Valley Dream Farm News

Week 24, Nov 15-19, 2011

2011-11-15T14:11:00.001-05:00

In your CSA bag

Potatoes – choice of 1 quart
Squash – choice 1 large or 2 med
Carrots – 6
Kale - choice green or lacinata
Turnips(purple top)– 3 med or 4 small
Beets (red) – 4-6
Brussels Sprouts – 1 pint
Onions – 4 sm or 2 med
Cabbage – 1 head
Lettuce – 3 small or 2 med
Garlic – 1 med or 2 small cloves

Recipe of the Week

News from the Field

This is the last week for CSA this Season!

We would like to thank you all for being such great members this season. We have tallied the surveys and it seems that you were all very happy, both with the quality and the quantity of our produce. Many of you would like your newsletter e-mailed next summer and we are working on that option. Try the email sign-up here in the margin; we don't always get the newsletters on the blog in time, but we'll try.

That leaves pricing and although we are one of the most affordable CSA’s in the state we also realize there is a tough economy struggle going on. We appreciate your efforts to remain with us and we would like to give you the opportunity to lock in this year’s price for next year, 2012, by putting down a $100 deposit before Dec.15th.

We are looking forward to 2012 being a better growing season with less winds and no Hurricanes!

We still have a limited number of Thanksgiving baskets available so order today.

Winter Shares start in two weeks. Join now!! We will have dried beans, beets, carrots, turnips, potatoes of all colors and many other vegetables, all certified organic. We will also be growing, much longer with greens, spinach, and lettuces in our renewed Green House. We will continue to include delicious recipes and ways to make your cooking quicker and easier to prepare.

First pick-up Thursday, Dec. 1st

Regular is $248.00 pick-up twice per month

Single is $148.00 pick up once a month

Senior is $135.00 pick-up once per month

Applications are at the farm stand.

Have a great winter!

Anne

Valleydream@wildblue.net

Week 23, Nov 8-12, 2011

2011-11-08T14:01:00.001-05:00

In your CSA bag

Red Skin Potatoes – 1 quart
Spaghetti Squash – 1 (last of season)
Carrots – 6
Gold Turnips – 3 med or 4 small
Beets – 4-6
Brussels Sprouts – 1 pint
Onions – 4 sm or 2 med
Cabbage
Lettuce – 2 small
Tomato – 1 red or 2 green

Recipes of the Week

Carrot Pancakes

Pickled Carrot Salad

News from the Field

DON’T FORGET ! !

There is only 1 WEEK remaining for CSA, this Season! If you would like to Order your Thanksgiving basket the deadline is next Tuesday Nov.15th. Sign up for Winter Shares now to avoid an empty bag!

Have a great week!

Anne

Bugs

We come from a world filled with insects and bugs. Many are beneficial bugs that help us to get rid of the bothersome bugs. We buy lady bugs to eat aphids in the spring greenhouses. In crops, pests can often come north on storms (like Irene) or just any typical summer storm, such as when corn ear worms arrive looking for the sweet corn. Broccoli, Raab, Kale, Cabbage and Brussels Sprouts are a favorite of the flee beetle who leaves tiny holes in the leaves in the Spring or the white cabbage moth who starts out as a little green inch worm, that is easily removed by soaking the vegetables in a sink with a ½ cup of salt in the water for 10- 15 minutes. Some years there are no pests pressure on specific crops and other years they really challenge us. This year has been about average. We do use organic sprays to try and keep the pests off but they are mostly water soluble so they tend to wash off quickly, with the next rain. We also try to keep any spraying to a minimum unless there is a need to protect the crop from being damaged. So, soak and rinse all your vegetables for the cleanest and safest produce before eating. We are glad to be chemically free from herbicides, chemical pesticides, and chemical fertilizers too.

Week 22, Nov 1-7, 2011

2011-11-01T13:42:00.001-04:00

In your CSA bag

Fingerling Potatoes – 1 quart
White Acorn - 1
Carrots – 4-6 bunch
Purple Top Turnips – 3 med or 4 small
Beets – 4-6 bunch
Brussels Sprouts – 1 pint
Cabbage -1
Onions – 4 sm or 2 med
Soup celery- use like parsley in soups Has great celery flavor

Recipe of the Week

Sugary Brussels Sprouts

This recipe will help sweeten the pallet for the younger kids who are not quite used to the stronger flavor of Brussels sprouts.

