Showing posts with label newsletter 2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label newsletter 2. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Meet Farmer David Siller
David Siller comes from the Philly area and is going into his third year of farming and educating with the Weavers Way Farm. He loves growing heirloom veggies and funky veggies that even experienced farmers don't have too much experience growing and selling. He manages the Awbury Children's garden with the help of lots and lots of school children and all of the other Weavers Way farmers. He also manages the Stenton Family Manor Homeless shelter garden and the Martin Luther King High School Farm. He'll be heading over to Saul as much as possible over the coming summer.
Meet Farmer David Zelov
David Zelov is a New Jersey native has a B.S. in Natural Resource Management from Rutgers University. He has been farming off and on for the past 9 years in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania including on a rooftop in Manhattan. There was also a short stint at a cactus nursery in Tucson, AZ. He is currently in his third season at Weavers Way.
Whipped Potatoes and Kohlrabi
1/2 pound baking or russet potatoes (about 2 potatoes)
1 pound kohlrabi (about 4 bulbs)
3 to 4 tablespoons butter
¼ to ½ cup milk or cream
½ teaspoon salt, plus more, to taste
Black pepper to taste
• Boil the potatoes and kohlrabi separately until tender, 20 to 35 minutes, depending on size. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of liquid from either vegetable.
•
• Peel potatoes and kohlrabi. Mash together in large bowl.
• Melt butter in small pot over medium heat. Add ¼ cup of the milk or cream. Heat until almost simmering, then remove from heat.
• Pour butter mixture over potato/kohlrabi mixture. Add ½ teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Beat until fully combined and smooth. If you want it to be creamier, add up to ¼ cup additional milk or cream. If you want it to be smoother, stir in up to ½ cup of the reserved corking water until you like its consistency.
(From: John Peterson and Angelic Organics, Farmer John’s Cookbook)
1 pound kohlrabi (about 4 bulbs)
3 to 4 tablespoons butter
¼ to ½ cup milk or cream
½ teaspoon salt, plus more, to taste
Black pepper to taste
• Boil the potatoes and kohlrabi separately until tender, 20 to 35 minutes, depending on size. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of liquid from either vegetable.
•
• Peel potatoes and kohlrabi. Mash together in large bowl.
• Melt butter in small pot over medium heat. Add ¼ cup of the milk or cream. Heat until almost simmering, then remove from heat.
• Pour butter mixture over potato/kohlrabi mixture. Add ½ teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Beat until fully combined and smooth. If you want it to be creamier, add up to ¼ cup additional milk or cream. If you want it to be smoother, stir in up to ½ cup of the reserved corking water until you like its consistency.
(From: John Peterson and Angelic Organics, Farmer John’s Cookbook)
Simple Sauteed Kohlrabi
2 medium kohlrabi bulbs, grated
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup butter or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced (about ½ cup)
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed (around ½ teaspoon)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, chives, or sage
• Mix the kohlrabi and salt in a colander. Let stand 30 minutes to drain.
• Melt butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, sauté for 1 more minute.
• Stir in kohlrabi. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
• Increase heat to medium, uncover skillet, and cook for 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in fresh herbs. Let stand for several minutes to let flavors develop
(From: John Peterson and Angelic Organics, Farmer John’s Cookbook)
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup butter or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced (about ½ cup)
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed (around ½ teaspoon)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, chives, or sage
• Mix the kohlrabi and salt in a colander. Let stand 30 minutes to drain.
• Melt butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, sauté for 1 more minute.
• Stir in kohlrabi. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
• Increase heat to medium, uncover skillet, and cook for 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in fresh herbs. Let stand for several minutes to let flavors develop
(From: John Peterson and Angelic Organics, Farmer John’s Cookbook)
Why I Like Kohlrabi
By Nicole Sugerman
The kohlrabi is one of the strangest vegetables we grow, and one of the less well-known. Resembling a cross between a turnip and a flying saucer, I fell in love with kohlrabi the first time I saw it growing, during the first season I worked on a farm. The vegetable was bred from a wild cabbage plant, like broccoli, cauliflower, cultivated cabbage, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, and many other similar vegetables, which are all in the “brassica” family. However, unlike all of these other vegetables, the kohlrabi vegetable that we eat is actually the swollen stem of the plant, not a root crop, a leaf crop, or a fruit crop. This is the first reason I like kohlrabi, just because I think that this is neat. Kohlrabi is only one of two vegetables we grow where the ‘good eating’ part is actually the plant’s stem (the second is fennel- the bulb of this plant is actually the petiole of the fennel leaf).
