Summer CSA Week 10 | Together, learning

Week 10: August 21 - August 24

Last night on the farm we held our second farmer potluck of the summer - a gathering of friends to share food, talk about the season, and learn about a topic relevant to our farms. It’s a practice we enjoyed on the first farm we worked at, and a great opportunity to spend time with fellow farmers and share knowledge with each other. Evenings like this get to the root of why we do what we do - learning about new methods, connecting with community, and collectively working to address challenges we might be facing. 

Yesterday’s conversation focused on the topic of “No Till,” or minimal tillage in small scale farms - essentially, the practices and principles that prioritize living soils and soil health. While the conventional image of a farm often involves large machinery turning over soil to plant row after row of a single crop, tractor cultivation can leave fields susceptible to erosion and increase reliance on synthetic chemicals to add fertility or protect against disease. On our small, human-scale farms, we follow minimal tillage practices to avoid those negatives.

Hearing how other similarly-minded farms reduce tillage helps us fine-tune our practices and ensure we’re doing everything we can to keep our soils vibrant and our veggies healthy. Last night we talked about keeping a wide variety of living roots in the ground to feed the soil microbiome, using tarps rather than plows to eliminate weeds without disturbing the underground ecosystem, and minimizing run-off and nutrient loss by preserving soil structure. In other words, we nerded out about small-scale agriculture and how it can become part of a healthy ecosystem with likeminded folks who speak the same language.

Farming can sometimes feel like an isolating adventure. Our day-to-day work in the fields doesn’t resemble that of many of our peers. We don’t take long vacations in the summer. We have more weather apps on our phones than the average millennial. So reminding ourselves that we are surrounded by other farmers growing great food for their communities and trying similar things is incredibly important. Small-scale regenerative farming may only be a tiny sliver in the pie of American agriculture, but we are not doing this alone. Nights like last night help us celebrate and advance the incredible work being done on small patches of land all over the state, country, and globe. And as a related side note: if you’re venturing beyond 10th Street Farm, check out what our farm friends are growing: amazing, accessible veggies at Cimarron Community Farm in Lake Elmo; beautiful veggies, flowers and farm dinners at California Street Farm in Northeast Minneapolis, sustainable flowers at Vessel of Posies in North Minneapolis, and amazing grass-fed beef at Stormy Creek Farm in New Ulm!

Have an inspiring week (with minimal tillage),

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

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In Your Bag This Week

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.

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 an airtight bag or container in your fridge.

Walla Walla Onions: Sweet onions ready for fresh eating or caramelizing! Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.

Zucchini: A summer staple that’s delicious sautéed, grilled, or baked. Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.

Cucumbers: Crunchy and refreshing, chop up for a salad, add to sandwiches or just eat raw! Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.

Peppers: Sweet peppers are amazing raw, with dips, or added to a skillet or grill. Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.

Garlic: Our first garlic of the year! The best cooking advice we ever received? When a recipe calls for a clove of garlic, use two or three! Store on your counter.

Carrots (full shares): These carrots are sweet, crunchy, and oh so addicting! Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.

Full shares get all three, half shares choose two of the following:

Cantaloupe: This “Hannah’s Choice” variety of cantaloupes is the perfect snack. (Wait until they smell delicious before cutting them open for full flavor.) Store in your fridge.

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!

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

The State Fair starts this weekend - maybe put your cucumber on a stick? Or turn your Walla Walla into a blooming onion? Or perhaps it’s better to just treat the veggies as a fried food detox if you do make it out to the Great Minnesota Get Together. A fresh cantaloupe and cucumber salad sounds about right for a cleansing but satisfying dish.

If you’re feeling slightly more indulgent, this garlic butter zucchini recipe has our mouth watering. And we’re definitely going to make these cold and crunchy green beans with sesame shallot vinaigrette. Yum. And when all else fails, it’s hard to beat a thick slice of tomato with fresh microgreens on a slice of toast or bagel with cream cheese.

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!