, Dear CSA,
Good Morning, we now announce the summer CSA 2016! With this weather it’s easy to believe that planting is right around the corner. (I'm thinking that's because it is!) Recently, when I look out at the fields I get a distinct thrilling pull. It’s a pull specific to early spring or a winter thaw, and it is intoxicating and completely familiar.  It says something about planting, and something about the potential of growth coiled in the soil, ready to burst forth in power and magic. It gets in me and makes me a little crazed, and super energized. I bet you get whiffs of that spring fever too. It's delicious!  
 
The crew and I have been meeting about 3 mornings a week for the last month, looking back at 2015 and planning 2016. This is the second year we’ve done this, and I love it. We all get together and look at the farm crop by crop – what was the plan last winter, what did we actually plant, how did it grow, how often did we have it available at distribution, how much of it did we go through, and overall how did you, the CSA members, receive it – did you seem to want more, the same amount, or less. This last assessment is based on the fall survey and distribution records. So, we do that for each vegetable, flower and herb. Then we go through the seed catalogues, compare varieties, and put together a seed order.
 
It’s very nice to get to do all of this planning with the crew – they remember lots of things I don’t. By putting our heads together we do a much better job than I could do on my own. The crew comes up with new ideas as well.  It  gives them a good-behind-the-scenes look at the farm that provides context for the tasks they do throughout the year.
 
So, new this summer!
-We’re giving u-pick brussel sprouts a shot (an employee idea). We will also grow brussel sprouts for the winter CSA. 
-On last year’s survey a significant number of people commented that they wanted the u-pick crops closer to the distribution shed.  We’re working on that this year. The field next to the greenhouses that has been in pasture for the last three years was fall plowed. That freed up a lot of land to keep the u-pick crops closer to the distribution shed. And, just knowing that this ranks as important with many of you will factor into where I plant in general.
-Spinach was a clear winner on the survey, so we’re focusing on trying to have that for as many distributions as we possibly can.
-A bigger variety of crops (and variety within crops) was a common response on the survey as well, so we’ve upped our focus on including more variety as we create our seeding schedule.
-U-pick crops! The plan this year is actually almost identical to last years, however it’s highly unlikely that we’ll have 11 inches of rain this June like we did last year. This means that there will be 4 plantings of green beans, two plantings of sunflowers, and edemame – all of which we didn’t see last year.  We’ve put in a couple more varieties of green beans for color, and chosen a variety of paste and cherry tomato that is late blight resistant. I continue to be bonkers about flowers, so expect lots.
 
Here’s a list of this year’s planned crops:

distribution shed crops:
spinach, carrots, beets, head lettuce, salad mix, onions, leeks, summer squash, parsnips, romanescue, broccoli, cauliflower, basil, parsley, potatoes, tomatoes, fennel, radishes, turnips, greens, kale, collards, chard, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, peppers, pac choi, celery, celeriac, winter squash, eggplant, cucumbers, cilantro, garlic, apples, parsnips, rutabagas
 
U-pick:
strawberries, raspberries, flowers, sunflowers, cherry and paste tomatoes, tomatillos, hot peppers, basil, brussel sprouts, kale, chard, parsley, green beans, peas, edemame
 
The 2016 CSA will be the same as last year in terms of share cost and types of shares sold. The new pricing introduced last year was very successful at covering the increased cost of paying a living wage. This means that I anticipate being able to keep the share cost and number of weeks of distribution the same for the foreseeable future, because it is viable. Yay! Here is the list of summer share options for 2016:
 
Single Adult Share – sliding scale $300-$375, only one adult may eat from this share.
 
Two Adult Share – sliding scale from $600-$750, only two adults may eat from this share.
 
Healthy Food For All (HFFA) shares – I will send out an email when Cooperative Extension begins to offer these shares. This is usually around mid April.  There will be about 30 HFFA shares. 
 
The Summer CSA, as last year, will run for 20 weeks.  I will announce the start date once we get closer to it, but it will be begin sometime within the first 3 weeks of June, and then run for 20 weeks once begun.

The distributions will be the same as last year - a One Bag Side, Free Choice Side, and U-pick.
 
