ROXBURY FARM
ROXBURY FARM [email protected]
november 4, 2013 - pickup week #22
www.roxburyfarm.com
Letter from a Farmer Another season is soon coming to a close. And yes, it has been quite the season. The third week in May we started with a 7 inch precipitation deficit which quickly turned into a 7 inch surplus as compared to average rainfall. We were still feeling the consequences of this "monsoon" season in June and July. The soil, plants, animals, and the people working the land were all put under immense stress. The resilience of our farm was severely tested. This week I will be presenting on cover cropping in Central New York to a group of farmers and educators. These days cover cropping has become a much more accepted practice in conventional agriculture. In a survey published by SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education; a program under the USDA), farmers reported yield increases between 4 and 12% when land was protected with a living cover crop over the winter months. Also, farmers that protect their soils over the winter with a cover crop reported that they were far less affected by the 2012 drought than the ones that didn't. But what was really heartening to read were the comments provided by these 750 or so farmers (representing 300,000 acres of cover crops) that participated in the survey. Here are just two comments: "Every day without live roots in the ground is a day wasted. The soil is alive and we must feed and protect it!” or “Soil health is key. Cover crops are better than steel.” It was an affirmation that it is okay for farmers to plant cover crops for more than financial considerations and the immediate results. These farmers felt responsible for the long-term health of the soil. People working with the natural world are pulled very hard toward viewing the plants, animals, and people they work with as mere objects. It is good to hear that farmers realize the inadequacy of this mechanistic perspective: to see them recognize the sacred quality of their relationship to the earth, plants and animals, and yes, to each other. Recently we were asked to give a keynote and in another situation a webinar about our marketing strategy as a CSA farm. We respectfully declined as our answer was that we do not market the products we produce on our farm, we build relationships. To our surprise, instead of accepting our refusal, they responded that this was exactly what they wanted us to talk about. In a few weeks I will be giving another keynote at an agricultural conference about our 23 seasons as a CSA farm. I will speak about how CSA started on two biodynamic farms in 1985 with a group of people concerned with (con’t. p. 2) the devastating effects of the open market system on agriculture. Working out of
Keri with Peter the draft horse.
A field of kale
2 (letter con’t) anthroposophy and through dialogue they
came up with an alternative, whereby the weekly box of produce is simply a means to the end of creating a relationship between the farmer and eaters. And I know that this time I won't be booed off the stage when I mention anthroposophy. Twenty years ago another biodynamic farmer and I called a meeting to discuss the issue of the training of interns with the few organic/biodynamic farmers operating in the upper Hudson and Pioneer Valley. This dialogue was the impetus to initiate a collaborative among farmers to take collective responsibility for training new farmers. There was (and still is) a huge lack of farmer training in the US and Canada and most training takes place during employment. But not every successful farmer is equally successful as an educator. Land grant colleges focus mostly on the scientific aspects of agriculture and little on the practical applications. Hence the need for cooperation amongst farmers to do practical training. We called ourselves playfully CRAFT (Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training). Our CRAFT group has been in existence for 20 years without outside funding and has become a model of successful apprentice training. We did not trademark the name and anyone who wanted to copy our model was welcome to start their own group. Now there are many CRAFT groups in the US and Canada that train apprentices. This January, we will take part in the first international CRAFT conference. What I find interesting here is what all these initiatives have in common; the refusal to accept that man, plant, animal or land is merely an object to either study or own. To introduce principles of resilience we have to first accept that no problem lives outside of us, every problem is our problem. We need to accept that