I also like kohlrabi because it matures early. One of the major challenges in planning a CSA farm is making sure we have many different vegetables ready for shareholders each week. We cannot just plant everything all at once and wait; this would lead to a glut of vegetables at certain times, and very few vegetables at other times. Instead, Nina and I back-calculate to see when we should plant each of the vegetables in order to have them ready at many different times, so that every week is a unique, interesting, and bountiful assortment. The trickiest time to have a large assortment of vegetables ready is the beginning of the season, because we cannot start planting until the danger of frost is past, and many vegetables take a long time to ripen. Kohlrabi grows relatively quickly compared to many other plants, meaning we can depend on it during the crucial beginning of the CSA season.
I am additionally fond of growing kohlrabi because it grows reliably and requires little maintenance. Because the part we eat is a swollen stem, the kohlrabi is neither susceptible to the root maggots that burrow through our turnips nor to the cabbage moth caterpillars that often prey on our cabbages. Spring is a very busy time, with our team racing to prepare our beds and get all of our crops in the ground, so kohlrabi is a relieving vegetable to have in the mix. We do not have to pay much attention to it, but it is reliably there for us, looking great and tasting delicious, when we need it.
A slightly less pragmatic, but arguably more important, reason that I like kohlrabi is specifically because it is a little bit ‘weird’. As a small farmer, I consider my efforts toward increasing plant diversity as one of my more important roles in the farming system (I plan to write a whole article on vegetable diversity in the future). Because kohlrabi is uncommon, I am more interested in growing it. I think that the more different vegetables people eat, the more complete nutrition we are likely to get. Also, the more kinds of different and varied vegetables farmers grow, the more stable our agriculture is—if we grow only a few vegetable varieties, we run the risk of falling prey to some disease or pest that could wipe out a very substantial portion of our food supply (think the Irish potato famine). So, by growing kohlrabi, and other such vegetables that are not as popular and therefore are not often grown on large farms, I like to think that I am sowing the seeds of food security and general health.
As we begin our CSA, Nina and I have been the recipients of much advice. I have been surprised by how much of this advice contains a variation on the theme of, “CSAs grow so much kohlrabi! Why?! No one really likes kohlrabi!” I suppose this article is partly a preemptive defense of our decision in the hopes that our feedback box will not be filled with similar sentiments. I also have included two delicious kohlrabi recipes, because I honestly think that once people know how to prepare this delicate, tender, broccoli-esque vegetable, everyone will be a convert to its charms. But I also just couldn’t contain my appreciation for this underrated delight of a vegetable, which is enjoyed in Europe and Asia as well as North America. I hope you enjoy your kohlrabi this week!
The kohlrabi is one of the strangest vegetables we grow, and one of the less well-known. Resembling a cross between a turnip and a flying saucer, I fell in love with kohlrabi the first time I saw it growing, during the first season I worked on a farm. The vegetable was bred from a wild cabbage plant, like broccoli, cauliflower, cultivated cabbage, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, and many other similar vegetables, which are all in the “brassica” family. However, unlike all of these other vegetables, the kohlrabi vegetable that we eat is actually the swollen stem of the plant, not a root crop, a leaf crop, or a fruit crop. This is the first reason I like kohlrabi, just because I think that this is neat. Kohlrabi is only one of two vegetables we grow where the ‘good eating’ part is actually the plant’s stem (the second is fennel- the bulb of this plant is actually the petiole of the fennel leaf).
I also like kohlrabi because it matures early. One of the major challenges in planning a CSA farm is making sure we have many different vegetables ready for shareholders each week. We cannot just plant everything all at once and wait; this would lead to a glut of vegetables at certain times, and very few vegetables at other times. Instead, Nina and I back-calculate to see when we should plant each of the vegetables in order to have them ready at many different times, so that every week is a unique, interesting, and bountiful assortment. The trickiest time to have a large assortment of vegetables ready is the beginning of the season, because we cannot start planting until the danger of frost is past, and many vegetables take a long time to ripen. Kohlrabi grows relatively quickly compared to many other plants, meaning we can depend on it during the crucial beginning of the CSA season.