The sliding scale is fully explained in on the FAQS page http://www.sweetlandfarm.org/  of the Sweet Land website.  In a super nutshell, the mid-point of the sliding scale fully supports the increase labor cost of paying a living wage to all farm employees.  The low end of the scale does not pay for a living wage, and the high end of the scale pays a living wage, as well as helps make up the deficit from the low end of the scale.
 
If you want to join the summer CSA, please visit the farm website for instructions (link below). I am so looking forward to growing this year, and we have a crew of beautiful employees returning from last year. I love working with these good people, and am so grateful to get to grow for all of you. Thank you so much for supporting Sweet Land, me, and the farm employees.
 
Yours,
Evangeline

Fifth Winter CSA Distribution this Wednesday the 14th

Good Morning! Note the above hours... I decided to continue going until 7 because so many of you want that :). Wow, we are having some cold distributions this winter. It's fun, and challenging!  All these dang vegetables are so freeze prone! Well, that's not entirely true, most winter produce is actually quite fantastically equipped to handle some freezing. But there's a limit. Our job on the farm this time of year is to perfectly ride that freeze wave. So ride it we will on Wednesday. On one funny note, we get so used to calling all of the walk-in coolers "coolers", but this time of year we realize what they  actually are: temperature maintainers. This truer definition is made plain when we have to set up heaters in the coolers to keep the produce at the right temperature. Please remember that the winter share pays for 6 of the 7 distribution dates. There is a built in miss. If it affects anyone's planning, the March distribution will probably be super spinach heavy. Two of the greenhouses are filled with spinach, but it got planted a bit late this year so it didn't reach harvest size before it stopped growing. The returning light will cause it to  take off again around the last week of February, so by March 11th it will be really booming. Payment in full for the Winter CSA is due at the last distribution - Wednesday March 11th. However, early payment is much appreciated. Thanks! Here's a CSA tip I always give people, but had never tried my self until recently: When you have time (preferably right when you get home form pick-up) take some time to wash and cut up all of your produce and put it into containers in the fridge. I did this over the weekend, and it was great! Just setting aside the time to do it made the job fun, and then all week I used so much more produce because everything was right there and ready to use. I highly recommend this practice. Vegetable forecast for this week: Potatoes Carrots Beets Kohlrabi Hakurei Celeriac Parsnips Kale - This kale is SOOOOO GOOOOOOD right now. It is in its absolutely quintessential kale form right now. Eat it up!! Onions Fennel Garlic Cabbage - did you know that cabbage is a green? :) I have been eating some super yummy warm cabbage salads this winter. Rutabagas Turnips See you soon, Evangeline HERE ARE THE DATES FOR THE WINTER CSA: The Remaining Winter CSA distribution dates are: January 14th, January 28th, and March 11th.

Sweet Land Farm CSA 9732 Route 96 Trumansburg, NY 14886 607-793-1566 www.sweetlandfarm.org "Growing good food for a better home on earth"

Sweet Spring

Hellooo out there!
 
(I am going to digress for a while, if you want just the facts ma’am you can scroll to the bottom.)
 
Greetings from a farm perking with quiet opening power. Each time I step outside today I feel a gentle uplift in spirit. Life is moving in all the plants today, getting ready to unfurl. It feels so good. This rain and soft grey light are exactly what’s needed to coax little cotyledons up and out of the soil. Yesterday the crew and I got so much done in that bright sun – flowers and herbs spotted up into bigger cells, greenhouse plastic repaired, strawberries uncovered, tomatoes potted up, two new pastures seeded and fitted down, the first field of bio-plastic laid and seeded down, a bunch of raise beds formed and ready to plant. Today is the perfect day to follow all that work and let it settle in.
 
