My dear community,

We are squeezing in one more round of sweet, juicy cantaloupe before the melon season officially ends. I found an unexpected recipe for cantaloupe sorbet below (see the last recipe in our lineup this week). As the weather cools down we are planting brassicas anticipating winter’s arrival. We are constantly checking the weather, hopeful for rain in the forecast.

I was discussing the ups and downs of farm work with John Givens and he mentioned the loss of various baby plants to mildew just as they went in the ground. He was also losing the growing zucchini in a greenhouse battle. Crows flew in just to pull the plant out of the ground. He was setting gopher traps but other animals pulled the trap out of the ground to check it out before he had a chance to catch anything. We also lost 15 goats recently to some bobcats. It reminded me of the Biggest Little Farm documentary- permaculture farms are really like that. With some hard work and a lot of patience comes our offering to you in our boxes. So many delicious varieties and extended seasons come with the mild climate Santa Barbara Country has to offer. With pure love from our family to yours.

Be good to each other.

CSA Contains:
YELLOW ONIONS
CELERY
GREEN LEAF LETTUCE
BROCCOLI
CARROTS
RED BELL PEPPERS
GREEN ZUCCHINI
CANTALOUPE
RED TOMATOES
MOUNTAIN MAGIC TOMATOES
(You may have received a combo of mountain magic, cherry tomatoes and/or red tomatoes)
BIG BOX: ROMAINE LETTUCE, BUNCHED SPINACH, HEIRLOOM TOMATOES, CARROTS, SWEET BI-COLORED CORN

FRUIT EXPANSION: FUJI APPLES from GOPHER GLEN ORGANIC APPLE FARM & EARLY WONDER POMEGRANATES from COMACHE CREEK
LETTUCE of the WEEK: ROMAINE

JUICE FEAST:
CELERY
ROMAINE LETTUCE
FUJI APPLES from GOPHER GLENN
CARROTS
RED BELL PEPPERS
CANTALOUPE
BUNCHED SPINACH
LACINATO KALE
CUCUMBERS
FENNEL

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My dear community,

Hints of fall have crept in. Nights are colder but daytime remains warm enough to ripen a bell pepper into beautiful shades of red. Whenever I see cabbage and bell peppers in the same recipe it throws me off, as I try and only use seasonal veggies, but we are in the brief overlap of summer and fall and we get both veggies in the same week. All we need are a few cold days in November and those colorful summer veggies will go back into hibernation and our boxes turn into vibrant shades of green. These nuances aren’t always so apparent if you shop at a conventional grocery store. But eating locally and seasonally means enjoying produce at its peak and exactly how it’s supposed to taste. We grow all our varieties for taste not for shipping. That means more flavor for you.

Be good to each other.

CSA Contains:
CARROTS
GREEN CABBAGE
RED TOMATOES
GARNET YAMS
RED BELL PEPPERS
GREEN ZUCCHINI
HASS AVOCADOS from FRECKER FARMS
ROMAINE LETTUCE from FRECKER FARMS
BUNCHED SPINACH from SUNRISE ORGANICS
FUJI APPLES from GOPHER GLEN ORGANIC FARM
BIG BOX ADD: CANTALOUPE, CILANTRO, BROCCOLI, GREEN LEAF LETTUCE, CARROTS

FRUIT EXPANSION: FUJI APPLES from GOPHER GLENN ORGANIC APPLE FARMS and MISSION FIGS from MAYWOOD FARMS
LETTUCE OF THE WEEK: GREEN LEAF

JUICE FEAST:
CARROTS X2
CELERY
GREEN CABAGE
RED BELL PEPPERS
BUNCHED SPINACH
FUJI APPLES
FENNEL
LACINATO KALE
CILANTRO

Continue reading →

My dear community,

I wanted to remind everyone that we are now selling Baba Hummus in our CSA store. Dip those veggies right into that delicious hummus as soon as you open your box. Now that’s my kind of fast food.

I’ve spent this past week appreciating my new bank, one that scrutinizes all loans making sure they are good for the community. It made me realize that I let filing paperwork slip over the last year after our baby Seth was born. It seemed like a big task to tackle at first, but staring at smoke filled skies and a struggling democracy has made the endeavor that much more enjoyable out of necessity.

We’ve been really short on eggs lately. If you’re a current subscriber chances are we’ve had to issue a credit lately. That will change but is taking more time than I thought. Our newest flock is delayed in starting to lay as our older flock slows down for the season. We have almost 100 new chicks growing and hope to fill all egg needs towards the new year. I’m putting so much more thought and effort into how I can build and nourish our land here. Check out our Instagram story to see the new chicken tractor being built and check back to see it in action.

Lastly I wanted to mention that we grew our first crop of garnet yams here in Buellton this year. They aren’t the giants we’ve had in the boxes before but I’ve actually found the smaller ones roast up quickly and have such a sweet earthy flavor. I’m excited to share them with you.

