Kristen's Story of Growth

Hello Kindred Spirits,

I’m so excited to have the opportunity to introduce myself to all of you! I was an intern at The Farm at Kindred Ground last spring semester and a volunteer this semester. I haven't been able to meet many of you, but I think community is the most important part of the CSA model, so even if we don’t get to meet face to face, here is a little bit more about me:

I grew up in Queensbury, NY near Lake George at the base of the Adirondack Mountains. My mom always took my brother and me to the Farmer’s Market after school when we were younger and I loved soaking in the colors and flavors. When I was a freshman in high school one of the vendors offered me a job as an assistant seller, so every week I helped unload the van of veggies and sell at the market. I loved meeting all different kinds of people and selling them healthy, local produce.

Last year an opportunity came up through the Sociology Department for me to intern at The Farm at Kindred Ground and it seemed like the perfect fit. It was great to break away from school on Fridays to enjoy a day of work in the field. I learned so much from Tammy and worked to order the seeds that have grown into your bountiful shares, prep beds for planting and spread the word about the CSA. When I found out how much Tammy loved growing herbs, I proposed that we create an herb spiral (a concept that I learned while I was studying Permaculture in Brazil a few years ago). It was fun to see my creativity come to life on the farm. 

I was sad to leave in May, but another adventure awaited me in Vermont. I worked at Foggy Meadow Farm in Benson, Vermont from May to August. This four acre organic vegetable farm grows food for four Farmer’s Markets, three CoOps and  two restaurants. I worked with three other young, enthusiastic interns from New England. It was interesting learning how to grow on such a large scale. I helped build a greenhouse, seed lettuce, transplant cabbage, harvest beets and sell at market (to name a few tasks!). I had a great experience (and learned to cook pretty well!).

Now I’m a Junior Geography major and Environmental Studies minor at SUNY Geneseo. I’m interested in creating sustainable food systems that are good for the environment and provide healthy and nutritious food to all people. I’m hoping to work for a non-profit that organizes community gardening projects in urban areas. I think the CSA model is so powerful because you forge a relationship with the farmer, with each other and with the land on which your food is grown. Thanks for choosing local and supporting the dream of Kindred Ground! I hope to be able to meet some of you soon.

In community,

Kristen Balschunat

Cherry Tomatoes: So Sweet

 

Pasta Pizzazz

Tonight we:

1. sauteed diced green peppers, diced onions, and sliced cherry tomatoes in margarine. 

2. boiled water, cooked and drained pasta. 

3. mixed it all together. 

Dinner, in three easy steps! Delicious, fresh, and ready in 20 minutes! Perfecto!

Breakfast!

This is going to be delicious!

Green Beans for Thanksgiving

We love fresh green beans in the summer! 

We also love eating those fresh green beans in the winter! 

Thank you Jennifer and Cynthia for teaching us how to preserve our bounty!

Sneak Peek!

Oh how proud Rebecca Estelle would be:

!. What is your favorite pumpkin book?

2. What will you do with the pumpkins in your share this year?

Week Eight!

Welcome to Week Eight of our 2012 Season! The harvest is full and bountiful. We hope you are enjoying your weekly shares and are discovering many new flavors, textures, and recipes as you prepare your vegetables and herbs. Please be sure to send us your photos and recipes to share!

This week's newsletter is in your in boxes! We have some exciting changes happening around The Farm at Kindred Ground and look forward to your feedback!

Have a good week!

Name This Chicken!

 

Help us name our chicks! We still have three without names! They are getting bigger, bolder, and enjoying farm life! What do you think we should call this sweet chick?

Compost Here!

Do you want to compost, but don’t have the space, the garden needs, or energy? We can help! Kindred Ground Farm is excited to announce we will happily take your compost materials weekly. You can simply save them and bring them to the farm during pick ups on Mondays or Thursdays from 4pm – 7pm.

If we do this together we can reduce material in landfills and increase the nutrients in the soil of Kindred Ground Farm. By helping to make our soil even more nutrient rich we will likely see increased crop yields which means more food in weekly shares!

This is a great opportunity for both Kindred Ground Farm and our shareholders. You can bring as much or as little as you want. You can bring it weekly or once a month. We recommend saving it in air tight containers outside until you bring it to the farm.