This morning I woke up early and my first thought was: “ I could plow everything that needs to be plowed this morning before it rains. “ It seemed novel for some reason. I did my best to be calm and give the kids breakfast and get them off to their various places, and then BAM, I GOT TO IT. I hadn't’t moldboard plowed since 2008. We just don’t use that type of plowing much on the farm, plus Paul was the one who did most of the primary tillage. So. I hooked up to the plow not quite sure how it might go. I felt pretty good and calm though. I drove it over to the parking lot and got it all leveled and happy and then headed out to take a swipe and see what happened. I drove to a field that’s destined for oats and peas this spring, meaning a field that could handle a little plow blemish with out any real detriment, sighted across the field, gave the tractor a nice surge of fuel, and eased into the soil. Ahhhhh butter. I can’t tell you how sweet it was, or how softly that gorgeous soil rolled over for the plow. My soul soared with joy. Even though a lot of bad things, and maybe even the downfall of all civilizations (!), can be attributed to the moldboard plow, I know why humans have had a romance with them since their invention. Plowing is intoxicating.
 
Having taken that virgin swipe in relative safety, I headed over to the pasture that I actually wanted to plow. You may remember it - it’s the pasture to the left just as you drive turn down the farm lane. The chickens were there last year.  The soil I turned over was a dream – dark, perfectly moist, and just falling apart tender in my hand.  Dirt like that should come with a warning. I lost a coulter, (a wheel that looks almost exactly like a pie cutter that is mounted right in front of the plow share) in the first pass I took thought the field. I figured out what was going on quickly and got it remounted with out much trouble. I think the plow was saying that it needed at least a little attention after all these years. I was glad to give it. We’re going to have some happy potatoes there this year.
 
Anyway, as you can probably tell, farming is going well this spring. I’ve got a crew that won’t quit. They’re fantastic. It’s been a little cold and wet, but I’ve decided to not worry about that, or any other weather for that matter. (Did you know that worry is utterly useless?) The crops are getting in the ground, the greenhouses looks good, the tractors are in good repair, and the field work is going well. And so.
 
Nuts and Bolts:
There are still PLENTY of shares left.
There are still Healthy Food For All shares left.
I’ll set the start date once we get closer to distribution. I bet it will be around the second week of June.
 
Well, thanks for reading. I hope that this day is treating you well, and I will be in touch,

Yours,
Evangeline

Healthy Food For All Shares Available

Greetings!

Hello from the farm. Wow, is this warmer weather giving anyone out there Spring Fever? Check for this lady!  Yesterday I went out and dug the seeding greenhouse doors out of the snow. (A sunny, warm, springy experience in itself). Then I took some time checking over the propane and electric lines that power the greenhouse heater. Once satisfied that they had survived the winter thus far I fired the heater up (named the "Hot Dawg" by the manufacturer.) It worked! Hallelujah! First try! I won't start seeds until about the 11th of March, but I wanted to make sure that it worked with plenty of time for repairs to be made if needed. 

As many of you probably know, Sweet Land and about 6 other farms in the area are partnered with co-operative extension in a wonderful program called Healthy Food For All (HFFA). Basically the program provides subsidized CSA shares at half the price of regular shares. The participating farms raise all of the subsidized money through various events, most notably the Harvest Dinners. This program helps make fresh, healthy, local food accessible to more people. I am very thankful that our farm is part of the program. This year Sweet Land is allocated about 25 of these shares.

To that end, the HFFA shares are now available for purchase. If you, or anyone you know would like to sign up for one, please go to the HFFA website:
http://www.healthyfoodforall.org/getacsashare.htm
On this page there is a list of all of the participating farms, including a link to the Sweet Land sign up. 

People can also sign up for a share, whether a HFFA share or not, using food stamps. If you want to do this, go to Greenstar and tell the cashier. They should be able to guide you through it. Please send a copy of your receipt, WITH YOUR NAME ON IT to the farm. This receipt is the only way I know what you have paid, as Greenstar does not keep books for each farm. 

I'd like to send out a big THANK YOU!! to everyone who has signed up for a share this year. Your support is heartening and makes this whole CSA turn.

I'll email out a hello and how things are coming along here at the farm in a couple weeks. In the mean time, enjoy what life dishes up!