we are in relationship with everything else. The essence of biodynamic agriculture is the recognition that everything is interconnected whereby the farmer is the mediator between earth and cosmos. That is a huge responsibility and therefore each farm needs to be supported by a community of eaters to accomplish such a daunting task. So naturally the essence of CSA is dialogue to accomplish long term sustainability of our farms and local food supply. The essence of CRAFT is collaboration among farmers (as opposed to competition) by taking shared responsibility for adult education of future farmers. I am not writing this to boast about any success. In the scheme of things we accomplished nothing worth writing about. I write this to you as I am excited about the openness I feel these days to the values that brought about biodynamic and organic farming, we can speak again about the principles that created the CSA model and CRAFT; and yes, it is very heartening. Slowly but surely a conscious-
COMING NEXT WEEK (OUR BEST GUESS): sweet potatoes, winter squash, potatoes, carrots, Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, and beets. FRUIT: apples
MEAT SHARE DELIVERY DATES: This week we will be delivering Lamb Share #3. Capital District & Columbia County Lamb Shares - please look for an email with details of your final Lamb delivery. Next week, Nov. 12 to 15, we will deliver the final Chicken Share and the online meat orders. DELIVERY SCHEDULE REMINDER: Next week (the week of Nov. 12-15) is the last week of regular season deliveries for the Capital District, Westchester, and Columbia County. NYC will receive one more delivery on Thursday, Nov. 21 at your regular site and pick up time to make up for the delivery you missed on July 4. ness is rising up that true value can only be found in relationships. Realizing the resilience of our crops and farm after experiencing probably one of the worst growing seasons of my farming career is the evidence that what we do works. While many of our practices are completely reproducible, being mindful of the internal condition that created these practices is the power behind the wheel. With the danger of sounding all smoochy here, this particular internal condition is guided by love for the earth and its inhabitants. And no, the pioneers of CSA, biodynamic farming, and CRAFT did not set out to "save" the world. Neither did they do any of these things to become successful. Success is just a by-product. While I might sound terribly naïve in my assessment that these tiny initiatives did anything at all to avert a doomsday scenario of world hunger due to climatic change, I do want to recognize that change always comes from the bottom based on an inner commitment. This is beautifully worded by Viktor Frankl in his foreword of his book "Man's Search for Meaning":
3 "Don't aim at success-----the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you must let it happen by not caring about it. I want you to listen to what your conscience commands you to do and go on to carry it out to the best of your knowledge. Then you will live to see that in the long run----in the long run, I say!-----success will follow you precisely because you had forgotten to think about it.” ~Jean-Paul
LOOK FOR 2014 ENROLLMENT FORMS: We will email the 2014 enrollment forms to you soon. Please let us know if your email has changed or if you prefer a paper copy in the mail.
MEAT AVAILABLE FOR ORDERING: We have pork, lamb, beef, and chicken available for ordering online at www.roxburyfarm.com. Click on Our Products and Meat Orders. Stock up on grass-fed beef and lamb and pastured pork and chicken. Your order will be delivered the week of Nov. 12 to 15. WINTER SHARES AVAILABLE: Purchase a winter share online at www.roxburyfarm.com click on Our Products and Winter Shares. Each share is $125 for three 30 lb boxes delivered to your CSA site the week of Dec. 3 to 6, Jan. 7 to 10, and Feb. 4 to 7. The boxes will contain a mix of beets, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbage, onions, celeriac, winter squash, kohlrabi, and watermelon radishes. If you have non-CSA member friends who are interested in a winter share they can purchase a share for $150 on the website, too.
Sweet Potato Cannelloni 3 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 pound each) 3/4 cup diced apple (skin on) 1 piece (2 ounces) Parmesan cheese, half grated and half shaved Freshly ground pepper, to taste 1 tablespoon walnut oil
3/4 cup cottage cheese 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt Vegetable-oil cooking spray 1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts(~1 oz.)
