Summer 2025 CSA Newsletter - November 4, 2025 (Week 24)
Howdy Folks,
MUD! Lots of Rain and Earth equals MUD! It’s super muddy here! We are welcoming in the rain as it’s been so dry! Lots of mud, makes for lots of slipping and sliding, and clumps of mud everywhere! We are also having wind, so the mud is drying out pretty quickly! This is nice, cuz the slipping and sliding gets old pretty quickly.
This is the last week of the Summer Main season CSA. It’s been a great 24 weeks. Lots of successes, also lots of learning! This is pretty usual for every year on the farm. The biggest learning curve this season was us trying to learn how to work with the new customizable CSA software. We think it went pretty well and are grateful for the flexibility it offers to our customers and then also one less thing for us to keep track of or mess up on our end.
The weather this year confirms in our minds climate change is real, not that we have ever thought it was a hoax. The ups and downs as well as the extremes are more consistent yet their timing is unpredictable. We took action to keep future huge rain spells from creating deep erosion in a field we have not worked with yet in torrential rains. The potato crop wasn’t quite as bountiful as years past due to the cool damp spring. We also have a new pest on the scene that is proving to be quite tricky, the allium leaf miner! In 2024 we lost nearly 90% of our leek crop to them. This was our introduction to the allium leaf miner. This season we were on the look out for our onions and leeks, and thought because the scallions are such a shorter day crop they would be ok, but nope. So it seems that the fall onions are the most susceptible, so for future years, we now know when more intensive scouting will be necessary. We tried something new this season when curing onions. Since it was so dry in the fields we left the onions pulled in the field to dry a little before putting them into bins to cure. When they were laying out in the field Chris sprayed them with a white Kayolin clay. This light dusting of white on them allowed them to not cook in the field and get any sort of burn in this initial curing process. We had the best onion cure yet this season! So you win some, and you lose some. This is pretty usual in farming. We always hedge our plantings, with diversity and multiple plantings! It’s the best insurance, nature's way of security; diversity and multiples!
We are so grateful that you joined us this summer! We hope that if you haven’t signed up for fall that we will be able to grow for you again in spring or summer of 2026. The CSA model is one of collaboration! With our membership, our backbone we start our coming season off strong. Building from a strong foundation of a supportive community is the best way to begin each season. The funds paid forward towards your shares purchase seeds, supplies and labor for the coming year! There is not a worry of who will buy what. There is a plan and it's planted! Then the same for you, you make your investment and then you get nourished eating the fruits of your investment!
We hope you have a beautiful holiday season with your family and friends! We wish you all peace and good health!
Love and Light! Enjoy great food with family and friends.
Your Farmers, Chris, Aeros and The Who Crew!
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: Portobello
Portobello mushrooms come in various colors and sizes, and are the later stage of crimini mushrooms. They have a strong umami flavor, and soft texture. These mushrooms can be eaten raw, but are often used for pizza toppings, grilled or sauteed, or stuffed with cheese and butter and cooked. Portobello Mushrooms have large dense caps with an earthy flavor and meaty texture, making them good for stuffing or marinating and grilling as a steak. Some people make Portobello burgers, grilling the cap whole and putting it into a burger bun.
Cheese: Farm Girl Alpine Cheese
This week's cheese is from Twin Brook Dairy. They are local dairy from Washington County. They mostly focus on milk sales in the Pittsburgh area, but they do get this one cheese made for them by Pleasant Lane Farms. It's an Alpine-style creamy, sweet, and melty with a nutty finish called Farm Girl! Enjoy.
Fruit: Mutsu &/OR Cameo
Mutsu are juicy sweet tart apples also known as Crispin. They are a cross between Golden Deliciuos and an “Indo” apple originally from Japan. They are popular for fresh eating and baking. Cameo are an apple discovered growing in an orchard in Washington, their suspected parentage with Red and Golden Delicious! They are great sweet and also tart apple that is good cooked or eaten fresh.
FARM PICTURES
Here Chris is inspecting head lettuce growing in the hoophouse. These will be heads that we will distribute in the fall CSA, and in the fall and winter farmers markets.
Fall beets are coming in by the ton tote! This year we grew an acre of fall beets, so we should have enough for everyone who is hungry for them! They were grown in a field that was in cover crops for a full year, so they are super happy coming out of well rested Earth.
RECIPE IDEAS
Pork, Apple, and Sage Meatballs with Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Adapted from Ree Drummond (thepioneerwoman.com)
Ingredients:
Sage and Sweet Potatoes:
3 tablespoons salted butter
12 fresh sage leaves
2 ½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
½ cup heavy cream
1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Meatballs:
1 ½ pounds ground pork
⅔ cup panko breadcrumbs
½ Granny Smith apple, grated on the large holes of a box grater (about ½ cup)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
1 garlic clove, grated
1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Directions:
Step 1 -
Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees. For the sage: Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until foaming stops. Add the sage leaves and cook until crisp, about 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon.
