Spring CSA Week 3 | Unique April

Week 3: April 24 - 27

Reminder: Please bring back your purple bags each week - we reuse these bags throughout the season. Thank you!

“Not a lot of farms in Minnesota are doing this right now.” That’s the comment someone made to us as we planted our first beds of crops outside a couple weeks ago. It’s totally true - this spring we are pushing the bounds of what feels reasonable in terms of getting plants in the soil, both inside and outside of our tunnels. In fact, we already have a good portion of our tomatoes planted. Early? Possibly! But worth the risk for the promise of having tasty toms a few weeks earlier in the season. 

April on our farm looks fairly unique. In addition to our moveable tunnels, we use a number of different season extension practices to help us grow vegetables in the spring months here in Zone 4. You’ve likely seen the row cover cloth covering our beds when there’s threat of frost. That fabric gives us a few degrees of protection, meaning we can plant out earlier than a typical large-scale farmer. As the threat of frost subsides, we replace that row cover with something called ‘proteknet’, which helps control early spring pests without needing to spray pesticides. That all means we spend a lot of our April hours unrolling fabric, moving sandbags to weigh it down, and covering/uncovering beds based on temperatures. It’s tedious, but if it means frost-protected arugula and radishes in April and spray-free salad turnips and lettuce in May, it feels worth it. 

Extending the growing season isn’t the only unique aspect of the way we farm. A lot of our people-powered, soil-friendly and space-intensive practices would feel completely foreign on many larger-scale farms. For example, last week we moved tarps in the front fields and this week we’ll mow down our first (already harvested) arugula successions so that we can tarp those as well. Underneath the tarps old plant matter will decompose, weeds will sprout and get smothered, and the soil will prepare itself for future crops - all without disturbing the existing soil structure and living ecosystem beneath. Elsewhere, we’re seeding our first rounds of cover crops to add nutrients to fields we won’t plant until the summer. We’re planting flowers in the flower beds and around the farm to attract beneficial insects and supply future bouquets. And we’re planting up a storm in the greenhouses and the fields to keep the steady supply of veggies coming all summer long.

We’re delighted to be able to grow the way we do - human-scaled, sustainability- and soil health-minded, and pushing the edges of what’s possible in terms of Minnesota’s climate. April looks a little different on our farm, and that’s exactly the way we want it.

Have a boundary-pushing week,

Chris, Ashley, Hallie, and the 10th Street Farm Crew

This weekend we’re having our Saturday Patisserie from 8:30-11am. Stop by for fresh baked pastries and locally roasted coffee!

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In Your Bag This Week

Flavor Mix microgreens: Mild and tasty, these make an easy salad on their own or can add some color to any other salad. Try them on eggs or sandwiches – or anything, really! Store in a bag in your fridge.

Sunflower Shoots or Pea Shoots: This week you’ll get whichever you didn’t have last week! Add texture to any salad, sandwich, or wrap - or use for a pop of green in a stir fry! Store in your fridge.

Spinach: Our overwintered spinach is the sweet gift that keeps giving! Use as a salad base, sautéed as a side dish or bake into a casserole. Store in a bag in your fridge.

Radishes: Beautiful red radishes have a mild heat and a great crunch. Add to salads or sandwiches for a little extra flavor. Store in a bag in your fridge.

Persephone Mix salad greens: Our fresh-cut winter blend of lettuce and cold-hardy greens. Store in a bag in your fridge.

Kale: Hearty and sweet, this over-wintered kale is delicious. Store in a bag in your fridge.

Bok Choy (half shares): So versatile! Use in Asian-inspired dishes like soups and stir fries, or just chop and add to anything for a bit more flavor and nutrition. Store in a bag in your fridge.

Radish Shoots (full shares): These beautiful purple and green shoots have a spicy taste and add a pop of color. Store in a bag in your fridge.

Arugula (full shares): Peppery greens that add zip to a salad. We love arugula dressed simply with oil and salt. Store in a bag in your fridge.

What should I make with what’s in the bag?

Lots of tasty greens in the bags this week! If you’re having trouble keeping up, try sautéeing your spinach as a side dish with some sliced garlic - we did that this week and it was simple and absolutely delicious. Pea shoots and sunflower shoots make great additions to soups and salads alike. And kale offers lots of versatile options! Keep it simple with a lemon-garlic kale salad or try whipping up some baked feta with kale or quinoa kale quesadillas.

A friend recently talked about having a killer microgreen omelet, so maybe that - or a microgreen frittata - is worth a try this weekend. Or maybe it’s the right time for a kitchen sink salad with everything green from the bag mixed together (with radishes on top). It all goes together, no matter how you mix and match!

If you've found a recipe you're loving, please send it our way. We're always looking for new things to cook and share with other members!

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We wash everything in your bag but we wash them in bulk so some things may need an extra rinse at home. Thanks!