I am additionally fond of growing kohlrabi because it grows reliably and requires little maintenance. Because the part we eat is a swollen stem, the kohlrabi is neither susceptible to the root maggots that burrow through our turnips nor to the cabbage moth caterpillars that often prey on our cabbages. Spring is a very busy time, with our team racing to prepare our beds and get all of our crops in the ground, so kohlrabi is a relieving vegetable to have in the mix. We do not have to pay much attention to it, but it is reliably there for us, looking great and tasting delicious, when we need it.
A slightly less pragmatic, but arguably more important, reason that I like kohlrabi is specifically because it is a little bit ‘weird’. As a small farmer, I consider my efforts toward increasing plant diversity as one of my more important roles in the farming system (I plan to write a whole article on vegetable diversity in the future). Because kohlrabi is uncommon, I am more interested in growing it. I think that the more different vegetables people eat, the more complete nutrition we are likely to get. Also, the more kinds of different and varied vegetables farmers grow, the more stable our agriculture is—if we grow only a few vegetable varieties, we run the risk of falling prey to some disease or pest that could wipe out a very substantial portion of our food supply (think the Irish potato famine). So, by growing kohlrabi, and other such vegetables that are not as popular and therefore are not often grown on large farms, I like to think that I am sowing the seeds of food security and general health.
As we begin our CSA, Nina and I have been the recipients of much advice. I have been surprised by how much of this advice contains a variation on the theme of, “CSAs grow so much kohlrabi! Why?! No one really likes kohlrabi!” I suppose this article is partly a preemptive defense of our decision in the hopes that our feedback box will not be filled with similar sentiments. I also have included two delicious kohlrabi recipes, because I honestly think that once people know how to prepare this delicate, tender, broccoli-esque vegetable, everyone will be a convert to its charms. But I also just couldn’t contain my appreciation for this underrated delight of a vegetable, which is enjoyed in Europe and Asia as well as North America. I hope you enjoy your kohlrabi this week!
A Short History of CSA
By Nina Berryman
CSA farms are spreading like wildfire across the nation! It seems new ones are being created every year, and many have waiting lists. Given how popular CSA is, it’s not surprising that the principles behind it emerged independently in many areas around the world. There is a misconception that there was one original model that was the inspiration for all of the existing CSA farms, however this is not actually the case.
In the 1960’s a group of women in Japan concerned with chemical-laden, imported food came together to implement a different kind of food distribution. They bought directly from dairy farmers to ensure they knew the source and quality of their milk. This concept spread to include more products, farmers and consumers. It became known as Teikei which translates to “cooperation,” “link up” or “join business.”
In the 1970’s there was a strong co-op movement in Chile as well. Farmers and consumers created buying and selling partnerships to promote the local food economy. These cooperatives inspired the first producer-consumer food alliance in Geneva.
The roots of the current CSA movement in North America can be traced to the philosophies of Rudolf Steiner. Rudolf Steiner was an Austrian philosopher (as well as a scholar, architect, playwright, and educator) who lived from 1862 to 1925. His works were largely concerned with “spiritual science,” the connection between western science and mysticism. He is considered the founder of Biodynamic agriculture, a method of agriculture that tries to source all farm in-puts from the farm itself, and considers a farm as one complete organism, compiled of many mutually beneficial interactions and ecological processes. Steiner also believed strongly in the importance of forming a strong relationship between a producer and consumer, where they both are aware of their mutual interests and work together to strengthen them. More and more farms began practicing these ideas of biodynamics and forming an intentional, close relationship between consumers and producers. In North America, these ideas were implemented on two separate farms, independently and simultaneously in 1986, the Indian Line Farm in Massachusetts and the Temple-Wilton Community Farm in New Hampshire.
Indian Line Farm was started by a core group of people who had either visited biodynamic farms in Europe, or were at least familiar with the teachings of Steiner. Robyn Van En, Jan Vander Tuin, John Root, Jr., Charlotte Zanecchia, and Andrew Lorand started this farm with an apple orchard and sold shares of apples, cider and vinegar. They sold 30 shares in their first year, but quickly grew to include more crops, more land and more consumers.
