Welcome to our Fifteenth Harvest Week

Pick a Pumpkin at our Upcoming Field Day, Saturday, September 19—Gourds, too
Kids love picking pumpkins and gourds on our Fall Field Day, Saturday, September 19. https://angelicorganics.com/field-days-for-shareholders/  Also, at 1:30 pm, after the pot luck, the Angelic Organics Learning Center will host an optional creek study on the 70 acres kitty corner from the farm. Wear shoes that you don’t mind getting wet.

Artist Julia Goodman Encountered our Beets
In case you missed it, Artist Julia Goodman wrote a lovely, inspirational guest column about Angelic Organics beets for Farm News, Week 14.

Please Help Out
Squash and Potatoes We are short-handed these days, with so many of our crew being back at school. Therefore, we probably won’t wash your squash this week, so you might want to shine it up a bit when you receive it. (About potatoes, which may or not be in your box this week—we don’t wash potatoes, as they keep better with the soil on them.)

Baby Greens We plan to put baby choi greens into your box this week. Though the choi leaf quality is quite good, there might be a smattering of brown or yellow leaves in your choi, or perhaps a weed or two. We don’t strive to remove all of these, as it would require a huge amount of grading time. We ask that our shareholders participate in the baby greens management by closely inspecting your baby greens and removing the occasional weed or discolored leaf.

Greens—We Can’t Please Everyone Always
Below are shareholder comments that highlight a peril of Community Supported Agriculture.

Loves Arugula
“Shelly & Farmer John & staff.

Thank you so much for the DELICIOUS arugula. The flavor is simply STUPENDOUS. I have been patiently waiting for it, and the huge bag of it last week did NOT disappoint.

It is probably my favorite thing in the box…actually, I always love the delicata squash, the leeks, the onions, the potatoes, how could I forget the corn, actually all of it is simply delicious.

But the arugula, I enjoyed EVERY last bite of it. Thank you again for your attention to detail and your hard work to bring us beautiful and delicious organic vegetables. Thank you!

~Vanessa”

Does Not Love Mizuna
“Hi, 

I just wanted to let you know we are really enjoying our half share of vegetables – and the home delivery has been working perfectly.

I read the Farm News and would just like to chime in that I also felt overwhelmed by the mizuna. I tried several different recipes (a couple salads and a bibimbap), and it just didn’t taste good.  However, everything else has been AMAZING.

~Eliza”

Really Does Not Love Mizuna
“Dear AO,

Mizuna…Plant less…no matter what the crop issues are please solve them.

~a Shareholder”

Really Loves Mizuna
“Dear AO Farmers,

I was so sad to hear that someone had complained about the stellar mizuna we received this year.  It’s one of my favorite greens whereas arugula – not so much.  I have found a number of recipes that work well with arugula, so I’m not sorry when I get some, but if we could have more mizuna and less arugula every year I would be extra happy.  I know crops are fickle so whatever you produce for me is fine.  Thanks for all your hard work!

~Sara”

The Real Dirt on Farmer John, The Film that Doesn’t go Away
Many of our shareholders know there was a feature documentary film made about their farmer and their farm Angelic Organics, The Real Dirt on Farmer John. It premiered in 2005, after the farm and I were filmed for 50 years. The film garnered 31 festival awards. I presented over 400 screenings of the documentary in 16 countries.

Germany
The film is quite a distant memory for me most days, due to my pre-occupation with farming. But I am occasionally reminded that there was a film. A few days ago, we received this note from Berlin.

“Dear Lesley, Haidy, John,

We just want to let you know that the “Real Dirt on Farmer John” screening on Monday was a full success. About 80 people came to Prinzessinnengarten to see the film, and were very touched by it. Please find enclosed images of the screening for your records…

All the best from Berlin,

Florian & Marco”

Ireland
We just received this screening request from Ireland:

“Hi Taggart,

This is David, festival director of Guth Gafa Documentary Festival in Ireland – hope you remember us from your visit in 2006 with Farmer John.

We are trying to raise awareness in our new location with some preview screenings of some of the hits from the early years – [again]. We’re planning to screen it on an organic farm in a barn – no better place, says you 🙂 Hope you can allow us to do this.

Would…John be up for doing a Skype [call]?  The audience would love that, and there will be lots of organic farmers and alternative folk watching.

Many thanks
David”

The Kansas Prairie
There was a period of a few years when I was so overwhelmed with requests for screening appearances, I had to turn most of them down. This request for a screening below arrived a couple of weeks ago from the Kansas prairie. The curator, Ton, knows how to craft a most compelling invitation. It will be difficult to say no to his request. Ton’s offer to screen in “…The Gallery of the Symphony in the Flint Hills in Cottonwood Falls” has a lovely ring to it.

(Note: Some of you will recognize Bill McBride’s name below; Bill used to be an Angelic Organics shareholder.)

“Hi Haidy and John:

I hope everything is well with you. Was your summer just as pleasant as ours? We had enough occasional rainfall to keep the grasses fresh and green until now. Abundant prairie flowers will show their faces soon.

Chase County is still interested in a screening of your Farmer John film. So, we invite the two of you again: come stay with us in Matfield Green in one of Bill McBride’s apartments on the railroad. We are thinking of the weekend of March 19 (or March 12, or 26) 2016. We can arrange for a screening with talk for a substantial audience in the Gallery of the Symphony in the Flint Hills in Cottonwood Falls; and possibly for a second screening, for a much smaller crowd, in Matfield Green’s The Bank art space.

You can stay longer than just 2 or 3 nights if you wish. We’ll make sure there will be a dinner party with the nicest folks. Anyway, let us know.

Best,
Ton”

Join the Germans, Irish and Kansans
If you haven’t seen The Real Dirt on Farmer John, check it out. It’s a great way to become more connected to your farm. You can get it from Netflix or from Amazon.

The Weather Last Week
Very hot early in the week…then cool. Two big rains during the week.

Sign up for the Free Recipe Service
Make sure you sign up for the Local Thyme recipe service we offer with this year’s share. It received many great reviews from our shareholders last season. Go to www.localthyme.net/register. Enter the farm code AOLTFREE under “I am a member of a CSA farm.” Click the sign-up button.

Let us Know
Let Shelly know anything you’d like to share about this week’s box email hidden; JavaScript is required. Please note the week and day of delivery, your site, when you picked up your box, and any comments about your box.

Please Fold Your Boxes Properly and Return
The farm re-uses the vegetable boxes. Flaps are easily torn when the boxes are dismantled improperly, and then the box bottom might later burst open with fresh, organic local produce heading towards the floor. Please return your empty, flattened vegetable box to your delivery site. If you receive home delivery, place it in the location where your box is delivered.

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.

Saturday’s Box Contents
Please Note: this summary is written before you receive your box—be aware that some guesswork is involved. What we think we’ll put in your box might not actually end up in your box. As always, be sure to thoroughly wash all of your vegetables, and remember to sort through your baby greens to eliminate any discolored leaves or weeds.

Salad Greens – lettuce, tatsoi
Fruiting Crops – winter squash, bell peppers, hot peppers, heirloom tomatoes
Cooking Greens – choi
Alliums – onions
Stem Crops – kohlrabi
Root Crops – radishes

broccoli or cabbage

Your Farmer, John