Fall 2025 CSA Newsletter - December 9, 2025 (Week 5)
Howdy Folks,
If you notice little seeds in your kale, spinach or lettuce. They are not bugs. This is rye seed that we seeded over these plants with intentions for the seed to fall to the ground. Yet not all seeds make it to the earth. Some of the seeds get caught in the leaves of the plants we are trying to underseed. See we are driving through the fields with a broadcast seeder. We use this seeder to spread seed as well as fertilizer, over a wide arc of ground. The point of undersowing plants is that when these late plantings of greens are planted, we still need to care for the ground surrounding this plant. We plant after the main cash crop is established as we need the plant to have the necessary nutrients to establish itself without competition. Then once it is established with deep roots and significany leaf growthh it can manage to the competition. The rye that is able to make landfall from the spreader germinates and begins to grow in the fall, but really doesn’t make a lot of growth until the spring, when it really takes off. These fields that have fall plantings usually don’t have spring plantings. Unless they are in the hoophouses. Only recently have we begun to undersow covercrops in our hoophouses that house our very late fall plantings. The soil is super grateful! The undersown crops hold the soil around the base of the fall cash crop. We harvest all the cash crops and then the undersown rye has the winter to slowly keep growing in the hoophouses. Which is does very nicely on the warm days. As the hoophouses on sunny days can reach 80º. Amazing right! Long 50’x300’ tunnels with plants growing in the ground the heat retention is amazing. We have spinach, swiss chard, choi sum, escarole, head lettuce,and kale still in these tunnels. We will harvest these until the end of our season.
Last night was the coldest night yet this fall. We dipped down to 2.3º! Burr!
Love and Light! Enjoy great food with family and friends.
Your Farmers, Chris, Aeros and The Who Crew!
When picking up your share…
Please remember to fold down your boxes and place them with the others to help keep your pick up location tidy and organized. This is a very different kind of box than your normal brown cardboard box, it’s a waxed produce box, HERE IS A LINK TO A FACEBOOK PAGE VIDEO SHOWING YOU HOW TO OPEN AND FLATTEN THIS BOX.
IN YOUR BOX:
All contents of your box are listed on your LABEL! If your label says something other than you think it should, please don’t take something different, please contact the farm. Note: Texting is the fastest way to reach us.
Add On Shares:
Mushrooms: King Trumpet
King Trumpet Mushrooms are the largest of the Oyster Mushroom family, but unlike most oyster mushrooms, the stems of the King Trumpet are meaty instead of woody. These mushrooms are often fried in tempura batter, or used as an addition to stir-fry.
Cheese: Cheese: Kiss of Kerry from Grass Fed Pasture Maid Creamery! These cows are super happy & beautiful!!
Kiss Of Kerry is aged only 3 or 4 months, "Kiss of Kerry" is quite creamy and mild - although the Kerry cow's milk used in this cheese gives a hint of tang to its aftertaste. As a breed, Kerry dairy cows are generally considered to be quite rare. The breed originated in Ireland and was first introduced to America in the early 1800s.
Fruit: Honey Crisp & Evercrisp
Honey Crisp The best modern apple. SO SWEET! AMAZING FRESH EATING!! Yum! Evercrisp, even crisper and sweeter than the honey crisp, I think. Also just an incredible fresh eating apple, cruch, juicy, almost like a natural candy apple!
RECIPE IDEAS
Swiss Chard with Feta
Adapted from insimoneskitchen.com
Ingredients:
500 grams Swiss Chard, cleaned and cut into pieces (separate the stalks and leaves)
75 grams crumbled Feta cheese
50 grams roasted Pine Nuts
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Step 1 -
Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium heat with olive oil. First add the chard stalks for they need to cook longer than the leaves.
Step 2 -
Add the leaves after a few minutes and stir fry until done. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Step 3 -
Divide over two plates and top with the crumbled feta and pine nuts. Serve with your preferred starch dish.
Honey Roasted Beet Nice Cream
Adapted from hotpankitchen.com
Ingredients:
½ pound Red Beets
½ Tablespoon avocado oil
½ Tablespoon honey
4 medium-sized frozen, over ripe bananas
Directions:
Step 1 -
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Step 2 -
Using a cutting board and a large sharp knife, slice the tops and roots off the beets. With a vegetable peeler, peel off the beet skins. Then, cut the beets into small pieces, roughly ½-inch cubed.
Step 3 -
Spread the beets on the sheet pan and measure out ½ Tablespoon of avocado oil, drizzling it over the beets. Do the same with ½ Tablespoon of honey, then mix the beets, oil, and honey together until the beets are evenly coated.