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wrap 1 sweet potato in parchment, and then in foil. Pierce several times with a fork. Bake until tender, about 1 hour. Let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. 2. Meanwhile, peel remaining sweet potatoes. Using a mandoline or a chef's knife, cut potatoes lengthwise into very thin slices until you have 30 slices. Trim each to a 2-by-4-inch rectangle. 3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add half the sweet potato slices, and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, place slices on a baking sheet to cool slightly. Repeat. 4. Remove peel from baked sweet potato, and puree flesh in a food processor until smooth. Add cottage cheese, and puree until smooth. 5. Transfer potato-cheese mixture to a large bowl. Stir in apple, chives, grated Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place 1 heaping tablespoon filling in center of a sweet potato slice, and roll up. Place, seam side down, in dish. Repeat. (Cannelloni can be refrigerated, covered, overnight; bring to room temperature before baking.) 6. Brush oil over cannelloni. Bake until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with walnuts and shaved Parmesan. http://www.marthastewart.com/314723/sweet-potato-cannelloni?czone=food%2Fthanksgiving-center%2Fthanksgiving-centerturkey&gallery=274911&slide=314723¢er=1009014
Leek and Kale Tart
4
1 batch of your favorite single crust pie crust recipe 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2-4 leeks, white and pale-green parts only, thinly sliced and rinsed well (4 to 5 cups) 1/4 cup dry white wine 1 bunch kale, stems and ribs discarded, leaves shredded (4 cups) 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for surface 1/3 cup whole milk, warmed 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 large egg, lightly beaten Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1.Turn out pie crust dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll dough into a 13-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Press dough into bottom and up sides of a 10-inch springform pan with a removable bottom. Using a paring knife, trim dough to form 1 1/2- to 2-inch-high sides. Transfer to refrigerator, and chill for 30 minutes. 2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line dough with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edge just begins to turn golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove parchment and pie weights. Bake until pale gold, about 15 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack, and let cool completely. 3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add leeks, and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add wine and kale leaves, and cook until liquid has evaporated and kale has wilted, about 5 minutes. 4. Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Whisk in flour until incorporated. Slowly whisk in milk, and bring to a boil. Cook until thickened, about 3 minutes. 5. Combine leek mixture, milk mixture, mustard, and egg. Season with salt and pepper, and stir. 6. Spread leek mixture into tart shell, and sprinkle with Gruyere. Bake until top is golden brown, about 35 minutes. Let cool slightly, and serve warm. http://www.marthastewart.com/313566/leek-and-swiss-chard-tart?czone=food%2Fproduce-guide-cnt%2Fyear-round-producerecipes&gallery=274312&slide=313566¢er=276955
november 4, 2013 - pickup week #22
www.roxburyfarm.com
Letter from a Farmer Another season is soon coming to a close. And yes, it has been quite the season. The third week in May we started with a 7 inch precipitation deficit which quickly turned into a 7 inch surplus as compared to average rainfall. We were still feeling the consequences of this "monsoon" season in June and July. The soil, plants, animals, and the people working the land were all put under immense stress. The resilience of our farm was severely tested. This week I will be presenting on cover cropping in Central New York to a group of farmers and educators. These days cover cropping has become a much more accepted practice in conventional agriculture. In a survey published by SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education; a program under the USDA), farmers reported yield increases between 4 and 12% when land was protected with a living cover crop over the winter months. Also, farmers that protect their soils over the winter with a cover crop reported that they were far less affected by the 2012 drought than the ones that didn't. But what was really heartening to read were the comments provided by these 750 or so farmers (representing 300,000 acres of cover crops) that participated in the survey. Here are just two comments: "Every day without live roots in the ground is a day wasted. The soil is alive and we must feed and protect it!” or “Soil health is key. Cover crops are better than steel.” It was an affirmation that it is okay for farmers to plant cover crops for more than financial considerations and the immediate results. These farmers felt responsible for the long-term health of the soil. People working with the natural world are pulled very hard toward viewing the plants, animals, and people they work with as mere objects. It is good to hear that farmers realize the inadequacy of this mechanistic perspective: to see them recognize the sacred quality of their relationship to the earth, plants and animals, and yes, to each other. Recently we were asked to give a keynote and in another situation a webinar about our marketing strategy as a CSA farm. We respectfully declined as our answer was that we do not market the products we produce on our farm, we build relationships. To our surprise, instead of accepting our refusal, they responded that this was exactly what they wanted us to talk about. In a few weeks I will be giving another keynote at an agricultural conference about our 23 seasons as a CSA farm. I will speak about how CSA started on two biodynamic farms in 1985 with a group of people concerned with (con’t. p. 2) the devastating effects of the open market system on agriculture. Working out of
Keri with Peter the draft horse.