Evangeline

2014 Shares Now On Sale, and HELLO!

Here is a letter from Evangeline, and below that a letter from Paul. Greetings! This is Evangeline writing to you. I hope this letter finds you doing well.  I have decided to run the CSA this year. I am VERY excited about this. I have missed the farm and all of you so much. Paul and I still have the farm up for sale, and we are continuing to work with some wonderful potential buyers. However, the season is coming up, and its time to start up the greenhouses soon. This chance to run the farm again is an unexpected gift for me, and I am so grateful for it. So, I am offering another year of Sweet Land CSA. I would love to share this farm year with you. Shall we? The farm will be set up the same as in the past, and the share will be the same as well. That is, the distribution shed will still be divided in to the One Bag Side and the Free Choice Side, and the u-pick fruit and flowers will be the same. (I am excited to be surrounded by flowers again!).  I have decided to only have about 20 chickens, so I will not be offering egg shares. There may be eggs for sale occasionally in the shed. In the interest of having time with my kids, and taking care of my personal well being, I am going to scale back the size of the CSA a bit. With that in mind, and because early sign-ups are always helpful in general, (and especially to me this growing season), sign up soon if you would like to be part of the farm this year.  I truly look forward to growing for you. This year instead of raising the share price by a set increment, I am offering a Two Adult Share on a sliding scale of $540 through $650. The sliding payment scale works well for other CSA farmers, and I think there are inherent benefits in this system of pricing. I suggest that the price you decide to pay be a reflection of a combination of your finances and the value that a share holds for you. I am also offering a Single Person share on a sliding scale of $270-$325.  The single person share is for one person, and is basically half of a bag from the One Bag Side, plus the amount of free choice that one person eats.  The summer share will run for 23 weeks this year. This year I am also offering the option of mailing in four checks dated with the installment due dates (listed below) upon joining.  This way you don’t have to remember to send in your payments, and it renders book keeping straightforward.  So, upon joining you may send in 4 checks, one with the current date, and 3 more dated with the installment due dates. I will process the current check, file the 3 subsequent checks, and then process them on the dated installment date. Of course you are always free to send in payment before the due dates if you have the finances to do so. To join, go to the website, www.sweetlandfarm.csa, and fill out the join form. The join form contains more details about payment options. As in past years, we are happy to continue to offer subsidized shares through the Healthy Food For All Program. I will send out an email announcing when those shares are available. The program, through farmer-run fundraising and grants, subsidizes half of the cost of a share.  We are also delighted to be able to accept Food Stamps (SNAP benefits) in payment for the share.  This payment option is described on the FAQs page of the website. All right everyone, thanks for reading.  I hope you join me in this year’s unfolding of a farm. I think that it will be beautiful. Please email me with any questions you have about the season. Evangeline Installment due dates: First check – whenever you join. 2nd installment: June 16th 3rd installment – August 4thth 4th installment – September 1st Hello Sweet Land Farm members,         This is Paul writing to you in the New Year. As you know, I've decided not to continue farming at Sweet Land Farm. I have taken employment with Renovus Energy in Ithaca as their Project Manager and I'm enjoying learning and participating  in installing renewable energy systems on our neighborhood homes and businesses.         Evangeline and I are still talking with a potential buyer for the farm and we are hoping for a closing at the end of 2014.  In the interim Evangeline will be operating the farm this season and I'm excited to be part of that venture as tech support and CSA member!  Evangeline has a great crew lined up and the farm is prepped and ready to burst as always. After this 'real' winter we've been having, spring is going to look real good.        I thank you again for playing your community part as a member of Sweet Land Farm. Without you there would be no Community Supported Agriculture. It is my hope that the wheels keep turning at Sweet Land for many years to come.   Sincerely,   Paul Martin

