BONUS ITEMS: A “bonus” item are items that we will stick in random boxes if we don’t have enough to go around for everyone. Will you be the

Fruit

3 # Cherries, 1 Quart Strawberries, 1 Jar of Apple Raspberry Jam

October 25th 2017

Veggie Boxes:

Red Cabbage, Carrots, Beets, Butternut Squash

~Great Oak Farm~

Turnips, Kale, Spinach, Salad Mix

~River Road Farm~

Potatoes

~Yoman Farm~

Meat Boxes: Beef Roast + Ground Beef

Hidden-Vue Farm + Griggs Cattle Co. Sweet Italian Sausage ~Maple Hill Farm~

Whitefish + Trout ~ Bodin’s Fisheries ~

Lake Superior CSA

Bayfield Foods Cooperative

How To Store Your Veggies

Carrots: Tightly seal unwashed carrots in a plastic bag in the

coolest part refrigerator. Wash just before using, since the add-

ed moisture in the bag could cause spoilage. Carrots begin to

go limp once exposed to air.

Cabbage: Cabbage can store well in a hydrator drawer. You

can put the cabbage in a plastic bag to help retain moisture but

it isn't totally necessary. If you use only a partial head, make

sure to tightly wrap the remainder and put into the fridge.

Butternut Squash: Winter squash will last up to a month in

a cool (50 to 55 degrees F) dark cellar or storage area, but only

about two weeks in the refrigerator. Ideally, only cut or

cooked butternut squash should be refrigerated.

Turnips: Rinse the greens in cool water, shake off excess

moisture and store for up to four or five days in plastic food

storage bags in the refrigerator.

Kale: For a bunch of whole leaves, it's all about avoiding

excess moisture. Wrap the bunch of kale in a layer of pa-

per towels, and store in a supermarket plastic bag or a

zip-top plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper drawer. The

kale should be in great shape for a week.

Salad Mix: Rinse the head under running water and drain

core side down in a colander. Dry thoroughly with paper tow-

els or in a salad spinner. Wrap lettuce in dry paper towels and

place in a resealable plastic bag, removing as much air as pos-

sible. Store in the refrigerator.

Spinach: Ensure that the moisture is removed by patting the

spinach dry with a paper towel. Leave a paper towel in the bag

with the spinach to absorb excess moisture.

Beets: Remove the greens, by leaving about 2 inches of stem

attached to the root. The greens can be wrapped in paper towel

and placed in a Ziploc bag where all the air has been removed.

Beet greens stored in this fashion will last 2 to 5 days after

purchase.

Potatoes: Colder temperatures lower than 50 degrees, such

as in the refrigerator.

Mini Veggies :

Salad Mix, Kale ~ River Road Farm

Butternut Squash~ Great Oak Farm ~

Potatoes ~ Yoman Farm

PLUS ITEM: Honey—Heritage Acres

Jam/Butter—Bayfield Apple. Co.

Mini Meat Boxes: Ground Beef + Roast

~Hidden-Vue Farm~ Assorted Pork

~ Maple Hill Farm~ Whitefish + Trout

~ Bodin’s Fisheries ~

Fruit:

Apples -Bayfield Apple Co.

Greetings from Great Oak Farm!

Fall on a produce farm is like the grand finale of the season, an exciting time that is always worth

the wait. The storage crops – many buried under the ground or hidden from view beneath large canopies of

broad leaves – lie waiting to surprise us with their bountiful colors and shapes, and we farmers are waiting

too. Waiting like sprinters that have stepped up to the line – poised, focused, prepared, ready to burst into

motion when the time is right. Waiting anxiously for the fall carrots and beets to grow as long as possible

before harvest, waiting for the frost to sweeten the fall crops juuust enough but not let them freeze, waiting

for the root cellar to cool enough to keep the harvest through the winter. Then, when the time is right, the

fields are dry enough, or the freeze is coming, we spring into action and sprint to the finish. But there are

many legs to this annual race against winter, so we stretch, plan together, and get back up to the line to wait

for the next heat to begin.

This season here at Great Oak Farm, we’ve spent a lot of time waiting for parts, or tractors to come

back from the shop ready for field work again. As I write this, both of our field tractors are unfortunately in

the shop – one needed an engine rebuild and the other hydraulic repairs. Perfect timing. My fingers are

crossed that we will get at least one tractor back this week as we race the waning daylight and waves of fall

harvest come closer together as they crash upon our shores. Thankfully, we are able to rent our neighbor’s

skid steer to help move bins of produce from the field and into storage. It’s times like these that remind me

of the subtle but mighty power of community, of helping our neighbors when they need a hand and we are

able.