Be good to each other.

CSA Conains:
BUNCHED SPINACH from Sunrise Organics
RED ONIONS
GARNET YAMS
ENGLISH CUCUMBERS
GREEN ZUCCHINI
CARROTS
RED or GREEN LEAF LETTUCE
RED TOMATOES
MOUNTAIN MAGIC TOMATOES
CANTELOUPE
BIG BOX ADD: CARROTS, ROMAINE LETTUCE, BROCCOLI from SUNRISE ORGANICS, STRAWBERRIES from Blosser Urban Garden, AVOCADOS from FRECKER FARMS

FRUIT EXPANSION: JONOGOLD APPLES from GOPHER GLEN ORGANIC APPLE FARM and BROWN TURKEY FIGS from MAYWOOD FARMS
LETTUCE OF THE WEEK: ROMAINE

JUICE FEAST:
LIMES
CARROTS
ENGLISH CUCUMBERS
ROMAINE LETTUCE
MELONS
LACINATO KALE
FENNEL
CELERY
ITALIAN PARSLEY
JONOGOLD APPLES

Continue reading →

My dear community,

If you’ve been a member for a while you know we’ve sporadically partnered with outside brands besides Deux Bakery. When Babba Hummus recently approached me I didn’t really have to think twice. The thought of me opening my CSA box after a long day and immediately dipping some veggies in their amazing hummus sounded too good to pass up. So, we are trying out their top four sellers which will be available in our CSA store by tomorrow (Tuesday). If you currently buy their hummus and want to see another flavor in the store please let me know.
A few weeks ago I mentioned I was moving all my business and personal finances away from banks that support fossil fuels. It’s been quite a journey, and I’m still in the process, but I’m a lot more informed about what I’m doing now. If you’d like to learn more feel free to shoot me an email. If you already have, I will get back to you in the next few days – and THANK YOU for being with me on this journey.
At the farm, I’m in the process of building a few chicken tractors- which is an implement to move chickens around on pasture. This allows them to constantly feed on new grass while they spread their manure on the ground. My goal for the future of our farm is to step up beyond organic and have as many regenerative practices as possible.

Be good to each other.

CSA Contains:
BABY SPINACH
CARROTS
JONOGOLD APPLES from Gopher Glenn Farms
RED TOMATOES
PURPLE CHEROKEE HEIRLOOM TOMATOES
BUTTERNUT SQUASH
ARUGULA
A MELON
RED LEAF LETTUCE
ENGLISH CUCUMBERS
BIG BOX: EGGPLANT, GREEN LEAF LETTUCE, GREEN ZUCCHINI, CARROTS, BROCCOLI

FRUIT EXPANSION: BLACK MISSION FIGS from MAYWOOD FARMS and JONOGOLD APPLES from GOPHER GLENN ORGANIC APPLE FARM
LETTUCE of the Week: ROMAINE

JUICE FEAST:
BABY SPINACH
CARROTS x2
JONOGOLD APPLES from Gopher Glenn Farms
LACINATO KALE
CELERY
A MELON
ROMAINE LETTUCE
CUCUMBERS
LIMES
ITALIAN PARSLEY

Continue reading →

My dear community,

I couldn’t let this week go without a heartfelt note about Notorious RBG. The world lost a force. Despite so many odds, she rose above and fought for it all, doing so much for gender equality and women’s rights, and known of course for her passionate dissents while serving as the second ever female appointed Supreme Court justice. Make sure to get out and vote and tell them Ruth sent you.

We’re experiencing a shift here in Buellton. It went from oven-like temperatures in green houses to really cold nights. We are picking our apple orchard but the trees are still very young with not much to yield. I have a friend who helps run Gopher Glenn Organic Apple Farm. They picked and dropped off delicious, crispy Jonogold apples for us to enjoy. I’m looking forward to learning how to prune all our fruit trees this year.

Several of you inquired about what I’m doing with my bank as I mentioned last week. I will give an update about this next week.

Enjoy all the fruits and veggies. May they serve as medicine and keep you and your family nourished.

Be good to each other.

