Fall CSA Week Two | "Eating is an agricultural act."
Week 2: September 17th - September 20th
Hanging in the market, off to the side by the door where people may not see it, is a sign with a quote from Wendell Berry. If you aren’t familiar with Berry, he was a writer, conservationist, and staunch defender of American small farms. Starting back in the 1960s, he wrote extensively about the consolidation of family farms into industrial operations, the mindless tillage of non-viable land, and the pressure on farmers to “get big or get out.” His book The Unsettling of America is a foundational text for small-scale farmers in this country, and that’s where the quote on the wall comes from: “The soil is the great connector of lives. The source and destination of all. It is the healer and restorer and resurrector, by which disease passes into health, age into youth, death into life. Without proper care for it, we can have no community, because without proper care for it we can have no life.”
Berry died two and a half weeks ago, at the age of 92, and in the wake of his passing people have been sharing his poetry, observations, and wisdom. I was inspired to re-read an essay he published in 1990 called The Pleasures of Eating. And as I revisited it, I was struck by just how much of his prose captures the values of the farm - both for us as farmers and for you as supporters.
“I begin with the proposition that eating is an agricultural act,” he writes. “Most eaters, however, are no longer aware that this is true. They think of food as an agricultural product, perhaps, but they do not think of themselves as participants in agriculture. They think of themselves as ‘consumers’...And they mostly ignore certain critical questions about the quality and the cost of what they are sold: How fresh is it? How pure or clean is it, how free of dangerous chemicals? How far was it transported, and what did transportation add to the cost? How much did manufacturing or packaging or advertising add to the cost?”
In the essay, Berry criticizes the creation of distance between production and consumption, and encourages people to get closer to their food, both literally and figuratively. “Learn the origins of the food you buy, and buy the food that is produced closest to your home,” he writes. “Whenever possible, deal directly with a local farmer, gardener, or orchardist….Eliminate the whole pack of merchants, transporters, processors, packagers, and advertisers who thrive at the expense of both producers and consumers. And finally: “Learn what is involved in the best farming and gardening.”
Reading these suggestions, I nodded my head so vigorously I thought it might fall off. This is why we farm the way we do, taking care of the soil and using organic practices. It’s why we grow the crops we grow, prioritizing diversification and flavor over monoculture and durability. It’s why we sell our vegetables where we do, within a 20-mile radius of the soil they grew in. And it’s why we write this newsletter, to share insights and observations about what it takes to grow this food in this place.
Eating is an agricultural act, and when our connection with our food is at its best it is a mindful act as well. Whether intentionally or not, every time we eat we choose not just what we consume, but where it comes from, who grew it, and how it was grown. Most frequently, our veggies are sold right here on the farm, to people we’ve met, who know about how we grow our food. The connections we form - between eater, farmer, crop, and soil - are the foundation of the farm. They are what our community centers around. And our hope is that when you eat our food, it tastes even more delicious because you know the small, purposeful agricultural system that produced it. As Berry writes: “The knowledge of the good health of the garden relieves and frees and comforts the eater.”
Have an agricultural week,
Chris, Ashley, and the 10th Street Farmers
In Your Share This Week
Choice:
Carrots: These carrots are sweet, crunchy, and oh so addicting! Remove tops and store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.
Green Beans: The classic taste of summer - these green beans are flavorful and ready to rock. Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.
Choice:
Cauliflower: This versatile veggie is tender and delicious - we love it in curries and stews, roasted, or fried up as a wing substitute! Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.
Broccolini: Tasty tender broccoli shoots - eat them leaves and all. Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.
Choice:
Head Lettuce: Beautiful crisp lettuce heads. Great for everything from lettuce wraps to salads and sandwiches. Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.
Spinach: This fall spinach is oh-so-tender. Use as a salad base, sautéed as a side dish or bake into a casserole. Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.
Farm Mix Salad Mix: A diverse mix of tasty red and green lettuces. Delicious with just olive oil and salt, or dress it up! Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.
Choice:
Radishes: Beautiful red radishes have a mild heat and a great crunch. Add to salads or sandwiches for a little extra flavor. Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.
Salad Turnips: Also called Hakurei Turnips, these fresh-eating turnips are tasty and versatile. Slice them up with hummus, sauté them, roast them in the oven, or even try them on the grill. Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.
Choice (Full Shares get both):
Potatoes - Russet: These potatoes are famous for a reason - great baked, fried, steamed, or mashed. Store in a dark, dry place.
Slicer Tomatoes: The taste of summertime! Store on the counter - never in the fridge!
Cherry Tomatoes: A rainbow of flavor, packed in a pint. Store on the counter - never in the fridge!
Choice (Full Shares get both):
Garlic: The best cooking advice we ever received? When a recipe calls for a clove of garlic, use two or three! Store on your counter.
Onions: A pantry essential. Onions make a flavorful start for soups, sautees, or a sheet pan of roasted veggies. Store in a cool, dark place.
Full Share Choice:
Kale: Hearty yet still tender, the kale is tasting great this summer. Maybe time for some kale chips? Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.
Cabbage: A staple across cultures, cabbage is equally tasty in a fresh cole slaw and roasted in the oven. Versatile, storable, and beautiful. Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.
Kitchen Inspiration
A rainy-looking weekend calls for some comfort food, I think. Some broccoli potato soup would really hit the spot. And this warming carrot ginger soup is just calling out to be put on the Friday menu.
But equally, with a winter of cozy eating ahead of us, now might be the time to rage against the dying of the light. Maybe something like this cherry tomato pasta, which takes a taste of summer but still makes it feel warming. Or this intriguing toast with cherry tomatoes and seared radishes? Or this broccoli and kale stir fry with sliced almonds sounds like the perfect balance of ease and deliciousness.
Happy eating!
Please remember to check your name off on the list! And please bring back your Purple or Blue bag each week! Thank you.
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