Fall is also an important time for reflection about how the growing season went. Overall, despite the

cool summer and steady rainfall, most crops did better than expected, and the weeds didn’t get out of hand

(well, most of the weeds anyway!) The warm summery weather in September/early October was well re-

ceived by many crops, and I could almost watch them grow and ripen in the field from day to day. Unfortu-

nately our largest planting of broccoli – the fall planting – did not fare so well in the heat (nearly 90 degrees

in late September!) and all flowered prematurely instead of making heads, so you may have noticed less

broccoli in your boxes this fall compared to last year. As far as what has been (or has not been) in your

boxes this summer, we’ve also tried to follow through on your feedback from last year’s survey. One stand-

out request was more sweet corn and green beans, so I hope those extra quantities of corn and green beans

have been well received. We will be sending out surveys soon for this summer’s boxes - PLEASE take a

few minutes to fill them out and let us know what you thought of your boxes this season. We carefully read

each and every survey - including all of your comments and suggestions – and welcome your reflections on

the meat, vegetables, fruit, and plus items you have gotten in your boxes over the season. Let us know what

you liked, and what we can do better. Once the results are all in, we’ll compile the data and send each of

you a summary.

Meanwhile, enjoy the final box of the summer season and the last gorgeous days of fall colors and

warm sunshine! We’d love to keep you stocked with veggies and meat through the fall holiday season and

into the winter with our winter shares that start on Nov 1st – we’ve got mini and regular sizes available for

both meat and veggie boxes this winter. There are also plenty of special orders available, from one-time

boxes of meat to a case of carrots or other produce - check out the website for details. We farmers continue

to be humbled by your support, and are deeply grateful for your steadfast commitment to eating locally and

seasonally with us. Together, we’re rebuilding a robust and resilient regional food system, one bite at a

time.

Yours in community – Chris Duke, Great Oak Farm

PLEASE

FLATTEN & RETURN CSA

BOXES!

Squash, Carrot and Apple Soup

Ingredients

2 acorn squash (Can sub Butternut)

4 apples, peeled & sliced (I used

Honeycrisp)

1⁄4 onion, diced

4 carrots, sliced into round slivers

1 tbsp olive oil

32 oz (1 L) vegetable broth

1⁄2 tbsp (3.5 mg) ground ginger

1 tbsp (7 mg) fresh sage, diced

1 tbsp (7 mg) minced garlic

12 oz (350 ml) coconut water (I just used additional broth since I didn’t have any coconut wa-

ter)

salt and pepper, to taste

How to Make It 1. Preheat oven to 450 F or 230 C.

2. Cut acorn squash in half and remove seeds.

3. Place face down in a 13 x 9 baking dish, with 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water in the dish.

4. Bake for 45 minutes, until the squash is soft.

5. Sauté the onion, garlic, and sliced carrots in the olive oil in a large stock pan for about 5

minutes.

6. Add in sliced apples, vegetable broth, and coconut water.

7. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

8. Add in squash (remove outer skin first).

9. Puree in a blender or with an immersion stick blender.

10. Add in diced sage, ginger, and salt and pepper.

Veggie Boxes

Carrots, Acorn Squash, Beets, Onions, Cabbage

~Great Oak Farm~

Kale, Swiss Chard, Salad Mix, Garlic

~River Road Farm~

Potatoes

~Yoman Farm~

Garlic

~Twisting Twig Garden~

Meat Boxes Ground Beef + Roast + Stew Meat +

Steak ~ Hidden Vue Assorted Pork ~ Maple Hill Farm

Whitefish + Trout ~ Bodin’s Fisheries

Bayfield Foods Cooperative SNEAK PEEK AT NEXT WEEK November 1st 2017

Mini Veggies

Carrots , Onions, Cabbage

~Great Oak Farm~

Spinach,

~River Road Farm~

Potatoes

~Yoman Farm~

PLUS ITEM:

Maple Syrup—Heritage Acres

Mini Meat Boxes Hamburger + Roast~ Hidden Vue Assorted Pork ~ Maple Hill Farm

Whitefish ~ Bodin’s Fisheries

Hello Members!

Thank you for joining us for the summer season

and we hope you continue on through the winter!

We love our customers and want to extend our ap-

preciation with a discount for the winter season.

Enter discount code “ilovemycsa” for 5% OFF your

winter CSA order!

The Winter season starts on November 1st. All 2

month down payments must be paid prior to that

delivery. I’ll be updating all billing this week so keep

an eye out for that.

Winter Schedule is as follows

November 1st

November 15th

December 6th

January 3rd

February 7th

March 7th

If this is your last week, please bring a bag or some

way to carry your share home so you can return

the boxes to us.

Thanks for joining us for an adventure in local

eating this summer!