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Greetings and Happy Halloween!
Thank you to everyone who has signed up as members of our farm for next season's CSA program! We are so thankful and excited about the response and enthusiasm of our local foodie community!! And we're super excited about our newly styled CSA growing next spring! We do have a couple spots still open - if interested, please scroll down for details and registration info.
We are also working on our winter schedule of workshops and courses! Thanks to all who have been asking us! We should have everything ironed out and scheduled in the next couple weeks.
In this newsletter, I wanted to first announce a wonderful workshop Mark and I will be taking on Saturday the 8th of November at Two Pond Farm in West Milford.
And secondly, I wanted to share my notes and thoughts on Fennel, which is one of my favorite herbs, vegetables, and garden plants.
Hope you enjoy the newsletter!
Best and thanks always,
Barbara and Mark
Midsummer Farm
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Wonderful Wool-Working Workshop!
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 This is one of those skills/crafts/artforms that we have been wanting to learn about and develop for years and years! Alison Hosford, an artist and farmer, of Two Pond Farm has been raising sheep and perfecting the craft and art of wool-working for many years. For this workshop, she'll be inviting us into her home and farm and sharing her knowledge and know-how both of processing raw wool or fleece and of spinning the wool or roving into yarn!!
This Wool-Working Workshop will take place:
Saturday, November 8th from 9:30 am to 2 pm.
This is a VERY hands on workshop.  Participants will 'skirt' a fleece, wash a fleece, 'pick' a fleece, card it, and learn how to spin wool two ways: with a drop spindle and with a spinning wheel. Lunch is included. Cost is $80 per person, or $70 each if you sign up with one or more people.
Two Pond Farm is located at 176 Weaver Rd. in West Milford, NJ 07480 Mark and I are really looking forward to it and hope to see you there! |
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Fennel
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 Fennel is a wonderful plant - it is one of my favorite herbs and favorite vegetables.
First of all, I want to mention that fennel is a different plant from Anise. Fennel and Anise are both members of the same family of plants, but Anise never gets a bulb. Anise and fennel seeds and fronds look and smell and taste very similar with a sweet-licorice flavor. They are actually used very similarly both in cooking and medicinally, which may be why they have gotten so mixed up in people's minds. Anise Hyssop is totally unrelated to Fennel and Anise - its name is only referring to its flavor, which is similar to anise.
(I had to mention this, because the last time I bought some fennel in the super market and tried to check myself out, I couldn't find fennel under F in the cash register - I had to go to A and use the price code for anise!)
The nomenclature is a bit crazy for fennel. American botanists tend to think of fennel being a single species - Foeniculum vulgare - with many subspecies or cultivated variations, but Italian botanists have branched out the genus of fennel into a plethora of up to 10 species each with their own variations. So to avoid confusion, I don't refer to the fennel varieties I sell at my Plant Sales by their Latin names. I usually buy all Italian heirloom seeds (Finocchio) and refer to each variety according to where it was developed in Italy.
 History
The craziness of how to distinguish different fennels is because of fennel's ancientness and the changes in how it has been used over the ages. Fennel has been a flavoring and herb developing alongside humanity for hundreds of years. The earliest written recorded use of fennel was in 961 AD in Spain, but it was being used in one form or another for hundreds of years before that.
Historically fennel was a more wild plant and was cultivated and bred originally for quantity of seeds and quality of the oil the seeds produce. It was in Italy in the past couple centuries where it started to be cultivated and developed for bulb production. Currently fennel is used more for its bulb, although I personally probably consume the shoots or fronds and the yellow flowers more than any other part of the fennel.
Growing Fennel for Bulbs
Fennel season in Italy is traditionally mid autumn through the winter and early spring, it is grown and used as a holiday or winter vegetable like Cardoons, Artichokes, Puntarelle, and Radicchios and Endives. Around here, Fennel would need to be grown and timed a little differently to make up for the difference in climate. My most successful fennel bulbs are grown in the greenhouse, and I can usually harvest them between Thanksgiving and Christmas. When I grow them outside in the main garden, the temperature and its fluctuations has a huge impact on how successfully the bulbs develop. I start fennel seeds indoors under lights in February, and plant them out as seedlings in late March. I harvest the bulbs at what ever size they are before I hear that temperatures will reach 85-90 degrees F. Fennel bulbs develop best in cool temperatures and will get tough and start to bolt in hot weather. So don't wait for a big bulb - plan your harvest according to temperature. A small fennel bulb is just as delicious as a large one. I plant a lot so even if they are very small, I'll still get plenty.
