Christmas and Holidays, 2017 by Farmer Kurt

It is very interesting. Everywhere I go people are always asking: “Are you resting now?” Most folks think that farming ends when it gets cold and then starts again when it is warm…meaning that farmers have little to do during the off season and get a long period to relax. This is far from the reality of local agriculture in New Jersey today. Yes, the days are shorter, there are less team members to actively manage, work load pressure is reduced, and there is even time for everyone to take a vacation from work. Yet, the reality is that farming is a year-round event here at Alstede Farms.

We currently have 26 year-round full-time staff members on our team here at the farm…and that doesn’t include our children. As you might expect repairs and maintenance, animal care, and grounds keeping are all year-round tasks that require constant attention. In fact, this part of our team is always ready to go 24/7. For instance, we must always be prepared to respond to snow, to heating issues in our buildings and greenhouses, to adverse weather, and to unexpected breakdowns of our equipment and trucks. No matter what time of the day or night, and what day of the week it is, we always have someone on call prepared to address any issue that may arise. This constant preparedness reminds me of our wedding night back in 1997 so I will diverge for a moment…

Barbara and I were married on Friday evening, January 18, 1997. It was an extremely cold night meaning it was going down to the single digits. We were married in the Congregational Church here in Chester and I had always wanted to drive to church on my wedding day in our Model T Ford. So just before dusk my father, two brothers, and my best man crammed into the old Model T and off we drove from the farm to town. It was really cold and there were no sides on the car. My youngest brother continually reminded us about how cold it was all the way over to the church; perhaps he thought that somehow talking, or in his case complaining, about it would make us all warmer. But it didn’t. Once on site we welcomed the warmth of the sanctuary and our guests and we enjoyed a wonderful ceremony. Upon completion we braved a bunch of cold pictures outside on one of our farm tractors, an antique fire engine from the Fire Company, and in front of our historic church. We celebrated our union afterward with a reception on our church hall and had a wonderful time. Just as we were wrapping up my pager went off. This wasn’t my fire pager, rather this was my farm pager. Mind you this was before the days of cell phones so we used a pager. One of the things connected to my pager was our greenhouse cold temperature alarm…and sure enough on my wedding night as we wrapped up our reception the greenhouse alarm went off indicating that the heat had gone out. We didn’t have the size team working with us then as we do now so who do you think was on call for emergencies that night? You are correct…the new Groom. So off I went with my best man to fix the heat in the greenhouse while my brothers and farmer friends all made sure that Barbara understood that this was an appropriate welcome to farm life. Fortunately, it was a quick fix and our wedding festivities continued into the evening afterwards and this story has now become a favorite of ours.

As I mentioned earlier our farming is now essentially year-round. Even now just days before Christmas we are actively harvesting vegetables from our greenhouses and we just made a fresh batch of apple cider yesterday. These were activities that we unheard of years ago. We are also busy building two new high tunnels that will be in service this spring. With high tunnels and heated greenhouses we are now growing and harvesting crops here in Chester nearly all year long. That means that there is always work going on! Tree fruit and small fruit has also created a variety of “off season” work. Just this week we were applying compost to our high bush blueberries. In January we will start pruning our apple trees with raspberries and peaches to follow. We are also making some improvements to our physical farm this winter as we return long abandoned farmland back into production and improve our deer fencing and irrigation infrastructure to support this additional land.

Administratively we are full speed as the end of the calendar year also marks the end of our farm fiscal year. We are actively making year end purchases of necessary supplies and farm inputs so that our accountant and Uncle Sam are appropriately pleased with our balance sheet at year end. Over the years wrapping up the end of our business year has become an increasingly bigger task that keeps me quite busy through New Year’s Day.

Winter time is also education time for all of us on the farm. We all attend specialized trade shows and conferences where we view new equipment, meet with various vendors, network with regional colleagues, and participate in educational sessions that help us hone our skills. My conference schedule this winter includes the American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Meeting, the Mid Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Conference, the New Jersey Agricultural Convention, and a special outing to Germany for Fruchtwelt am Bodensee; a biannual fruit growers conference that showcases up and coming equipment and resources in Europe that we don’t always see here right away in the USA.