The Temple-Wilton Community Farm was started by Anthony Graham, Trauger Groh and dairyman Lincoln Geiger. Trauger moved from Germany where he had been working with Steiner-inspired agricultural techniques. The Temple-Wilton Community Farm did not have a set price that all shareholders had to pay. Instead they made a budget for the upcoming year and simply asked shareholders to contribute what they could in order to reach their budget goals.
Today, in Pennsylvania alone there are more than 150 CSA farms, and that number is increasing rapidly. While there are many CSA’s that serve Philadelphia, we are proud to say that we are one of two CSA farms located within the city limits. The other is Greens Grow Farm, located in the Kensington area.
Sources for this article include:
Local Harvest: http://www.localharvest.org/
The Rodale Institute: http://newfarm.rodaleinstitute.org/features/0104/csa-history/part1.shtml
Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community-supported_agriculture#History
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teikei
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_Steiner#Biodynamic_farming_.26_gardening
Sharing the Harvest, Henderson and Van En, Chelsea Green Publishing Company. Vermont. 2007.
CSA farms are spreading like wildfire across the nation! It seems new ones are being created every year, and many have waiting lists. Given how popular CSA is, it’s not surprising that the principles behind it emerged independently in many areas around the world. There is a misconception that there was one original model that was the inspiration for all of the existing CSA farms, however this is not actually the case.
In the 1960’s a group of women in Japan concerned with chemical-laden, imported food came together to implement a different kind of food distribution. They bought directly from dairy farmers to ensure they knew the source and quality of their milk. This concept spread to include more products, farmers and consumers. It became known as Teikei which translates to “cooperation,” “link up” or “join business.”
In the 1970’s there was a strong co-op movement in Chile as well. Farmers and consumers created buying and selling partnerships to promote the local food economy. These cooperatives inspired the first producer-consumer food alliance in Geneva.
The roots of the current CSA movement in North America can be traced to the philosophies of Rudolf Steiner. Rudolf Steiner was an Austrian philosopher (as well as a scholar, architect, playwright, and educator) who lived from 1862 to 1925. His works were largely concerned with “spiritual science,” the connection between western science and mysticism. He is considered the founder of Biodynamic agriculture, a method of agriculture that tries to source all farm in-puts from the farm itself, and considers a farm as one complete organism, compiled of many mutually beneficial interactions and ecological processes. Steiner also believed strongly in the importance of forming a strong relationship between a producer and consumer, where they both are aware of their mutual interests and work together to strengthen them. More and more farms began practicing these ideas of biodynamics and forming an intentional, close relationship between consumers and producers. In North America, these ideas were implemented on two separate farms, independently and simultaneously in 1986, the Indian Line Farm in Massachusetts and the Temple-Wilton Community Farm in New Hampshire.
Indian Line Farm was started by a core group of people who had either visited biodynamic farms in Europe, or were at least familiar with the teachings of Steiner. Robyn Van En, Jan Vander Tuin, John Root, Jr., Charlotte Zanecchia, and Andrew Lorand started this farm with an apple orchard and sold shares of apples, cider and vinegar. They sold 30 shares in their first year, but quickly grew to include more crops, more land and more consumers.
The Temple-Wilton Community Farm was started by Anthony Graham, Trauger Groh and dairyman Lincoln Geiger. Trauger moved from Germany where he had been working with Steiner-inspired agricultural techniques. The Temple-Wilton Community Farm did not have a set price that all shareholders had to pay. Instead they made a budget for the upcoming year and simply asked shareholders to contribute what they could in order to reach their budget goals.
Today, in Pennsylvania alone there are more than 150 CSA farms, and that number is increasing rapidly. While there are many CSA’s that serve Philadelphia, we are proud to say that we are one of two CSA farms located within the city limits. The other is Greens Grow Farm, located in the Kensington area.
Sources for this article include:
Local Harvest: http://www.localharvest.org/
The Rodale Institute: http://newfarm.rodaleinstitute.org/features/0104/csa-history/part1.shtml
Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community-supported_agriculture#History
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teikei
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_Steiner#Biodynamic_farming_.26_gardening
Sharing the Harvest, Henderson and Van En, Chelsea Green Publishing Company. Vermont. 2007.
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