The winter routine has settled in here at the farm as we batten down, give everything a deep clean and make long lists of what to organize, repair and replace. Farming in the north is a privilege in many ways but this time of year makes me so thankful to that we have a couple months to “pull the ship out of the water” (unlike our California or Florida friends who just keep cranking away). About half of my December days are spent crunching the books from the closing season, img_3071finalizing budgets for the year to come and getting our seed orders sent off. This process of reflecting and reimagining, stitching two years together, is very satisfying (especially when the seeds start to arrive). The other half of my days this month are spent working with Kristin and Virginia who are here part-time through much of the winter. They are working through these last few snow-free weeks mowing fields, breaking down field tunnels and pulling row fabric.  As a group we will do many things like inventory our seeds on hand, re-wire the greenhouse, repair and endless list of machines and weld up a whole mess of new racks for moving transplants.

Rain catch up…into snow

We have had nice regular rain the past couple weeks and while we haven’t caught up the ground is wet and the farm waterways are moving. Refilling our water table (which for us is the massive Brunswick Aquifer) is vital to us maintaining soil microbiology and fertility. A good snow load would be really helpful in keeping the positive trend moving in the right direction. I know I’m not popular when I say this but, BRING ON THE SNOW!

Late Fall Share a Grand Success

We are two pick-ups into our late fall share and the response for those who signed up has been overwhelmingly positive. It’s lots of great storage produce like squash, img_3038beets, cabbage and carrots along with greens from our field tunnels. Everyone’s bags have been very full on the way out the door. We hope to expand this program next year. Look for sign-up option coming next month.

Shares for 2017

Thank you to all of you who have signed up with us for 2017. Your support now is so important as we have already started dipping into our 2017 budget with potting soil from Vermont, greenhouse and tractor biodeisel (from the best deep fat fryers in Portland) and seeds from Maine suppliers (Johnny’s and FEDCO).  As a member of this CSA, your family and the farm are linked. Your memberships now provide cash flow throughout the season and allows us to focus on growing the best food. If you have not signed up yet but would to here’s the Brunswick link and the Portland area Delivered share link for our easy online system. *NEW THIS YEAR – For those who like to pay via credit card online, we now use a system that will AUTOMATICALLY charge your credit card.  When you sign up and enter your credit card information, you will be charged at that time ($113 for Brunswick On-Farm Share, $115 for Delivered Share) , and then it will automatically charge that same amount ($113 or $115)  until your balance is paid. We put many hours into this new system and hope it makes the payment plan process easier for all. img_3065

img_2925Thank You.

Another farm season comes to a close this week. Farming is never boring and almost always challenging. 2016 will go into our books as the driest by far. We can be proud that we produced a strong crop and got more skilled with our irrigation systems. One of the great things about farming in the Northeast has been the regular supply of rainfall. The average for Brunswick is about 36″ a year and for the most part this has been spread evenly over the whole season. Not this year. We invested in an irrigation system 12 years ago and have used it at some point during the season each year to keep us at one inch of water a week. Our current setup runs off of a well that we connect to our many fields via 30 lengths of aluminum pipe. This is labor intensive as we have to break down one field to set up the next. Two of our fields are over 1000′ from the well so in 30′ increments you can do the math…its a lot of pipe to move. Usually not a big deal but this year we were moving pipes and irrigating all the time…it was a big deal.

Apart from a massive effort to move water this season we also saw the frost dates pull back in both spring and fall, giving us a longer season and new possibilities in the coming years for earlier plant dates in the spring as well as more successions of tender crops in the fall. Our crew this season was spectacular, putting in endless days pulling tons of food from exceptionally hot and dusty fields. But most important above everything we did was seeing you each week here excited about the harvest – we are ever grateful.

Oysters?

This is the last week we will have Long Reach Oysters available. These are outstanding raft raised native oysters making a very short trip from Harpswell to your table. Pre order by 9pm tonight via email…$16/doz, $9 /half.

Sign-ups

Thanks again for the overwhelming signup enthusiasm. Your support now makes a huge difference for the farm. Still need to get on board? Here’s the link.

What’s in the Share?

Lettuce

Kale/Chard

Cabbage

Carrots

Winter Squash

Parsnips

Turnips

Rutabaga

Onions

Brussels Sprouts

Sweet Potatoes

img_2986Red Turnips make a bold appearance this second to last week of the csa. When I say turnips many of you tune out but wait… These are the close relatives of the white salad turnips we have had the past couple weeks. Smooth and creamy they lend themselves to eating raw (we like to slice them thinly and bathe in vinegar for round the clock nibbling). Don’t pass up the greens either. Feeling southern? Coarsly chop and stew with onions and a touch of butter and all you need to add is the barbecue.

2017

Thanks again for the overwhelming signup enthusiasm. Your support now makes a huge difference for the farm. Still need to get on board? Here’s the link.

The Last Week…Brussels Sprouts

Lots of other good stuff coming too don’t miss the last pickup…bring a box.