Great Greens Give-Away Saturday March 16th, 1-3 pm

Great Greens Give-Away Saturday March 16th, 1-3 pm   Hello all, The 2013 Fifth Annual Great Greens Give-Away is this Saturday MARCH 16th, 1-3 PM.  Come on out to the farm on Saturday, March 16th for the 5th annual GREAT GREENS GIVE AWAY from 1-3 pm and get some fresh greens! Sign up for a share and, armed with a pair of scissors ( bring your own shears or scissors if you have them), head on into one of the greenhouses and harvest one bursting bag of greens. If greens aren't your style, you can fill part or all of your bag with winter roots (carrots, potatoes, onions, beets, rutabagas, celeriac, turnips, etc). We will also have produce for sale. Bring a friend or two - this event is definitely open to the public. If you have already signed up for your share before the 16th rolls around, you get two bags to fill! (So, sign up NOW and then come on out to the farm on the 16th and cash in!) Wow. Talk about an incentive. Yes, we are trying to get you to sign up before the event.  All the CSA info is available at www.sweetlandfarm.org.  You can send a check made out to Sweet Land Farm to: Sweet Land Farm 9732 Route 96 Trumansburg, NY 14886 To clarify, if you sign up for a share at the event, you get one bag of produce. If you sign up by Friday the 15th at the latest, you get 2 bags of produce. Early sign-ups help us with cash flow and our general peace of mind. This is the season for all of us CSA farmers to bite our nails and wonder whether anyone is actually going to sign up again this year. So come on out and ease our minds and get some goodies in the process! Every year a couple of CSA members come and help us with the Greens Give-Away. If you would like to come and help us out, email me! We'd love the help, and it's fun.  This is a one-time event, if you miss it there are no make-ups. You may send a friend in your stead. OTHER CSAS AND WELLNESS PROVIDERS HERE ON SATURDAY We will have a tent set up on Saturday for other CSAs that will be distributing here at Sweet Land this year.  There will be samples and products for sale and an  opportunity to sign up for their CSA shares here at Sweet Land.  Here are the following CSAs: BREAD- Wide Awake Bakery APPLES- Hemlock Grove CSA GRASS FED BEEF/CHICKENS - High Point Farms CHEESE- Kenton's Cheese Co. CSA SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS- Hawk Meadow Farm MEALS- Crooked Carrot Special April (Earth Day) wellness discount: MASSAGE- Evie Bellinger- Reville More details about the CSAs and a special wellness offer for Sweet Land Farm members are listed below. OK! We hope to see you on Saturday! Paul Martin   DETAILED INFO ON CSAS HERE AT SWEET LAND THIS SEASON BREAD - Wide Awake Bakery   We bake in partnership with Farmer Ground Flour in Trumansburg and with Oeschner Farms in Newfield, and most of our bread is made from organic grains grown and milled right here. We build our bread by hand, ferment it long, and bake it in the heat of wood fire. We distribute our bread in Trumansburg and in Ithaca, and our new breadshare system (we call it a CRUST FUND) is remarkably flexible and convenient.   It starts when you are ready to start, and you can change it as you go.  This summer we will be distributing breadshares at Sweet Land Farm, so you can pick up your bread along with your other treasures. If you would like bread this summer, or next week, or even this week, visit wideawakebakery.com or give a call 607-279-7311 . We’ll get you and bread together.   APPLES - Hemlock Grove CSA   Hemlock Grove Farm will be offering their certified organic apples and delicious cider through a biweekly CSA share September - Thanksgiving. Each distribution will include at least two freshly picked varieties of apples, with the variety selection changing as the season progresses. We will distribute sign up information and more details early in the summer. Please contact us at hemlockgrovefarm@gmail.com  for more details.   GRASS-FED BEEF / CHICKENS - High Point Farms   High Point is a sustainable pasture-based meat farm located 1 mile North of Sweetland Farm. From June to November 2013 High Point will offer a pick up for their MEAT CSA at Sweet Land Farm. High Point Farms’ Flexible Choice CSA works more like a “buying club.” PART of the share is chosen by the Farm and the rest is credits given to members to shop from the on-line store from what cuts are available that month. High Point offers 2 different size Meat Shares as well as a Chicken Share. Pick up is once a month and all meats are frozen.     Visit www.highpointfarms.net  to learn more.  Please contact Tina at 607-387-4950  or highpointfarmstburg@msn.com for information about this year's share.   CHEESE - Kenton's Cheese Co. CSA   Kenton's Cheese Co. produces Bianco, an artisanal brie-style white blooming mold, soft ripened cheese. Made using raw cow's milk produced at our farm west of Trumansburg, Bianco features a mild flavor, creamy texture, and exceptional versatility. Our Bianco cheese share will make an excellent compliment to your other CSAs, and more cheese varieties are on the way.   Pickup schedules are flexible; you can double up or skip pickups as needed. For more information or to sign up send us an email at csa@kentonscheeseco.com or call Avi Miner at 607-227-5173 .   SHIITAKE MUSHROOM CSA - Hawk Meadow Farm   We grow shiitake mushrooms on natural hardwood logs in an outdoor setting; such methods produce the most flavorful, nutrient-packed shiitakes available produced in an ecologically respectful manner. Shiitake shares are a half pound each week starting the first week of June going into the third week of September for a 15 week shiitake season. Season price is $120 which breaks down to $8.00 each week.  Asian cultures in particular appreciate the reputed medicinal properties of shiitakes in boosting immunity and aiding blood chemistry. www.hawkmeadowfarm.com MEALS- Crooked Carrot    Want to cook healthy meals every day, but find you don't have the time?  For those times that you need a quick, delicious whole meal, Crooked Carrot Farm and Kitchen offers biweekly shares of handmade, home-style food- receive the "Cooks' Choice share or build your own personalized share from their menu.  Crooked Carrot cooks year-round from scratch, using fruits, vegetables, dairy, meats, beans, and grains-all from their own farm and others within 30 miles of the kitchen.  To learn more, go to www.crookedcarrotcsk.com. SWEET LAND CSA MEMBERS NOW GET DISCOUNTS FROM LOCAL WELLNESS PROVIDER!! Evie Beliinger-Reville, LMT in Trumansburg, is offering 50% off the regular one-hour massage price of $65, so you pay $32.50 for a one-hour massage! Applies only to new clients who are Sweet Land Farm CSA members, offer is good through the end of April.  Call (607) 793-3159 or email evie.bella.stone@gmail.com.