CSA Contains:
ENGLISH CUCUMBERS
A MELON (*always depends on harvest which happens Tuesdays)
JONOGOLD APPLES from GOPHER GLENN FARMS
GREEN ZUCCHINI
HEIRLOOM TOMATOES
MOUNTAIN MAGIC TOMATOES
RED LEAF LETTUCE
CILANTRO
CIPPOLINI ONIONS
CARROTS
BIG BOX ADD: ROMAINE LETTUCE, CARROTS, HASS AVOCADOS, WATERMELON, GREEN KALE

FRUIT EXPANSION: JONOGOLD & FUJI APPLES
LETTUCE of the WEEK: ROMAINE LETTUCE

JUICE FEAST:
CELERY
JONOGOLD APPLES
CARROTS x2
WATERMELON
LACINATO KALE
CILANTRO
ROMAINE LETTUCE
CUCUMBERS
GREEN CURLY KALE

Continue reading →

My dear community,

You may have noticed some squishy/rotten strawberries in your box last week. We did our best to weed them out but the heat accelerated ripening after picking so much that it would have been impossible to find them all. I’m still seeing damage to our berries, tomatoes and red peppers from that unforgiving heat wave. Our red bell peppers fried on the plant so we are welcoming green ones this week as the other plants recuperate. There are farms all throughout the west with crops covered in ash and smoke filled skies so we’re feeling relatively lucky. Firefighters are working for over 30 days straight at a time to fight the fires. I’m trying to do what I can to help make a change from home. Money seems to speak louder than words so I’ve decided to divert all cash flow from the CSA as well as my own personal finances into a bank that doesn’t support fossil fuels. I don’t feel like there’s time to debate climate change anymore. We need to take action in any way we are able in our lives. Thanks for supporting your local farm, by the way. We do our best to assure the food you receive in your box comes with minimal impact and we are constantly learning and improving.

Be good to each other.

CSA Contains:
CANTALOUPE
CUCUMBERS
CARROTS
ROMAINE LETTUCE
YELLOW ONIONS
GREEN ZUCCHINI
LACINTO KALE
RED TOMATOES
BUTTERNUT SQUASH
GREEN BELL PEPPERS
BIG BOX ADD: GREEN LEAF LETTUCE, CARROTS, CAULIFLOWER, HEIRLOOMS + CILANTRO

FRUIT EXPANSION: RED GRAPES from COSECHA FARMING
****FIGS WERE NOT AVAILABLE AS THE IMPACT FROM THE FIRE DESTRUCTION RUINED THE CROP. HALF PRICE FOR FRUIT EXPANSIONS
Lettuce of the Week: GREEN LEAF

JUICE FEAST:
MELON
CUCUMBERS
CARROTS x2
ROMAINE LETTUCE
STRAWBERRIES
LACINTO KALE
CELERY x2
CILANTRO

Continue reading →

My dear community,

To say it’s been hot is an understatement. Tomatoes are turning into mush on the vine, which the tops of the plants are burning up and cucumbers are cooking in the greenhouses. Luckily we planned ahead and were able to harvest plenty of heirlooms for this week.
The thought that this may be how the future looks for us is a bit overwhelming. Climate change is glaring at us so hard it cannot be ignored. This is just a tiny blip of heat compared to what could be. Nature is very amazing and powerful.
After transitioning from a desk job for the majority of my 20s to farm life in my 30s I’ve experienced inconsistencies in the weather we used to be able to rely on. I’ll be up early tomorrow before the heat of the day picking apples and wilting in the shade towards the afternoon.
If you need me Wednesday afternoon I will be in the Pacific Ocean. Sending lots of love with our boxes as always.

Also wanted to include a reminder to vote. Here’s a site where you can track your CA ballot every step of the way:
https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/

Be good to each other.

CSA Contains:
CANTELOUPE
GREEN LEAF LETTUCE
GREEN ZUCCHINI
RED BELL PEPPERS
STRAWBERRIES
HEIRLOOM TOMATOES
CARROTS
ENGLISH CUCUMBERS
GOLDEN DELICIOUS APPLES
COLLARD GREENS
BIG BOX: RED LEAF, GREEN BEANS, CILANTRO, CARROTS, BI-COLORED CORN

FRUIT EXPANSION: RASPBERRIES and BOSC PEARS
LETTUCE of the WEEK: RED LEAF LETTUCE

JUICE FEAST:
LACINATO KALE
CARROTS x2
CELERY
CILANTRO
RED BELL PEPPERS
STRAWBERRIES
ENGLISH CUCUMBERS
GOLDEN DELICIOUS APPLES
BOSC PEARS

Continue reading →

My dear community,

A few weeks ago our ice machine at the farm broke which came with the lesson that broccoli does not like the heat. Within a matter of hours mine turned from bright green to yellow. We should have better luck with the broccoli this week as our ice machine is back up and running. There are so many ways to use broccoli, and get kids to love it. Roasting broccoli with olive oil and topping it with a squeeze of lemon juice and Parmesan is a favorite side in our household.
As the days get shorter we’re starting to plant the greenhouses for the winter. Tomatoes and cucumbers will have an extended season due to the extra heat the houses provide. We’ve been working on moving green houses to and from different locations which kept us busy this week. We’ve accumulated new equipment so we’ve decided to expand the operation a little bit.

We just planted cauliflower and I’m really looking forward to it in December.

Be good to each other.