Step 4 -
Cook in the oven for about 25 minutes, until the beets are fork tender. Let the beets cool completely, until they no longer warm to the touch.
Step 5 -
Place the frozen bananas into a food processor. Dump the cooked beets into the food processor and blend everything together if incorporated together and smooth. You may need to stop and push the mixture down with a spatula to help with the blending process.
Step 6 -
The mixture can be eaten promptly or frozen in a sealed container for several days.
Cajun Sweet Potato Rigatonia with Kale
Adapted from food52.com
Ingredients:
1 pound Rigatoni
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 pinch ground cinnamon
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup low-sodium vegetable stock
1 13-oz can of coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk
1 to 2 Tablespoons Cajun seasoning, plus more for topping, if desired
1 ½ cups sweet potato puree
¼ cup nutritional yeast
1 Tablespoon dry white wine
1 pinch finely ground sea salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
2 cups destemmed and chopped kale
Directions:
Step 1 -
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. While the pasta is cooking, begin preparing the sauce.
Step 2 -
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the garlic and cinnamon and sauté for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the garlic begins to become fragrant. Reduce the heat to medium and add the flour to the skillet, whisking until well combined and a paste forms.
Step 3 -
Slowly whisk in the stock, stirring constantly until a thick sauce begins to form. Repeat this step with the coconut cream, then stir in the Cajun seasoning, sweet potato purée, nutritional yeast, wine, salt, and pepper. Add the kale and simmer, stirring occasionally, for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the kale is tender.
Step 4 -
Drain the pasta, then add it to the sauce. Stir to fully coat the pasta. Remove from the heat. Serve immediately in bowls topped with additional Cajun seasoning, if desired.
Chickpea Salad with Carrots and Dill
Adapted from cookieandkate.com
Ingredients:
2 cans of chickpeas (15-oz each), rinsed and drained, or 3 cups of cooked chickpeas
2 cups grated carrots (about ¾ pound or 5 to 6 medium carrots)
⅔ cup chopped celery (about 2 long stalks)
½ cup thinly sliced green onions (about 4)
½ cup chopped fresh dill leaves
½ cup pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 to 3 Tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 medium-to-large garlic clove, pressed or minced
¼ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Step 1 -
In a medium serving bowl, combine the chickpeas, carrots, celery, green onions, and dill. Set aside.
Step 2 -
Toast the pepitas in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they are starting to turn golden and make little popping noises, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
Step 3 -
To prepare the vinaigrette, in a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine the olive oil, 2 tablespoons of the vinegar, garlic, salt, and about ten twists of pepper. Whisk until blended and pour all of the dressing over the chickpea mixture. Add the toasted pepitas to the bowl and stir to combine.
Step 4 -
Taste, and add additional vinegar (for more zing, I usually add another tablespoon) and/or salt (for more flavor overall, add another pinch). For the best flavor, let the salad marinate for 30 minutes or even overnight in the refrigerator.
PICKING UP OF YOUR SHARE/S:
When you arrive at your pick up site, please first look for the RED CLIPBOARD! Find your name and take a look at what is waiting for you. Please check off all the shares listed by your name on the sign in sheet! Then look for a box with your name on the label, this is your box. Please unpack this box and take the contents home. You are not to take home this box! This box is for farm to pick up site transportation only! If you do take this box, please return it the following week. HERE IS A LINK TO A FACEBOOK PAGE VIDEO SHOWING YOU HOW TO OPEN AND FLATTEN THIS BOX.
READ YOUR BOX LABELS: On your label you will see all that you should be picking up today. Please note, that none of the optional shares are inside of this box although they are listed on the label! These optional shares include, Eggs, Cheese, Mushrooms, and Coffee. These shares are located in the blue coolers. Please reference your box label & sign in sheet to make sure you get the correct optional shares that you paid for on each given week. ONLY TAKE THE ITEMS LISTED ON YOUR BOX LABEL AND SIGN IN SHEET UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTIFIED!
The mushrooms are in brown paper bags.
Eggs, half dozen = 6 egg carton
Eggs dozen = 12 egg carton
Cheese is by the piece, just take a block.
Fruit - The fruit share is located in a box labeled Fruit Share, please take one paper bag per share. 1 bag is 3# of fruit.
If you don’t see a share that you think you should be getting, please don’t take it, please instead be in touch with the farm. If you are ever missing any veggies or add on items or the quality is not up to WCFY par, please be in touch. Call/Text 814-221-7177. Or email us. info@whocooksforyoufarm.com