When storing your fresh Brussels sprouts they will stay freshest the longest wrapped in a plastic bag in the coldest part of your frig. When you take them out do not fret about the black spots on the outer leaves, just peel several leaves off (Not too many) and you are good to go. They are a welcomed cold crop we have been anticipating since they left us last year. Such a short season for such a great vegetable.

Happy Halloween!

Here is a website foodandwaterwatch.org that will scare you to see what Monsanto is doing. They are trying to taint everything that is made of corn. They are trying to use GE (genetically engineered) corn.

Food & Water watch is a nonprofit consumer organization that works to ensure clean water and safe food. They challenge the corporate control and abuse of our food and water resources by empowering people to take action and by transforming the public consciousness about what we eat and drink. Speak up and vote NO! It’s free!

News from the Field

Our gourmet fingerling potatoes this week are delightful when roasted with a little olive oil, garlic salt, rosemary and thyme.

There are only 2 WEEKS remaining for CSA, this Season! Order your Thanksgiving Basket and sign up for our Winter Share. Applications are at the farm stand.

Have a great week!

Anne

Week 21, Oct 25-30, 2011

2011-10-25T13:27:00.000-04:00

In your CSA bag

Gourmet mini Red Potatoes – 1 quart
Sugar Dumpling - 2
Winter Squash – choice 1
Carrots – 1 bunch
Gold Turnips – 2 med or 3 small
Beets w/greens – 1 bunch
Green tomatoes - 3
Red Kale - 1 bunch
Chard – 1 bunch
Onions – 4 sm or 2 med

Recipes of the Week

Fried Green Tomatoes
Green Tomato Pie

News from the Field

Our gourmet mini red potatoes this week are delightful when roasted with a little olive oil, garlic salt, rosemary and thyme.

There are only 3 WEEKS remaining for CSA, this Season! Order your Thanksgiving Basket

Butternut squash- 1med/large
Gold Turnips 2lbs
Red Beets 2lbs
Potatoes (white or gold) 5lbs
Onions (red & yellow mix)-2lbs
Brussels Sprouts-1lb 2oz
Local Cranberries
2 Homemade pies (U-pick Pumpkin, Apple, Choc. Cream)

All this for just $60.00

Then everyone has a week off to eat all their Holiday leftovers before we move on to our…..

Winter Shares

We will have dried beans, beets, carrots, turnips, potatoes of all colors and many other vegetables, all certified organic. We will also be growing, much longer with greens, spinach, and lettuces in our renewed Green House. We will continue to include delicious recipes and ways to make your cooking quicker and easier to prepare.

Sign-up today! First pick-up Thursday, Dec. 1st

Regular is $248.00 pick-up twice per month

Single is $148.00 pick up just once a month

Senior is $135.00 pick-up once per month

Applications are at the farm stand.

Have a great week!

Anne

Week 20, Oct 17-22, 2011

2011-10-17T16:42:00.000-04:00

In your CSA bag

Russett Potatoes – 1 quart
Spaghetti Squash – 1
Pie Pumpkin - 1
Carrots – 1 bunch
Beets w/greens – 1 bunch
Kale - 1 bunch
Lettuce - 1 head
Onions – 4 sm
Herb – Parsley or Cilantro – choice

Recipe of the Week

Chicken and Beets with Orange Butter

News from the Field

Last week on Monday, Joe told me he had to go for parts in Orleans. He then asked me to go with him for the parts and lunch. Tuesday the 11th,was going to be our 31st Anniversary, and he would be too busy the next day. I said “Sure” He was covered in mud and said he was changing and asked if I wanted to change too. I said no, as we were only going for parts & off I went in my Capri overalls and tank top. As we approached Cambridge he said “let’s go thru the notch as the colors are so great” “O.K., I answered and then asked “What part are you getting in Orleans?” He then laughed and smiled and said “No parts, I’m taking you away for our Anniversary” “What!” I said, “ I don’t have anything I need with me” “I know” he said “That’s why I had Becky pack all you need” Joe then said he saw Becky packing a large suitcase, when he asked her what she was doing, as we were only going for one night. She replied “I know Dad, but she needs choices.” We had a great time at York beach in Maine and a beautiful foliage ride for no parts too. It was a very Happy Anniversary Surprise.

There are only 4 WEEKS remaining for CSA, this Season!

Order your Thanksgiving Basket

Butternut squash- 1med/large
Gold Turnips 2lbs
Red Beets 2lbs
Potatoes (white or gold) 5lbs
Onions (red & yellow mix)-2lbs
Brussels Sprouts-1lb 2oz
Local Cranberries
2 Homemade pies (U-pick Pumpkin, Apple, Choc. Cream)
Fresh Rolls – one dozen

All this for just $60.00

Then everyone has a week off to eat all their Holiday leftovers before we move on to our…..

