Wow.  What a week, but we made it!  It started with the surprise snowstorm and a few days without power and ended with our final 2014 CSA Saturday harvest and sending a thousand pounds of donated veggies off to the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program.  It was a roller-coaster week of work and experiences.  We hope that you all made it through the storm safe and sound, and didn’t have too many cold hours without power.  We do understand that some of you missed out on last week’s share due to the weather.  If so, please let us know — we’re trying to bring extra veggies to each delivery so you can double up if necessary. 

We have bulk storage items still for sale at the pick-ups.  Onions 20lbs ($30), Shallots 5lbs ($23), Garlic 2.5lbs ($20), Carrots 20lbs($30), Rutabaga 10lbs ($10).  If you miss the bulk items at pick-up, get in touch and we’ll set up a time for you to get them at the farm or at another central location. 

A few unusual things about this week’s share:  We tried something new with the kale this week.  The kale was having a hard time recovering from the snow and low temperatures, and the leaves were small but delicious.  So we tried a new method and loped off the whole stalk to give to you!  The stalk isn’t edible, but the leaves sure are;  just pop off the leaves when you are ready to cook.  We think they look rather Dr. Seussian, and we hope you enjoy your final taste of frost-sweetened kale.  Also, to our amazement, the cherry tomatoes that we brought into the house to protect from the storm taste better than they have any right to.  So enjoy your final few Maine field-ripened tomatoes… in November!

This was an amazing season.  We feel such gratitude for so many things this year… not just the weather and the incredible growing season, but for our members, our apprentices, our family.  This remarkable community is what sustains and inspires us, and makes this farm possible in so many ways.  Thank you for being a part of it, and for entrusting us to feed you and those you love. 

Finally, I want to give specific thanks to the members of our farm crew.  We have never before had a year where every member stayed for the full season:  Hannah Court, Brandon Gordon, Brandon Burley, Katie Moeller, and Patrick Smith (who completed his 2013 season in 2014!).  I wanted to write a little about each of them, but in the interest of having some room in this newsletter for recipes, I just want to say this to them:  you are a dedicated, talented, hardworking, funny, and stubborn as all get-out crew.  Go figure that you’d be the first crew to make it all the way through, together.  It’s something to be proud of, and we know you’re all going to go on to great things in the farm and food world.  We’re so grateful for all you contributed to the farm this season. 

Have a wonderful rest of the fall, and we hope you get to enjoy some HCF veggies on your Thanksgiving table.  We’ll be in touch periodically through the winter and hope to see many of you around town. Feel free to stop by the farm any time!  We’ll be gearing up for next year before we know it. 

Thank you, enjoy your final CSA veggies, and stay in touch!

With love,

Reba, Bill, Eli and CJ   

Fall CSA Week 4 of 4:  Spinach, Radishes, Butternut Squash, Rutabaga, Carrots, Tomatoes, Yellow and Red Onions, Shallots, Garlic, Kale (on the stalk!)  

This week’s recipes: Squash Toasts with Ricotta and Cider Vinegar, Quinoa Wilted Spinach Salad 

Appleton Creamery Cheese Notes Week Four (and please remember to do the Appleton Creamery survey here)