I also try to plant some seedlings again in early September outside in the garden - this fall has been cool, but mild and long, so the fennels are looking pretty promising right now. But if the temperature got very cold or very warm, they probably wouldn't have done well at all.
One other note - I usually plant my fennel for bulbs in a slight trench, so I can pull more soil up over the bulbs (about half-way) once I see they are starting to form. Like celery, which I usually plant in the same row, fennel will need lots of water to form tender bulbs and plenty of compost as well. Don't even try to pull the fennel bulbs up to harvest - they form gigantic tap roots! Just push the soil back to expose the bottom of the bulb and cut the bulb part off the tap root with a knife.
Growing Fennel for Fronds, Flowers, Seeds 
Even if trying for bulbs is just too much for you, you should still grow fennel. If you're not worrying about the bulbs, fennel is super-easy to grow around here. If you pick a variety from the middle to northern areas of Italy, it will even naturalize and self-seed for years to come. I have a giant fennel plant in the greenhouse that grows as a perennial - if I didn't cut it back, it would grow right through the roof!
To plant fennel for frond production, simply spread the seeds in a prepared spot in your garden in late April or early May. Or for more dependability, you could also start with seedlings or start your seeds inside the house under lights to get a jump on the season.
Medicinal Uses
Fennel was first used mostly as a medicinal herb. And it is an effective, safe, and wonderful herb to use. Its sweet flavor makes it very palatable for most people and even children. I use it mostly as a tea that I drink mainly as a tonic for general health, balance, and well-being. I usually use fresh fronds or green seeds for the tea.
Fennel is considered a strengthening and longevity herb. Great for strengthening the eyes, veins, circulatory system, etc. Fennel is rich in bioflavonoids and antioxidants, so this makes a lot of sense. It is, like many plant foods, a cleanser for the blood and liver. Fennel revitalizes and rejuvenates. Regular consumption of fennel has been linked to skin health, heart health, and reproductive health. Early herbalists often prescribed fennel for melancholy...
Fennel is probably best known and most recommended for its ability to aid indigestion. Serving the raw sliced bulb after a big holiday dinner is slightly effective and festive and could be considered a palette cleanser. But eating the fennel in a salad before consuming the big meal would work better for jump starting the metabolism and aiding in digestion. And the bulb is less medicinal than the fronds and seeds, so drinking a tea of fennel fronds or seeds would be the best way to take advantage of this herb's use as a digestive.
If I feel over-full or just like the food I ate for dinner is just sitting in my stomach in the evening, I make a quick cup of fennel tea and it usually fixes the feeling within minutes. Fennel makes digestion more fruitful. It boosts the metabolism. So it also can also help people combat obesity. If you use bitters as a digestive aid, you'll find that adding sweet fennel will balance the bitter flavor and enhance the overall effect.
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 RECIPE: Fennel Frond Tea ~about 3-6 small fronds and/or green seed heads of fennel
~1 cup of hot water
Bring some water to a boil. Place fennel fronds and/or seed heads into a tea cup. Pour water over and let steep about 5-10 minutes. And enjoy.
You can also use the dried brown seeds for tea. The dried seeds are stronger, medicinally-speaking. To make tea with the dried seeds, it is best to crush them slightly in a mortar and pestel and then let them steep in the hot water for 10-15 minutes. But I much prefer the flavor of the fresh fennel in tea and find it perfectly useful for my needs.
Fennel is also used for alleviating heartburn and for reducing gas pains and flatulence.
It is an effective respiratory tonic as well as an anti-spasmodic - It greatly helps in breaking up bronchial mucus and making a cough more productive. I find that there is nothing better than a tea made of fennel fronds and elecampane root for getting rid of a lingering, stubborn cough after a cold or flu.
Fennel is also well-known for its effectiveness in healing and recovering after giving birth and increasing milk production.
I feel that the best way to take advantage of all these wonderful healing and balancing aspects of fennel is to both drink it regularly as a tea and incorporate it into my meals as much as possible. I try to aim to have a cup of tea every night and in a meal once a week. Scroll down for some of my favorite fennel recipes...
