Tag: farm tour

Harvest Party Goes Full Festival

September 16, 2019

For those of you new to the CSA this year, for over ten years we’ve had a harvest party for CSA members and friends of the farm at our place. It’s been the last week of September for quite a few years. Potluck, music, farm tour, connections…it’s been great.

After many years we’re kind of burnt out – event planning stresses us out in a way that packing CSA boxes doesn’t. So, this year we chipped in with our fellow farmers in the Sustainable Farming Association chapter to do a harvest festival instead. Although I’m sure many of you are saddened that we will at Lida Farm on in two weeks for the potluck, hear me out because I think this may be the best of all worlds.

Venue at Milt’s Barn

Called the Deep Roots Festival, there will still be good music, farm tours, food, and connections on Saturday, October 12 starting at 1 pm. You not only get the official farm tour of Lida Farm, but there are three other farms on the circuit including North Circle Seeds, Northcroft Fiber Farm, and Twin Oaks Diary. In addition, there are three hands-on food workshops in the afternoon to choose from before a catered farm-to-table dinner. No need to bring a dish, just show up and enjoy the show! I’m also excited that we’ll be hosted at Milt’s Barn near Pelican, which is a wedding venue. So, it’s not only a beautiful setting, but one which functions well for dinner – no blowing fuses and the whiff of manure as you would experience in our own barn 🙂

There is a cost, however, but I think it’s going to be worth it. It’s $35 per adult or $30 (if you become an SFA member) for dinner and all activities. We worked to keep it a family friendly event, so only $5 per kid 12 and under. IF you only want to stop by Lida Farm and pickup your pumpkin (free to all CSA members), you can certainly jump on our tour for no cost but I would love for you to consider signing up for the whole event. All proceeds go to our chapter to promote sustainable agriculture in the region. Please sign up at http://www.deep-roots-festival.com

We hope its the first of an annual event to celebrate the harvest season. I know that I’m looking forward to it.

 

In the box:

  • Cantaloupe
  • Roma tomatoes
  • A few regular tomatoes – are you tired of tomatoes yet?
  • Fresh dill 
  • Pontiac potatoes
  • Rainbow carrots
  • Little salad mix
  • Green peppers 
  • Red pepper
  • Delicata winter squash: I bake these dry (the video below suggests using water, but delicata has a thin skin). I’m also a bigger fan of an oven than a microwave… I had to use this video as a shout out to my friends in Extension!
  • Buttercup winter squash
  • Garlic 
  • Yellow and red onion

 

Touring the Farm

August 5, 2019

We had a small but hearty group on Saturday for the Lida Farm tour. I think when it’s 90% humidity at 7 am, only the most motivated decide to walk around farm fields in the heat listening to me talk about organic agriculture. Thanks to all who made it out and thanks to OCIA (our certification agency) for sponsoring refreshments.

20190721_202155-1When doing the tour, one thought came to me which I’ve had many times before. Boy, every season is the same, but different in so many ways. I know that sounds like politician-speak, so let me explain.

THE SAME: When I look at ‘what’s in the box’ on our blog back to 2006, the vegetable season is pretty much the same thing over and over. Spinach is in the first box with some radishes and then spinach re-appears in the last couple boxes. Green onions go in early-season boxes and then I transition to regular onions (which we started last week). Same pattern over and over. This makes sense because there are only so many crops that grow in MN and everything has its season.

DIFFERENT: Even with the same pattern of production, the quality and yield of crops is different year to year. I’m staring down the biggest and best tomato crop I think I’ve ever grown in my life. Maybe I’m jinxing myself by writing it, but I’ve never seen so healthy a stand of tomatoes with so much fruit on the vine. When these things ripen, look out! Last year, in contrast, I had these sad little plants. Early heavy rains in June beat down the tomato vines and they were set back for the whole year.

The differences come with weather, certainly, but the differences also come with the workflow of the season. Juggling 30-some crops, some years I get celery weeded at a good time and other years it becomes the forgotten crop. As I told the tour this weekend, some plantings are abandoned each year – I’ve let go about four so far this year. It’s nothing personal, plants 🙂

In the box:

  • Cherry Tomato mix
  • ‘Trinity’ Bi-Color Sweet Corn
  • ‘Norland’ Potatoes
  • Bunch of Carrots
  • Sweet Onion
  • Red Torpedo Onion
  • Cucumber
  • Basil
  • Little Green Leaf Lettuce
  • ‘Ace’ Green Pepper
  • ‘Islander’ Purple Pepper
  • Zucchini