Potatoes

We finally have potatoes this week. As you may have guessed it was a less than successful crop for us this year. Biblical beetles and drought gave us very small tubers. What she have tastes great though…

What’s in the Share

Lettuce

Asian Greens

Kale/Chard

Butternut Squash

Acorn Squash

Potatoes

Carrots

Beets

Garlic

Parsnips

 img_2963

Hurricanes that miss their mark, first frost, and the last two weeks of harvest. So many things to sigh and or exhale about this time of year. Like the trees this fall the season seems to have turned with the flip of a switch. Last week we were still in our short sleeves at 7am and now we are rolling out the row fabric to keep the greens going while the temperatures dive. It’s all dramatic and exciting if we step out of our working, but minute by minute we make our small adjustments and keep getting the day’s work done.

With all of my worrying and wondering about water this this year I have not had a moments doubt about our crew. We somehow ended up with some of the best people on the planet this season and their efforts every hour of each day made this season a great success.

Stock the Freezer Sale

We have a fall “Stock the Freezer” sale going the next couple weeks.  Buy 10 pounds or more of our ground pork, ground beef, or ground lamb for a dollar off per pound.

10lbs Pork or Beef for $70, 10lbs lamb for $60…

We also have 10lb flats of frozen tomato seconds for $10.

Last Week of Mushroom Share…

Our mushroom farmer had a calendar error and did not deliver the last week of mushrooms last week. Make sure not to miss yours this week.

Thank you for signing up for 2017!!

Our appreciation is deep for everyone who has signed up with us for 2017. CSA is a unique collaboration between your families and this farm. By joining now you put your money where your mouth is, supporting local organic food. You also get a great deal. Where else can you buy fresh local organic produce for around $1.50 per pound, pick flowers and strawberries, and swap recipes with the people who grow your food?  Thank you! Still need to sign up? Here’s the link.

When is the Season Over?

We are planning to have our last harvest of the regular farm season the week of October 24th. The last pick-ups will be Tuesday the 24 and Friday the 28th.

 What’s in the Share?

Lettuce

Asian Greens

Jale

Arugula

Chickories

Carrots

Sweet Dumpling Squash

Kohklrabi

Hakuri Salad Turnips

Red Cabbage

screen-shot-2016-10-04-at-5-49-19-amBe careful what you wish for. For a couple weeks I have been hoping out loud for a couple three days of hurricane blow off. This is that nice fine rain that comes soft and constant and soaks the soil without washing a grain of sand away. We commonly get this kind of precipitation in the month of September and in many years it catches us up from a dry August and also signals the end of summer as it brings in our fall fungus infections riding that tropical wetness. With September behind us this year I had resigned myself to irrigating right through Halloween (another first). I’ve been watching Matthew develop and grow since last week, hoping that it would stay alive long enough to spin a few plumes of wetness our way. Little did I know it would grow into the largest October hurricane on record and defy all the models as it keeps moving west (instead of east into the cold Atlantic). What this means for the farm is that you are getting some lovely red veined spinach this week instead of next. Small greens tend to fair poorly in heavy rain, spinach especially as it yellows quickly after having all it’s nutrients washed from the soil. For the rest of the farm…we will watch as the forecast tightens through the week and look to lashing down greenhouses and tunnels, getting things under cover that could blow away in high winds, etc. Welcome to our new climate.

Thank You for Signing up for 2017

Thank you to those who have signed up online in the past week! Knowing we can count on your shares early allows us to refine our plans for crops, order seed before the winter rush, and take advantage of end of the year pricing on big ticket items like soil, fertilizer and supplies. Most importantly it helps us focus on making the farm productive and healthy. If you haven’t signed up yet here’s the link.

Cipolinni Onions

These little flat onions are pure magic. Sweeter than  your standard onion they are great roasted in the oven, cooked slow on the stovetop or caramelized.

What’s in the Share

Lettuce Mix

Tatsoi

Baby Bok Choi

Chard

Spinach

Carrots

Delicata

Radishes/salad turnips

Cippolinni Onions

 

A Poem

Things we don’t have to worry about in a hurricane…

 

Problems with Hurricanes

A campesino looked at the air
And told me:
With hurricanes it’s not the wind
or the noise or the water.
I’ll tell you he said:
it’s the mangoes, avocados
Green plantains and bananas
flying into town like projectiles.

How would your family
feel if they had to tell
The generations that you
got killed by a flying
Banana.

Death by drowning has honor
If the wind picked you up
and slammed you
Against a mountain boulder
This would not carry shame
But
to suffer a mango smashing
Your skull
or a plantain hitting your
Temple at 70 miles per hour
is the ultimate disgrace.

The campesino takes off his hat—
As a sign of respect
toward the fury of the wind
And says:
Don’t worry about the noise
Don’t worry about the water
Don’t worry about the wind—
If you are going out
beware of mangoes
And all such beautiful
sweet things.

Falling Forward

Another summer comes to a close and a light frost comes in on cue, even after a couple of blistering days last week. Expect it when you least expect it… Look for great greens in the weeks ahead as we move into our last month of harvests.