Winter Shares

We will have dried beans, beets, carrots, turnips, potatoes of all colors and many other vegetables, all certified organic. We will also be growing much longer with greens, spinach, and lettuces in our renewed Green House. We will continue to include delicious recipes and ways to make your cooking quicker and easier to prepare.

Sign-up today! First pick-up Thursday, Dec. 1st

Regular is $248.00 pick-up twice per month

Single is $148.00 pick up just once a month

Senior is $135.00 pick-up once per month

Applications are at the farm stand

Have a great week!

Anne

Week 19, Oct 10-15, 2011

2011-10-10T15:32:00.000-04:00

In your CSA bag

Gold Potatoes – 1 quart
Butternut Squash – 1
Pie Pumpkin - 1
Carrots – 1 bunch
Beets w/ greens – 1 bunch
Kale - 1 bunch
Lettuce - 1 head
Onions – 5 sm
Peppers - 1
Herb – Parsley or Cilantro – choice
Jack O’ Lantern – For the kids/one per child

Storage Tip

Peppers and Cilantro should be in separate plastic bags in the refrigerator.

Recipes of the Week

Winter Squash braised in Cider
Savory Squash Pie

News from the Field

Anne and Joe have escaped for a couple of days without the family so I am writing the newsletter for Anne.

What a nice weekend we had this last weekend. Working at the base of Mount Mansfield I get to enjoy the view every day. Hopefully you all got out enjoying the colorful foliage in Vermont. My family took a drive up to Montgomery through Enosburg and back through Fairfield home. What a nice drive and day to spend with the family. Of course we stopped for an ice cream cone. YUM!! Hopefully we will be able enjoy a few more nice weekends before the weather really changes.

This week is Jack O’ Lantern week. Bring the kids to pick out their own pumpkin. (One per CSA child – 2 kids=2 pumpkins)

Have fun carving them. Send us pictures of your creations.

Week 18, Oct 3-7, 2011

2011-10-03T15:06:00.000-04:00

In your CSA bag

Red Potatoes – 1 quart
Acorn Squash – 1
Purple Haze Carrots – 1 bunch
Organic Apples – 3 each
Broccoli – 1 bunch
Kale or Chard - 1 bunch
Lettuce - 1 head
Onions – 4 regulars
Peppers - 1
Tomatoes – 1 (until they are gone)
Herb – 1 bunch Cilantro
Flowers – u-pick your own

Storing your Crops

Potatoes, Onions and Squash want to be cool, dry and dark. Greening on potatoes is not good and they will ROT if stored green.

Carrots and beets like it cold, dark and moist sealed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator drawer or in a cold frame full of very cool moist sand.

Greens also like to be sealed in a plastic bag, in the coldest part of your refrig that is not freezing (Usually the bottom drawer, as cold air settles)

Recipes of the Week

Broiled Apples with Maple Syrup

Annie's Baked Apples

News from the Field

Thanks to all our members that attended and supported our first annual “Vermont Organic Festival”. We had a great time at the Festival despite the 40 degree chilly weather and the down pours of rain. We actually had a pretty good turnout for this first time event.

We would like to send a special thanks to all our sponsors; Nicole Gilbert at Cambridge Event and Design, The American Farmland Trust, H.A. Manosh, Smugglers Notch Resort, and Brown and Jenkins Coffee. It was wonderful to have their raffle donations and support. The music, the foods, and all the vendors were amazing. We look forward to 2012 and hopefully, a little more sunshine. Be sure to check out our web site www.vermontorganicfestival.com and see all the pictures -- including an awesome video!

The first annual burlap fashion show was pretty incredible too. Our neighbor Anna, surprised everyone, when she appeared in a festive burlap skirt and vest, adorned with dyed burlap appliqués, a cornucopia of vegetables and sunflowers. She even made a pocket book, hat and jewelry from burlap to complete her country ensemble.

Some ideas about how and what to harvest:

Process any tomatoes before the newly forecasted frost on Thursday and Friday evenings. Cover any remaining crops and fruits not harvested with a tarp or sheet or a five gallon pail over the plants. You never know they just might survive to get one more harvest.

Pick the rest of your Cucumbers and Peppers, ours have already stopped and make pickles. For over ripe cukes make sunshine pickles.

