WEEKLY NOTE
Week of August 10, 2015
Fresh from the Farm!
The carrot beds are looking pretty good. The little sprouts of Mid July
(inset photo) have filled out their beds and are now (larger photo) doing a
great job of suppressing further weed pressure.
The field featured is our first and second planting. The third planting
consists of six beds closer in stage to the inset that cleaned up quickly with
last week's crew.
Weeding in our
winter squash bed
is not finished, but
we made good
progress last
week; the rest
should be
wrapped up
this week and
the balance
will be periodic
maintenance.
THIS WEEK
Red Norland & Molli Potatoes
Walla Walla Onions
Garlic, one head
Zucchini or Summer Squash
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Chard
Kale
Green Peppers
Green Beans (a few yellow too)
Parsley (Italian and Curly leaf)
Sweet corn to Garner, Clear
Lake, Belmond
Go Gourmet - Cherry tomatoes,
Eggplant
This week we caught up with the peppers - there were lots and they are beautiful. After all harvest was
complete, we weeded in peppers, beans, and broccoli. That's one
great task to check off this week's list.
Broccoli transplants that looked great before our trip to Colorado
looked pretty tough when we returned. The flea beetles were having
a feast on tender broccoli leaves (see chewed lower leaves in photo).
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There is little to do for flea beetles but give the plants lots of loving and hope they grow beyond the
pressure. By the end of last week we could see new leaf growth on the plants that was not riddled with flea
beetle holes. It looks like they are through the worst and on their way to sizing up. The plan is for broccoli
to be included in the delivery toward the end of the summer share and then also available for our October
Fall Greens Share.
Mid of last week we resumed irrigation as the regular rains we have so enjoyed through June have
diminished. Saturday night we got 0.2" which helped settle the dust, but Sunday we continued. Sunday
night we got another 0.4 inches. The two day total of 0.6" is enough to take a break!.
We began the potato harvest with good yields last week. So far we've dug three beds, yielding
approximately 800 lb. We have 17 more beds in that field to dig. Our other potato field has 11 beds. with
the potato harvest upon us comes potato washing. And with potato washing comes time to use our new
barrel washer. Purchased and assembled last March, it' s been waiting on the flat rack. This past weekend
Tim moved it to its long term working location outside.
This is being set up in the same area we had used for
power washing carrots and will be used for carrots
also when they are ready. With the washer in place,
Tim began constructing the handling tables.
The barrel washer system begins with product starting
at the loading chute. While the barrel slowly rotates,
the potatoes tumble over and over, gradually moving
toward the other end (direction of the yellow arrow).
A pipe located inside the barrel sprays water over the
crop as it moves through the barrel. By the time the
potatoes reach the load out end, they are clean. Tim
built the supports for the drain stand, set up saw horses
with 2 x 4's for a continuum of racks, and we were ready to put it
pipe with spraying
draining racks
through its paces.
holes
For the first trial, I dumped the potatoes in the
loading end and Tim worked the clean end. Our loading
chute
set up of racks on saw horses can handle six of
our drain racks then we took a pause. Using this
system, we moved 200 lb. of potatoes through
the system in a little under 30 minutes. The
second round had even better results. I had some
harvest to tend so Tim managed the whole system
himself - moving 250 lb. of potatoes through the
system
in
about
30 mins. It kept him hopping, but was doable. This beats
our hand washing in the sink system by far! We are really
satisfied with the cleanliness and super pleased with the
labor savings.
The farm engineer has done it again!
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Vegetable in the Spotlight
Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) are the fourth most important food crop in the world and the leading vegetable crop
in the United States. Nearly 60 percent of potato sales are to processors for French fries, chips, dehydrated potatoes
and other potato products. The remainder goes to the fresh market, is fed to farm animals or re-used as seed tubers
for growing the next season’s crop. (NASS 2013).
Source: Agriculture Marketing Resource Center.
Of all those beds of potatoes mentioned above that we will be harvesting, 100% is for direct to consumer
sales. In addition to our farm member deliveries, including our late fall and Winter shares, we will be
delivering potatoes to Wheatsfield Coop in Ames, starting this week with a 200 lb delivery. Some may be
sold through Be Wellness, a natural foods store in Clear Lake as well.
