We had our first frost last night, and autumn is in the crisp, sunny air. The farm is beautiful in all of its fall colors. In the photo above, tomatoes and basil are still producing in deer field but several of the beds have already been winterized...they have been shredded, disked, and compost and Preparation 500 have been added. In the photo below, the greenhouse is the focus of attention, as it will remain all winter long with our wintering greens.

Happy Michaelmas

Bob, a friend of the farm, grew this massive pumpkin for our Michaelmas decoration!

Debbie and Robin facilitated the making of the stone soup with some hardworking assistants.Several folks applied the fields with Biodynamic Preparation 500.

Chevella, Jeromaya, and Alex picked carrots with character!

City of Lakes Second Grade

Thank You to all who made the farm visit wonderful!

The energetic second graders helped separate the garlic cloves in preparation for fall planting, saved pumpkin seeds for next year's crop, and fed the cows, chickens, and Burrito, the donkey. They braved the stormy skies and even the rain to participate in farm chores and hike to the waterfall and prairie. Thank you for a fun, productive day!

Small Wonders IV

Walking Stick

Horn worm found while weeding strawberries

Flowers in the morning dew

Steamed Brussel Sprouts

An easy recipe that showcases the flavor of Brussel sprouts.

Ingredients
Brussel sprouts
Butter

Procedure
Cut tough ends off the sprouts and remove loose outer leaves. With a knife, make a little cross in the end to help the sprouts cook more evenly. Steam for 5-10 minutes until just tender, but do not overcook! Serve with a pat of butter.

Eggplant Info

Beet Soup

Yield: 4-6 Servings

One of our members loves this recipe from the Asparagus to Zucchini Cookbook.

Ingredients
1 large onion, chopped
olive oil
vegetable or chicken stock
4 large beets, cubed
1 large potato, cubed
other vegetables: celery spinach, carrots, kale, chard, etc, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
plain yogurt

Procedure
Saute onion for a few minutes in olive oil in a large pot. Add the other vegetables (except leafy green which would be added near the end) and saute until fragrant. Add stock and simmer until vegetables are tender. Add salt and pepper and serve each bowl with a generous portion of yogurt in the center of the soup.

Beet and Onion Salad

This easy salad is a mainstay at the farm.

Ingredients
1 pound beets
2 tablespoons lemon juice or your favorite vinegar
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
5-6 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large onion, sliced thin
herb of your choice

Procedure

1. Set a pot of water to boil that is large enough to cover the beets. Cook beets in simmering water until they are tender, but not soft.
2. While beets are cooking, prepare salad dressing. Combine lemon juice or vinegar, salt and pepper, mustard, and honey. Whisk in olive oil.
3. Drain beets and remove their skins if they easily slide off. Let cool briefly and then slice thin. Combine with salad dressing while they are still warm.
4. Add onions just before serving so that they can retain their contrasting color. Garnish with the herb of your choice.
   

Roasted Ratatouille

This versatile summer recipe is always a flavorful hit. Serve over rice, with pasta, as a topping for quiche or omelets, as a pizza sauce...the options are endless. The ingredients can be used in any combination or quantities.

Ingredients
2 onions, chopped
olive oil
1 large eggplant, cubed
1 zucchini, sliced
1 green pepper, diced
5 tomatoes, chopped (optional to peel and seed them)
3 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
fresh basil for garnish

Procedure
Preheat oven to 35o. Saute the onions, eggplant, zucchini, green pepper, and tomatoes separately in a generous amount of olive oil and then combine with the garlic and thyme on a baking sheet. Bake uncovered for about an hour. Season with salt, pepper, and fresh basil.

