Holiday Greetings from Patchwork Green Farm!

2012 was a more challenging growing season than we have had for a number of years.  The dry, hot spell during the summer lasted way too long, and there was only so much we could do to help the withering crops.  Although we lost a few crops and had diminished yields of many others, we were amazed by the resilience of the plant kingdom in the face of adverse conditions.  The bounty we were harvesting in October bore witness to the power of plants to survive and thrive once conditions allow.  How about those sweet fall carrots in November?

In 2012, our CSA members helped us donate $1200 worth of fresh produce to the Food Pantry at Decorah Lutheran Church.  We sent regular bags of summer squash and cucumbers, jalapeno peppers and onions through the summer.  This fall we hauled in large bags of cabbages, lettuces, winter squash and rutabagas.  The volunteer staff at the pantry conveyed the gratitude of participants for all the local produce, and I think it all got used!  Demand for food pantry services is up significantly again this year, and we thank our CSA members for helping us contribute healthy fresh food to our neighbors.

The seeds have been ordered for 2013, and, after last season, I am working on a beefed-up drip irrigation system.  I would like to grow more carrots next spring and fall, and we’ll of course be trailing some new tomato varieties.  We (and our customers and members) love sweet potatoes, and although I have had mixed success with them in the past, we are going to make a concerted effort to produce a great crop this year.  As our family is finishing the last of the late-fall lettuce and kohlrabi, we are already anticipating spring spinach and asparagus!

We are updating our CSA materials for the 2013 season, and welcome your patchworkgreen.com browsing after the first of the year.  

Grab one of our Sunshine winter squash at the Coop this week, and make an easy, beautiful and nutritious bisque for a cozy winter meal after the holidays.  See you next season …..

Erik Sessions and Sara Peterson, Patchwork Green Farmers

New benefit at Luther for CSA's

Here is some information on the program from the Luther's site on this program:

"Luther will pay for half my vegetables?

Wellness and Sustainability are collaborating to offer Luther College faculty and staff a 50% reimbursement on their CSA vegetable share. To receive the reimbursement you will simply need to attend 2 summer book discussion and luncheon events and 2 local foods cooking classes. Very important to note: Reimbursements will not be made to individuals that do not meet the aforementioned requirements. September 1st is the date by which you can expect to be reimbursed, given that you meet all the requirements.

Find out how Luther will help you pay for your CSA and start enjoying your locally grown produce. Employees must enroll with a CSA program by May 1st. "

https://www.luther.edu/sustainability/food/education/csa/

Alliums!

Lots of onions, leeks and shallots are growing in our heated greenhouse. Spring is here! Erik is nervously checking the forecasted low temps. for the next week. I am hoping we don't have to move too many flats into our living room because of frost.

Diversifying a Vegetable Farm...

Erik was recently part of a workshop on Diversifying a Vegetable Farm through Wholesale Markets held on Dec. 8 in La Crosse, WI. Learn more: http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/11/newsr_111110.htm

How to peel a head of garlic in 10 seconds...

How to Peel a Head of Garlic in Less Than 10 Seconds from SAVEUR.com on Vimeo.

New workers?

We start them young at Patchwork Green! Cousins walk up the path to the garden last weekend...

Did you see our ad?

Patchwork Green was part of the recent Inspired Magazine (http://theinspiredmedia.com/):

2011 Updates Made

Hello all,

The website has been updated with new dates, veggies and more. We are also working on a new brochure:

New in 2011

We are enjoying, battling and waiting out another long, snowy winter in Winneshiek county. And, although we are eating plenty of veggies from our freezer and basement storage, the photos of fresh green beans and cherry tomatoes in the seed catalogues have us all dreaming of warmer weather!

Immediately following the last Farmers’ Market in November and the pre-snowfall mulching of the garlic, we began reviewing and analyzing our notes from the 2010 season, perusing the catalogues for new varieties and planning for improvements and upgrades for the coming growing season. Things we are looking forward to:

• We will double our production of Sun Gold cherry tomatoes this summer and continue to trial new tomato varieties, as well as improve our growing techniques in the unheated hoop house.

• We have hired a great, experienced garden crew for the summer, and we look forward to learning from them as much as sharing our knowledge with these future farmers.

•We will increase the quantity of our offerings at the Market so there will be broccoli, cherry tomatoes, carrots and other favorites available until the end of each market day.

• We are developing plans for better curing and storage of our fall and winter crops, from garlic and onions to potatoes and carrots, including building a big root cellar.

• Most importantly, we are making plans to grow even tastier, more beautiful vegetables and herbs for our friends and customers in and around Decorah.

It is a very exciting time to be involved in growing and vending fresh produce close to home. Thank you for participating in this healthy movement, and for challenging your friends to lead healthier lives, starting by supporting their neighboring farms!
We are fine-tuning our CSA offerings for 2011, and memberships are now available! We will once again have both traditional shares and market shares available, and we encourage you to check out the details online at patchworkgreen.com.

Winter Tacos from Patchwork Green Farm

This recipe is endlessly modified at our house, depending on the season and what is in our refrigerator or garden 15 minutes before dinner. The basic idea is to cram an entire dinner into a tortilla shell, from the complete protein pairing of beans and rice to the inclusion of some super-nutritious veggies mixed with the classic Latin American flavors of cilantro, lime and cumin. If you can do all the prep in under half an hour, and if you can fine tune it so that your kids love it and if you make enough for tomorrow’s leftovers (try the bean mixture over corn chips, topped with cheese and salsa and baked for 10 minutes) then you have created a great new healthy dinner option for a hectic weeknight!

Winter Tacos from Patchwork Green Farm
2 T. cumin seeds
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
½ pepper (sweet or green, fresh, frozen or roasted)
2 cups black beans, drained and rinsed if from a can
1 cup frozen sweet corn
1-2 leaves kale, chopped
2 cups cubed, steamed or roasted sweet potato or winter squash

Season with lime juice, salt, pepper, hot sauce of your choice, dry oregano, basil and parsley
Optional toppings: chopped cilantro, lettuce and scallions, salsa, sour cream, grated cheese
Fried corn tortillas or toasted flour tortillas
1-2 cups cooked brown or white rice

Start the rice cooking, and survey the available vegetables in your refrigerator. In a medium (12” works well) cast iron skillet, toast the whole cumin seeds until they just start to smoke (2-3 minutes on medium). Dump them into a mortar and grind them to a coarse powder. Add a tablespoon of oil to the skillet and sauté onions until translucent. Add garlic and cook for another minute, then add chopped peppers, beans, corn, kale and any other veggies you have on hand. We also add leftover cubed beef and chicken when available. Add seasonings and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, grate the cheese and heat or fry the tortillas. Serve the tacos family-style, with a bowl of rice, cheese and tortilla shells and your choice of toppings passed at the table, and watch them disappear!