Sweet Land Farm CSA 9732 Route 96 Trumansburg, NY 14886 607-387-3702 www.sweetlandfarm.org "Growing good food for a better home on earth"

Eighth Winter Distribution 

Wednesday March 6th.  This is it!!  Great Greens Giveaway next Saturday March 16th from 1-3.  More info on our website or Facebook.

Hello All,

  I made a delicious roasted root dish last night with larger wedges of potatoes, beets, celeriac, and carrots mixed with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  It was scrumptious.  I typically roast slices of vegetables, but the wedge pieces were so much easier to flip. Yum.

    This is our eighth distribution of a total of eight.  The $300 share is for six distributions of your choice.  So, if you have picked up six distributions already and paid $300 then you can come and purchase a share for $50 or stop.  If you still haven't picked up six times you have this distribution to finish out the winter share.

    You also can purchase a boxed share for an extra $6 that can be picked up in the barn

cooler from 9-5 Thursday, Friday, or Saturday following distribution.

    Distribution is tomorrow March 6th from 2-6 pm 

in the distribution shed.  

Below is the list of veggies.  Everyone gets 3 bulbs of garlic tomorrow!!

This week's vegetables:

carrots

potatoes

onions

beets

parsnips

rutabagas

hakurei turnips

daikon

celeriac

kohlrabi

kale

komatsuna (braising green)- 

turnips

watermelon radishes

rosemary

garlic- 3 garlic bulbs to get you through

2013 Sweet Land Farm CSA Shares are on sale now!!

Sweet Land Farm Newsletter

Sweet Land Farm CSA shares are on sale now!!! Another season is upon us!!! Last year we were plowing on March 10th. That's only a few days away and the summer is coming. Whoopee!!! You can now ensure 24 weeks of the summer bounty at Sweet Land by buying a summer 2013 share today!! Remember peas, beans, tomatoes, beautiful flowers, broccoli, peppers, basil, and that other wonder stuff in your share? Well, we're doing it again. We're only a few days away from firing up the greenhouse.   We are a CSA only farm which means you get the very best every week. It also means that all the fertility inputs we have put in Sweet Land's soil in the last seven years is your investment too. Every stalk of rye plowed down in the spring that has captured nutrients from the soil and sunlight from...well the sun...will be converted into vitamins and nutrients in very delicious bite you eat this year. It will also be visible in every beautiful flower sitting on your table this summer. It's going to be a great season and we appreciate your support and we hope to see everyone again.     EARLY BIRD GETS THE WORM We are sending out this email to give our members an early heads up to make a payment ensuring a spot in the CSA for 2013. We will have the website updated in a few days and brochures will be out and about by midweek. Last year was the first year we sold out and we have no plans to expand. We've found a good size to make our business viable thanks to you. SHARE PRICE The share price is $540. The share will last for 24 weeks - same as 2012. That works out to $22.50/week. We will keep the distribution style the same, with the barn divided into the "One Bag Side" and the "Free Choice" side. We will also continue to allow only two adults per share. Join today by sending in either payment in full $540, a quarter deposit of $135, or an easy down payment of $50. Please make checks out to Sweet Land Farm. Sweet Land Farm 9732 Route 96 Trumansburg, NY 14886 SWEET LAND EGG SHARE Yes'm we will have those delicious eggs here again this summer. The farm would be so lonely without our chickens' earnest antics. This year the egg share price to $5/dozen. The share is for 24 weeks, so the share price is $120. Eggs will also be available to non-egg share members for $5.50/dozen. Those little eggies just cost a lot to produce, and there is no way around it. We figure we break even financially with the cost of organic feed rising, but we gain in fertility and smiles from the kiddos. GREAT GREENS GIVEAWAY - Saturday March 16th Join us for our 5th Annual "Great Greens and Roots Give-away" and Summer CSA sign-up on Saturday, March 16th from 1-3 pm. (What better way to celebrate St Patrick's Day that at the Greens Give-away?)  