The CSA is Here!

The CSA season is here! The months of preparation and hard work are finally coming to fruition with a beautiful first harvest. The crew has been working diligently in the fields to continue planting and staying on top of weeds. We have been aided by a wonderful mix of warm, dry and occasionally rainy weather to keep our plants happy and healthy. Our summer seasonal workers jumped right into the mix this week without missing a beat. Everyone is energized by the harvests to come. We look forward to see you in the shareroom soon!

The share this week:

Arugula

Kale

Cooking spinach

Bok choi

Radishes

Turnips

Head lettuce

Leaf lettuce

Scallions

PYO strawberries

Pickups start Tuesday June 12. As a reminder, our hours for pickup have changed to Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 12:30-6:30PM. We are also open for pick your own on Saturdays, 8AM-Noon. Shareholders are free to pick up their share any day that best suits their schedule, and do not need to commit to the same day each week. Additionally, shareholders do not need to tell us which day they will be picking up.

Vegetable of the week!

BOK CHOI is a vegetable in the brassica family, related to broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower. It is a great source of vitamins C, to help bolster the immune system, vitamin A-- one cup of the leaves provide over 100% of the daily recommended value! It’s also a great source of Vitamin K, critical in bone health.

Bok choi, two ways

Ingredients:

1 large bok choi

1 tbsp olive or avocado oil

1-2 cloves fresh garlic, grated

Either juice of half a lemon or 1 tsp freshly grated ginger, splash of sesame oil, and a splash of soy sauce

Directions:

Cut off bottom of bok choi and chop the leaves off. Slice the stems into smaller pieces. Heat oil in large pan over medium heat. Add garlic (and ginger if using) and saute 1 minute. Add bok choi stems and stir fry 2-3 minutes. Add the leaves and cook just to wilt. Remove from heat and finish with either fresh lemon juice or sesame and soy. Option to add a dash of hot pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Great as a side dish for salmon, or in a stir fry with chicken, beef, or tofu!

The CSA Starts Soon!

A Note from Amanda, our CSA Share Room Manager:

It's hard to believe it’s June! Both farmers and plants are grateful for the warmer weather we’ve experienced over the past few weeks. It’s finally feeling like summer, and our fieldwork is in full swing. During our longer work days, we continue to seed in the greenhouse, cultivate the soil around the crops and transplant seedlings, filling up the fields.

We are pleased with success we have seen in the cover crops that were seeded over the fall. These fields are lush and green, it’s quite a beautiful sight! The grass-like rye has grown to waist high, and the vetch and clover are blooming with brilliant hues of purple and burgundy flowers. We will soon disk the cover crops into the soil, helping to improve soil health and fertility, and closing the nutrient cycle. The strawberries are starting to fruit and ripen, a sure sign that the CSA is about to begin!

Time flies when you are having fun! Before we know it we will be filling up baskets out in the field and preparing them for the pick up! 

Now that Memorial Day Weekend is behind us, we are eager to welcome our seasonal staff to the farm next week. These part time workers play a critical role during the bustling harvest season. Slowly but surely, the items kept in the barn over the Winter are finding new homes, and tables, bins, and CSA signage are being uncovered and cleaned up. As your share room manager, I am already anticipating posting a weekly recipe that CSA Members can snap a picture of on their way in or out of the barn. The weekly recipes will highlight a vegetable available in the share each week, maybe sparking some new ideas for the fresh local produce in your bag!

The share is set to open the week of Tuesday June 12th. 

As a reminder, our share room hours have changed this year. Pick up times are Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays 12:30-6:30. Shareholders are free to pick up their share any day that best suits their schedule, and do not need to commit to the same day each week. Additionally, shareholders do not need to tell us which day they will be picking up. 

Be on the lookout for the Member Handbook in your email inbox in the coming week. It’s a wonderful resource that lays out the ground rules for how the share room operates. We will be more heavily staffed during the first week of the share to welcome new CSA Members, and to answer any questions pertaining to weekly pick up procedures.

See you soon!

- Amanda

 Appleton Farms CSA Share Room Manager

The CSA Barn at Appleton Farms [photo credit: Above Summit]

Our Farmers Kick into High Gear!

