News and blog
We hope everyone is keeping warm and enjoying the snowy February weather. The fields are covered with a nice coating of snow and preparing for the Spring changes.
This will be our fourth year farming on this land. After reflecting on the last two seasons of CSA, we have decided to not offer a CSA share this year.
Our intention for this year is to grow for sale at Farmers Market. We want to utilize this year to focus on larger plantings of a few vegetables that have proven suited for our soil, while continuing our crop rotations and perennial plantings. Our goal is to reoffer CSA shares in future years.
We are very thankful for all of the support of our CSA members over the past 2 years, it provided valuable help in establishing our farm.
We look forward to seeing you at the Farmers Market.
Please take a look at our Children's Summer Camp page on our website - the new info for 2010 is updated.
Sincerely,
Beautiful Earth Family Farm
Adam and Chandra Mitchel
Greetings from the Farm,
This is our final CSA week of the 2009 season. We hope that everyone has enjoyed being a part of the Beautiful Earth Family Farm CSA. It was a very cool and cloudy Summer, which did bring some challenges but it also brought extended growing seasons for some of our favorite crops, all in all things balanced out very nicely and according to the forces of Nature. A recent article from the Bio Ag Resource Project compared this Summer in the Midwest to the Summer of 1915, which was known as the year with no Summer.... it is interesting to think about how this time will be viewed in the years to come.... We appreciate and thank you for your support throughout the season.
Please note: Members that usually pick up in Chelsea, will have their shares delivered on Monday evening - please leave your plastic tote on the porch if you won't be home, and we will leave the refund check for the deposit - Chelsea Farmers Market is officially closed for the remainder of this year.
While this is our last real week of harvesting, we are now working to complete the Fall clean up work and get the Garlic planted.
We are removing all of the equipment from the fields (tomato stakes, cages, irrigation and plastic mulch, etc.). We will then cover those fields with cow manure, so it can take its time and feed all of the beneficial soil organisms and create a humus rich soil to plant in next year. When the Garlic is in,the last of the manure is spread, and the fields have been tilled, that will mark the final ending of the farm-working season. Winter is a great time to read through all of the seed catalogs and go through the process of selecting varieties and seed for next year.
This week's shares will contain:
$5 a 6oz bag of Pea Shoots - these are exellent eaten raw as a salad, in a salad or sandwich, plain as a snack, chopped and atop a stirfry or soup; they can also be lightly stirfried.
$3 Baby Turnip Greens - these are best lightly braised and served as a side dish to a spicy or rich entree.
$2 Collard Greens
$2 Curly Kale Greens
$2 Lacinato Kale Greens
$2 Baby Lettuce Heads (red, romaine, and green leaf)
$3 Broccoli
$2 Daikon with tops - you can use this raw as a mild radish, or chop and cook in soups, stews or amongst steamed vegetables. One of our favorite ways to enjoy it is to grate the daikon raw over a salad, and use the tops as a fresh final ingredient to a brothy soup.
$4 Spaghetti Squash and Pie Pumpkin or Long Island Cheese Squash or Butternut Squash (we had an issue with the squashes sugaring up in storage and developing soft spots - this is why we are not able to give everybody the same or as much squashes as we had hoped).
$4 Bag of Red and Yellow Onions
$1 Red Cabbage
$30 Total Market Value
Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Adam and Chandra Mitchel
This is our second to last week of the CSA season. While the cold and rainy weather can put a damper on the overall enjoyment of farming and working outside, there is a unique and special feeling that comes with Autumn in Michigan. We hope that the produce that you have been receiving is offering a positive transfer of this specialness.
Please remember to bring back your plastic bin next week and collect your check for the $15 deposit. We won't be doing bin collection or deposit returns after next week, as we will also be finishing our market season next week.
Our end of season Farm Party was great fun, we're sorry that more members weren't able to attend. The pumpkin pies that Chandra baked, and the beautiful music that the Dorkestra band performed were some of the highlights of the night.