Fennel Frond-and-Flower Water 
I like to add a some herbs to a cold pitcher of ice water. It is pretty and festive and adds flavor and medicinal phyto-chemicals to the water. Fennel fronds and flowers are not only very attractive in a pitcher of water, but they also add a lovely sweet licorice flavor. I particularly like to add some chopped cucumber or some lemon balm as well.
Storing
Dried seeds can be stored in a dry, dark, cool place. Fronds and green seed pods can be simply frozen. Bulbs don't freeze particularly well if you want to eat the bulb raw, but you can adequately freeze bulbs that you will be cooking or roasting or stalks you want to save for a stock. And the fresh bulbs do keep well in the fridge for a long time.
Fennel Oil
Fennel Oil is very potent and strong. It should not be consumed internally. However it is an excellent ingredient for adding to a salve as it eases muscular as well as rheumatic pain. I put it, as well as Anise essential oil, in many of my herbal healing salves.
 Garden Beneficial
Fennel is a great companion plant and medicinal plant for your garden. It is a prime attractor of beneficial insects. Lady bugs as well as many beneficial wasp species love the nectar of the fennel flowers. I always see some ladybugs or ladybug larvae on my fennel plants.
Also, the fennel plant is a food source for Black Swallowtail caterpillars. So if you see a small caterpillar on your fennel - don't squish it - it won't eat too much and it will turn into one of the largest and most flashy of North American butterflies.
Start incorporating fennel into your life more! It makes festive and diverse flavored meals, it is wonderful medicinal and tonic, and a gorgeous and easy part of a garden!
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Cooking with Fennel
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Fennel is lovely eaten raw - even just simply sliced and eaten like carrot sticks. I take off the tough outer layers and cut the core out of the center. It is especially nice with some sea salt and black pepper sprinkled over it. If you can find truffle salt, or Urfa Pepper Flakes or some other dark, dried, and sweated pepper flakes, they are magical sprinkled over raw fennel slices.
Like a lot of other vegetables, you can get a whole new experience if you shave or very thinly slice fennel bulbs. I usually use a mandoline for this, but you can do it easily enough with patience and a good knife.
Salads constructed with shaved fennel slices, citrus, apple, and bitter greens like arugula are simply wonderful. Fennel and lemon go very well together. Also you can incorporate lots of the sweet, frilly green fronds into your salad.
When I clean a fennel, I usually save some of the larger stems and freeze them for when I make a vegetable stock. A fennel stem is very useful for sweetening up a vegetable stock - really balances the sometimes too-bold cabbage and turnip flavors.
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RECIPE: Orange and Fennel Salad
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, reserving 1 to 2 tablespoons fronds
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 oranges
1/4 cup small olives, such as Nicoise or Kalamata
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Red-pepper flakes
Halve, core, and thinly slice bulb (preferably on a mandoline). In a bowl, toss fennel with 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice.
Slice away peel and pith of oranges and cut flesh into segments. Add to bowl with fennel and stir in olives, reserved fennel fronds, and extra-virgin olive oil. Season with coarse salt, ground pepper, and red-pepper flakes.
One of the most dramatic cooking transformations I have experienced was with roasting fennel bulbs. The fennel bulbs, and especially the core which is too hard to even bite when the fennel is raw, transform into a silky texture with artichoke like flavor when roasted. The below is a festive roasted fennel recipe for the holidays!
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RECIPE: Roasted Fennel and Potato Purée
about 4-6 fennel bulbs, cleaned, leaves removed but saved, and cut in half (reserve fronds)
about 4 tbsp olive oil
about 2 tbsp butter
about 1 tbsp of onion powder
salt and pepper
1/2 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into similarly-sized chunks
another 4 tbsp butter for processing
salt and pepper taste  Place fennel bulbs in a single layer in a roasting pan cut side up. Sprinkle some olive oil over them evenly and cut up the 2 tbsp of butter and distribute evenly over the bulbs. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and onion powder over them. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes to an hour. Test for done-ness by sticking a fork into the core part of the bulb - if it is tender, they are ready to come out.
Meanwhile, boil potatoes in salted water until tender (about 12-20 minutes). Once potatoes are done, drain, put back into pot, and steam-dry them by shaking and stirring the over low heat just until a light film coats bottom of pot (about 3 minutes).
