Community Supported Agriculture

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Brox Farm Stand
1276 Broadway Road
Dracut, MA
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Food for all
Farmer Dave visits the statehouse
    

Last Tuesday there was a hearing in the State House about the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program. The State House is a beautiful building full of history. In the gorgeous hearing room, I spoke of Farmer Dave's relationship with the Greater Boston and Merrimack Valley Food banks as well as the other hunger relief agencies with which we work. Having recently returned from Ethiopia, I pointed out that after the years of deadly famine some thirty years ago, Ethiopia, having refocused on its food supply, is now exporting food. In comparison, many believe that if the trend continues, the US may be a net food importer in a few years. This comparison opened many eyes.   

 

Imagine how America could be transformed if more focus was put on our food. Emergency food programs should not be necessary. But they are, and for many reasons. And since they are necessary we should strive to make that emergency food as high quality as possible to share the good eating that we more fortunate enjoy. Fresh, nutritious food should not be a luxury item in our society of plenty.

 

If you would like to see Boston on a nice long spring stroll while making a statement about our food systems and raising money to do something about it, please consider donating to or joining the Farmer Dave's team at the Walk for Hunger Sunday May 3rd.

 

To Plenty,

Farmer Dave

 

In Your Share: Week 9
Beautiful June Veggies
The following items may make an appearance in your shares this week.  The actual contents of your share may differ based on harvest conditions.  As always Mother Nature ultimately dictates what is available.
  • Carrots
  • Greenhouse baby lettuce
  • Spinach
  • Potatoes
  • Cucumbers
  • Apples
  • and more

Unsure what's in your share? Check out our produce ID guide for help identifying any new to you vegetables. You'll be a CSA pro in no time!  

 

 

Storage Notes:

 

Be sure to save the micro-perforated bags that the lettuce mixes are being packed in. They will come in handy to store and keep your greens fresh for a longer period of time during the summer vegetable shares! 

Lebanese Spinach and Carrots

adapted by Farmer Dave's from Sook and Cook

Ingredients:
  • 1 lb. Spinach, washed
  • 3 medium carrots, sliced thinly
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, diced
  • 2-3 Tbsp. Olive oil
  • Salt, pepper to taste
  • 2 Tbsp. Pine Nuts

Directions:   

    In pot on top of stove, saute onions and garlic in olive oil.

     

    When soft, add carrots. Once carrots are soft, add Spinach and Pine nuts, and salt and pepper to taste.

     

    Once the spinach wilts and releases water, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook until the carrots are done.

For more ideas check out our recipe blog or follow us on Pinterest!

Have a great recipe that you'd like us to feature in the weekly newsletter? Email it to Ginger or share it with your fellow CSA members on our facebook page. Be sure to include a photo!
Upcoming Events Featuring Farmer Dave or our Community Partners!

Save the date for the following events!

Sunday, May 3rd
Boston, MA

On Sunday, May 3rd, Farmer Dave's CSA team is proud to be joining in Project Bread's Walk for Hunger. Please consider joining our walk team or making a donation.

Every May, over 40,000 people walk all or part of a 20-mile course through Greater Boston, earning the pledges they've collected to support Project Bread's fresh approach to ending hunger in our state. Together, we raise awareness of the reality of hunger in our state, make a powerful statement about our shared commitment to help people in need, and, importantly, raise funds that make it possible to develop, fund, and facilitate much-needed programs-programs that interrupt the cycle of food insecurity in our communities, programs that provide hope.

By sponsoring our Walk, you help change thousands of lives across our state.

For many individuals and families across the state, hunger is a very real part of their daily lives. In fact, the rate of household food insecurity is 71% higher than it was a decade ago, up from 6.2% in 2003 to 10.6% in 2013. Last year, Project Bread funded over 400 community food programs that meet people where they are: programs that offer help without stigma... programs that offer a hand-up, not a hand out. Project Bread responds to hunger in both immediate and long-term ways, with innovative, effective solutions dedicated to strengthening individuals, families, communities-and our state as a whole.

Donate today!

This is YOUR Walk too. Please donate to support our efforts, or join us by walking and raising money yourself: either way you are making a real difference in the lives of people across Massachusetts.

Farmer Dave's community partners in Lawrence, East Boston and Malden all receive generous grants from Project Bread to help fund their hunger relief programs including programs that help subsidize the cost of CSA shares for low income families. We would love to have a large group of our friends and CSA members join us at the Walk for Hunger to show our support for Project Bread.

To show our appreciation Farmer Dave has generously offered to thank our team members with the following gifts for meeting these fundraising goals:
  • Raise $50 and look like a part of the team with a Farmer Dave's t-shirt to wear during the Walk for Hunger
  • Raise $100 and receive a t-shirt and a rosemary plant
  • Raise $250 and receive a t-shirt, a rosemary plant, and a hanging cherry tomato container
  • Raise $500 and receive a t-shirt, a rosemary plant, a hanging cherry tomato container and a hanging flower basket!
  • Raise $1000 and Farmer Dave will thank you and three of your friends with a private tour of his farm and answer all of your gardening and farming questions one-on-one!
  • Raise $2000 and Farmer Dave will host you and three of your friends at his farm for an amazing Farm to Table dinner. It doesn't get any more direct than eating dinner steps from where it was grown!

To participate, click here, and click the "Join Team" button on the right side of the screen.  

 

The Open Door: Empty Bowl Dinner

Thursday, May 14th 4pm - 8pm

Cruiseport Gloucester

6 Rowe Square

Gloucester, MA

 

"Join us for an evening of food and hospitality.

The meal is simple-soup, bread and a cookie. Guests can choose and keep a soup bowl handcrafted for this community event. The bowl goes home as an unspoken reminder that somewhere someone's bowl is empty.

Extra parking is available at Harbor Beach with complimentary trolley service to and from the event site.

Tickets available at the door. $15 for adults and $10 for children under ten.

Empty Bowl events are held nationally to generate awareness concerning hunger and to raise money for local hunger-relief programs. Proceeds from this event will benefit the Summer Meals and Mobile Market programs."

 

More info here. 


 

Groundwork Share-a-Share Update
 
Thanks to generous donations by you (CSA members) to the Groundwork Share-A-Share™ fund, we were able to subsidize the cost of shares in 2014 for over thirty individuals and families, as well as shares for local food pantries.

Please consider helping us in our efforts to make the CSA accessible to more families by donating to Groundwork Share-A-Share.

 

To learn more about the program,  click here.

 

Thank you all for helping us keep this program going in 2015!  

 

Contact Us:

Farmer Dave's CSA
437 Parker Road
Dracut, MA 01826

(978) 349-1952