CSA Contains:
BROCCOLI
CANTALOUPE
CARROTS
CELERY
LACINATO KALE
HEIRLOOM TOMATOES
ROMAINE LETTUCE
MOUNTAIN MAGIC TOMATOES
GREEN ZUCCHINI
GREEN BEANS
BIG BOX ADD: RED LEAF, CARROTS, PEARS, CUCUMBERS, BASIL

FRUIT EXPANSION: STRAWBERRIES and RASPBERRIES
LETTUCE of the WEEK: RED LEAF

JUICE FEAST:
CANTALOUPE
CARROTS
CELERY
DINO KALE
ROMAINE LETTUCE
BOSC PEARS
CUCUMBERS
STRAWBERRIES
ITALIAN PARSLEY

Continue reading →

My dear community

A few things regarding our pickup locations:

*Adams Elementary- we’re back and delivering outside again. We are hoping with the increased number of people around campus it will minimize theft. So far so good.

*Cold Springs Elementary- the school staff is asking for carrot tops and scraps for the school bunny. A labeled bucket will be left out for this. Thanks in advance from the bunnies.

A lot more of the same happening this week with hot temperatures ripening everything faster than we can keep up with. We’ve been picking like crazy and weeding our way through the hot temperatures. In the orchard we’ve finished picking our peaches for the year. Apples and pears are on the way.

We just welcomed 30 new chicks to try to meet the demand of eggs in the near future. Our previous flock has just started laying. As chickens begin laying they produce small eggs called pullets. After a few months those pullets turn into what we know as regular size eggs. I’m hoping we will be able to start fulfilling new egg subscriptions in the next few weeks. It’s been such a pleasure to provide them to our CSA members. If you are interested in a dozen of our small pullets for $5/dozen just let me know.

With summer abundance, I turn to canning. I love making my own sauce year round, so canned over 30 quarts of tomatoes last week. What have you preserved over the summer?

Be good to each other.

CSA Contains:
A MELON
CARROTS
RED LEAF LETTUCE
RED TOMATOES
HEIRLOOM TOMATOES
ITALIAN PARSLEY
RED ONIONS
GREEN ZUCCHINI
RED BELL PEPPERS
HASS AVOCADOS
BIG BOX ADD: ORANGE KABOCHA SQUASH, CARROTS, EGGPLANT, RASPBERRIES, GREEN LEAF LETTUCE

FRUIT EXPANSION: RASPBERRIES and STRAWBERRIES
LETTUCE of the WEEK: RED LEAF

JUICE FEAST:
GOLDEN DELICIOUS APPLES
CELERY
ITALIAN PARSLEY
CARROTS
LACINATO KALE
CUCUMBERS
ROMAINE LETTUCE
RED BELL PEPPERS

Continue reading →

My dear community:

We are back on for pick-up at Adams Elementary School. If you switched from here last week and wish to resume at Adam’s Elementary, please shoot me a quick email today. It can be as simple as putting “Switch back to Adams Elementary” in the subject line. Please let me know ASAP so we can plan accordingly.

You may notice the box looks a little smaller this week. It’s not because there are less items, we are substituting in another item for lettuce for the first time in a long time. Between some burnt crops (it’s like a heatwave!) and some misplantings we are short this week. Think of it as an opportunity to play around with different kinds of salads. I made a wonderful chopped cucumber, onion, cherry tomato, garbanzo bean, basil and feta salad last night, dressed with a simple olive oil and balsamic blend. I look forward to making it again tonight.

With triple digit temperatures starting last week we are stuck at the mercy of the weather. Of course we always are – but it’s definitely apparent right now. It’s been about 100 degrees up here in Buellton (as the SYV community knows) where a majority of our crops are growing. We had a crazy lightning and thunderstorm on Saturday that dumped rain on us. We had to scramble to get all our onions out of the field and put them next to fans – which was run by a generator, and then we lost power for 24 hours. We just have to roll with the punches. Hope everyone is staying cool and enjoy your dose of fruits and veggies this week.

CSA Contains:
CANTALOUPE
BROCCOLI
CARROTS
GREEN BEANS
MOUNTAIN MAGIC TOMATOES
YELLOW ONIONS
MINI SWEET BELL PEPPERS
HEIRLOOM TOMATOES
LACINATO KALE
CUCUMBERS
BIG BOX ADD: CELERY, CARROTS, BASIL, GREEN LEAF LETTUCE, HASS AVOCADOS

FRUIT EXPANSION: RASPBERRIES and PLUOTS (or just double raspberry)
LETTUCE of the WEEK: GREEN LEAF

JUICE FEAST:
CANTALOUPE
CARROTS x2
LACINATO KALE
CUCUMBERS
CELERY x2
RED BELL PEPPERS
GOLDEN DELICIOUS APPLES
ITALIAN PARSLEY

Continue reading →