THE BEET: Volume 15, Issue 15

FULL SHARE & GREEN HALF SHARE PICK UP TONIGHT

Pick up today: 5pm - 7:30pm at PS 56 on the corner of Gates and Downing

Fruit Share's to resume next week! They will be delivered for 6 weeks.

This Week's Share

  • Romaine Lettuce
  • Lacinato or Red Russian Kale
  • Bok Choy or Koji at most sites
  • Carrots
  • Snap Beans
  • Sweet Corn at most sites
  • Sweet Peppers
  • Red Onions
  • Miscellaneous Tomatoes
  • And squashes or cucumbers

 

Letter from Windflower Farm

We have just finished bowls of Mexican beans and rice made by my son, Nate. The vegetables, of course, came from here, and they are all in this week’s share. While we ate, Nate described the progress he had made on a project we started recently. Two years ago, we were able to rent an additional 24 acres of farmland from our neighbor, MaryJane. It’s good land, it’s all within reach of our irrigation system, and it is now enclosed by an 8’ deer fence. One of the best things to come of now having a more farmland than we need to produce your vegetables is that we can dedicate a greater proportion of land to cover crops. Cover crops are plants grown solely for the purpose of improving the health of the soil. They enable us to break disease and pesky insect cycles, suppress weeds, and grow our own fertility. One of our summer cover crops was a mix of oats and peas, which produced lush plantings with beautiful lavender blossoms in three separate fields. We have been keeping it mowed and will let the debris protect the soil during winter. These will be the first fields we’ll plant in the spring. Fall cover cropping is now underway. Nate’s recent emphasis has been on wrapping up our mixed rye and hairy vetch plantings. The rye we sow is the same seed we’d plant if we wanted to grow the grain intended for rye flour. It’s a winter annual that produces a good deal of biomass. Hairy vetch is a legume which has the capacity, with the help of bacteria living symbiotically within its roots, of converting atmospheric nitrogen into plant-available nitrogen. Between now and June, the rye will provide the carbon and the vetch will provide the nitrogen that will be the primary foodstuffs of next year’s crops. It’s rice and beans for the soil – a healthy balance of carbohydrates and protein. Later in the fall, once we’ve lost the window for planting vetch, which does poorly if not given the time to develop a good root system, we’ll plant rye alone, and meet the crop’s nitrogen needs in those fields with an application of compost. If we are to meet our fall cover cropping goals, it will be because we’ll have covered the entire farm by the end of October.

Warmly, Ted

Winter Share Host

We are in need of a host for the winter share! The host should ideally live in Fort Greene or Clinton Hill, and have a small out door space such as a porch, or front area in which to hold all the shares during pick up.  They must be able to be on site for two hours on four Saturdays, once a month, starting in November, as well as be able to take a Louis Waite delivery earlier in the day. The host gets a free winter share.  Email me if you're interested, or for more information!

Food Picks & Happenings Around Town

New York Botanical Garden is hosting a Blues, Brews and Botany weekend!  Come listen to some live blues and bluegrass bands, sample some local craft brews, and listen to talks by expert brewers & garden scientists.

Clinton Hill has it's own small farmers market now!  It's - on the corner of Lafayette and Washington, every Tuesday from 8am- 4pm through November 22.  So if you need a couple of extra veggies to get you through the week- stop by and support our neighborhood! 

New York Honey Week is this week!  For a full list of events click here.  This Saturday at the Rockaways & 86th Street is the Bee Marketplace.  There are Honey vendors, beekeeping talks, food & activities.  Family Friendly.  

Food in the News

I saw this article on the alarmingly high rates of fraudulent fish labeling in Time, and had to share. The short of what's happening is seafood vendors are mislabeling fish in order to get a higher pice, and a lot of time putting the consumer at risk.  Notable- Tilefish, was often labled as red snapper.  Tilefish is on the "DO NOT EAT" list for pregnant women due to it's high mercury content.  In addition, many of the fish that were mislabeled were on the endangered species list.  So- it seems clear, when eating seafood- do your best to investigate your source and proceed with caution.

Veronica