This week's shares will contain:
$4 Butternut Squashes (2)
$2 Red and Yellow Onions
$2 Green Leaf Lettuce
$2 Red and Green Cabbages (small but sweet)
$2 Curly Kale tops (the entire portion is edible, chop up the stems
$3 Brussel Sprout Crowns (these are the leaves from the top of the plant, also known as the "Emeralds of Autumn") - they can be prepared just like Collards (their very close relative) or Cabbage.
$2 Bunch of Red Radishes
$2 Bunch of French Breakfast Radishes
$1 Cilantro
$20 Total Market Value
Here is a sneak peak at what we plan to put in the shares for next week, our final week of this season (it's always possible that any of these items might not make it for various reasons, and there should be some items that aren't listed here, but at this point these items are looking great):
Pea Shoots
Turnip Greens
Daikon Radishes
Red Leaf Lettuce
Broccoli
Spaghetti Squash
Pie Pumpkins
Lacinato Kale
Collard Greens
Red and Yellow Onions
and....
Many thanks for your support,
Adam and Chandra
Greetings from the Farm,
The season is starting to wind down here on the farm. The warm weather crops are completely done now, the row covers could only help them for so long... The Fall crops are enjoying the cool weather, some more than others. You will notice the Collard Greens and Cilantro showing some Autumnal Red and Purple colors - this enhances the sweetness of the Collards and increases the aroma and flavor in the Cilantro.
After this week, there will be 2 more CSA pickup weeks.
This weekend, we will be delivering the Chelsea shares to member's homes on Friday instead of doing the market on Saturday. We have the end of season Farm party on Saturday, and would like to have the extra time to help prepare for the gathering.
This week's share contains:
$2 Carnival Squash
$2 Decorative Pumpkin Gourds
$2 Rutabaga
$2 Mix of yellow and red onions
$4 Green and Red Cabbage
$1 Red Radishes
$2 French Breakfast Radishes
$1 BokChoy or Ming Choy
$2 Collard Greens
$2 Cilantro (this goes great chopped raw and served over steamed bok choy, broccoli or cabbage, or used as a final ingredient in many soups)
$2 Sage (you can use this fresh, or wash it and freeze it to use fresh later, or dry it and you will find it to be the most aromatic dried sage that you've ever used)
$3 Broccoli
$25 Total Market Value
Many thanks for your support,
Adam and Chandra
Greetings from the Farm,
The season is starting to wind down here on the farm. The warm weather crops are completely done now, the row covers could only help them for so long... The Fall crops are enjoying the cool weather, some more than others. You will notice the Collard Greens and Cilantro showing some Autumnal Red and Purple colors - this enhances the sweetness of the Collards and increases the aroma and flavor in the Cilantro.
After this week, there will be 2 more CSA pickup weeks.
This weekend, we will be delivering the Chelsea shares to member's homes on Friday instead of doing the market on Saturday. We have the end of season Farm party on Saturday, and would like to have the extra time to help prepare for the gathering.
This week's share contains:
$2 Carnival Squash
$2 Decorative Pumpkin Gourds
$2 Rutabaga
$2 Mix of yellow and red onions
$4 Green and Red Cabbage
$1 Red Radishes
$2 French Breakfast Radishes
$1 BokChoy or Ming Choy
$2 Collard Greens
$2 Cilantro (this goes great chopped raw and served over steamed bok choy, broccoli or cabbage, or used as a final ingredient in many soups)
$2 Sage (you can use this fresh, or wash it and freeze it to use fresh later, or dry it and you will find it to be the most aromatic dried sage that you've ever used)
$3 Broccoli
$25 Total Market Value
Many thanks for your support,
Adam and Chandra
Greetings CSA Members!
Beautiful Earth Farm invites you to our ‘End of Season’ Potluck Celebration!
*Saturday, Oct. 24th , 2009 from 4pm-7pm
*Please bring a vegetarian dish to share (optional)
*Music by local Chelsea Jazz Ensemble “The Dorkestra” (Dorks who play cool music) 4-7pm
*“Green Home” Workshop presented by www.local-motion.org at 5:30pm
*Arts & Crafts and Farm Scavenger Hunt for Kids 4-7pm
*This event is held outside, please dress for the weather. For more information on these events visit our website. www.beautifulearthfarm.com
*This is a working farm with equipment and tools abound, please do not leave children unattended.