Let things get cool enough to handle, but keep warm. Add fennel and potatoes and 4 additional tbsp of butter to food processor or blender and process until smooth and well mixed. Also add some of the fennel fronds at this point for some green. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with more finely chopped fennel fronds sprinkled over top.
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RECIPE: Roast Chicken and Fennel
1 chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), rinsed and patted dry
Coarse salt and plenty of fresh ground black pepper
2 lemons, quartered
3-4 garlic cloves
1 medium or large onion, quartered
2 to 3 fennel bulbs, fronds and stalks removed, cored, and cut into 1-inch wedges (reserve fronds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season inside and outside of chicken with salt and pepper. Place garlic and 2 lemon quarters inside chicken. Place chicken upside down (breast down) on a large rimmed baking sheet. Add fennel, onion, and remaining lemons to sheet and toss with oil.
Roast for 40 minutes. Then flip chicken over, spoon some of the juices over it, toss the veggies, and put the pan back in oven another 10 minutes. Check temperature - an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of a thigh (avoiding bone) should register 165. Once it is done, transfer chicken and flip upside down again to a platter. Cover loosely and let rest 10 minutes. Then, carve the chicken, sprinkle with some fresh fronds, and serve with the fennel, onions, and lemons.
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RECIPE: Fennel Garlic Side
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Fennel bulbs, fronds and stalks removed, cored, and cut into eighths (reserve fronds)
6-10 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 cup water or stock
2 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Add 1 tbsp oil to skillet. Add fennel and garlic; cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add water and cook until fennel is tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and 1 tbsp remaining oil. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped fronds.
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RECIPE: Fennel and Clams
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, casing removed (optional)
10-12 small red potatoes, cut in half
3 fennel bulbs, fronds and stalks removed, cored, and cut into eighths (reserve fronds)
1 small leek, washed well and cut into rounds
1/4 cup Pernod or other anise-flavored liqueur (optional - white wine works fine too)
1 1/2 cups clam juice
salt and pepper to taste
2 - 2-1/2 pounds littleneck clams, scrubbed
2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped or 1 can of diced tomatoes.
1/4 cup fresh tarragon leaves, coarsely chopped (or you can use parsley if you can't find tarragon or a combo is nice too)
In a dutch oven over medium heat, saute garlic and sausage (if using), about 5 minutes or until garlic is soft and flavorful but not browned. Transfer to a bowl, and drain all but 1 tbsp of any fat in pot. (If you didn't use sausage, you may have to add a dash more oil.).
Arrange potatoes in the pot, cut side down. Cook 5-7 minutes or until brown, then add fennel and stir around potatoes, and cook another 15 minutes or so until the vegetables are tender when poked with a fork. Stir often.
Add leeks, Pernod or wine, and clam juice. Cook until leeks are softened, about 5 minutes. Return garlic and sausage meat to pan; add tomatoes, mix to combine and get everything nice and hot. Then add clams, cover, and cook about 5-10 minutes until clams open. Discard unopened clams. Stir in tarragon/parsley, and serve.
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Fennel Flowers or Pollen!
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 Fennel flowers or Fennel pollen has been referred to as the Spice of Angels. The flavor is quite unique and is a mainstay of southern Italian and Sicilian cooking. Wild fennel, which is also known as Sicilian or Calabrese fennel or Finocchio Selvatico has the most flavor. This type of fennel never forms a bulb though, from a culinary perspective, it only grown for the pollen and seeds.
You can use the pollen or flowers, fresh, frozen, or dried. You can sprinkle on top of fish, or over in rice, pasta, or risotto dishes. You can sprinkle it on warm potatoes before serving. It adds flavor to a steamed mussel or clam broth. Really goes well with any seafood. This pungent pollen is a complex flavor combining the sweetness of fennel with a deep, musty, floral-ness.
I probably use it most by simply sprinkling it fresh over warm pasta. I add some salt and pepper and olive oil. It is simple and absolutely addictive.
But here are some other fun recipes:
________________________________________________________________ RECIPE: Scallops in Fennel Pollen From Italian Cooking and Living, October/November 2001
For each serving: 1 golden beet, peeled and cut into 1/2"-dice 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 medium tomato, peeled, seeded, halved 3 diver scallops 1 teaspoon fennel pollen salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon salted capers, rinsed
Preheat the oven to 350°. Toss the beet with the olive oil in a roasting pan and roast until tender, about 30 minutes. Heat a cast iron pan over high heat 5 minutes; cook the tomato, cut side down,10 minutes. Remove to a plate.