In spite of all this busyness, we do look forward to a little time off to spend with our families, recharge, and relax a bit. The older I get the more that I realize that I need a recharging period. Perhaps it is wisdom that is teaching me to slow for a period of time…or perhaps it is age. Either way, I enjoy it!

I would be remiss if I did not reflect back upon the many successes that we were blessed with on our farm this past year and recognize the role that God plays in making everything work. You have all heard me tell you before that the more I farm, the more I marvel at the wonders of His creation. I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone that supports our family farm, and each of you, a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays, and all of God’s wonderful blessings this New Year!

“Food For Thought” by Jennifer Borealo

By the time you pick up this share we will be in the middle of the week where we cook and bake more than any other time of the year. As the kitchen manager in charge of most of the meals we have to look at what can be made ahead and what has to be prepared last minute. Most recipes have a point where you can stop, store in some way and continue to cook for a short time before serving. I like to have some recipes started just in case I have that unexpected company so that is my plan in the next few days. So much food and I will be feeling a little guilty and a little full and this share is not just about the one holiday dinner, it is about a few days of food preparation. I am including a recipe for Potato Arugula Salad that lightens up the menu a bit. I almost always keep some boiled or roasted potatoes in the refrigerator making meal prep just a little quicker. Emily Fredrix Goodman posted a recipe for Potato Latkes that she prepared with eggs. They look fabulous and that menu would work for almost any meal however at the moment I am thinking great for a breakfast guest! Last week at fresh discoveries we used Jennifer Neiderhoffer’s recipe for an event at the farm. It was for Potato Kuglettes that are similar but baked in a muffin pan. We used a traditional size pan and lined the bottom with parchment, the recipe is available on the web-site. I think a little lower in fat and baked in the oven so not so much “on time” either way, they are both favorites! Joanne Jaeger posted a recipe for Chicken with Cranberry Beans that I am including in the packet this week. This looks like it could be a great recipe to serve on the night before a holiday when we are so busy. Beans can always be prepared in advance, the chicken and the sauce can be prepared and kept separately and then put together and simmered to blend flavors and complete the chicken preparation. Looks like a very satisfying meal! Keep in mind that beans/legumes should be a part of our everyday diet. It may be a part of your “good health” plan for 2018. Beans will keep in a cool dry place in a jar or plastic container for months so they do not have to be prepared now. I am writing this letter on the second to last night of Hanukah and I am hoping it was a very joyful time for all of you! I am also sending out Merry Christmas wishes to all as well. May the New Year be happy and healthy and bring you back to us in the spring again! I am hoping that most of you have already signed up for next year, taking advantage of the special offers available. I know that you are also aware of the work that will go on in your absence. Believe it or not, it has already started. I have been thinking that this year we really are saying so-long, not good-bye. We can keep in touch through Facebook. You can always send me an e-mail jenn@alstedefarms.com, and you can keep an eye on our Fresh Discoveries classes and plan to join us for one or more. We have a few events on the calendar already so check the web-site. Last but not least, remember that our farm store is open every day and we would love to see you. Until we meet again enjoy the freshness and take good care.

Helpful information about herbs you received can be found here: Your 2017 CSA Herb Garden

Helpful information on share contents can be found in the Produce Information Booklet

