopped tomatoes (about 1˝ cups), 2 Tbsp chopped garlic, and 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar and cook 4 minutes longer.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Prevention Magazine
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About Us
Rushton Farm is part of Willistown Conservation Trust's Community Farm Program.  Willistown Conservation Trust is a non-profit organization working to preserve and manage the open land, rural character, scenic, recreational, historic, agricultural and natural resources of the Willistown area and nearby communities, and to share these unique resources with people of all ages and backgrounds to inspire, educate and develop a lifelong commitment to the land and the natural world.
To learn more or to find out how you can get involved visit
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