Dredge the scallops in the fennel pollen, coating both sides. Sear the scallops in the hot pan until golden on both sides, turning once, about 3 minutes per side. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange on a plate, sprinkle with capers - Serve hot.
________________________________________________________________ RECIPE: Fennel Pollen Crusted Pork Loin 1 pork loin 4-5 tbsp of fennel pollen 1 tbsp coarse sea salt 2 tbsp coarse ground black pepper
In a small bowl, mix equal parts fennel pollen, salt, and coarse black pepper. Rub onto the pork loin and let sit for an hour.
Preheat oven to 350.
Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan to smoking and sear the pork loin on all sides.
Place in an oven proof pan and roast 35-45 minutes until n instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part registers 145.
Transfer to a cutting board, and let rest at least 5 minutes before thinly slicing.
________________________________________________________________ RECIPE: Fennel Pollen Cream Sauce 2 tbsp olive oil 2 cloves garlic 1/4 cup shallots, minced 1-1/2 tsp fennel pollen 2 cups heavy cream 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese Salt and white pepper to taste 1 lb pasta - I particularly like this with Fettuccine
In a medium skillet, heat olive oil and add garlic and shallots. Sauté over medium-low heat until soft but not browned, Add fennel pollen, cream and parmesan cheese. Heat to a simmer, stir often, and let reduce by about 1/3, or until you like the thickness. Taste and add salt and white pepper if needed.
Meanwhile, cook your pasta. When the sauce is done, add the drained pasta. (I always reserve a bit of the pasta water just in case the sauce gets too thick.) Stir to combine and serve immediately.
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Info on Registering for our Limited 2015 CSA Program - Big Changes for the 2015 Season!
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 Announcing our new Gourmet and Diverse Heirloom CSA Program!
We are currently accepting registrations for our 2015 Growing Season! But we have only a small number of spots still open at this point!!
We have been doing our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture - see below for more info on how a CSA works, if CSA's are new to you) program for many years (since 2006), and we are planning some major changes to make the farming experience more interesting for us and the harvest more fun and exciting for our shareholders, or farm members!
So next year we are going to switch it up a bit - change the tone a bit - create more abundantly diverse baskets. We want to really go crazy with wonderful heirloom vegetable varieties!
We want the CSA experience for our customers to be more of a learning experience - providing new types and varieties of vegetables and hopefully sparking your cooking to be more exciting and diverse as well. We have been gathering a group of awesome recipes that we would like to try to grow toward each week, and we have really been inspired by books like Vegetable Literacy by Deborah Madison.
As always, our CSA program is certified USDA Organic. We also are Animal Welfare Approved, and we practice totally sustainable, as well as biodynamic, agricultural methods. We never ever grow anything that is GMO. The food in our CSA baskets is grown in a beloved small scale garden environment on land that has been designed and developed using nature and sustainability as a guide.
 HERBS We had more people sign up for our herb share in 2014 than any other year! As a holistic health practitioner and herbalist, I can't stress enough the healthy benefits of using fresh herbs in your meals, and so the herb share will now be incorporated into the Traditional Vegetable Share! We'll also include recipes as well as different ways to use the herbs - both in a culinary sense and in simple and easy medicinal ways too (like using fresh fennel fronds to make an after-meal digestive tea).
TRULY SPARKLING SALADS
A fresh salad every day is a fountain of youth - and an easy summer meal. Next year, we will be growing micro-greens and shoots each week as well as a bigger variety of tender and sweet heirloom lettuces and baby greens and edible flowers. We have some wonderful experimental plantings in the greenhouse now that we are very excited about incorporating into the growing plan next season!
 ORGANIC FRUITWe are also going to add more fruit to the basket each week. We love the addition of fruit in the baskets. And we thought the quality and freshness of the fruit we received this past year was great. And we're also adding a new option to get an additional share of fruit added each week. I also have some new and different recipes that use in-season fruit with in-season vegetables that will be incorporated into our weekly basket contents.
LIMITED MEMBERSHIP
Unfortunately, all these special and unusual veggies and greens and herbs take a lot of time and effort - that's why they are unusual! And if we're adding types of vegetables and more to each basket, we have to plan around our current field space. So to do this newly diverse and artful type of CSA program next year, we will have to cut back on our total membership - we're going to cut it by about half. So our shareholders will be a truly elite group of farm members!
EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT! Like many small farming enterprises, we really struggle financially at this point in the year, and as diverse farmers, we also like to plan and organize as early as possible - so we are offering a $75 early bird discount once again if you sign up and send payment by November 15th.
Do consider registering as soon as possible as we are almost full!
REGISTRATION
More info and details can be found below and on our website...
Registration forms with all the pricing info and start dates can also be downloaded here:
There are three forms in all, the Main Form is the traditional share form with all the options. There is also an Extra Egg Form and a Heart of the Season form.
Or you can pay using PayPal on our website. There is also more info on our website, including pricing, add-on options, start dates and pick up times, etc.
Please do not hesitate to call or email us with any questions!
Email: CSA@midsummerfarm.com
Phone: 845-986-9699
Midsummer Farm
Barbara and Mark Laino
Midsummer Farm
156 East Ridge Road
Warwick, NY 10990
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What is a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Program?
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CSA is a new way to purchase farm-fresh vegetables. It brings together farmers and eaters and encourages a commitment between the two for the growing season.
If you are new to the concept of a CSA, CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture where a household subscribes to a local farm for the growing season and picks up a weekly basket of fresh, organic produce at the farm. The basic idea of CSA farming is a cooperative relationship between the small farmer and his/her customers. With a preseason payment, you purchase a share of the season's harvest. You then receive a weekly basket of fresh produce during the course of the harvest season. By subscribing to a CSA, you are providing a farmer with a very welcome measure of certainty, and in turn the farm is dedicated to providing you with varied, nutritious vegetables. The arrangement guarantees the farmer financial support and enables many small-to moderate-scale organic family farms to remain in business.
Ultimately, CSA creates agriculture-supported communities where members receive a wide variety of foods harvested at the peak of ripeness, flavor, and vitamin and mineral content.
Members of a CSA are called "shareholders" or "subscribers". The portion of the harvest each shareholder takes home is referred to as a "share." 
The methods of operating a CSA vary considerably. Each CSA is designed specifically for its community and farmer, yet all CSAs strive for a truly sustainable operation, both economically and environmentally. Crops are planted in succession to provide a continuous weekly supply of mixed vegetables chosen for flavor and nutritional value, and to support biodiversity. The farmer frequently grows a large assortment of seasonal vegetables so shareholders can expect a wide variety. This greatly diminishes the risk of crop failure while enhancing soil fertility without the use of synthetic  chemicals. Organic growing techniques such as crop rotation, companion planting, green manuring, and composting are often standard practice.
Each week the farmer harvests fresh, ripe crops that are divided equally among shareholders. Usually, shareholders receive their food within 24 hours of picking. A share is generally enough for a family of four or a couple on a vegetarian diet. The price of a share for a season varies widely depending on each farm's costs of operation, total months of distribution, variety of crops available, and soil productivity.
The #1 most important reason to join a CSA is to dedicate and commit yourself to receiving, and thus using and eating, a whole basket of super-fresh, seasonal, organic, local, vegetables, greens, and herbs each week!
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How the Midsummer Farm CSA Program Works
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 We are accepting registrations now for the CSA ; all you need to do to become a member of our farm, is to download the registration form, fill it out, choose the options that work best for you and your household, enclose your check, and send to: Midsummer Farm at 156 East Ridge Road, Warwick, NY 10990.
Then starting in May/June, we will harvest and pack a bushel basket of heirloom, super fresh, certified organic and non-GMO produce for you each week from our small biodynamic farm.
Pick up is at the farm - just stop by each week for your big basket of delicious vegetables, along with recipes and ideas for using and storing. We also send out a weekly CSA newsletter with more recipes and information on the week's harvest.
We have two pick up times - Wednesdays between 6:30 and 7 pm and Fridays between 10 and 10:30 am.
Traditional Vegetable Share: 16 weeks, $765.00: Wednesday, May 27th through Sept. 23rd or Friday, May 29th through Sept. 25th
Add-ons: Herb Share - (16 weeks) FREE WITH Traditional Vegetable Share
(For the herb share, we add 6-12 bunches of fresh culinary herbs to your basket each week; one specific culinary herb will be highlighted each week with recipes and info, and we'll also be including a highlighted medicinal/tea herb as well each week.)
