We’re seriously excited about the CSA delivery this week!  I think that the last time we were able to share melons with the CSA was in 2006, when we had only forty members.  After reading your surveys last year and searching for a melon variety that we felt confident would mature in time, we devoted an entire hoophouse to melon plants.  It may no longer be the dog days of summer, but these melons  still taste great!  Giving melons in the share, though, does make me nervous… the flavor and texture from one melon to the next can be totally different, and I can’t taste every one before deeming it good enough for our members.  But the few I tasted today were excellent, and I hope that each of you will have a fruit with wonderful flavor.  Let us know what you think!  Is it worth devoting a whole hoophouse for a single moment of melon enjoyment?!

The one really big disappointment this year is the winter squash.  It’s hard to believe, because we planted such a tremendous quantity of plants, but we won’t have any squash for the CSA.  Winter squash are a mainstay of our fall season, as well as being the only vegetable on the farm that Eli actually seeks out to eat, and we’re pretty crushed.  Because we won’t be having winter squash, and because some other fall CSA stalwarts are also in shorter supply than usual (such as onions and potatoes), the price of the fall CSA will be slightly less than usual.  There will still be bountiful salad greens and root crops, as well as plenty of other fall treats like Hakurei turnips, Brussels Sprouts and hearty bunched  greens.  The fall share will cost $60 for four weeks, running from October  21 to November 11.  There are limited CSA openings, and the pick-up options are also limited to Sunday in Rockland (the UU church, 10:30-11:30) and Monday at the farm (4:30-6:30).  Cheese, mushroom, pork, egg, and chicken add-ons will also be available.  Click here for more information or to sign up.

Enjoy your early fall bounty this week (Cilantro!  Arugula!  Radishes!  Broccoli!).  We hope you’re all doing well and get to share wonderful meals with good people this week.

Reba and the HCF crew

This is a Pork, Beef, Chicken and Egg Share Week

Alex “surfing” atop a mountain of summer squash plants. Fall clean-up has begun! (p.s. The car is not moving in this picture. Safety First).

 Week 14 of 18:  Melon, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Potatoes, Radishes, Cilantro, Arugula, Husk Cherries, Cucumber, Zucchini and/or Zephyr Squash, Mesclun Mix, Garlic

This week’s recipes:  Arugula Pesto, Mushroom & Zucchini Quesadillas with Cilantro Pesto, Roasted Broccoli or Cauilflower with Garlic and Red Pepper