LDF News Arugula!

Spring is upon us along with its most welcome signs. Our flamboyant magnolia tree is blooming to a boil. This color just bowls you over. I l learned from Fergus, who collected these flower buds, that the blooms are edible and healthful. I can't wait to try the impending delicacy!

As they grow, their petals pale but their beauty doesn't fade. A silly but true quick draw poem. 

Plowing. That is what I have been doing in this endless dry spell. I am grateful for it, despite that it has bee scary dry. See the dust rise. I avoided plowing for many years because I was afraid the soil inversion was bad for the microbes. I was afraid of creating a plow pan, hard soil layer of low permeability create by repetitive plowing to the same depth. I was worried I was doing a bad job. My timid approach had lead to a good life for many a weedy plant!

By now I've learned it is a tool to be used judiciously in combination with counter measures like reserved wildlife habitat, good timing and deep rooted cover crops. There really is noting like a plow for making a clean bed to plant into and this year we need some plots with fresh starts!

I have more ground worked up than I have since 2018 and I have plans for all of it. Among the most exciting additional native pollinator habitat, multiple acres of cover crop, and the native seed production plot. (That's the field you see pictured above on the right.) Having these areas well prepared will aid in establishing some of these small seeded, slow growing plants. 

Oh! And I almost forgot. We are getting the ground for our fall carrots and beets ready now. Look out weeds, we are ready for you!

Hard to believe how much delicious spinach we are able to swoop out of this tunnel! This week will mark the last week of harvest from our overwintered crops. The crew got all of last winter's tunnels down and tucked away. That means we can get that ground shifted into some meaningful cover crop!

Clare has been cultivating! Since she is all trained up on the tractor, she can hop right on and slay some weeds! On the right you can see that we also use this tractor to mark out our beds and keep our rows of plants nice and straight.

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Ahoy!

My goodness has this year blasted off. We are busy! As I type this, Clare and Ben are planting our hoop house tomatoes. We have lots of ground is prepped, all the onions are planted, the first major round of weeding is checked off. Up next? Potatoes, more cabbage, building a tunnel for our basil and laying ground cloth for long season plantings. 
Lots to do, so I won't get hung up rambling! Come see me at market get some of the spring treats we are bringing: spinach, arugula, baby kale, bok choy!
See you Saturday!

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

• Generally important notes
  • We are looking for moonlighters! Visit our Work With Us page for more info. Please share it with people you think fit the bill. 
  • A link to our Stockbridge Community Outreach Project
  • Notes for members (or potential members!):
    • Find a copy of the 2025 membership agreement here.
    • Now offering $100 CSA memberships with a $10 bonus.
    • If you shop with us regularly, consider signing up for our farm membership (CSA). This is the perfect time to do it as it offers maximum support to us and the most opportunities to use your balance over the course of the year. 
    • Consider giving the gift of food to someone in your family or friend. It's a great gift for those that want to eat local fresh food but don't know how to get started. 
  • Here is link to our Social Justice page on our website. It is a list of resources to keep active in effecting positive social change. Keep your  chin up. 
• Fresh From the field
• Recipe: Pan Fired Turnips Recipe with Onions and Spinach

Fresh From the Field- 
Greens:
Arugula
Baby Bok Choy
Baby Kale
Micros: Dill! Kale, Radish, mustard mix!
Pea shoots
Spinach

All Manner of Deliciousness
Apples: Evercrisp, Pinata, and Modi From Almar Orchard (Eastern only)
Carrots by Yoder
Kohlrabi
Potatoes! Yum!
Daikon: Purple and White
Watermelon Radish
Purple Top Turnips

Coming Soon
Chives
Spring Radishes

Farms we are collaborating with:
When something sold by us is grown by another farm, we will always label both to support them and so that you can make informed decisions. 

Not all the farms we are working with are certified organic. If they aren't, you better bet we know them well enough to trust their growing practices. This is both because we have asked them about how they care for their land and what materials they use, but also because we are friends. We have asked each other questions and shared information and resources over the years. We know most of them well enough to have had dinner together and to call to share family news. This collection of family farms are our community and our colleagues. We are proud to know them and to work with them. 

Almar Orchard, Flushing, Certified Organic
Cinzori Farm, Ceresco, Certified Organic
HillTop Greenhouse and Farms, Ann Arbor. They supply the eggs from free range, happy chickens.
Jacob's Fresh Farm, Dexter
Sunnyside Produce, Homer, Certified Organic
Titus Farms, Leslie 
Yoder Farms, Leslie
Pan Fired Turnips Recipe with Onions and SpinachFrom: Low Carb Maven
Pan fried turnips make a great low carb potato substitute for keto diets. Their earthy flavor combined with caramelized onions and lemon thyme transcend the mundane.
Ingredients

• 1 pound turnips
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter (or more olive oil)
• 1 sprig lemon thyme (or regular)
• 2 tablespoon scallions
• 1 cup fresh spinach loosely packed
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

• Peel turnips and cut into quarters or into sixths, if large.
• Place a large frying pan over medium heat. When hot add the olive oil to the pan and swirl to coat. Add the turnips when the oil shimmers.
• Cook the turnips until browned on one side. Turn them over and add scallions and thyme to the pan. The turnips are ready when a fork piercing the thickest part slides easily through.
• Add the spinach and butter to the pan, sautéing until the spinach wilts. Remove the thyme sprig.
• Season with salt and pepper, taste to adjust seasoning, and serve.
• Serves 4 at 4.5 g net carbs per serving.