Flower Share - (middle 5 weeks) $60.00
(For the flower share, you'll receive a big bouquet of cut flowers for the five middle weeks of the CSA season. If you are having an event where you would want your flowers earlier or later we would be happy to accommodate that!)
Double Flower Share - (middle 10 weeks) $110.00
(For the flower share, you'll receive a big bouquet of cut flowers for the 10 middle weeks of the CSA season. If you are having an event where you would want your flowers earlier or later we would be happy to accommodate that!)
Summer Egg Share - (first 8 weeks) $72.00
(For the summer egg share, you'll receive 1 dozen eggs in your basket for the first 8 weeks of the CSA season.)
Mushroom Share - (16 weeks) $84.00
(For the mushroom share, we add a container of fabulous certified organic mushrooms each week - a variety of types, recipes also included. Mushrooms combine so well with vegetables...)
Extra Organic Fruit Share - (16 weeks) $104.00
(Fruit is already included in the Traditional Vegetable Share, but you can add extr fruit to your share using this Add-on option.)
Sweet Share - (16 weeks) $360.00
(For the sweet share, you'll receive a fresh farm baked good each week with your vegetable basket. Baked goods will usually have nuts or herbs or vegetable components and will be made with our own eggs and organic ingredients.)
We also have a Special Share, we call the "Total Taste of the Farm" share. It includes the Traditional Vegetable Share, along with the Herb, single Flower, Summer Egg, and Mushroom Share for $975.00. You also get other farm products we produce in small quantities such as honey comb, smoked and dried peppers, duck eggs, and more!
What to expect at Pick Up... We aim to have the baskets all ready to go when you arrive. We don't have a lot of refrigerator space so we usually are harvesting for the shares the same day you pick up. We will try to have some extra fruit or other organic products available for sale that same day as well. Although you can just drop in fast and grab the basket and go, it is also a chance to talk with the other CSA members, discuss recipes and cooking tips, tour the gardens and greenhouse, visit with the chickens, and enjoy the company of like-minded people.
We want to encourage our CSA members to spend more time in the garden - as the season progresses, we'll have some pick your own options - that are especially nice for children - we'll have pick your own cherry tomatoes, green beans, and raspberries.
We have an artistic and gourmet vision for our CSA shares. We are a small farm - our cultivated garden area is under 2 acres. We do all of our growing, maintenance, harvesting, and packaging ourselves. This allows us to grow varieties of vegetables and greens that just cannot be grown on a large scale, where produce needs to survive mechanical harvesting and mass storage. You won't ever see most of the stuff we grow in any supermarket and only very rarely at the farmers' markets. Our lettuces are soft and frilly and our tomatoes and squash are tender-skinned and perfectly ripe. Many of our veggies go straight from the field into your basket - never seeing the inside of a fridge.
We also provide plenty of recipes and ideas for using your veggies as sometimes the unusual varieties may be a bit overwhelming if you're not used to them. We are dedicated to making sure that each of our shareholders can make good use of each week's harvest basket. We don't want anyone to feel over-burdened with veggies! And we understand busy schedules - our recipes and tips are designed for cooks with limited time but advanced taste-buds!
As a Holistic Health Coach, I really recommend becoming a member of a CSA - one of the key ways to achieve better health is to eat more vegetables and greens. By joining a CSA, you are automatically receiving a big basket of fresh vegetables every week and you have to use them! For some it may be a healthy challenge - but it is one well worth the effort! And we're here with all sorts of ideas and recipes for helping you make the best use of all the great veggies!
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Here's a list of the types of crops you'll see in your basket during the four months of our CSA program:
 In June: You'll see: two different sorrels, lovage, lamb quarters, a huge variety of different frilly, soft heads of lettuce, baby greens mixes, garlic scapes, three different kales, rainbow chards, red and white dandelion greens, our fabulous collection of heirloom chicories, radicchio, frisee endive, escarole, edible flowers, flat and curly parsley, french breakfast radishes, round cherry radishes, watermelon radishes, long white sweet turnips, round tokyo turnips, collards, 4 different types of chives, green onions, scallions (both white and crimson), welsh onions, raspberries, strawberries, various colors of beets, fresh peas, rainbow carrots, nettles, spinach, and more!
