LDF News: Where did February go?!

The next boxes are in. All 18 of them! I knew they were going to make amazing homes for various birds, with bluebirds and cliff swallows among them. What I didn't know what how beautiful they were going to be! Thank you Smith Birds Lab for letting us participate in this awesome research!

I am so excited to see who chooses these beautiful boxes for homes.

Spinach incoming! Not this week but next, I expect to have some baby spinach!

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​ Ahoy!

Time is flying. The blackbirds are back and noisy as ever. We're wailing on our lists. We have a three person crew. We will give them a proper introduction, but for now, let's just say welcome Conner and Alex!

This week:

• We got our new to us a tractor home! 
• Clare and Conner built three more tunnels
• We seeded all our onions, the first round of tomatoes, so much cabbage, spinach, lettuce, and more!
• The next boxes are in!
• I cleaned up the bobcat project from last year and am deep in preparations for some integral repairs for this season.

A reminder about our Community Account: 

• It is open to those who need it, no questions asked.
• We will also use it for our local food pantry if the funds don't seem to be being used.
• Please feel free to donate to it when at market

Between all the community resource info and the farm membership promotion, there is a lot going on in this email. Please see the "table of contents" for easy navigation to what you are looking for! You can click on the links there and it will take you where you want to go within the email. 

Onward folks, doing the things we can do. 

Cheers,
Helen
she/her/hers
 
In this email:

• Food Resources
  • Community Account Balance $636
  • How to use
  • How to contribute
  • Other resources
• Farm Membership! What it is and how to sign up!
• CSA Balances- find your balance at market! 
  • Member Info- Balances will be updated for next week.
• Links
  • A link to our Stockbridge Community Outreach Project 
  • Here is link to a list of resources to aid in effecting positive social change. Keep your  chin up. 
  • CSA Flier for 2026
• Fresh From the field
• Recipe: Ginger Daikon Radish "Rice" with Gochugaru and Fried Egg

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Food Resouces:

Community Account, available to Eastern Market Customers that need food assistance
Current Balance: Updated balance available at market

HOW TO USE our Community Account (only at Lake Divide Farm’s Stand)

• No proof requirement
• Look for Community account sign or ask a Lake Divide market attendant if the Community Account is open.
• Select what you need
• $20 limit per person, with some exceptions. 
• Say to the person checking you out “I am using the Community Account”
• Available as long as there is a balance in the Community Account.

Additionally:

• We accept Cash Value Benefits at our Eastern Market stand

More about the Community Account here. 
Want to help:

• Please contribute to our Community Account. This is best done at market. If you know you are going to contribute, please email me so I can match your contribution in advance
• Share this plan with others
• Understand that funds contributed to this account may be used to send produce to food pantries.

Resources for people that want to help:

• Talk to the people in your community and see how you can offer support.
• Donate money or time to a foodbank or food pantry
• Contribute to either of our programs
  • Stockbridge Community Outreach Program
  • Community Account (Eastern Market)
    • Talk to me at market or email me at lakedividefarm at gmail dot com if you have questions or ideas

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Farm Membership!

​Our Farm mMembership is based on the ethos of Community Supported Agriculture. It allows the community to support their food producers through the variability of the growing season. Members pre-pay for their vegetables, receive a bonus, and then use their account through the season.

Here is the sign up sheet for perusal or use.

A couple key features of our Farm Membership:

• Select the produce you want at Eastern Market
• No requirement to come every week
• From October onward, signups rollover to 2026 and won't expire until December 31st 2026
• You can use your balance right away!
• You can share your farm account with friends and family

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Fresh From the Field- 
Greens:
Coming soon: shoots, micros, possibly turnip greens, spinach!

All Manner of Deliciousness
Apples:

• Honeycrisp: Our Best Seller! Crispy, Sweet/tart and slow to brown!
• Mustsu: A large yellow-green apple from Japan, known for its sweet-tart flavor, crisp texture, and excellent storage quality, making it great for fresh eating, baking, and cooking.
• Empire: Balanced sweet/tart flavor, crispy & juicy. Great all purpose apple
• Enterprise: Sweet, juicy. Lovely flavor all purpose, stores well. Deep red skin, pale flesh.

Beets
Napa Cabbage
Cabbage: red, cone, savoy, round green
Carrots!
Eggs!! From Hen House Farm- Clare!! And Hill Top (David!)
Garlic
Onions
Potatoes
Fingerling Potatoes
Watermelon radish (not pink inside)
Daikon radish: Red, Korean White Daikon, and purple, Chinese White Daikon
Rutabaga
Sweet turnips from the tunnels!
Purple top turnips

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​Recipe: Pickled Radishes with Ginger

From Supper in the Suburbs

Preserve crunchy radishes in a spicy vinegar with this recipe for Pickled Radishes with Ginger.

Ingredients (converted from metric for convenience)

• Radishes: 1.1 lbs (approx. 1 lb 2 oz) (about 1/3 quart)
• Sea salt: 4.5 tbsp
• White wine vinegar: 1.7 cups (approx. 13.5 fl oz)
• White sugar: 6 tbsp
• Mixed peppercorns: 1.5 tsp
• Coriander seeds: 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds: 0.5 tsp
• Chilli flakes: 0.5 tsp
• Allspice: 0.5 tsp
• Root ginger: 2 inches (peeled and thinly sliced)

Instructions:

1. Top and tail the radishes and cut to your preferred shape / size (see note 1).
2. Add the prepared radishes to a bowl and sprinkle over the sea salt. Leave them to rest for 30 minutes during which time the salt will draw the moisture out of the radishes helping them to stay crisp while pickling.
3. Once 30 minutes is up, drain away any liquid that has collected in the bottom of the bowl.
4. Pour the vinegar into a saucepan along with the sugar and all of the spices except the ginger.
5. Gently heat the vinegar for 10 minutes or until it begins to simmer.
6. Pack the radishes and ginger slices into sterilized jars (see note 2) and pour over the infused vinegar.
7. Seal the jars and allow them to cool (you will know they have cooled when the lids make a "pop").
8. Store in a cool dark place for up to 6 months. Once opened, store in the fridge and eat within 2 weeks.

Notes:
Slicing your radishes thinly makes them more versatile for adding to dishes like burgers, salads, sandwiches etc. I like to do one jar thinly sliced and a second jar "chunky" with the radishes simply halved or quartered depending on their size. These chunkier pickles are great for adding to grazing boards and other snacking platters. 

There are a couple of different methods you can use to sterilize your jar. If I'm in a rush I will use a food-safe, chemical sterilizer but the best method is to simply wash the jar with hot, soapy water and rinse (but don't dry) them. Next, place the jars into your oven for 10 minutes on a low temperature (160C/320F/gas mark 3) or until they are dry.