We're into October! This past week we had a few hard frosts at the farm, so many of our cold sensitive plants have finally bowed out for the season. Along with harvesting, we're into a cleanup and prepare for winter mode now.
We're spreading compost and wood chips to get ahead of our bed preparation for next season and we're starting to get gear packed up and ready for storage until spring.
Food Bank Collection: Non-perishables
This week at both the Fenelon Falls Farmers' Market on Friday from 9-2, and the Kinmount Farmers' Market on Saturday from 9-2, we will be collecting non-perishable food items for the Kawartha Lakes Food Source in Lindsay.
We're also happy to accept items for donation at our Farm during CSA pickups, or directly during our CSA deliveries.
A big thanks to all who participate!
Thanksgiving Share
The weekend is Thanksgiving so it's a great time to lean into the fall theme and stock our CSA shares in that spirit :).
Among other things, this week's shares will include Leeks, Onions, Butternut Squash, a Pie Pumpkin, and bunches of Sage and Thyme.
If you're not sure how to make use of the herbs, you might try drying them (200F in the oven until dry) and adding them to your stuffing.
Keeping Lettuce Fresh
A staple of our weekly CSA shares is a couple of heads of fresh lettuce. We plan our harvest schedule so that lettuce is harvested in cool and dry conditions, and we have it in our cooler at about 3C within 20 minutes of harvest.
But once lettuce is out of the cooler, either at the market, or in a bag to be delivered or picked up, it's less happy and can start to loose its crispy structure. Luckily there's an easy way to fully revive and restore lettuce to perfection!
Cut the bottom (core) off the head of lettuce, separating the leaves
Put the loose leaves into a bowl or sink of cold water for 10-15 minutes
Spin dry the lettuce and put it into a container or bag for refrigerator storage
Let us know how we're doing
If you ever have an issue, question, concern, or comment that you'd like to tell us about, our feedback form is available and anonymous :).
Follow the link below to share your feedback with us!
This Week's CSA Share
Head Lettuce
Leeks
Beets
Butternut Squash
Pie Pumpkin
Celery
Garlic
Onions
Thyme
Sage
Food Bank Donations
So far this season we've donated nearly 3,000 pounds of fresh produce to our local food banks. Most of our donated produce goes to Kawartha Lakes Food Source, a fantastic charitable organization that distributes to many food banks within Kawartha Lakes.
A big thank you to all of our CSA customers who support our operation and make this possible!