Summer CSA week 7
It is getting hot in here…
☀️ don’t run a bunch of errands between CSA pick up and your house
☀️ bring a cooler and a cold pack
This week’s email is written by Mary
Mary is one of our Apprentice Farmers this summer.
Where are you from?
I’m originally from Great Falls, Montana, and have lived in 6 different states from the East to West Coast over the years, prior to landing here in Central Oregon.
How did you find yourself at Rainshadow?
After 10 years in the medical field, I found myself quite burned out with my previous job. The burnout and dissatisfaction coupled with the harsh reality of watching the health of the pediatric population I was working with decline, led me to explore other ways to be in service of my community. Along the way, on my own journey back to health, my husband, Mike and I decided to purchase a meat and veggie CSA from Rainshadow. Signing up for the CSA completely changed the way I eat, cook, feel, and engage with the community and team of farmers that grow the food we eat. I was inspired to be part of the team that feeds our community nourishing food, nurtures the land they work on, farms with practices that support the health of the whole ecosystem and have fun in the process.
What is your goal for the season?
As I immerse myself in this farm full of abundance, lessons, and hard work, I hope to walk away knowing that I’ve made a positive contribution to re-building the health of the whole, from soil, to person, to planet, all while doing something that I wholeheartedly believe in.
Where do you find your inspiration?
I find my inspiration outdoors, in the natural world. Watching a landscape come back to life after a forest fire beautifully showcases the cycle of life, and is a reminder of the power of deep transformation, the promise of new growth and the importance of persistence.
What do you like to do when you aren’t farming?
I spend a lot of time outside, whether it’s in my own garden, mountain biking, or spending time with my family and dog. When I’m not outdoors I’m in the kitchen baking bread, or experimenting with new dishes using the seasonal ingredients from Rainshadow. Thanks for following along and being part of this community!
Farm News
Hi Everyone!
It’s a real treat to come at this email from a different perspective this year! My husband Mike and I have enjoyed being Rainshadow CSA members for a number of years. Now, as an apprentice on the farm this summer, I have the opportunity to share my take on the many goings on, on the farm from a different point of view!
Signing up for the rigorous apprenticeship program, I knew I was in for a summer of hard work, learning and of expanding my skill set with all the tools necessary to embark on my own farming journey. As the season has kick started and I’ve settled into the groove, I’ve been blown away at the depth and breadth of what I am learning, of course related to farming, but also related to life. There are many lessons to be learned, and mother nature is a wonderful teacher for those who pay attention.
This week began with a big weeding mission in the 25 acre. Our beets and carrots which were seeded a month or so ago were being crowded out by weeds, weeds competing for nutrients, water, sunlight, all slowing down the growth of our crops. With diligence and patience we pulled every week by hand, careful not to uproot any of the roots. It’s funny where your mind will take you when you’re 4 hours into a weeding mission, not close to 1/2 way done and still quietly plugging away. For me, this is often where the nuggets of wisdom from Mother Nature arise.
With composting as the topic of discussion for our lunch time farm lesson this week, I began thinking about all of the weeds that we were throwing into the pathways decomposing and feeding the soil, which would then feed the crops, which would photosynthesize with the help of the sun and air and then ultimately feed us.
On the farm there is a beautiful cycle of giving and receiving that spans across multiple organisms and species. The plants receive from the sun, air, water, soil and hands of the farmers, and they also give to the soil, the air, the pigs, the compost pile and back to the famers and community. The pigs receive from the water, the air, the plants and the hands of the farmers and they give to the soil, the plants and the people that they feed.
Reflecting on the diversity of this cycle, the multiple layers of giving and receiving that span across such a wide range of organisms and species, I took pause at the thought of how humans participate in this cycle. By and large, the majority of humans receive abundance from the Earth and the other species inhabiting her, while unfortunately often giving only between the same species, human to human. Thus, breaking the cycle of giving and receiving between all.
I pondered the actions one could take to align with the more expansive cycle of giving and receiving, and I landed on tending to the land, feeding the soil, weeding and composting, taking care of the animals, growing food to feed the community, all the while, nurturing my mind, body and soul with the sun, fresh air, laughter and abundance of nourishing food that is Rainshadow Organics. Farming, go figure 🙂
I know I am in the right place.
~ Mary Herr
Top Pic: Weeding beets in the big field. A number of hours later, you can finally see the beets! The green matter on the ground will decompose and feed the soil, the microbes and then the plants that will grow there next. Photo Credit: Mary Herr
Next Pic: Our pollinators hard at work. They play a critical role in the cycle of giving and receiving on the farm. Without them, we have no food! Photo Credit: Mary Herr
Final Pic: Here, we are in early May, using the mechanical transplanter to efficiently get all of the lettuce head starts into the ground. These are the lettuces you’ve been enjoying the past 3 weeks in your veggie CSA!
Photo Credit: Natalie Leder
Veggie CSA
Every week, we include this section with what we think will be coming out of our fields and hoop houses for the CSA pick up. Keep in mind, that we send this email on Monday just as we start harvesting for the week. That means this is a guess/estimation/extrapolation of what we think we are seeing in the fields. Sometimes we are spot on, but other times we are not.
Harvest List will probably include:
asian greens & napa cabbage
green onions
dinosaur kale
head lettuce, salad mixes
rhubarb
radishes & salad turnips
kohlrabi
beets
zucchini
cucumber
chard
peas
thyme, lovage, lemon balm, parsley, chives, oregano, mint, marjoram
fennel
broccoli
Meat CSA
Each week we will let you know what you can expect in your meat CSA. Occasionally (although we try very hard for this not to happen), we do the math wrong and your CSA might look different then what is here. Embrace the surprise, we really tried not to have that happen.
Check the links below and the Wednesday email for recipe ideas and more information.
Small Meat CSA:
1 package chuck roast (this is a low and slow or pressure cooker cut!)
1 package bone-in pork chops
+/- 2 packages ground beef
Medium Meat CSA:
1 package chuck roast (this is a low and slow or pressure cooker cut!)
1 package bacon
1 pork arm roast (this is a low and slow or pressure cooker cut)
1 quart chicken broth
+/- 2 packages ground beef
Large Meat CSA:
2 packages chuck roast (this is a low and slow or pressure cooker cut!)
2 package bacon
1 pork arm roast (this is a low and slow or pressure cooker cut)
2 packages boneless chops
1 quart chicken broth
+/- 2 packages ground beef
We harvest all week to bring all of these fresh veggies to you on market day! This week we just about filled the entire trailer with food, and believe it or not, the veggie tsunami isn’t even here yet! Here Nat is spraying down freshly harvested veg. This takes the heat off them and keeps them fresh and crisp.
