Summer Shares Still Available.

The Philadelphia Community Farm has a few summer shares still available. If you find yourself talking about your veggie box with family and friends and notice someone who is interested in becoming a garden member:

Our summer CSA season runs from now until October 15 and includes a full range of over 40 different vegetables and herbs as they come into season. We deliver to nine drop sites in the Twin Cities and St. Croix Valley.

For more information, please contact Sarah, the CSA Coordinator at 715-755-4690 or sarah_philadelphiacommunityfarm@hotmail.com.

---

Hot Summer Days

Wow, what a warm week! We spent the morning harvesting, rushing the vegetables into the shade, dunking them in cold water, and placing them in the cooler immediately. If you find that any of your greens are starting to wilt by the time you pick them up, often a 15 minute soak in cold water will perk them back up since everything is packed so fresh.

The photo below shows our new washing station. Some of the vegetables get washed in the grey tub, this cool dunk also reduces field heat. It is amazing how warm the vegetables feel when they come in from the garden. Other vegetables are washed on the wire table with a sprayer. Some air dry before going in the cooler, some are swished through the air by hand, and the loose greens are put in the washing machine's spin cycle.

The photo above shows our packing station where we distribute the veggies. Notice that the tables are low enough for even the shortest of us to peer in the boxes!

Check for new recipes tomorrow as I will try to post some new ones for this week!

St. John's Festival on Sunday, June 21 from 3-7 pm

All are welcome to join us for this annual event featuring a bird walk on our prairie and woodlands, crafts, music, biodynamic preps making, and a potluck supper. A traditional bonfire concludes the event. We will provide a beverage. Please bring your own plates, utensils and a main dish to share.

The farm is located at 599 280th Street, Osceola, WI 54020. Check out the map for directions to the farm.

Small Wonders III

Summer Sustainability Pre-College Program

In the photo above, Dan teaches about compost before giving students the opportunity to turn the compost pile. About 20 students from Hayward School spent three days on the farm while participating in the sustainability-focused program. On Wednesday they took a tour of the farm, visited Buttermilk Falls, dusk walked in Tewksbury to watch the sunset, and sang ecology-related songs at the campfire. On Thursday and Friday, they participated in group initiatives, learned about CSA farms, our biodynamic practices and prairie restoration, and worked alongside the farmers with educational service learning projects that included mulching potatoes, wrangling Colorado Potato Beetles, and de-rocking the garden beds. We enjoyed their visit!

Thank you CTEP Americorps!

The Community Technology Empowerment Americorps Program visited the farm on Friday. With 25 extra sets of hands on the farm, we tackled some big projects like mulching the potatoes, wrangling potato beetles, planting the flower beds, moving the sheep to new pastures, and weeding. We also set aside some time for a fabulous lunch prepared by Robin and a visit to Buttermilk Falls to cool down after a hard day of work.

Welcome to our new blog!

Today is another sunny day in early June, despite the dark clouds surrounding our fields in the photo above. I'm hoping that the dreary photo inspires some type of damp precipitation in the near future to soak our dry land!

Rhubarb Information

The edible portion of the rhubarb plant is the brightly red-colored, celery-like stalk. The leaves are poisonous and have caused deaths...you will ONLY receive rhubarb stalks, not the poisonous leaves, in your CSA boxes!

Health Benefits
Rhubarb is sour, astringent, and cooling which makes it an excellent food for detoxifying. It also relieves constipation. It is high in vitamins C and A, and in potassium.

Uses
Rhubarb is generally washed, coarsely chopped, and stewed or boiled with your sweetner of choice. It can be used in compotes, tarts, pies, dessert sauces, and jams. Be sure to use your rhubarb within a few days before it wilts, but it has been known to perk back up if placed in cold water.

Spinach Information

Spinach belongs to the same family as beets and chard.

Health Benefits
Spinach is incredibly nutrient-dense. It is an excellent source of vitamin K, carotenes, vitamin C, and folic acid. It is also a very good source of manganese, magnesium, iron, calcium, and vitamin B2. In addition, spinach is a good source of vitamins B6, E, and B1.

Historically, spinach was regarded as a plant with remarkable abilities to restore energy, increase vitality, and improve the quality of blood. It supports the functions of the large intestine, stomach, and liver. It moistens, quenches thirst, supports vision (because it contains lutein), and can ease constipation. Spinach is also one of the most alkaline-producing foods, making it useful in helping to regulate body pH.

Because spinach contains a large amount of oxalic acid, people prone to kidney stones or gall stones are advised to eat it sparingly. An ayurvedic remedy for a chronic cough is to eat spinach soup seasoned with ginger two times a day on an empty stomach.

Uses
Wash spinach well because the leaves and stems tend to collect sand and soil. A fool-proof way to wash them is to place them in a bowl of water and swish the leaves around to dislodge the dirt. Remove the leaves from the water before draining the water so that the dirt does not get poured back over them. Repeat until the wash water is free of dirt.

• Use raw spinach in salads.
• Lightly saute in olive oil and garlic. Sprinkle with lemon juice before serving.
• Add layers of spinach to lasagna recipes
• Use spinach leaves as garnishes for sandwiches

Scallion Information

Scallions, also known as green onions and spring onions, are the immature stem and bulb of an onion. The bulb and leaves are eaten most frequently, but the stringy rootlets are also edible and are a concentrated source of minerals and flavor.

Health Benefits
The scallion has antifungal and antimicrobial effects, but to a lesser degree than its onion relatives. They are a very good source of vitamins A,C, and B6, biotin, chromium, folic acid, and dietary fiber. They also contain some calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Scallions have been valued as a digestive aid.

Uses
The scallion bulb and leaves are frequently sliced thin and used to garnish a wide array of dishes. Scallions are also frequent ingredients in salads, soups, and stir-fries.

Storage
Scallions should be stored in a perforated bag in the refrigerator, where they will keep for about a week. All onions should be stored away from potatoes because they absorb the ethylene gas from the potatoes causing them to spoil sooner.

Ray

Joelle

Brian

Anna

Kohlrabi Information

Kohlrabi means cabbage turnip in German and it was a key staple in eastern Europe until the potato became popular. The part of the plant that is most commonly eaten is the thickened portion of the stem. This round knob has a mild, sweet cabbage or cucumber flavor, a radish like bite and a crisp juicy texture.

Health Benefits
Kohlrabi improves energy circulation and eases stagnancy. It helps stabilize blood sugar imbalances and is an excellent source of vitamin C and potassium.

Uses
Kohlrabi goes well with white sauces, tomatoes, cream, cheese, chives and parsley. It is usually peeled, unless it is very small, and can be eaten raw or cooked. Common uses include...

• shredded in salads or coleslaw
• raw and sliced thin for a vegetable tray
• steamed and served with butter, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste
• or stir-fried, baked, braised, roasted, added to soups, etc.
  

Cabbage

Small Wonders

Dragon fly in the hoophouse

Wolf Spider?

?

Spider with an egg sack found in the compost while students were turning it!