2016 Registration and Pricing

A Note from the Farmers About 2016 Registration and Pricing

If you didn’t register at the CSA Celebration, you can do so online:  whcsa.adamah.org    Register by December 1st to get $25 off an every week share and $12 off an every other week share. Use the discount code FULLEARLY for every week shares and EOWEARLY for every other week shares.

Our prices have gone up a bit for 2016 to keep up with rising production costs. We have done a lot of price comparing and our 2016 per week prices are lower than the state average for organic farms and either right in line with or lower than other West Hartford CSAs, although our season runs longer. Here they are:

2016 Share Prices

	Every Week	Every Other Week
Per Season (23 wks)	$680.00	$360.00
Per Week	$29.57	$30

Sign up by December 1 to get $25 off an every week share and $10 off an every other week share.

We know that the price of a CSA share sometimes seems high. This is often because we are used to thinking about our food bills on a weekly basis rather than swallowing the cost of a six month season in one price.

As you know, the CSA ends up being an extremely good value. This season, members received 5-20% more organic produce each week t;lhhan you could have bought with that amount at a farmers market or whole foods and of course got all the perks to boot- freshness, cooking tips, and community.

The other reason for CSA price sticker shock is that we are all used to the cheap price of industrial food.

In the past, people spent a much higher percentage of their monthly income on food than we do in America today, and that is still the case in most other countries. De-prioritizing good food in our personal budgets has had devastating consequences that are expensive to address including chronic diet related health problems, the food insecurity that results from disappearing local farm economies, loss of soil and bio-diversity, pollution, and the mistreatment of the farm workers who grow our very sustenance. By purchasing a CSA share you invest in your health and the health of our community without the expensive cleanup costs that result from de-valuing food.

We apologize for going on about this topic. It is, obviously, one near and dear to our hearts. We hope you feel great about your buy-in to the CSA and please do let us know if you are going through financial hardship and would like to apply for a subsidized share.

Composting Results and Offsets

According to the personnel at Blue Earth Compost, “Over the 23 weeks, members diverted a total of 1,682 pounds of food scraps for an average of 73 pounds/week. That is enough to offset the emissions from 336 gallons of gasoline – the equivalent of 6,613 pounds of carbon dioxide. Also, assuming an average of 20 mpg, this is enough offset the gasoline needed to make 84 round trips from Adamah Farm to Beth David!”  This means our composting during the CSA season more than offsets the number of trips the farmers make to deliver our veggies, which is a huge boon to the environment.

 

We’re planning to continue the relationship with Blue Earth Compost in our 2016 CSA delivery season.  You can sign up for composting pickups during the off-season, or tell friends who are not CSA members about the service so they can join – just click on their name for the website for sign-up and contact information.

Harvest Guesstimate for EVERYBODY on November 12th and CSA Celebration

The farmers predict we will receive beets, butternut squash, kale, long pie pumpkin, onions, potatoes, sage, and spinach in our last pickup of the 2015 season.  Learn about the discount you can get by subscribing for 2016 by December 1st.

Invite Friends and Family to Join us at Thursday’s CSA Celebration 

– get a free jar of any Adamah product you choose and the early bird discount by signing up for a 2016 share!

– make a jar of sauerkraut with the farmers to bring home with you

– press and drink fresh apple cider

– shop at the Adamah market for pickles, jams, salves, and limited edition screen printed tee shirts

– shop at the community craft fair

– give us your feedback on what worked well this season and what didn’t

– enjoy live music

Harvest Notes for November 5th

This week’s Harvest Notes contain pictures of the farmers harvesting shares and planting garlic for next season, and some information about what they are bringing to next week’s Closing Extravaganza and Crafters’ Fair.

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Don’t Forget!  Next week is the last pickup of the season.  Everybody gets a share, and we will have a number of special activities for all ages, plus music and a small crafters’ fair with pottery and winter-warm wearables.  Plus buy fresh challah for your Shabbat table.  Tell your friends – it’s open to all.  Register for the 2016 season and receive a discount on the fee.

