Welcome to our 14th week of the 2014 Season

In Farm News this week, Farmer John Invites You to our Open House on Saturday, September 20

Note on your Arugula

Arugula will perish quickly if stored wet in a plastic bag, if it appears moist, please do the following before storing it in the refrigerator: Fill a large bowl or dishpan with cold water. Add greens and swirl around vigorously. All the dirt and sand will sink to the bottom. Lift greens out of basin and into a salad spinner or colander. Spin greens to dry or drain as best you can and dry on towels. If you don’t have a spinner or colander, soak up the moisture with paper towels. Store washed and spun greens in a Ziploc bag or plastic container lined with a dry paper towel in the refrigerator. Cut greens perish more quickly if stored wet in a plastic bag. Consume the arugula within a few days of receiving it.

Saturday, Sept 20: Fall Open House, featuring a Hay Ride to the Cows, Goats, Chickens and Horse, and then to the Pumpkin Patch; also featuring a Tai Chi Performance

Farm Address: 1547 Rockton Road, Caledonia, IL 61011

Travel Note: With the I-90 construction from Elgin to the Rockton Road exit, expect that 45-mile portion of the drive to take over an hour. It’s usually extra busy here before 11, so we don’t recommend showing up early unless you are planning on participating in the birdwatching event at 9 am. However, we do recommend showing up between 11 and 11:30, so you can take part in the hayrides before lunch.

9 AM (for birdwatchers only) Come early for birdwatching on Kinnikinnick Fields with Ornithologist Aaron Boone. Birdwatchers should plan to arrive by 9 AM and check-in at the farm. Ornithologist Aaron Boone will lead bird-watching from 9:30-10:30 AM

11 to 11:30: Arrive: park along the drive. Bring the kids (but unfortunately you can’t bring your pets.)

11:30 to 12:30: Mingling, Hayrides to the Farm Animals and then Pumpkin Picking; Flower and Basil Picking; also the Family Photo Booth: There will be hayrides before lunch hop on for a quick visit to the farm animals at the Learning Center and then off to the pumpkin and gourd patch. Pick flowers from our U-Pick Garden and a generous helping of tattered but usable basil from our fields, suitable at least for pesto. You’re welcome to a whole grocery bag of basil. You can also have a fun or formal family photo taken at our Family Photo Booth with Angelic Organics as your backdrop.

12:30 to 1:30 ; Potluck: please bring a large dish to pass

* The dishes at past open houses have always been phenomenal, but sometimes we run short on food. (This embarrassment happened at our last open house–this is not to occur on a farm that is all about food! Please bring a dish that will serve at least 15.

* Please bring the recipe that goes with your dish; recipes accompanying dishes are a hit. Put your name & your delivery site on the recipe, so admirers can track you down & lavish you with praise. (10 copies on 3×5 cards would be great.)

* Please bring your own place settings & beverage. We furnish some tables and chairs. Consider bringing a blanket on which to picnic, so we don’t have to provide so many chairs.

1:30 to 2:15: Tai Chi Demonstration/Introduction: (Shareholders are invited to join in.) Years ago, Elizabeth Wenscott, a loyal shareholder and very special soul, led a magnificent Tai Chi presentation at a farm open house to celebrate the shareholder acquisition of land adjacent to the farm. Elizabeth passed on this year, and the performance at our fall open house is in memory of Elizabeth.  The Tai Chi Center will present a Tai Chi Form and a Sword Form from 1:30 to 2 pm.  At 2 pm, interested shareholders and guests will be invited to take part in a brief introductory session of Tai Chi.

2 – 4 Family Farm Photo Booth: Another chance for a fun or formal family photo taken with Angelic Organics as your backdrop.

2:30 to 3:30: One More Hayride

A Shareholder Writes about Our Open Houses

[Dear Angelic Organics Farmers],

After 8-9 years of being a shareholder, the Farm Open House still continues to be a highlight in our Summer & Fall with regards to our family outings! My friend Eileen & I with our children–we each have three, a total of six–and sometimes our husbands come and thoroughly enjoy & make good use of introducing our children to farm life! They are all great eaters except when they go through periods of complaining, but by and large, if Farmer John grows it, they have to try it & often they love the veggies! However, it gives them a great thrill to take a hay ride, milk goats, catch chickens, collect eggs, try goat milk ice cream, pick flowers & beans, as well as, picking pumpkins & gourds in the fall. Again, never a disappointment! We are also so lucky to try new & fantastic recipes from other shareholders during the potluck lunch. Loved the Dinosaur slaw from a fellow shareholder which is really kale slaw. We are always in need of more kale recipes! Anyway, we just want to say we are very grateful to our enthusiastic farm crew, staff, community, our fearless leader Farmer John and lastly to Rudolph Steiner who shared with the world such a deep understanding of the natural world and then shared his knowledge with us so that we can benefit from his wisdom in order to enrich our minds, bodies, & our souls!

Again, I mentioned to Farmer John how much I have enjoyed localthyme.com. It has been a great resource for me with regards to adding new recipes to my large repertoire!

Lastly, there was some talk about creating community at the meeting and although we come together as community at the Farm every year, there is very little interaction in our own individual communities. I would like to propose that maybe each site have a once-a-year potluck to be hosted by a member of the community. I am happy to host one for the LaGrange site. Is there any way to communicate or create a yahoo group or the like for each site? I would happily moderate a group like this for LaGrange, since I moderate another group locally, but suppose I would need the shareholders emails for the LaGrange Area to see if there is interest. Let me know your thoughts.

Thanks again!

Take good care,

Kristine Scott Schultz, July 24, 2013

The Crops

Winter squash, cabbage, carrots, potatoes, beets..lots on their way to your tables in the next few weeks. Tomatoes are winding down.

The Weather

Hot and wet.

The Work

We finished seeding cover crops in the evening on September 3, 2 days later than our goal, but a miraculous accomplishment, given how much it has been raining.

U-Pick Garden

Our U-Pick Garden is has flowers now, and still a few green beans.

More from Shareholders

Visit us often at www.facebook.com/angelicorganics, where we post exciting farm developments regularly, and shareholders post recipes, tips, and photos.

Box Contents

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.

Arugula
Bunched Kale
Carrots
Kohlrabi
An Onion
Sweet Peppers
Dark Red Norland Potatoes
Tomatoes
Delicata Squash
Sweet Dumpling Squash

Upcoming Program at the Angelic Organics Learning Center

Family Worm Farm Workshop

You can make a wonderful organic fertilizer from your food scraps with help from some wiggly farm friends: worms! Bring your family to the farm on September 27th from 9 am to 12 pm for this fun workshop. We’ll provide everything you need to make your own worm bin, from the bins to the worms themselves. You’ll be making compost in the kitchen in no time! Click here to register. $45 per family.

For more workshop opportunities, visit www.learngrowconnect.org/events

Warmly,

Farmer John and the Angelic Organics Farm Team