From Farmer Andrew...

The crops are looking good so far as we’ve had a couple excellent weeks of sunny weather. With the warm temperatures come a burst of new weeds and we are focusing our attention on early cultivation techniques. To help in this effort, we have utilized the newest member of our equipment fleet, the Kress cultivator, to help quickly cultivate crop rows and to save time on manual weed removal from our crew. This implement is equipped with “finger weeders,” which look wheels with soft tines that gently pull weeds close to the crop plant. While we’re still learning the all the adjustments, we’ve had some early success!

The longer days have given us more time to work, of which we have been taking advantage! The crew is busy transplanting, adding and removing row cover, and finishing up our spring clean up projects. In the past few weeks we’ve transplanted over an acre of onions and leeks and another acre of potatoes. Staples like lettuces and brassicas are rooted and looking great, and a whole lot of direct seeding has been in the works over the past week. The strawberries are just starting to flower, a sure sign that the warmer weather is here to stay.

Our new wash station is coming right along, as you may notice a new concrete slab behind the barn, and a beautiful fence (built by our own Appleton Staff) creating the barrier between the farm store picnic area, and our tractor equipment. In the coming weeks the finishing touches will be put in our wash station. We are looking forward to being able to use it!   

Fruit Share

We still have a few spots left in our new fruit share for Appleton Farms CSA shareholders! Ask for more info at appletonfarmscsa@thetrustees.org.

Meat CSA

Have you signed up for the Meat CSA yet? Pickup is at Appleton Farms, so it's a convenient, tasty way for shareholders to expand support for our local food system. For more information, check out the Meat CSA page on our website.

What's Happening on the Farm?

All sorts of incredible activities, our Farm Camp, the fantastic selection of local food and Appleton Dairy products at the Farm Store...the list goes on. Stay in touch! For details, head over to the Appleton Farms page – you'll be amazed at what happens at the farm!

Planting Season is in Full Swing on the Farm!

A Note from Farmer Andrew

The farm is finally coming to life as spring slowly makes its appearance. We’ve been waiting for fields to dry and soil to warm, and the crew has been busy with odd jobs like fence repair, tractor maintenance, and barn clean up. Although it’s been nice to tackle some of these projects, we now find ourselves playing catch up. The warm, dry weather last week allowed us to get plants out and seed in the ground, which is always exciting this time of year. We will spend most of the next few weeks preparing the soil and planting.

We are fortunate to have some fabulous people returning to work with us this season. Their skills in growing vegetables and knowledge of our production systems have made my job as manager quite a bit easier this spring. Amanda Stefanik, who is returning for her second season with us, will be managing our CSA distribution this year and has been helping in the greenhouse and fields and with odd jobs like fixing the fence. Emily Fenton is in her third season at Appleton and will be leading our weed management and cultivation efforts. She has been has been working hard to get our tractors and cultivators ready for action. We are also very lucky to have landed Megan Ardolino, formerly of Green Meadows Farm. Her background and skills have allowed her to jump right in with us and fill in wherever needed, even despite a healing broken wrist! 

We are so lucky to have a dedicated and wonderful group of farmers here at Appleton. I am thankful for all their efforts and look forward to the season ahead!

Events on the Farm

Saturday, April 28, 2018

Intro to Backyard Composting

Saturday, April 28
Appleton Farms
Hamilton and Ipswich | North Shore

Gardens & Gardening, Farms & Food, Lectures & Workshops

Art Week Walk & Talk with Photographer Bill Franson

Saturday, April 28
Appleton Farms
Hamilton and Ipswich | North Shore

History, Art & Culture, Lectures & Workshops

REI Wilderness Survival: 3 - Season Skills

Saturday, April 28
Appleton Farms
Hamilton and Ipswich | North Shore

Outdoor Recreation, Lectures & Workshops

Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Appleton’s Preschool Farm Explorers

Wednesday, May 2
Appleton Farms
Hamilton and Ipswich | North Shore

Click HERE to register for our upcoming events


Farm Camp Registration

Appleton Farm Camp registration and the weeks are filling quickly! Sign up soon so you don't miss out! For more information and to register visit www.thetrustees.org/appletonfarmcamp