*Please RSVP with number of children/adults to: beautifulearthfarm@yahoo.com
Special Note:
Next week will be a skip week - no share pickup on Weds 10/14 (Ann Arbor) and no pickup on Sat 10/17 (Chelsea).
Share pickups will resume on Weds 10/21 (Ann Arbor) and Sat 10/24 (Chelsea).
This week's shares contain:
$1 Bunch of Red Cherry Belle Radishes (tender and crisp)
$2 Bunch of French Breakfast Radishes (tender and crisp)
$1.50 Head of Romaine Lettuce (first of the Fall Lettuces)
$1.50 Bok Choy (this is the "mama" Bok Choy variety
$3 Large Butternut Squash (we waited until after the freeze to begin harvesting, this helps the starches convert to sugars and provides a much better quality eating squash)
$5 Carving Pumpkin
$5 Mix of Green Bell and Heirloom Varietal Sweet Peppers (last of the season)
$4 A Pound of Mixed Hot Peppers (last of the season)
$2 A Half Pound of Green Provider Beans (we may be able to continue these, the thermal row covers are keeping the plants warm and happy)
$2 A Bunch of Lacinato/Dino Kale (they sweeten and get more supple in this cool wet weather)
$2 A Bunch of Green Curly Kale (best Kale of the season so far)
$29 Total Market Value
Thanks for your continued support,
Adam and Chandra
Greetings from the Farm,
Autumn is upon us. This time of year the vegetable plants demonstrate their awareness that the growing season is coming to an end. Many crops progress quicker in their quest to make seeds and complete their cycle. It is so wonderful to see the changes from day to day. While we may hope for warm weather to stick around longer and for the plants to continue to produce; we know this is all part of nature and our role is very limited. As this summer was especially cool and provided below average hours of direct sunshine, we feel the cold mornings even more.... All the same, we welcome the changing seasons and recognize our connections and reliance to nature.
We are anticipating a hard frost tonight, perhaps even a freeze. A frost occurs when the dew point drops below the temperature, this usually occurs when there are clear skies. A freeze is when the actual temperature drops to 32 degrees Farenheit or below - which is in our forecast for tonight/tomorrow morning. Today we will be harvesting as many of the tender crops as possible, and covering others. We have 1,000 feet of thermal row cover that is 7 feet wide, so we can effectively cover 7,000 square feet. We will be covering some whole rows as well as doing some spot-covering to try and extend the season of as many "summer" vegetables as possible. The Fall crops are not so sensitive to frost and will actually enjoy the cool temperatures - especially the hard squash and cooking greens, which develop more sugars in the cool weather.
We will begin to harvest lettuces and radishes next week along with pumpkins and hard squash (like butternut and acorn). The Broccoli are setting heads and should be in the shares soon as well.
We had anticipated doing a "skip week" somewhere around the frost, but might not ending up needing one. Our goal with the skip week is to extend the season later into the Fall - to make sure we can continue to provide full shares, as well as include some of the Fall vegetables that aren't ready yet. We will watch it day to day and week to week and send notice if we are going to do a "skip week".
This week's shares contain:
$3 Ming Choy (this is a "baby" variety of bok choy that has greenish stems and smaller smoother leaves than "mama" bok choy). It is a great Asian vegetable and can be prepared as a side dish or the main dish. Some folks chop it up and stirfry others steam the leaves whole to provide a different presentation on the plate.
$2 A Bunch of Collard Greens
$3 A Red Cabbage and 2 Green Cabbages
$3 Thai Basil (this would go very nicely with the Ming Choy, our personal favorite it to include tofu with the thai basil dishes, but you can also use your favorite meat)
$4 Basil for Pesto (this will most likely be the last of the Basil for this season, it already is showing it's distaste for the cold weather) - Pesto freezes well, and is an easy way to preserve the Summer and enjoy it later in the year.