If you have any questions please ask. We look forward to this new endeavor with you!

Things to compost are:

·                 Animal Manure (not pet waste)

·                 Cardboard Rolls

·                 Coffee Grounds and Filters

·                 Cotton Rags (clean)

·                 Dryer and Vacuum Cleaner Lint

·                 Fireplace Ashes (not from black walnut wood)

·                 Fruits and Vegetables

·                 Grass Clippings

·                 Hair and Fur

·                 Hay and Straw

·                 Houseplants

·                 Leaves

·                 Sawdust

·                 Shredded Newspaper

·                 Tea Bags

·                 Wood Chips

·                 Wool Rags (clean)

·                 Clean Yard Trimmings (no chemicals at all)

Things to NOT compost:

·                 Black walnut tree leaves or twigs

o                Releases substances that might be harmful to plants

·                 Coal or charcoal ash

o                Might contain substances harmful to plants

·                 Dairy products (e.g., butter, milk, sour cream, yogurt) and eggs

o                Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies

·                 Diseased or insect-ridden plants

o                Diseases or insects might survive and be transferred back to other plants

·                 Fats, grease, lard, or oils

o                Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies

·                 Meat or fish bones and scraps

o                Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies

·                 Pet wastes (e.g., dog or cat feces, soiled cat litter)

o                Might contain parasites, bacteria, germs, pathogens, and viruses harmful to humans

·                 Yard trimmings treated with chemical pesticides

o                Might kill beneficial composting organisms

Compost dos and don'ts from the EPA.

For Love of the Field

You've heard of speed dating, but have you heard of Weed Dating? Farmers get their fields weeded and singles have the opportunity to meet new people in three minute summits. Perhaps, not quite a summit, but a brief meeting while weeding. Quite literally a way to weed out the field and weed out Mr. or Mrs. Wrong!

Several farms around the nation have hosted Weed Dating events over the last couple of years. Much like traditional speed dating (whoever thought “traditional” and “speed dating,” would be in the same phrase?) females are assigned a specific spot and the males rotate through meeting, greeting, and quickly conversing. Only instead of chatting over beverages, couples chat while weeding the vegetable beds.

It is an interesting idea and has a lot of potential in this day of rushing everywhere. What do you think? Should Kindred Ground Farm move into the match making business in a few years?

If you, like we did initially, doubt the authenticity of Weed Dating, visit MSNBC to read more about it!

Check Your In-Box

Your weekly Kindred Ground Farm Newsletter will be popping into your in-box shortly! Let us know what you think of this week's recipes, what you might plan to cook this week, if you "make the switch," and if you plan to buy eggs!

New Vegetables

Expect green beans in this coming weeks or next weeks share! They started budding this week! The rain should help them along!

Sunny Sunflower!

 

Check Your In-Box!

The Kindred Ground Farm weekly newsletter is hitting in-boxes momentarily! Check out News from the Farm for lots of updates, reader recipes (Yum!), and more!

See you soon!

Pop Quiz!

What’s green on the outside, red on the outside, has black seeds, and tastes juicy, sweet, and just like summer?

Watermelon!

The watermelons are growing folks!

Recipes Sought

Dear Shareholders,

Thank you for being a part of our 2012 Season! It is so exciting to have met all our new shareholders these last two weeks and to reconnect with returning shareholders! Your enthusiasm and excitement brings me much joy!

I hope you are having fun with your vegetables and herbs! Many of you have shared that some of these veggies and herbs are new to you and your families! I know it can be overwhelming and daunting to leave with a bag of never seen before green things! However, so many of you are telling me about your delicious creations! You are being bold, creative, and making excellent, healthy food!

Will you please take a few minutes and share your recipes with us? We have recipe cards and pens at each pick up or you can email us at kindredgroundfarm@gmail,com (with photos too if you have them!). We will use the recipes in upcoming newsletters or post them here. (Hint, hint: we have a yummy recipe from Meg in the next newsletter for Quiche using three ingredients from the share!).

Thank you for being part of our community! See you soon! Happy Independence Day! Have a wonderful day celebrating and be safe!