Potatoes are a much maligned vegetable because of the frequency at which they are consumed in high-fat,
high-sodium forms of French fries and potato chips. Alone, the potato is an excellent source of complex
carbohydrates and minerals, particularly potassium - providing the skin is consumed - and a fairly good
source of vegetable protein. They form a complete protein when eaten with meat, dairy, or grains.
Parsley - This summer we decided to eliminate the Herb Share and
instead provide a selection of herbs timed with partner vegetables to all
members. This week we provide Parsley, a fitting partner with potatoes.
You will find a bunch of both the flat leaved, Italian variety (considered
the best for cooking) and the curly leafed variety in your box. This week's
featured recipe calls for parsley so you'll be ready to go!
Tomatoes are starting to come on strong. Member boxes should expect
2-4 lb. per week for much of the Summer Share season. As we
have more supply than that, we will be filling Kit orders. A
complete description of our Kits can be found at
http://www.ostgardens.com/shares.htm, half way down the
Share descriptions. Kits are packages of vegetables for delicious
fixings. We offer small size Kits for snacking - Pesto Kit, Fresh
Salsa Kit. We also offer larger Kits perfect for canning - Can it Kits,
Roast it Kits, and Salsa Kits.
I have already begun contacting members with Kit orders to plot
delivery schedule. If you would still like to order a Kit or several,
contact the farm. This is an excellent way to enjoy scrumptious
flavors of summer this winter!
Stove top preparation from Roast It Kit
Cooking...Out of the Box
Potato Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette
(Recipe from How to Cook Everything, by Mark Bittman)
Makes: 4 servings
Time: 30 minutes, plus time to cool
I fixed this recipe for Monday's lunch and it was delicious!
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From Mark Bittman: To me, the best and simplest potato salad is made of just-boiled potatoes dressed in a
freshly made vinaigrette. If you’re in a hurry, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl, then just
add the potatoes. Parsley and chopped onion are easy, flavorful additions.
11/2 pounds waxy potatoes, like red new potatoes or fingerling; or all-purpose, like this week's Molli's (or
even starchy baking potatoes are fine)
Salt
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup chopped scallions or red or yellow onion
1/2 cup Mustard Vinaigrette (see recipe below), plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Peel the potatoes if you like (or wash and scrub them well), then cut them into bite-sized pieces. Put them
in a pot with enough water to cover them and add a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so
the water bubbles gently. Cook the potatoes until tender but still firm and not all mushy, 15 minutes or so,
depending on the potato. Drain, rinse in cold water for a minute, then drain again.
2. Toss the still-warm potatoes with the parsley and scallion. Add the vinaigrette until the mixture is as
dressed as you like. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding black pepper. Serve as is or refrigerate for an
hour or so to chill the salad. (At this point, you may refrigerate the salad, covered, for up to a day.)
Mustard or Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons or more good wine vinegar
1 heaping teaspoon any good mustard or 1/2 teaspoon or so dry mustard
1 to 2 tablespoons honey (optional)
1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender and turn the machine on; a creamy emulsion will form within 30
seconds. Taste and add vinegar a teaspoon or two at a time until the balance tastes right to you.
2. Taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve. (This is best made fresh but will keep, refrigerated, for a few days;
bring it back to room temperature and whisk briefly before using.)
OSTG over 20 years
We are not the only CSA that is marking 20 years in 2015. A recent
Edible Iowa Magazine article by Adam Wright featured an interview
with us and several of our CSA pioneer colleagues. This link will take
you right to Adam's article that was featured this past spring:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B48nrtZfFeTCNHRMS0tBMHBhd2M/view?usp=sharing
Sidenote: Adam, the article's author, submitted the article to a food writing scholarship funded by the Julia Child
Foundation. In June he found out that he had indeed won the scholarship and was the top choice from 8 national
finalists selected by a team of magazine publishers. The piece will provide him with full funding, travel, and lodging to
the Eating Words National Food Writing Conference to be held in Iowa City this upcoming fall.
Weekly deliveries Mid May to early July and August to September
Tuesdays – Clear Lake, Garner, Mason City
Wednesday - Belmond,, Clarion, Farm
Farm Contact: [email protected]
515/851-1690,
th
1465 120 St.,
Kanawha, IA 50447
www.ostgardens.com
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