Harvest lettuces, they can keep for 10 days if chilled and sealed in a bag for moisture detention. Remaining lettuces should be covered as many cold tolerant varieties can sometimes freeze and thaw without ruining. WARNING do not cut when frozen, wait for thaw, and watch to see if crop survives. Many times spinaches, lettuces and some greens will come back if not frozen too cold or too long. This is how we can grow inside the greenhouse without heat during the winter if the greens have 2 layers of cloth protecting them.

Broccoli, Kohlrabi, Cabbage, Kale, and Brussels sprouts are all are in the brassica family. They will taste even sweeter after a light frost. Unfortunately, the colder weather will also slow down the growing cycle, to a crawl.

Your onions should be harvested and drying with lots of air around them.

Potatoes, carrots, beets and turnips will all be fine in the ground, but begin to harvest as much as possible on dry days, before the ground freezes for the winter.

Enjoy your vegetables!

Thanks!

Anne

Week 17, Sept 26-30, 2011

2011-09-26T14:52:00.000-04:00

In your CSA bag

Blue Potatoes – 1 quart
Spaghetti Squash – 1
Carrots – 1 bunch
Collards – 1 bunch
Lettuce - 1 head
Onions – 4-5 small
Chard -1 bunch
Peppers - 2
Tomatoes – 1 (until they are gone)
Herb – choice of 1 - Cilantro, Garlic or Parsley
Flowers – u-pick your own 6 stems

Recipes of the Week

Cider Glazed Carrots

Collards

Views from the Field

Wow, was the weather like summer last weekend and now the colors are starting to really turn. Autumn in Vermont. People travel from all over the country to see our amazing hillsides splattered with bright fall colors. This week is the Vermont Organic Festival right here at the farm so bring all your friends. We will have:

Hay wagon rides - free
Delicious ALL Organic foods (Potato Bar, Soups, Deserts, Apple Crisp, Cider, Flavored Waters, Sausage Sandwiches and Veal Burgers from Applecheek Farm, and organic Maple products and Cotton Candy)
Music: Fiddler, Prof Fairbanks Miller followed by the amazing “Tammy Fletcher Band”
Organic Coffees from Brown and Jenkins
ORGANIC BEER and wine tent, by Stella Notte
Potato Sack Fashion Show – we have over a dozen contestants of all ages competing
RAFFLES for several Smugglers Notch Bash Badges and a Valley Dream Farm Fall CSA share and more
25+ Vendors showing their crafts and wares (start your Christmas Shopping early and local)
Farm games and contests like (sack races, seed spitting, apple sauce eating, and carrot peeling)
Face Painting from the teachers at the Mary Elizabeth Preschool.
The Mountain Bike River Walk and see all the colors reflected in the water.

If the weather is cool and brisk like they are forecasting it will be great to enjoy an afternoon full of wholesome fun for all ages.

Saturday, Oct 1st, Noon to 4pm

Hope to see you there!

We are almost finished harvesting the potatoes. We have the red skins, blues and golds all in the barn. Remaining are the Whites, fingerlings and the cranberry reds. Looks like it has been a good potato year. It is always hard to guess the yields for the crops below the surface, but so far so good.

Thanks!

Anne

Week 16, Sept 20 - 25, 2011

2011-09-20T09:04:00.000-04:00

In your CSA bag

~ Gold Potatoes (1 quart)
~ Cukes (3 pickling)
~ White Acorn winter squash (1)
~ Lettuce (1)
~ Onions (4)
~ Peppers (1 large, 1 jalapeño, 1 mini orange)
~ Chard or Kale (1 bunch)
~ Herb: Cilantro, Garlic or Parsley (choose 1)
~ Flowers U-pick (6 stems)

Recipe of the Week
Squash Pies

News from the Field

A special thanks to all of those that showed up at the farm last week, between Thursday and Saturday, to help us beat the frost. We were able to harvest all of our winter squashes into storage. We did have two frosts here at the farm this past weekend. On Friday night the temperatures dipped to 30 degrees. Saturday was a beautiful day and night temps dropped only to 33 degrees. Then on Sunday evening they dropped again to 31 degrees. We have lived here in Vermont since 1992 and find that first frost at our farm tends to be right around the 15th of September, which is right when it came again this year.

Also a huge thanks to the Brewster River Mountain Bike Club who helped demolish a shabby falling equipment shed to the right of the farm stand. Now only ashes and a great view remain. Thanks!

