"We forget that nature is, quite simply, the universal continuum, ourselves inextricably included; it is that which mothered us into existence, which will outsurvive us, and from which we have learned our destiny."
- Theodore Roszak from "Where the Wasteland Ends."

What’s in the box this week:

CALENDAR


Sat. May 18 - Open Farm Day, 1pm - 5pm

Sat. Jun 22 - Summer Solstice Celebration 4pm - 10pm, with The Banana Slug String Band!

Sat/Sun Aug. 3&4 - Children’s Mini Camp,
10m Saturday - noon Sunday. Optional early arrival Friday night.


Sat. Sep 21 - Fall Equinox Celebration,
3pm - 9pm

Sat. Oct 26 - Halloween Pumpkin U-Pick,
all day

Welcome to Live Earth Farm’s Seasonal Symphony No. 7. This is our 7th growing season and the farm is burgeoning with the thrum and cadence of life. For the last few weeks I feel like the farm has turned into a music hall and all the players in the orchestra are tuning their instruments in preparation for the concert. The air is filled with birdsong and on the farm we have been busy preparing for the start of a new season. We are excited and a little nervous to once again pick up our instruments and surrender to the powerful and magical movement of Spring.

Every year I try to explore and share my thoughts on what Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) means. By creating a more direct relationship between you and the farm, it gives us -- including those of us who work the farm -- the opportunity to connect in a meaningful way to others who care (like we do) about the food we eat. Being part of a CSA gives us the opportunity to step outside of today’s ‘instant’ society, and to reconnect with our environment and the seasonal cycle of life. Through CSA you can experience how and where your food is grown, learn more about the complexities of providing this food and celebrate, together with the children of this community, the magic and wonders of nature we might otherwise forget. We believe it is through this type of cooperation, between farm and community, that a sustainable local food supply will become a reality.

What's Up on the Farm
The greenhouse is packed with seedlings ready to be transplanted into the freshly plowed fields which only a week ago were covered by a dense and lush stand of winter cover crops. The cover crops, together with our compost, are the cornerstones of a healthy soil. They nourish nature's fertility factory: soil microbes, which break down organic matter into nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, also provide a host of benefits to the structure and health of the soil such as adding organic matter, protecting the soil from erosion during the winter, and improving drainage. Our son David looks at the 5- to 6-foot-high cover crop and sees a wonderful playground. He loves to get lost in this almost impenetrable jungle of fava beans, peas, vetch and oats... chopping for hours to create a labyrinth of paths and secret hideouts.

Over the years the number of people who have visited the farm -- to experience the many possibilities and to connect with the land and receive its bountiful gifts -- has increased dramatically. In response, we have decided to remodel the barn this winter. This will provide much more room to host and facilitate community events such as our seasonal celebrations, workshops, mini-camps, school visits, retreats, field work days, farm dinners, and other activities such as canning, food drying and bread baking. We encourage your participation throughout the season to get involved in many of this year’s community activities (these will always be posted to the Live Earth Farm calendar). We welcome you to visit and get to know the farm, and to let us know if you are interested in helping out with many of our ongoing activities throughout the season.

Crop of the Week
Garlic. Known as "the stinking rose", it is indispensable in any kitchen. We have a beautiful stand of garlic between our pond and pear trees, bordered by colorful chard. Garlic is generally planted in October, to be harvested and dried about nine months later, at the beginning of summer. Green Garlic is harvested now through June, when its flavor is very delicate and sweet. Green Garlic looks very much like leeks -- lots of green stalk with a slightly bulbous white or rose-streaked root end. Over the course of the next two months you will be able to observe the individual cloves maturing amongst the many onion-like layers of the bulb. Young garlic has a very aromatic, mild, long flavor and blends beautifully with other vegetables and makes excellent purees, soups, sauces and fillings for pasta.

Member to Member Forum
Back again this year, our Member to Member Forum is designed for you, our CSA members. If you wish to communicate something to the rest of the membership, or start a dialog among members on some issue, you may use this forum to do so. Please submit your info to the editor (click here) by Monday 10am to get it into that week’s issue. Keep in mind that members don't receive newsletters until the following Wednesday and Saturday (if you're reporting on a timely event!).

We also welcome contributions to other parts of this newsletter. If you have an interesting story or something topical to share with the rest of us (such as last year's Pesticide Action Network and Solar Home Tour stories), we'd love to hear from you!

Notes from Debbie’s Kitchen . . . . . . . . Have a recipe you’d like to share? Contact the newsletter editor.

Hello to all you 'early-season' members and congratulations! Believe it or not, we sold out of the April share a few weeks ago, so those of you who signed up on time should give yourselves a pat on the back for your foresight. Here then are a few recipes to get you started with your first box of goodies! - Debbie.

Curried Yogurt Dip with Crisp Steamed Broccoli
serves 6
from Bon Appetit

(Start making this dip one day before you plan to serve it, since the yogurt needs to drain and thicken overnight.)

3 C plain nonfat yogurt
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
3 C broccoli florets

Line a strainer with double-thick layer of cheesecloth, extending over sides; set over deep bowl. Add yogurt to strainer. Chill overnight (liquid will drain from yogurt and yogurt will thicken). Transfer yogurt to a small bowl; discard liquid. Stir oil and garlic in small nonstick skillet over medium heat 30 seconds. Stir in curry powder. Whisk curry mixture into yogurt. Season with salt. Chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day. Steam broccoli until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Rinse under cold water. Chill until cold. Serve with dip.

Most-excellent Red Cabbage Salad
from Debbie's own brain

This is something I came up with during the farm's off-season. Ever on a mission for recipe ideas for this newsletter, I'd gotten some red cabbage and was trying to come up with some simple-quick and still tasty ways to prepare it. These flavors are evocative of Thai food (which I love!). Also, the colors are lovely: bright purple speckled with green (and the optional orange). I'm guessing on quantities, but these proportions should be okay:

1 small red cabbage, finely shredded
3 finely sliced scallions or spring onions
Several sprigs of fresh cilantro, minced
A handful of fresh mint leaves, minced
1 tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar (see note)
1 tsp. fish sauce

Toss all ingredients together and it's ready to serve! (You can refrigerate it for later if you like.) For added color and flavor, you could grate up a carrot and toss that in too, but it's optional.

Note: If you don't have 'seasoned' rice vinegar, add a pinch each of sugar and salt to regular rice vinegar.

*Click Here* for a link to a comprehensive listing of recipes from Live Earth Farm's newsletters going back as far as our 1998 season! You can search for recipes by harvest week OR by key ingredient. Recipe site is updated weekly.