A field of kale
2 (letter con’t) anthroposophy and through dialogue they
came up with an alternative, whereby the weekly box of produce is simply a means to the end of creating a relationship between the farmer and eaters. And I know that this time I won't be booed off the stage when I mention anthroposophy. Twenty years ago another biodynamic farmer and I called a meeting to discuss the issue of the training of interns with the few organic/biodynamic farmers operating in the upper Hudson and Pioneer Valley. This dialogue was the impetus to initiate a collaborative among farmers to take collective responsibility for training new farmers. There was (and still is) a huge lack of farmer training in the US and Canada and most training takes place during employment. But not every successful farmer is equally successful as an educator. Land grant colleges focus mostly on the scientific aspects of agriculture and little on the practical applications. Hence the need for cooperation amongst farmers to do practical training. We called ourselves playfully CRAFT (Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training). Our CRAFT group has been in existence for 20 years without outside funding and has become a model of successful apprentice training. We did not trademark the name and anyone who wanted to copy our model was welcome to start their own group. Now there are many CRAFT groups in the US and Canada that train apprentices. This January, we will take part in the first international CRAFT conference. What I find interesting here is what all these initiatives have in common; the refusal to accept that man, plant, animal or land is merely an object to either study or own. To introduce principles of resilience we have to first accept that no problem lives outside of us, every problem is our problem. We need to accept that we are in relationship with everything else. The essence of biodynamic agriculture is the recognition that everything is interconnected whereby the farmer is the mediator between earth and cosmos. That is a huge responsibility and therefore each farm needs to be supported by a community of eaters to accomplish such a daunting task. So naturally the essence of CSA is dialogue to accomplish long term sustainability of our farms and local food supply. The essence of CRAFT is collaboration among farmers (as opposed to competition) by taking shared responsibility for adult education of future farmers. I am not writing this to boast about any success. In the scheme of things we accomplished nothing worth writing about. I write this to you as I am excited about the openness I feel these days to the values that brought about biodynamic and organic farming, we can speak again about the principles that created the CSA model and CRAFT; and yes, it is very heartening. Slowly but surely a conscious-
COMING NEXT WEEK (OUR BEST GUESS): sweet potatoes, winter squash, potatoes, carrots, Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, and beets. FRUIT: apples
MEAT SHARE DELIVERY DATES: This week we will be delivering Lamb Share #3. Capital District & Columbia County Lamb Shares - please look for an email with details of your final Lamb delivery. Next week, Nov. 12 to 15, we will deliver the final Chicken Share and the online meat orders. DELIVERY SCHEDULE REMINDER: Next week (the week of Nov. 12-15) is the last week of regular season deliveries for the Capital District, Westchester, and Columbia County. NYC will receive one more delivery on Thursday, Nov. 21 at your regular site and pick up time to make up for the delivery you missed on July 4. ness is rising up that true value can only be found in relationships. Realizing the resilience of our crops and farm after experiencing probably one of the worst growing seasons of my farming career is the evidence that what we do works. While many of our practices are completely reproducible, being mindful of the internal condition that created these practices is the power behind the wheel. With the danger of sounding all smoochy here, this particular internal condition is guided by love for the earth and its inhabitants. And no, the pioneers of CSA, biodynamic farming, and CRAFT did not set out to "save" the world. Neither did they do any of these things to become successful. Success is just a by-product. While I might sound terribly naïve in my assessment that these tiny initiatives did anything at all to avert a doomsday scenario of world hunger due to climatic change, I do want to recognize that change always comes from the bottom based on an inner commitment. This is beautifully worded by Viktor Frankl in his foreword of his book "Man's Search for Meaning":
3 "Don't aim at success-----the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you must let it happen by not caring about it. I want you to listen to what your conscience commands you to do and go on to carry it out to the best of your knowledge. Then you will live to see that in the long run----in the long run, I say!-----success will follow you precisely because you had forgotten to think about it.” ~Jean-Paul
LOOK FOR 2014 ENROLLMENT FORMS: We will email the 2014 enrollment forms to you soon. Please let us know if your email has changed or if you prefer a paper copy in the mail.