Frost damage on your crop usually looks like a wet darker spot on the skin of the squash. This kind of blemish can affect both its quality and storage life, being vulnerable to rot and mold. The plant's live leaf cover can protect the fruit somewhat from the first frost, but when the leaves die, you should harvest immediately.

Several of our crops survived, including some lettuces and all the Brassicas like broccoli, cabbage and kales, which actually get sweeter in the cold air. The carrots, turnips, potatoes and beets are all snuggled below the ground waiting their turn to be harvested. If you drive by in the next few days, pause to watch our huge potato harvester and the 10 people it takes to rustle up another year of heaped potato bins. Spectacular!

Only two weeks until the Vermont Organic Festival right here at the farm, all afternoon October 1st. Bring your friends!

Thanks!
Anne

Week 15, Sept 12 - 17, 2011

2011-09-12T08:41:00.000-04:00

In your CSA bag

~ Red Potatoes (1 quart)
~ Cukes (3 pickling)
~ Corn (4)
~ Lettuce (1)
~ Onions (4)
~ Peppers (1 large, 1 jalapeño, 1 mini orange)
~ Chard (1 bunch)
~ Kale (1 bunch)
~ Tomatoes (1 while they last)
~ Flowers U-pick pink/purple (6 stems)

Recipes of the Week
Cilantro Lime Dressing
Corn Salsa

News from the Field

I am so proud to be a Vermonter. It is wonderful to watch so many different organizations putting together monies and items for the aid of commiunities and the farmers that were so greatly devastated by Hurricane Irene. I would like to tell you of a few I know of:

Grants and zero-percent-interest loans are awarded to farmers in need as funds are available. To donate, please contact Kirsten Bower at the NOFA office, 802-434-4122 ext 16. To make a donation by check, please mail your tax deductible contribution to the NOFA Farmer Emergency Fund, PO Box 697, Richmond, VT 05477. Please write on the memo line "for Farmer Emergency Fund".

NOFA also has an auction on their web site where people can donate items or buy items to raise monies for our flooded neighbors.

A day care in Waterbury was in need of supplies and after a notice was put on Cambridge's "Front Porch Forum" here are the results: 1) The pre-school has enough materials for its temporary operations; 2) All physical donations are being stored at Lauri Boyden's until the pre-school and other child care facilities can move back into their permanent spaces.

Brown & Jenkins Coffee has a monetary donation jar and will be working with Lauri on how the money should be allocated.

Sorry to tell you all that our tomatoes have been stricken with "Early Blight" and our season for tomatoes is ending much earlier than we had hoped. On a good note we will have pumpkins earlier than usual. So start dressing up your homes with fall decorations.

Sign up for a fall share.

Thanks!
Anne

Week 14, Sept 5 - 10, 2011

2011-09-05T17:36:00.000-04:00

In your CSA bag

~ Potatoes baby reds (1 quart)
~ Cukes (4 pickling)
~ Kohlrabi (2) or cabbage (1)
~ Corn (4)
~ Bibb Lettuce "Nancy" (1)
~ Onions (1)
~ Peppers (1)
~ Chard (1 bunch)
~ Kale (1 bunch)
~ Tomatoes (1)
~ Flowers U-pick only shades of pink (3-6 stems)

Recipe of the Week
Grilled Chicken with Rice and Fruit in Lettuce Wraps

News from the Field

We are so happy to have lettuce back again. When it gets too hot, like it did 3 weeks ago, all the lettuce tastes bitter and begins to bolt. When it bolts it turns from a beautiful head of leaf lettuce into a pointed mini Christmas tree shape and the center core gets really large and it will rot very easily and it tries to make new seeds in an attempt to replace itself. That's when we plow it under and move to the next planting.

The Lettuce Story

We start lettuce from raw or pelleted seed. Raw seeds are extremely tiny about half the size of a sesame seed. This makes them very hard to only plant one seed per cell. It can be done with tweezers and a lot of patience. Pelleted seeds have organic clay around each individual seed and ends up being little round balls big enought to pick up one at a time and place in an individual cell. Jay pushes all the individual seeds into the soil plugs to get them started in the greenhouse. It only takes a week or two for the lettuce to begin to sprout. It needs to be in the brightest sun when this happens so it will not strecth for sunlight and get leggy. It gets watered daily or more if hot out and when the plugs are about 4 inches tall they are transplanted into the fields.