Step 2 -
For the sweet potatoes: Add the potatoes to the pan, tossing to coat in the butter. Pour in 1 cup water and the heavy cream, then add 1 teaspoon salt. Stir, cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until potatoes are very tender, about 20 minutes.
Step 3 -
Remove from the heat. Uncover, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and pepper, and mash well. Keep warm.
Step 4 -
Meanwhile, for the meatballs: Mix the pork, panko, apple, chopped sage, garlic, salt, pepper, allspice, and egg in a large bowl with your hands to combine.
Step 5 -
Form into about 24 meatballs (2 tablespoons each) and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake on the top rack until cooked through, 15 to 18 minutes. Switch the oven to broil and broil until the meatballs are browned, about 2 minutes more.
Step 6 -
Serve the meatballs over the potatoes. Top with crispy sage.
Quick Roast Celeriac with Lemon (Oven or Air Fryer)
Adapted from Camilla Sanderson (cookingwithcamilla.com)
Ingredients:
1 celeriac
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
A handful of fresh herbs of your choice
Directions:
Step 1 -
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with baking paper. For an air fryer, set to 350 degrees.
Step 2 -
Cut the root off the celeriac then lay the flat end on the chopping board and, using a sharp knife, carefully slice off the skin in downward strips. Once peeled, cut the celeriac into slices and then again into chunks.
Step 3 -
Put the celeriac pieces into a bowl and drizzle with the olive oil, some salt and pepper, and the juice of half the lemon. Mix together well.
Step 4 -
For oven roasting: lay the celeriac pieces on the lined baking sheet and place in the oven. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, turning the celeriac pieces halfway through cooking.
Step 5 -
For air frying: lay the celeriac pieces in the air fryer basket, trying to keep them in a single layer. Air fry for 15 to 20 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through cooking
Step 6 -
The cooking time depends on the size of the pieces. Check whether the celeriac is cooked through by piercing with a knife. It should feel soft and easy to slide the knife in. If there is resistance, cook for a few more minutes until soft.
Step 7 -
Serve with another generous squeeze of lemon and some fresh herbs.
Spinach and Artichoke Pasta
Adapted from Ree Drummond (thepioneerwoman.com)
Ingredients:
6 tablespoons salted butter, divided
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
10-oz baby spinach
2 15-oz cans artichoke hearts, drained and halved
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 ½ cups grated mozzarella cheese or monterey jack cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth (optional)
12-oz penne pasta, cooked until al dente
½ cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs, to serve
Crushed red pepper, to taste
Directions:
Step 1 -
In a large pot or skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the garlic and spinach. Stir it around until it’s wilted, about 1 minute. Remove the spinach from the skillet and set aside.
Step 2 -
Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the same pot and increase the heat to medium-high. Throw in the artichoke hearts and stir them around until they get a little color, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the artichokes from the pot and set them aside.
Step 3 -
Reduce the heat to low. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pot. When melted, sprinkle in the flour and whisk to combine. Pour in the milk and whisk to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture starts to thicken, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the parmesan, mozzarella, salt and pepper to taste, and cayenne pepper. Stir to melt. If it’s overly thick, splash in the chicken broth.
Step 4 -
Add the artichokes and pasta, tossing gently to combine. Gently fold in the spinach, then pour the pasta into a serving bowl. Sprinkle the top with panko for crunch and crushed red pepper flakes. Serve immediately.
Homemade Sauerkraut
Adapted from Erica Kastner (thepioneerwoman.com)
Ingredients:
2 ½ pounds cabbage
3 ¾ teaspoons to 5 teaspoons salt, or about 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons per pound of cabbage
Directions:
Step 1 -
Weigh your cabbage to see how much salt you should use. Remove the outer leaves of your cabbage and any that are damaged. Discard. Cut out the core and rinse the cabbage well, allowing the water to flow between the cabbage leaves. Drain well.
Step 2-
Reserve 1 outer leaf. Thinly shred the remaining cabbage with a knife or food processor. Place in a large bowl. Sprinkle the calculated amount of salt over the cabbage and toss well. Let sit for 15 minutes.
Step 3 -
Massage the cabbage with your hands for 5 minutes. The cabbage should release a good amount of liquid during this time.
Step 4 -
Pack the cabbage firmly into a very clean glass quart jar. Pour the liquid that was released during kneading on top. Cut a circle the same diameter as your jar out of the reserved cabbage leaf. Place it on top of the packed-down cabbage. Place a weight on top of the cabbage to ensure that it stays under the brine. If the brine doesn't completely cover the cabbage and weight, top off with a 2% solution of salt water (1 teaspoon salt per cup of water).
Step 5 -
Screw a plastic lid onto the jar. Place the jar in a rimmed pan (to catch any overflow) and allow to ferment at room temperature until the kraut is as sour as you like it. This can take anywhere from 1–4 weeks.
Step 6 -
After it's done fermenting, store the sauerkraut 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