In July: You'll see: broccoli, early and savoy  cabbages, basils, cilantro, summer squash (zucchini of various colors and flavors, pattypans, trombicino squash, cucumbers of all sorts (we are planning 18 different varieties of cucumbers), peppers (sweet and hot varieties - we are planning over 40 different types of peppers), blueberries, currants, mulberries, gooseberries, a variety of different frilly, soft heads of lettuce, baby greens mixes, some kale, lots of rainbow chard, the bigger heirloom chicories like punterellas, radicchio heads, frisee endive, escarole, hot-weather edible flowers, flat and curly parsley, collards, continual green onions, scallions - both white and crimson, welsh onions, summer onions, various colors of beets, stringbeans (green, yellow, purple, flat podded), and more!
In August: You'll see: tomatoes (a huge variety of colors of cherry, plum, slicing, and giant tomatoes -  we're currently planting seeds for over 40 different varieties), various colors and sizes of eggplants, cauliflower, tomatillos, leeks, broccoli, basils, cilantro, summer squash (zucchini of various colors and flavors, pattypans, trombicino squash, cucumbers of all sorts (we are planning 18 different varieties of cucumbers), peppers (sweet and hot varieties - we are planning over 40 different types of peppers), some lettuce, some kale, rainbow chard, the bigger heirloom chicories like punterellas, radicchio heads, frisee endive, escarole, hot-weather edible flowers, flat and curly parsley, collards, continual green onions, scallions - both white and crimson, welsh onions, summer onions, and more!
In September: You'll see: fennel, burdock roots, other cool roots, winter squash, turnips, various colors of beets, brussel sprouts, tomatoes (a huge variety of colors of cherry, plum, slicing, and giant tomatoes - we're currently planting seeds for over 40 different varieties), various colors and sizes of eggplants, tomatillos, leeks, broccoli, basils, cilantro, peppers (sweet and hot varieties - we are planning over 40 different types of peppers), baby spinach and lettuce mixes, kale, rainbow chard, the bigger heirloom chicories like punterellas, frisee endive, escarole, flat and curly parsley, collards, scallions, welsh onions, storage onions, storage cabbage, and more! |
7 Reasons to Join a CSA
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1. You and your family's health. The number one missing ingredient to a healthy disease-free lifestyle is a variety vegetables! If you have a big basket of fresh veggies on hand, you will use them! And we are here to fully support you in using them!
2. Living more sustainably - by joining a CSA, you are personally and directly addressing the flaws of our global food system. By paying attention to what you eat, you participate in a more environmentally and socially sustainable way of life.
3. Living more ethically - you are supporting a circular farm with animals, plants, and the soil itself being treated with respect and care.
4. Supporting Local Business and strengthening your community.
5. Supporting Organic Farmers. It is more than just supporting the particular farm you have a membership with - it is about showing policy makers that people want local, real, organic food, and it is about showing the local farming community that you appreciate their efforts.
6. Creative cooking - to be the ultimate 'foodie' you must cook! In your basket will come a huge variety of flavors, scents, textures, and all of these can be cooked up and presented in thousands of different ways!
7. Saving fossil fuels - Typical grocery store produce travels 1,500 miles to get to your table!
Questions? Please do not hesitate to email or call us!
CSA@midsummerfarm.com | 845-986-9699
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Disclaimer
© Copyright 2015 Barbara Taylor-Laino, HHC / Barbara Taylor Health. All Rights Reserved. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Barbara Taylor Laino is required.
This information newsletter is designed as an educational tool for better health. Recipes and information are included as examples for you learn from; they are not diagnostic or prescriptive. Everyone's health needs are different. This newsletter is not to be used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment of any health condition or problem. Any questions regarding your own health should be addressed to your own physician or other healthcare provider. The entire contents of this newsletter and the websites of Barbara Taylor Laino and Midsummer Farm are based upon the opinions of Barbara Taylor Laino, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author(s), who retains copyright as marked. The information on the www.midsummerfarm.com website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Barbara Taylor Laino. You are encouraged to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.
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Midsummer Farm Contact Info:
Barbara and Mark Laino
Midsummer Farm
156 East Ridge Road
Warwick, NY 10990
845-986-9699
info@midsummerfarm.com
Holistic Health Counseling Contact Info:
Barbara Taylor-Laino
Barbara Taylor Health
156 East Ridge Road
Warwick, NY 10990
845-986-9699
info@barbarataylorhealth.com
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