The farmers think that this week we will receive beets, kale, onions, oregano, salad mix, watermelon radish, and winter squash.  There are so many ways to prepare the squash, and most don’t require a specific type so you can pick any one to roast, make into soup, stuff (although butternut, which has a small interior, isn’t the best choice for this), or even make into chips to mix with your kale chips.

A recipe that uses two of the items in this week’s share and can be prepared ahead of time is found at http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-kale-salad-with-quick-pickled-radishes-and-pumpkin-seeds-166488

Harvest Guesstimate for October 29th

The farmers think we will receive carrots, kale, onions, oregano, and winter squash.

Don’t forget that in two weeks we have the big Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market and Closing Day festivities, with music and other activities.  You can vote on the veggies and other items for next year, stock up on pickles and jams for over the winter, and check out the items crafters have on sale to get a start on holiday gifting.

There are still tables available if you are interested in selling crafts at the event.  Cost for a table is $5.  Email us for more information and so you can be included in publicity.  If you know a friend in the West Hartford area who might be interested, let us know and that person may be able to have a table.

Harvest Notes for October 22nd

The farmers report in the Harvest Notes that this is the last week for a fresh salad with tomatoes from our CSA until next year.

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The farmers think we will get: broccoli, cabbage, or kale; carrots; lettuce or salad mix; mint; onion; pie pumpkins; potatoes; and tomatoes.

Harvest Notes for October 15th – and Market!

As always, the Harvest Notes contain additional suggestions for how to cook this week’s vegetables.

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Because the last market was on a Bet day, the farmers are coming on an Aleph day to sell pickles, jams, and other treats.  Tell your friends to drop by, as the market is open to the public, and Bet people are welcome to make a trip this week as well.

For those picking up a share, the farmers think that we will receive broccoli or cabbage, lettuce heads, mint, onions, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, turnips or carrots, and winter squash.

Squash becomes richly flavoured in the Classic Baked Acorn Squash recipe from Simply Recipes.

Harvest Notes for October 8th

We received the first of what the farmers say will be a bumper crop of apples this year.  Start planning your pies, crumbles, applesauce, baked apples – and of course you can eat them out of hand.  Did all the apples make it home on Thursday?

Slightly fancy baked apples from http://www.auvilfruit.com/auvilstuffedapplesrecipe.html are just as easy as plain ones.

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Quick reminder that the farmers are going to bring a market to next week’s delivery.  Tell your friends that they can buy jams, pickles, and other items even if they are not CSA members.  Of course, CSA members can stock up as well!

For those who pick up this week, the farmers expect to bring Collards,  Garlic, Onions, Lettuce, Parsley, Peppers, Potatoes, and the famous Adamah Salad Mix.

Salad Mix really does grow mixed in the field!

Harvest Notes for October 1st.

The farmers include a tasty recipe to use this week’s green onions in the Harvest Notes.  You can thin some of it with cream to become a dressing for the lettuce, adding some kale for added nutrition, and chopped tomatoes and red peppers for color.  Or you can substitute the onions for the one in this recipe for chicken with red peppers.

Green onions by the carload!

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The farmers predict we will receive Beets, Garlic, Kale, Lettuce, Onions, Parsley, Peppers, Potatoes, and Scallions.  You can toss the root veggies with oil and roast them, then top with chopped herbs if you want a quick side dish, of course.  For a Shabbat lunch, toss the cold roasted veggies on top of a chopped kale and lettuce mixture for a quick salad.

Harvest Guesstimate for September 24th

The farmers think we will receive Carrots, Chard, Dill, Garlic, Onion, Peppers (many), Potatoes, and Tomatoes (just a few).  Remember that the links go to different recipes that often use several of the items in our shares, give them a look.  This week we’ve focused on frittatas and other items that can be made ahead and served in your sukkah.

Lovely items to cook this week – picture from http://www.joyfulabode.com/braised-chicken-with-peppers-onions-tomatoes/ which offers yet another idea for cooking the share items.