Farmer John Writes…

Greetings from Angelic Organics!

Vegetable of the Week: Beets
Beets are a signature crop of Angelic Organics. We have often been told that our beets convert beet avoiders to beet enthusiasts. We grow red, golden and Chioggia (with red and white stripes inside.) You might encounter an enormous beet as part of your beet portion this week; don’t despair…even our large beets are fit and flavorful.

Read about beets starting on page 55 of our cookbook. It’s hard to choose from all the delicious beet recipes in the cookbook: perhaps the Beet Slices in Creamy Mustard Sauce on pg 58; maybe the ever popular Baked Beet-and-Carrot Burgers on page 60; or the celebrated Chocolate Beet Cake on pg 62.

From A Shareholder: …the Cookbook is chock full of recipes and great information!

Crop Update
As you have noticed by now, our bunching kale has recovered from an earlier onslaught of flea beetles. In addition, we will have some nice baby kale in your box probably next week. Another culinary treat that looks like it will sidestep significant flea beetle damage is arugula…stay posted. The pepper crop was a disappointment this year; we’re not sure why. (In spite of our ongoing research and observations, mysteries abound in farming.) Our eggplant right next to the pepper field was beyond fabulous. You might even get another eggplant before frost arrives. Yes, frost…it’s usually nipping about by the end of September.

An unusual aspect of this summer was the high humidity and deluges of rain in August. Fungal diseases spread rampantly in high humidity conditions. Our regular tomatoes yielded well throughout August, but went into foliar decline right after. Still, our regular tomato crop yielded 2 or 3 times what it yielded last year, so we were very happy with it. Our heirloom tomatoes probably yielded the best ever. Their yields are now starting to subside, but all of our shareholders have already received several heirloom tomatoes over the last few weeks. Our bunching chard acquired what we think is a fungal condition. It might still outgrow the problem; the baby and adolescent chard have been fine. Our basil looked finished a month ago, but now it has made a comeback. You’ll probably find basil in your box this week; it won’t be as high quality as the early season basil, but still, we thought you’d enjoy one last aromatic portion of beloved basil.

From A Shareholder: Oh my, the box this week is amazing!!!!!  Wow!!!… Thanks for such beautiful veggies!

Our Fantastic Open House last Saturday
Our open house was fabulous! We had great fall weather and a huge turnout. Hundreds of pumpkins and gourds were selected by kids and adults to take home. We were blessed with a vast array of delicious meat, vegetarian and vegan dishes, plus a dazzling spread of desserts.  So many of you went to great effort to make the potluck into a grand feast. Thank you for celebrating the day with such culinary imagination and generosity!

The introduction to the Kinnikinnick Woods and Stream was well received. Clara Baker imparted a special mood with lovely folk music. Tom Spaulding spoke eloquently about the vision that the Learning Center shares with Angelic Organics: A Farm Forever. Many shareholders expressed their ideas for what this majestic piece of field and wilderness can become for our CSA community. A large group stayed behind for an engaging tour of the woods by naturalist Katie Townsend, Urban Farm Educator for the Angelic Organics Learning Center.

Most people in the U.S. today don’t have access to a farm. When I reflect on the tens of thousands of people who have visited our farm over the years, I think: what a blessing that a farm is here to be shared, and that the Learning Center is here to help share it! We are gratified that our farm has become a home in the hearts of so many. Read about the endeavor to Save the 70: http://www.learngrowconnect.org/node/3155 .

For those of you who attended on Sunday or who have visited the Kinnikinnick woods, stream and field at another time, we would  love to hear your impressions and your ideas for how this land can benefit our shareholder community and/or the Learning Center community. Please send them to Angelic Organics <email hidden; JavaScript is required> with the subject heading: Kinnikinnick. Let us know if we can post your comment, either anonymously or with your name attached.

Save the Date: Saturday, Sept. 24th: Cookbook Signing by Farmer John & Dinner Event in beautiful Woodstock, Illinois: A Benefit for the Learning Center’s Save the 70 Campaign: http://www.learngrowconnect.org/node/3507 . Mingle with fellow shareholders and other food enthusiasts. Enjoy a fabulous meal, mostly from the fields of Angelic Organics. Or just come for the cookbook reading and signing.

Biodynamic Association Seeks Professional Conference Planner
a href=”http://www.biodynamics.com/node/773″>http://www.biodynamics.com/node/773

Upcoming Programs at the Angelic Organics Learning Center
Walking Tour of the Farm, September 24, 10am to 12:30pm
Apples from Cider to Sauce, September 24, 2 to 4 pm
Cheesemaking, September 25, 9 AM to noon
Biodynamics for the Backyard, October 1, 9 am to 5 pm Note from Farmer John about this workshop: it will be presented by Ben Wilson, our on-farm Biodynamic practitioner. Ben will offer a sensible, articulate and inspiring presentation on Biodynamics for the Backyard. You will love learning from Ben about Biodynamics, which is an integral part of our approach to farming at Angelic Organics. Check out Angelic Organics in the Process of Becoming Biodynamic on pg 32 in our cookbook.

Please register at least 1 week in advance at www.learngrowconnect.org or (815) 389-8455.

The following takes you to the Learning Center September calendar, which has links to all of their programs: http://www.learngrowconnect.org/event

warmly,
Farmer John

Please Note: this summary is written before you receive your box—please be aware that some guesswork is involved. As always, be sure to thoroughly wash all of your vegetables.

Herbs –Basil, Dill
Fruiting Crops – Delicata squash, Tomatoes – perhaps an heirloom, maybe an eggplant
Brassicas – 2 heads of Broccoli & side shoots, Green or Red Cabbage
Alliums – an Onion
Cooking Greens – Kale
Salad Greens – 2-3 heads of Lettuce- most likely red and green
Root Crops – Radishes, Carrots, Beets – red and gold