We farm because of the poetry.
The poetry in food of such vibrant colors it makes our hearts hurt. And makes it impossible to resist biting right in.
These French Breakfast radishes (above) are so gorgeous they can be used as decoration and they may elicit a poem. But they are so tasty and nutritious, we certainly hope you will eat them up. We’ll have lots of them on the market tables this weekend. Radishes are shown to have significant amounts of Vitamin C and Folate, as well as Potassium and Manganese. This is where the poetry steps aside and the science steps in.
Vitamins and minerals can’t find their way into the vegetables unless they first exist in the soil. And even if they are in the soil, the vegetables can’t take them in unless the right microbiology exists in the soil to make it possible. This is our biggest job as farmers: amending the soil so that we grow truly nutritious food for our community.
This is why we give guided tours. 
We walk around our farm and explain why we farm, how we fell in love with this food (and each other) and couldn’t resist growing food professionally. (Here, poetry and science meld.) Why we farm using only organic inputs, and how we manage the soil to see that we are growing the most nutritious food possible for our community. (Here, science leads.) We’ll be on tour Oct 3 and 4, with guided tours at 3:00 each day, as part of the Richmond Farm Tour weekend. We hope you will visit us and some other farms that are on tour as well. Info and tickets here.
All members of our farm’s CSA program are invited to our Farm Party/Potluck this Sunday from 2:00 – 6:00, with a guided tour at 3:00. BONUS Feature: If you would like some help knowing how to prepare vegetables (perhaps because you are new to our CSA for the fall season), we will be giving a demonstration of a few easy recipe ideas at 1:00. (Teaser: we will prepare radishes, sweet turnips, kale salad, as well as some dressings.) All of the activity starts at the barn, and if it is raining, we will enjoy the cover of the barn while we eat, talk, laugh, and celebrate this good food.
Finally – we are in need of a Professional Engineer (licensed in Virginia) to stamp a set of plans. We have a most interesting composting project in the works and are using a set of plans for a small lean-to that requires this stamp. If you are a PE, or know of one, will you please get in touch? Many thanks!
(If you are lucky enough to visit our farm stand this week, you will see that our children, in their entrepreneurial genius, have gathered, washed, and labeled rocks for sale. We’re not sure what makes the 75 cent ones so much more valuable than the 1 cent ones. My goodness.)
This week’s harvest includes: Beets, Chard, Collards, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Garlic, Green Beans, Hearty Greens Mix, Kale, Lettuce Heads, Lettuce Mix, Microgreens, Okra, Peppers (sweet and spicy), Radishes, Salad Mix, Summer Squash (yellow and zucchini), Tomatoes (red and green)…and our Naturally Leavened, Organic Multigrain Bread.
Recipe Suggestions: see these and others cataloged on our Recipe Page
Arugula, Pear, & Pancetta Salad
Salad – with Candied Pecans and Maple Balsamic Dressing
Glazed Hakurei Turnips – The white roots in this week’s share are sweet and delicious Hakurei Turnips. You may remember them from the spring shares. We prefer them raw, roasted, or glazed. Also try Miso Glazed Turnips.
Kale with Ramen Noodles – you can substitute out ingredients to tailor this to your liking
Falafel with Kale – Mix Kale (or any green) into Falafel
Summer Squash Muffins – If you can resist grilling the squash, bake it into muffins (or a bread loaf pan, or call it cake…). This recipe calls for Zucchini but you can use any summer squash.
2015 Market Share CSA Members: Reserve your selection online to pick up on Saturday, Sept 26 at our farm, the Brandermill Green Market, The Market at Magnolia Green, or the South of the James market.
Vegetables not ordered by our Market Share CSA members will join us at the Brandermill Green Market , Market at Magnolia Green, or the South of the James market this Saturday. Anyone may order select goods from us through Fall Line Farms, Richmond’s online farmers’ market. You can use discount code “broadfork” to earn a complimentary 6 month subscription.
Enjoy ~
Janet, Dan, and the whole Broadfork crew