Fondly,

Tammy 

Minty Monday, Anyone?

 

Swiss Chard Ribs - Eat Them!!

 

Opening Day

It’s here, it’s here, it’s here! Welcome to the 2012 Season of Kindred Ground Farm’s Community Supported Agriculture! We are so happy to share our farm and harvests with you! While we are working in the fields we have plenty of time to reflect on our community. We are honored you have chosen to invest your hard earned dollars in Kindred Ground Farm. We are honored that as you prepare meals this summer and autumn much of your food will come from our hands and fields. We are honored to be in this community with you. There is much we cannot control in life, especially on a farm. We don’t have any say in how much sun, rain, or bugs there are in any season. We don’t have any power to control the temperature, humidity, or barometric pressures. We do however, have the power to control how much effort we put into planting, weeding, learning, and harvesting. Each day we work hard for you. We spend time learning new ways to be sustainable, new ways to grow crops with less interference from pests without using chemicals, new ways to harvest for maximum yields. We carefully select locations for each crop to take advantage of soil depth, sunlight, drainage, and nutrients of the soil. We learn from our mistakes and take pride in growing a bountiful harvest. We are excited to begin our weekly shares with you! As you pick up your vegetables and fruits this season, please ask questions. Please share your recipes. Please make suggestions. Please be a part of our community. Together we are growing our meals!

How Do We Eat Garlic Scapes?

 

Have you eaten garlic scapes before? They are a seasonal delicacy, only available for a short time, but worth the wait from year to year.

According to Wise Geek, “The garlic scape serves as the stem from which the seed head of the garlic bulb is formed. As the bulb begins to grow and mature, garlic stalks also begin to lengthen. During the growth period, the garlic scape begins to curve. Contained within the garlic scape is a great deal of flavor, although the stalk never does reach the level of the pungent garlic bulb itself. Initially, the garlic scape is relatively tender, making it ideal for use as an ingredient in several dishes. As the plant continues to mature, the garlic scape gradually begins to straighten, creating more support for the bulb. At this juncture, the garlic scape is much tougher and ceases to be usable for most recipes.”

We will have garlic scapes in our shares this week and possibly next week as well. Use these early in the week to get the best flavor in your dishes. If you need some ideas for these delicious treats keep reading!

 o Slice garlic scapes and add to tossed salad.
 o Slice garlic scapes, sauté them in olive oil, and mix with cooked vegetables.
 o Slice garlic scapes, sauté them in olive oil, add some white wine and cream, stirring and heating through.  
Toss over cooked pasta or chicken with fresh green peas.
 o Slice garlic scapes, dice tomatoes and onions, mix together. Toast your favorite hearty bread and spread with olive oil. Place spoonfuls of the vegetable mix on top for quick and easy Bruschetta.
o Substitute garlic scapes in any recipe that calls for fresh garlic for a lighter, milder, yet delicious flavor! 

Enjoy!

Where To Find Us

The Avon Farmers Market begins today from 3pm-6pm in the Tops Plaza on Main Street. We will start selling our fresh produce at the Market next Wednesday June 27^th.  If you find you need more delicious vegetables and fruits than you expected, please stop by to visit us. If you make an outstanding dish or meal using produce from your weekly share and are in town on Wednesdays, please stop by to tell us all about it! If you just want to visit with us, we would love to see you!

We will also be selling produce at the Geneseo Farmers Market this year! We are excited to be expanding into Geneseo and hope you can stop by if you are in the area! The Geneseo Farmers Market is located at Center Street at Main Street. The Market is open from 3pm-6pm on Thursdays. We will be there beginning next week, June 28^th.

Weekly shares will be available for pickup beginning June 25^th as follows:

--Kindred Ground Farm on Mondays and Thursdays from 4pm – 7pm

--Penfield (location TBA) on Tuesdays from 3pm – 6pm

--Avon Farmers Market on Wednesdays from 3pm – 6pm

We will also be opening our Kindred Ground Farm Stand soon. The Farm Stand will be open 10am – 7pm everyday of the week. We are excited about the Farm Stand offering all of our harvest items to supplement shares and to sell to our community at large.

See you soon!