MEAT AVAILABLE FOR ORDERING: We have pork, lamb, beef, and chicken available for ordering online at www.roxburyfarm.com. Click on Our Products and Meat Orders. Stock up on grass-fed beef and lamb and pastured pork and chicken. Your order will be delivered the week of Nov. 12 to 15. WINTER SHARES AVAILABLE: Purchase a winter share online at www.roxburyfarm.com click on Our Products and Winter Shares. Each share is $125 for three 30 lb boxes delivered to your CSA site the week of Dec. 3 to 6, Jan. 7 to 10, and Feb. 4 to 7. The boxes will contain a mix of beets, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbage, onions, celeriac, winter squash, kohlrabi, and watermelon radishes. If you have non-CSA member friends who are interested in a winter share they can purchase a share for $150 on the website, too.
Sweet Potato Cannelloni 3 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 pound each) 3/4 cup diced apple (skin on) 1 piece (2 ounces) Parmesan cheese, half grated and half shaved Freshly ground pepper, to taste 1 tablespoon walnut oil
3/4 cup cottage cheese 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt Vegetable-oil cooking spray 1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts(~1 oz.)
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wrap 1 sweet potato in parchment, and then in foil. Pierce several times with a fork. Bake until tender, about 1 hour. Let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. 2. Meanwhile, peel remaining sweet potatoes. Using a mandoline or a chef's knife, cut potatoes lengthwise into very thin slices until you have 30 slices. Trim each to a 2-by-4-inch rectangle. 3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add half the sweet potato slices, and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, place slices on a baking sheet to cool slightly. Repeat. 4. Remove peel from baked sweet potato, and puree flesh in a food processor until smooth. Add cottage cheese, and puree until smooth. 5. Transfer potato-cheese mixture to a large bowl. Stir in apple, chives, grated Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place 1 heaping tablespoon filling in center of a sweet potato slice, and roll up. Place, seam side down, in dish. Repeat. (Cannelloni can be refrigerated, covered, overnight; bring to room temperature before baking.) 6. Brush oil over cannelloni. Bake until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with walnuts and shaved Parmesan. http://www.marthastewart.com/314723/sweet-potato-cannelloni?czone=food%2Fthanksgiving-center%2Fthanksgiving-centerturkey&gallery=274911&slide=314723¢er=1009014
Leek and Kale Tart
4
1 batch of your favorite single crust pie crust recipe 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2-4 leeks, white and pale-green parts only, thinly sliced and rinsed well (4 to 5 cups) 1/4 cup dry white wine 1 bunch kale, stems and ribs discarded, leaves shredded (4 cups) 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for surface 1/3 cup whole milk, warmed 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 large egg, lightly beaten Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1.Turn out pie crust dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll dough into a 13-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Press dough into bottom and up sides of a 10-inch springform pan with a removable bottom. Using a paring knife, trim dough to form 1 1/2- to 2-inch-high sides. Transfer to refrigerator, and chill for 30 minutes. 2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line dough with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edge just begins to turn golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove parchment and pie weights. Bake until pale gold, about 15 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack, and let cool completely. 3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add leeks, and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add wine and kale leaves, and cook until liquid has evaporated and kale has wilted, about 5 minutes. 4. Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Whisk in flour until incorporated. Slowly whisk in milk, and bring to a boil. Cook until thickened, about 3 minutes. 5. Combine leek mixture, milk mixture, mustard, and egg. Season with salt and pepper, and stir. 6. Spread leek mixture into tart shell, and sprinkle with Gruyere. Bake until top is golden brown, about 35 minutes. Let cool slightly, and serve warm. http://www.marthastewart.com/313566/leek-and-swiss-chard-tart?czone=food%2Fproduce-guide-cnt%2Fyear-round-producerecipes&gallery=274312&slide=313566¢er=276955