Sign up for the Summer CSA BEFORE March 16th and you can fill TWO bags with what ever you want - greens or roots. If you sign up at the event you to get to fill ONE bag. We'll have the greenhouses open to all of you to frolic around in and pick delicious greens, newly rejuvenated by the returning sun. We'll also have bulk vegetables for sale. This event is open to anyone who wants a share, or just wants to get to see the farm in the spring, bring a friend! This is a one-time event and will happen rain or shine. CSA PARTNERSHIPS We are happy to announce that this year we will continue to offer other CSAs here at the farm. BREAD - Wide Awake Bakery  We bake in partnership with Farmer Ground Flour in Trumansburg and with Oeschner Farms in Newfield, and most of our bread is made from organic grains grown and milled right here. We build our bread by hand, ferment it long, and bake it in the heat of wood fire. We distribute our bread in Trumansburg and in Ithaca, and our new breadshare system (we call it a CRUST FUND) is remarkably flexible and convenient. It starts when you are ready to start, and you can change it as you go. This summer we will be distributing breadshares at Sweet Land Farm, so you can pick up your bread along with your other treasures. If you would like bread this summer, or next week, or even this week, visit wideawakebakery.com or give a call 607-279-7311. We’ll get you and bread together. APPLES - Hemlock Grove CSA  Hemlock Grove Farm will be offering their certified organic apples and delicious cider through a biweekly CSA share September - Thanksgiving. Each distribution will include at least two freshly picked varieties of apples, with the variety selection changing as the season progresses. We will distribute sign up information and more details early in the summer. Please contact us at hemlockgrovefarm@gmail.com for more details. GRASS-FED BEEF / CHICKENS - High Point Farms  High Point is a sustainable pasture-based meat farm located 1 mile North of Sweetland Farm. From June to November 2013 High Point will offer a pick up for their MEAT CSA at Sweetland Farm. High Point Farms’ Flexible Choice CSA works more like a “buying club.” PART of the share is chosen by the Farm and the rest is credits given to members to shop from the on-line store from what cuts are available that month. High Point offers 2 different size Meat Shares as well as a Chicken Share. Pick up is once a month and all meats are frozen. Meat CSA signups start April 1, 2013. Visit www.highpointfarms.net to learn more. Please contact Tina at 607-387-4950 or highpointfarmstburg@msn.com for information about this year's share. CHEESE - Kenton's Cheese Co. CSA     Kenton's Cheese Co. produces Bianco, an artisanal brie-style white blooming mold, soft ripened cheese. Made using raw cow's milk produced at our farm west of Trumansburg, Bianco features a mild flavor, creamy texture, and exceptional versatility. Our Bianco cheese share will make an excellent compliment to your other CSAs, and more cheese varieties are on the way. Pickup schedules are flexible; you can double up or skip pickups as needed. For more information or to sign up send us an email at csa@kentonscheeseco.com or call Avi Miner at 607-227-5173. SHIITAKE MUSHROOM CSA - Hawk Meadow Farm We grow shiitake logs on natural hardwood logs in an outdoor setting; such methods produce the most flavorful, nutrient-packed shiitakes available produced in an ecologically respectful manner. Shiitake shares are a half pound each week starting the first week of June going into the third week of September for a 15 week shiitake season. Season price is $120 which breaks down to $8.00 each week.  Asian cultures in particular appreciate the reputed medicinal properties of shiitakes in boosting immunity and aiding blood chemistry. www.hawkmeadowfarm.com Wrap up So there it is; a bunch of CSAs here at Sweet Land. I hope that this sounds fun. We still are surprised by the wealth of fabulous food options we have in this area. We are lucky. As the time to sign up for all of these CSA approaches we will send out reminders and links to their farms. (Remember, Wide Awake is taking shares now!) We truly hope that you join us for another year of food adventures. We are here because of our members. Best Regards, Paul Martin Sweet Land Farm CSA 9732 Route 96 Trumansburg, NY 14886 607-387-3702 www.sweetlandfarm.org "Growing good food for a better home on earth"