$4 A pound of Green Provider Beans
$4 A mix of Heirloom Sweet Peppers (may include, Red Cheese, Sheepsnose Pimiento, Lipstick, Apple, Red Bell, Orange Bell, Yellow Bell, Flavorburst, Blushing Beauty)
$3 A pound of San Marzanno Paste Tomatoes
$26 Total Market Value
Thanks for your support,
Adam and Chandra
I just wanted to send a note about greens. You will be getting alot of greens this week in your share. If you unfamiliar with eating this much greens, I am here to help. Greens, Kale especially, are one of the most health promoting,nutrient rich vegetables. A virtual power house, rich phytochemical content, essential nutrients such as calcium, lutein, iron and vitamins A,C,E, & K, as well as Beta carotene, chloryphyl and fiber. Most importantly it is rich in phytochemicals research shows can prevent cancer.
If you find greens to be too bitter, this will pass as you become accustomed to the taste by eating it regularly. In the meantime try my basic greens recipe on the website (under recipes). You can also try googling Kale or Greens recipes- you will find all kinds of yummy recipes as well as nutrient information.
We cook alot of greens in our house. I will often bring it to pot lucks all steamy and tasty! For flavor you can add sauted onions and garlic, vegetable or chicken broth, tamari (soy sauce), boullion cube, or a nice vinegar dressing. I will add it to everything. Try pulling a few leaves and cutting them up and throwing them in soups, stews and chili, even homemade pot pie or sheperds pie. You can even add it to sauces (tomato sauce, gravy etc) put the whole thing in the blender, it will blend right up nicely, staying hidden for those picky eaters in your house.
People always ask me how do I get my children to eat greens and I tell them that if you make it apart of your normal regular diet, they will too.
One other thing, Kale freezes beautifully. Just wash and de-stem it and put it in a freezer bag. Then pull it out when you need it. It will still contain all the rich nutirients! Our greens are especially fresh, being picked the night before,or often the morning of market-you cannot buy fresher greens!
Have fun and be creative!
Thanks, Chandra
We just wanted to send a gentle reminder about picking up your shares. The majority of the pickups have been great. We thank you! We want to review the pickup agreement to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Lately, we have had a few members not showing up to pick up their shares - this email is in response to that. We know things come up unexpectedly on occasion, unfortunately we are not able to do our part in helping if we don't have advance notice of a no-pickup or a late pickup.
As a general rule please follow these guidelines:
Pick up is between 8 and 10am (firm). We often start packing up the booth precisely at 10am. Please do not show up at 10:15, we will be busy trying to pack the booth up. We don't want anyone to miss out on their shares - each week we harvest and pack the food for the shares with the hope that everyone will enjoy their produce.
If you are unable to make pick up, please let us know 24 hours in advance. The best way to do this is to give us a call at 734-649-5918. If you email us, please wait for a response, otherwise assume we did not get it. We only check our email about once or twice a week, at most, during the season when we are busy outside.
The 24 hours notice helps considerably.
We pay for labor for harvesting and sorting/cleaning the vegetables. Many of the items you receive are picked for CSA members only, not for sale at the booth. Also many items can stay in the ground and keep growing (cabbages, greens, herbs, basil etc) traveling back and forth to market unecessarily can damage them and make them unedible and will not keep for the next pick up day. This causes waste when someone does not show up to pick up their share. If we have to harvest and pack your share again for pick up on another day, that means we have spent time and paid for labor twice to pick your share that week. So, if you give us notice, we will make sure not to pick your share until you can pick it up, making us both happy.
If you need to move your pickup day to the other day we do market (Wednesday in Ann Arbor -Saturday in Chelsea), we are happy to accomodate, we only need 24 hours notice from your original pickup day. We are unable to provide shares on the alternate day if we haven't discussed it with you in advance of your original pickup day.
Ultimately, we want to do everything we can to help make sure you get your share each week.
Thank you so much for your understanding. We appreciate it!
Chandra and Adam Mitchel