Typical Reaction To Tasting A Providence Farm's Strawberry ;-)
My friend, Julie, sent me this photo of her son's first berry! Thanks to all who love them. They are very hard to grow, maintain and protect, but well worth it. Not just for their intensely good flavor, but for the fact that conventional strawberries can't help but absorb a multitude of fungicides, pesticides and herbicides, making them near the very top of the most chemical-laden fruits we can eat.

We are diligently trying to contact and make arrangements for all of you who are on the waiting list for flats, as well as tucking quarts into this week's CSA shares. 8 quarts of berries equals a flat. Flats are $44.00. We bring some berries to market and sell individual quarts. Grain Train and Oryana also sell our berries!
Join Us Tonight, June 30th, for A Casual Potluck at the Farm
I'm usually stunned by the quality of great food at our potlucks! If you'd like to join us for dinner, please bring a dish to pass with recipe attached (so people with food sensitivities/allergies can also attend safely), a lawn chair, and table service. (Here's a link to our Summer Solstice Party held here on Saturday, June 20th: https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=zETq7j3NHeo)

In addition to a few in-season dishes of my own, I'll be providing herbal and regular iced tea.

Ken Allen will join us, featuring fish from the straights of Mackinaw! It's our privilege to offer a new Fish Share option for our CSA members from a local fishery. In addition to fish, we will also be adding a pastured chicken option from our wonderful local Cook Family Farm. Details to follow...
Boyne City Is Temporarily Moving The Market for the next two Saturday's:
Saturday, July 4th, it will be at Old City Park in the center of town with the pavilion in it. Saturday, July 11th, it will be in Peninsula Beach Park on Front Street.
Traverse City's Sara Hardy Farm Market is Temporarily Moving Too:
On Saturday, July 4th, Wednesday, July 8th, and Saturday, July 11th, the market will be located at the Old Town Parking Deck, 125 E Eighth St, Traverse City, MI 49684.

This means we will be very conveniently located out of the Cherry Festival Area, so you can more easily shop and enjoy picking up your CSA box if you have one!
Sautéed Garlic Scapes with Wilted Arugula
Garlic scapes are the stem and unopened flower of each planted garlic bulb. They are barely milder than the actual garlic and imbued with the same wonderful flavor that our special porcelain, hard neck garlic has! Each stem has the equivalent of 5-7 cloves in garlic. I use happily use them in all dishes calling for garlic.
After mincing scapes and sautéing in olive oil for a few minutes, I add my greens. Today, it was arugula. Yesterday, it was turnip greens...you get the idea, you can use ANY greens.
I then added a splash of soy sauce to taste, and stirred until the arugula was nicely wilted. Arugula stems are a bit stringy for my kiddos, so I minced them before serving, hot from the skillet. No complaints, except for the fact that I didn't make enough!

I added scrambled eggs to round out the meal, and we were full and all was right with the world. :-)

On another subject...I was thinking about how proud I am of you and our farm community in general for treating yourself to local, organic vegetables, fruits, eggs and pastured meats. It's really not all that convenient compared to shopping at open-at-all-hours Meijers or going to restaurants, where others prepare your food for you. CSA and farm market people are unique, and obviously thoughtful. I mean, I think our food is awesome, don't get me wrong, but we certainly don't have the same mass appeal as, let's say a hot Crispy Cream donut... (yes, there's a story to go with that). So, be proud of yourself! You are willing to take on a bit of weekly shopping, chopping, washing, storing and cooking. Your body loves you for it and will reward you.

Have a beautiful day!

Andrea Romeyn
Providence Organic Farm

"Passion. Living Soil. Thriving Plants. Healthy People!"