“Food For Thought” by Jennifer Borealo

Every year is different and the weather brings new challenges for our production team. This year the challenges of extreme cold in November and unseasonably cold temperatures through December spurred our team into defensive action. We had to gather and cover and watch the true growing season come to a screeching halt. A little early snow adds to the wonder, what could possibly come to us fresh from the fields. By some miracle, many fresh crops have withstood the elements with the help of our protective methods. There is a little broccoli that will be in full shares, Napa Cabbage for a change and Brussel sprouts that have been removed from the stalk that we will have from the fields this week.
I have been eating an apple a day. Mostly Pink Ladies, I cannot get enough of them. In years passed we were fighting over them. This year there are enough to go around. The late apples are holding their flavor and crisp texture making them great to eat just out of hand. Randi in the Farm Store ordered in some great natural nut butters served along with a sliced apple and you have a farm favored snack. When I need to feed my sweet tooth I can sometimes drizzle over the peanut butter with a little honey too. I hope that some of you are enjoying that simple snack as well. Apples, apples, apples, I noticed on Facebook that Kandace Kullmann posted applesauce that she had prepared with “so many apples” from her share. The applesauce is in Ball canning jars so I think that she is prepared to store for winter use. Applesauce is great side dish, delicious on oatmeal, good for baking, I think I might make some too. Pink ladies will be in the shares as well as Winesap apples, the best of the keepers.
Not in the shares before during this season, French Horticultural beans, also known as Cranberry beans and Borlotti beans for the Italian variety. The most common name is pinto, probably because Tex Mex and Mexican Cuisine is one of the most popular to prepare. These beans are shelled and then dried, but not dried as much as the beans you would purchase in bags in the supermarket. We have prepared them in soup, hummus, and we have sprouted these beans. I am including a recipe this year for slow cooker or crockpot beans. Once they are prepared they can be served as a side dish, added to your favorite recipe, or made into a dip, recipe included.
I love the recipes that all of you have included for squash on Facebook. Delicata apparently made quite a hit. This week we will have acorn in the shares, I will keep an eye on your ideas so I continue to be inspired. Heather Eckel posted
a Cranberry upside down cake. It is beautiful and could be the perfect dessert on your Hanukah or Christmas table. Until next week, from jenn@alstedefarms.com , enjoy the freshness.

Helpful information about herbs you received can be found here: Your 2017 CSA Herb Garden

Helpful information on share contents can be found in the Produce Information Booklet

“Food For Thought” by Jennifer Borealo

Over the weekend we changed our calendars to December, the most festive month of the year. When you pick up your share, take a few minutes, spend some time with us. We have everything you need for decorations, we have some stocking stuffers, and we probably have ingredients that will help to complete some of your recipes as well. If you stop in the greenhouse the aroma of pine will fill you with the spirit of the season!

Another apple, another first. We did not have Goldrush apples in the shares through the season. They are a late apple that of course we picked in late November as the weather turned unseasonably cold. Reading about this apple I find that they are excellent keepers. They are said to have a tart tangy flavor that sweetens over time. We have so many apples that have a history reaching back into the 1800’s, not this apple. Developed at Perdue in the 1990’s with Golden Delicious and Rome apples sighted as parents. This morning I found that the Goldrush apple was not on our original chart in the index so I consulted Appleworks.com and found that the Goldrush apple is recommended as an all- purpose apple, from eating out of hand where they will keep their crunch for months to cooking, baking, and pies. I read a little about Fuji apples this morning on sweetseriouseats.com. Their recommendation for baking with a Fuji apple is to sauté a bit to soften the apple before adding to the pie filling. So I would say once again that the mix of apples in the share should help us through all our recipes this week.

As you might remember many of us will often look for suggestions for what we should grow in the following season or year. So Kombucha Squash has been on my list for a while. When I suggested it this year I was told that we already grow it. “What?” Buttercup is a variety of Kombucha. We have been growing this squash for years. When researching the two are rarely mentioned together. I am pleased to know that we already have something I wanted. Often used in soups and stews this squash lends itself well to dessert recipes too. I am including a recipe for Squash Gnocchi with Sage Butter. I have a recipe for ravioli that includes these flavors. Gnocchi is much easier to prepare, kind of fun, get the kids involved. There is no extra equipment needed. It can be served as a side or of course as a main dish. An Italian favorite with a twist that I am sure you will enjoy!

You continue to post on Facebook with your holiday share recipes. Everything looks delicious. Emily Strange is growing Mizuna from the roots and Miriam Mason will have to let us know how the basil plant with roots attached works out. I look forward to all your posts and I look forward to hearing from you as well. Please send me jenn@alstedefarms.com ideas you may have. Until next week, enjoy the freshness.