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Sixth Winter Distribution

Sixth Winter Distribution 

Hello All,

   We have turned the corner this winter.  The end of January begins the march to spring!  Our seed are ordered (mostly) which means we've selected crops and varieties and made changes to reflect what our members actually take.  Our 'one bag' system gives us great data on what our members are actually taking.  Thanks for the feedback!

 

  We are trialing a few new varieties and making a few changes for 2013, as we do every year.  One exciting addition is a late crop of tomatoes in the greenhouse, which will yield beautiful tomatoes in the fall.  Yum. We will start selling shares for 2013 in a few weeks.  Shares will be available exclusively for returning members for a limited time. Exciting!

  

   At the present we still reside in January and we have some delicious produce for you 

again this week.  Distribution is tomorrow Wednesday the 30th of January from 2-6 pm 

in the distribution shed.  This is the sixth distribution.  The winter share price is $300 for

six weeks. If you haven't come for six we still have the following pick up dates:

Remaining dates after tomorrow: February 20th, and March 6th.

We will be selling shares by week on February 20th and March 6th. If you want to come buy an 

extra pickup the price is $50.

Featured Veggie

  Komatsuna is also called a mustard spinach.  It is very sweet and more nutritious than spinach. 

It's load with Vitamin C.  I urge everyone to try some because it is so delicious and out preforms

every other green in the middle of winter.  It truly is a miracle.  

  To prepare Komatsuna you simply fry garlic, onions, and oil in a pan.  Add washed and chopped 

Komatsuna.  Add sake or water and cover to lightly steam.  Then add a drop or two of sesame oil.

Salt and Pepper to taste.

  Adding tofu, mushrooms, carrots, or other additions to the dish prior to adding the Komatsuna help

to keep it from cooking down to fast.  It cooks extremely fast and should be served quickly.

For more recipes check out our updates page of our website at sweetlandfarm.org.  We took pictures

of our recipe boards and posted them on our blog.

This week's vegetables:

carrots

potatoes

onions

beets

parsnips

rutabagas

hakurei

spinach

napa cabbage

daikon

celeriac

kohlrabi

kale

komatsuna (braising green)- 

turnips

watermelon radishes

Thanks and see you soon,

Sweet Land Farm

Recipe Boards

After watching a CSA member take pictures of our recipe boards with their iphone, we decided to post a few pictures ourselves on our blog. Technology!