We have the last of our tomatoes this week and they are green. Those with some southern roots will look at this with excitement.  True New Englanders – get ready for a taste sensation!  Fried green or pickled tomatoes are a great way to send off this stellar tomato year. Click here for a couple starter recipes. To keep the southern theme going we also have the first installment of our sweet potato crop, fresh from the 85 degree curing room. They are sweet and nutty. Lots of great ways to enjoy these but 40 minutes at 400 degrees, salt and butter can’t be beat.screen-shot-2016-09-27-at-12-43-46-am

Time to Sign Up for Next Season!

It’s been an extraordinary season with some of the best crops of tomatoes, melon and squash we have seen in twenty years of farming. As we work through the unknowns that make up a successful farm season the one thing we can count on is all of you coming to the farm, happy to see what we have done. As  farmers we love knowing exactly where our food is going and sharing stories with you each week about your fantastic grilled veggie pizza, wowing your dinner guests, or the successes in figuring out how to get the kids to eat cabbage (roast it!) In turn, we hope that you value knowing and seeing where your food is grown and the weekly experience of just being here in this beautiful place.  Maura and I hope you will join us again for another year of great food and real community here at Crystal Spring Farm. Follow this link to sign up for the 2017 season.

Oysters come to Crystal Spring

oysters-half-shell-1For few weeks this fall we are offering a preordered oysters from our friend Lincoln Smith and Long Reach Oysters in Harpswell. These are native eastern oysters grown from seed over the past year on rafts off Great Island. We have sampled a few and they are briney with great flavor and good size. They will be delivered to the farm each Friday and ready for CSA pickup. Prices are 1/2 dozen for $9, a dozen for $16 and 3+ dozen for $15/per. Please send me an email order by the end of Tuesday for delivery on Friday. Here’s a link to Lincoln’s website.

What’s in the Share

Lettuce Mix

Asian Greens

Kale

Napa Cabbage

Chickories

Green Tomaotes

Sweet Potatoes

Watermelon

Radishes

Onions

What’s in Upic

Herbs and Flowers…both waning

 

Last Days of Summer

Its the last fews days of an exceptional summer.   Sometimes I speak of biblical plagues on the farm like unstoppable pests, unrelenting drought, etc.  This summer my references trended more toward the miracles. Like wine from water or feeding everyone with a few loaves and a couple fish, we have pulled an amazing amount of great flavor and quality from a hot dusty few months. Years like this (once we pass through them) make me believe again in the strength of the farm as an organism, resilient beyond a bad season. As the days shorten and we move into cooler days (and hopefully some rainfall) I look forward to giving the fields a rest, planting them with something other than hungry vegetables and dreaming up another season.

img_2808-1
How appropriate that we have winter squash and watermelon the same week of equinox? What could be better? This watermelon is one of my favorites. Peace is the variety and it is meant to be yellow (don’t worry).

Watermelon Radishimg_2807

This new addition to the farm lineup is a favorite. These big radishes and flavorful and beautiful. It’s hard not to take a photo before you enjoy them. Our favorite way right now is sliced thin with a splash of rice vinegar. We put them out anytime of day and the kids go nuts.

 

What’s in the Share

Lettuce

Fennel

Kale

Chard

Arugula

Chickories

Hot mustard

Gold Beets

Peppers

Watermelon

Watermelon Radishes

Bok Choi (big!)

Acorn squash

What’s in Upic

Butter beans (use like edamame)

Flowers

Herbs…

The transition to fall is here and we have the produce to prove it. After a rip snorter of a storm on Sunday the switch was thrown and here we are. The farm woke up to 39 degrees this Monday morning and I had to start my day finding the hoodie I have forgotten about since I put it down in the barn in May. (Just as a note, this is the kind of farm problem I love).

img_2786Enjoy the Sugar Dumpling squash in your share this week. It’s a favorite of ours and does well simply roasted in a 375 degree oven face down for  about and hour. I love to pull it out, bathe it in butter, salt and maybe a bit of brown sugar or maple syrup before eating the whole thing (skin too, it’s thin and tasty). Nothing says fall like a good excuse to turn on the oven and smell something lovely filling the house.

Greens are back too. Spinach is in abundance this week along with some of our more interesting asian greens, all topped off with spicy watermelon radishes (they as very red inside).

 

What’s in the Share

Spinach

Carrots

Radishes

Asian Greens

Cabbage

Winter Squash

Tomato

Leeks

What’s in Upic

Edamame

Cherry Toms (waning)

Flowers/Herbs

Busy…

September is the busiest month for us. Not because of the farm, or rather not only because of the farm. This month our kids go back to school and Maura goes back to her  counseling job at the middle school in Topsham. As luck would have it everyone began their school schedule today! Please find our produce list below and accept our apology for a very late newsletter…

 

What’s in the Share

Tomatoes

Cabbage

Fennel

Carrots

Garlic

Beets

Peppers

Cucumbers

Arugula

Kale

What’s in Upic

Flowers

Herbs

Cherry Toms

Edamame

IMG_2728

What’s in the Share

Tomatoes

Carrots

Beets

Watermelon

Cukes/Summer Squash

Peppers

Tatsoi

What’s in Upic

Cherry toms

Herbs

flowers

Tomatillos