Michaelmas, Sunday,Sept 27th

Michaelmas Festival at Philadelphia Community Farm Sunday, September 27 from 3-7:00 PM
By Deborah Dornemann

Welcome community members and friends to Philadelphia Farm’s annual celebration of the harvest and honoring the courageous deeds of Archangel Michael! The festival includes garden and craft activities, gathering and chopping vegetables for a "stone soup", music (perhaps dancing), a powerful Michaelmas play, and a potluck meal. Please bring your own plates, bowls, and silverware and a dish to share. Soup, bread and beverages will be provided. If you haven’t been out to “the farm” yet now is the perfect time. The gardens are beautiful, the waterfall continues its peaceful flow, and the people and animals have open hearts eager to meet you. The address is 599 280th Street, Osceola, WI 54020 or call 715-294-4048 for more information or directions. Autumn blessings!

Images of September

Mornings are foggier

Sunbeams are dramatically pronounced

Production in the fields is tapering down and Roland prepares them for winter

The view as walking up to the fields!

Carrot Information

The rest of the large carrots were harvested this weekend to be carefully stored in our root cellar for use all winter long. We still have two more beds of smaller carrots that we'll harvest later in the season. More on carrots later!

Chocolate Beet Cake

Yield: 10-12 Servings

Accumulating beets? This moist cake can win the hearts of those who don't even like beets! It comes from the Farmer John's Cookbook and is recommended by garden members.

Ingredients
oil and flour for preparing the cake pan
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup canola oil
3 eggs
1 and 3/4 cup sugar
2 cups pureed cooked beets (about 3 medium beets)
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
powdered sugar

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Lightly coat a 10-cup Bundt pan or two loaf pans with oil and dust with flour.
2. Partially fill the bottom of a double boiler with water and bring to a boil over high heat; reduce to a simmer. Put the chocolate and 1/4 cup of the oil in the top of the double boiler. Heat just until the chocolate melts; remove from heat and stir until well combined.
3. Combine the eggs and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Slowly beat in the remaining 3/4 cup oil, chocolate mixture, beets and vanilla.
4. Sift the all-purpose flour and whole-wheat pastry flour into a large bowl. Stir in the baking soda and salt. Gently stir the flour mixture into the egg and chocolate mixture just until flour is mixed in. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
5. Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes for the Bundt or 25 minutes in the loaf pan. Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes.
6. Carefully remove the cake from the pan and let cool on the rack. When completely cool, dust with powdered sugar.
   

Grated Beet Salad with Cilantro and Cumin

Yield: 4-6 servings

This salad can be served raw or barely blanched. If blanching, dip the beets briefly in salted boiling water, drain, and towel dry.

Ingredients
1 clove garlic, minced
salt
zest and juice of two limes
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/3 cup olive oil
1 pound beets, grated
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Procedure
Combine garlic, salt, lime zest and juice, cumin, and coriander in a bowl. Whisk to combine. Whisk in oil until desired consistency and taste is desired. Combine with grated beets and cilantro.

Standing Cedars Fall Work Days

The Standing Cedars Community Land Conservancy hosts fall volunteer work days to clear invasive trees and shrubs, pick seeds, and spread native seeds.

Saturday, September 26
Saturday, October 24
Saturday, November 7

Meet at the parking lot near 20th Ave and 280th St in Osceola at 9 AM. Bring your lawn rakes and expect to get dirty!

Potato Harvest--Complete

A big Thank You to all who helped with the potato harvest!

We started harvesting potatoes around 8:30 am when the rain tapered off. A few showers sprinkled during the first hour of harvest, followed by a rainbow. Roland took the tractor through with an improvised potato digger, and then everyone else followed behind picking up the exposed potatoes and digging with pitch forks to find the remaining ones.

Many hands make light work!In total we harvested over 4,300 pounds of potatoes, finishing today what we didn't complete on Friday. Here's to potatoes for the fall and winter!

Fall CSA Shares Available

Enjoying the farm's biodynamic bounty of summer?
Wishing it could continue through the fall?

Philadelphia Community Farm
Fall CSA Shares Available

Fall vegetables include:
potatoes, onions, garlic, winter squash, brussel sprouts,
Jerusalem artichokes, leeks, kale, celeriac,
beets, and possibly carrots and greens

Five deliveries in October-December

Contact the farm for more information: 715-755-4690
sarah_philadelphiacommunityfarm@hotmail.com