Summer CSA Week 1 | Meet your farmers

Week 1: June 19 - June 22

Welcome to summer at 10th Street Farm! Many of you have been CSA members with us in the past, while some of you are joining the CSA for the first time. Either way, welcome! We’re excited to have you here.

We think CSAs are an amazing way for people to become closer to the food they eat - literally. A majority of our CSA customers come from within a few miles of the farm (including literal neighbors!). But they also bring people closer to their food from a more philosophical perspective. The CSA is a reflection of the season, and the vegetable mix changes regularly to reflect what’s tasting best on the farm. Getting a weekly share is like subscribing to the rhythm of the farm. We hope you enjoy picking up your bag each week and seeing how the fields change over the course of the summer. Every Thursday, we’ll also share a taste of the goings-on of the farm, as well as a peek inside the bag, and some recipe ideas and inspiration.

Part of being close to the food you eat is knowing the people who are growing it. Especially because we choose to farm with minimal tillage and human-scale labor, we rely on an incredible team of farmers to grow the veggies in our CSA bags and market coolers each week. We thought this first summer newsletter could be a great time to introduce the full-time farmers at 10th Street.

Ashley and I (Chris) have been farming at 10th Street since the spring of 2023, when we moved onto the farm. Previously, we worked at a CSA farm in Litchfield, MN called Prairie Drifter Farm, and we re-started and ran California Street Farm, an urban market farm in Northeast Minneapolis, for three seasons. We believe good veggies, grown the right way in the right place, can be something like magic. We like to joke that our main hobby outside of farming is gardening, but in the summer we spend most of our time off the farm camping, canoeing, and generally running around outside with our two kids.

This year, we’re joined by three incredible full-time farmers: Elisse, Ash, and Maddie. We asked each of them to write a quick intro. Elisse didn’t write one, probably because she was too busy looking for farmland in the Afton area so she can farm with us forever. This year is her third season on the farm, after previously farming for five years in Wisconsin. We truly appreciate everything she does around the farm!

Maddie joins us after moving from Nashville last year, and says “Hi all, my name is Maddie and I’m new on the farm this year! I am passionate about how food, farming, and community intersect, and am so happy to be here!”

And Ash writes “This is my first year farming with 10th Street Farm! I have been farming on and off past 10 years and love being a part of our food systems! My passions are food accessibility for all and advocating for more farm workers and farmers! And getting food to lower income homes! I’m really enjoying working this season here and seeing all the amazing food and different ways we can grow food for folks! When I’m not at farm I’m hanging with my 2 cats and partner and his kiddos. Catch us swimming, camping, boating all the things you can fit in a Minnesota summer!  Thank you for your support of the farm and your local farmers.”

In addition to our full-time crew, we’re incredibly lucky to have our amazing transplant manager Tina returning for her third year and bringing her friendliness and wit to our greenhouse operation. Valerie is back for her second year helping out on Wednesdays, and workshares Joan, May, and Debbie help us with packing, harvesting, and weeding as well. And, of course, Hallie works hard all week in the kitchen (with an assist from Lisa), Jamie works tirelessly on the flower gardens, and Andy helps with anything that could potentially break and need fixing. We are truly grateful for the incredible community that makes this farm possible.

We promise not to be this long-winded every week, but it turns out there are quite a few farmers growing food for you here at 10th Street! If you know your farmers, you know your food is grown with love - so if you ever see us around the farm, please give us a wave or come say hi. It makes our day!

Have a knowledgeable week,

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

Please remember to bring your CSA bag back each week - we reuse them throughout the season!

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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.

Carrots: Our early carrots are sweet, crunchy, and oh so addicting! Store in your fridge.

Romaine Lettuce: Beautiful crisp lettuce heads. Great for everything from lettuce wraps to salads and sandwiches. Store in a bag in your fridge.

Farm Mix Salad Mix: A mix of red and green lettuce with just a splash of mustard greens. Delicious with just olive oil and salt, or dress it up! Store in a bag in your fridge.

Cauliflower: This early, green-stemmed cauliflower variety has a looser “curd” than traditional cauliflower, but stems that almost resemble broccoli. Tender and sweet, the whole thing is edible! 

Herbs: Your choice of an herb bunch - mint, rosemary, or basil.

Cucumber (half shares): Crunchy and refreshing, chop up for a salad, add to sandwiches or just eat raw! Store in a bag in your fridge.

Sugar Snap Peas (full shares): So tasty we can't keep them around for long. Easily added to anything for crunch and a bit of sweetness. Store in a bag in your fridge, if they make it that far.

Napa Cabbage (full shares): An asian cabbage that is fresh, crunchy, and delicious. Store in a bag in your fridge.

Salad Turnips (full shares): 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 a bag in your fridge.

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

What a great bag to kick off the summer. We are thrilled to have cauliflower, delicious carrots, and even peas and cucumbers! Even with a wonky spring, the veggies are looking amazing. We do our best to balance the bags throughout the season, so don’t worry if your share doesn’t have one of your faves - it’s likely coming soon!

If you’re new to the farm, the best advice we can offer is: microgreens go well with everything. On sandwiches, eggs, and pizza. In salads, tacos, and grain bowls. Or just on their own with a little oil and salt. YUM.

For full shares, we have napa cabbage in the bag this week - a Japanese cabbage variety known for crispy white bases and frilly green tops. Try it in a fresh salad with maple, soy, rice vinegar dressing. Or sauté it with garlic and sesame oil for a more umami take. That type of dressing would be great for a simple cucumber salad for half shares as well!

If you’re not huge on raw veggies or want to supercharge your microbiome, lacto-fermentation is a great technique for any root veggie like turnips or carrots.

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!