The Farm Bus from Farm to Family

Hi folks — Welcome to the CSA! Below is what we think will be in the share this week. Feedback on last week’s share was happiness! We hope you enjoy it as well. If you have questions on what items are, or

Half aka Small Produce share – 1/2 symbol represents half share members. Our half share aka small share is about 7-8 items, and unfortunately we can’t just split the large share items in half as so many of them consist of one item, or are packaged in one unit. We have to pick and choose what will work based on multiple logistics. We are trying to rotate to make sure you get enough quantity as well as all the great stuff as our season progresses. Send us feedback on the half share as we go along.

PRODUCE Large14 items/Half or Small – 7 items

• 1/2 spinach – Omar Flores Family Farm, Westmoreland Cty, VA – see spotlight below – spinach and chive quiche (GF)
• 1/2 red onions -Omar – These have red bottoms and round tops.
• Leeks – Omar – these have flat white bottoms, and flat  tops. Broiled Leeks Vinaigrette
• 1/2 kale – Sam Kirby,  Hanover (one of our old time farmers! We love Sam and Mrs. Sam. No website)
• Bibb lettuce  -Linda Bruce, Rain or Shine Greenhouse Gardens (hydroponic) – spinach and bibb lettuce salad with apples and creamy lemon dressing
• potatoes – Valley Farming, Dayton, VA ( One of our Mennonite Farms – no website)
• 1/2 beets – Local Food Hub – these are round, red and maybe golden colored root orbs.  I have been steaming mine whole lately in the Instant Pot, then sticking them in the fridge and using them for a myriad of things like salad, borscht and more. Here are beet latkes with scallion and cayenne creme fraiche.
• 1/2 turmeric –  Local Food Hub, Charlottesville – turmeric roasted carrots with seeds and arugula, golden milk with turmeric and ginger
• 1/2 ginger – Local Food Hub, Charlottesville – fresh turmeric and ginger salsa. grate it over steamed or roasted beets, and dress with vinaigrette. top with chopped cilantro.
• Ramps- Via Mark’s distant cousin and James Beard chef, Jimmy Sneed – foraged in West Virginia – boy we love these.  They have broad green leaves, white bulbs and a pungent smell. Don’t be intimidated by them. Treat them like you would garlic or onions, only better, and you’ll be ok. Here’s a great video on how to find, clean and pickle them. They are forest foraged, so still have soil on them. Clean them well, dirt can  hide in them, like leeks. Use the leaves to make pesto, or chimmichurri. If you aren’t going to get to them for a bit, cut off your leaves, and keep them in a bag in your fridge. I have actually had them stay in the fridge for a month or so.  They are great in biscuits. Jimmy and his daughter Jenna put them on pizza at Fresca, the best vegetarian restaurant in Richmond. What are ramps? plus recipes
• Ula tortillas – Afton, VA – Non gmo, organic – these are fantastic. Greek lamb Tacos!!! Here are 20 ways to use them (that aren’t tacos.
• 1/2 tomatoes (hothouse) – tomato salad with lemon and cilantro
• 1/2 cilantro- Omar- chimichurri sauce. This is something I keep on hand all the time. throw some spinach in there instead of the parsley, and the ends of the ramps!
• apples- via Agriberry apples – we are getting to the end of the season so you may these may not be perfect, and cooking them is best.  oven baked apple fritters (paleo/GF)  cinnamon baked apples. Yum.

Meat:  pork chops (Peachy – our Amish farm friends who do goat cheese also), ground lamb (Greenfence), chicken legs and thighs (Polyface)

bread- prairie grain – We love this bread! Robyn grinds the grain before she bakes, and Jeff delivers. Here’s a cool article on them.

cheese- Eberly cheddar – Mennonite family

eggs- Promise Land Pastures

butter- Trickling Springs

Farm Spotlight: Flores Farm – The Flores family has provided us with the majority of our produce during the height of our seasons for years now. Here are some winter photos from Flores Farm. Gerardo and Veronica Flores emigrated from Mexico more than 20 years ago. Now their son Omar and his wife and kids are starting to take over. DC folks may get to meet Omar over the summer as sometimes he comes up to DC to help with the drop. The Flores family farms 50 acres that are sustainably planted with an amazing variety of heirloom crops: herbs, greens, lettuces, eggplant,squash, tomatoes, onions, garlic, melons, root crops, chinese long beans, cukes, peas, dozens of different peppers and more. Diverse heirloom plantings with companion plants and herbs create more natural ecosystems that are good for our soil, water, and air and require low spray to keep the plants healthy. Their rich patchwork of fields, meadows, woods, and ponds are the perfect habitat for native plants and wildlife. There are bees and butterflies in the wild flowers that edge the fields, chickens for eggs (and manure) and ponies whose manure contributes to soilbuilding. That’s much better for our environment than monocrops or yet another suburban development. They also provide produce (and donate leftovers) to the Table at St George’s Episcopal Church, a market style food pantry for low income folks in Fredericksburg, VA.