We like to try different varieties. This year you have had many different kinds of lettuce already. Several Green Leaf: Black Seeded Simpson and Tropicana. Red leaf: new Red Fire. Romaine: Pic 714 and Jericho. Boston is also known as butter head or Bibb: Nancy (XL) and deer tongue (pointed and smaller). Our personal favorites are in the category called Summer Crisp, a cross between leaf lettuce and romaine. We especially like "Nevada" that has a green whorled shape and "Magenta" with a red tinged edge. Jay just started a new planting of Magenta that will be transplanted into the greenhouses for fall and early winter. We will also plant more greens and spinach that will continue to grow inside the greenhouses and also under row covers, hopefully until February. It's time for salads again before the tomatoes go by.

Sign up for a fall share! 8-week Fall Memberships start Sept 27th.

Thanks!
Anne

Week 13, August 29-Sept 5, 2011

2011-08-29T13:43:00.000-04:00

In your CSA bag

Regular may take all vegetables listed, Single size members may choose 6 items, and seniors choose 5 items.

~ Spaghetti Squash - 1
~ Potatoes – 1 quart
~ Cabbage – 1 head
~ Cukes - 4 pickling
~ Kohlrabi - 2
~ Zucchini – 3
~ Summer Squash – 2
~ Fennel – 1 head (taste like black licorice) or Parsley
~ Onions – 3
~ Peppers – 2
~ Tomatoes – 3

Recipe of the Week
Veggie Spaghetti Dinner

News from the Field

Well, it seems that saying “if you don’t prepare for the storm you’ll get hit and if you are all prepared for the storm it will pass you by”, came true. With “Irene” forecasted for last weekend, we began on Friday by taking down the plastic cover and the end walls on #6, our newest greenhouse. Then we scouted around the farm for anything that may become airborne. After two days of battering down the hatches, we felt we were more prepared for this storm, than any other. Luckily for us this storm only left us wet. Thank goodness we missed the high winds. We didn’t even lose power but we were ready with the generators all hooked up. The rain meter here at the farm had to be dumped out when it reached capacity at 5” around six pm on Sunday evening, then during the overnight hours it continued with just a few more inches. Out total rainfall for the storm was over 6 ½ inches. It is no wonder the rivers were all rising. Unfortunately, there are many farmers, even in our region, and along the Lamoille River, that lie in the flood plains and will lose much of their crops. Fortunately for us, we live 5 miles upstream from the Lamoille River. I know the river can help them, for example the movement and temperature of the river can warm the air and prevent them from getting an early or a late frost. But, the flip side of being along the river is when it floods. When we awoke on Monday, we rushed out to farmers market. Soon, the cool air and the gray sky made way for an afternoon of sunshine. It was a beautiful reminder of how Vermont’s weather can change so quickly. This time, for us, it was for the better.

Fall is approaching and today you will have your first winter squash. Spaghetti squash happens to be the first of the squashes ready this year. Maybe it was all the heat we had in August, but it feels like we are a little bit earlier than normal this year. It is always nice to be ahead of schedule. Speaking of being ahead of schedule, it is that time of year to sign-up for a fall share and to think about our winter shares. Info is available at the farm stand.

Thanks!
Anne Tisbert

Week 12, August 22-29, 2011

2011-08-26T13:53:00.003-04:00

In your CSA bag

Regular may take all vegetables listed, Single size members may choose 6 items, and seniors choose 5.

~ Potatoes – 1 quart
~ Carrots – 1 bunch
~ Cabbage, Green Kale or Collards – 1 choice
~ Cukes -2 field or 3 pickling
~ Kohlrabi - 3
~ Swiss Chard – 1 bunch
~ Onions – 3
~ Peppers – 2
~ Tomato – 3
~ Parsley – 1 bunch

Recipe of the Week
Smashed Potatoes with Garlic

Potatoes' reputation as a high-carb, white starch has removed them from the meals of many a weight-conscious eater, but this stereotype is due for a significant overhaul. A new analytical method developed by Agricultural Research Service plant geneticist Roy Navarre has identified 60 different kinds of phytochemicals and vitamins in the skins and flesh of 100 wild and commercially grown potatoes. Navarre's team also identified potatoes with high levels of vitamin C, folic acid, quercetin and kukoamines. These last compounds, which have blood pressure lowering potential, have only been found in one other plant, Lycium chinense (a.k.a., wolfberry/gogi berry). See article at www.ars.usda.gov.

Potatoes are a very good source of vitamin C, a good source of vitamin B6, copper, potassium, manganese, and dietary fiber. So don’t cut out the potatoes just cut back on some of those less nutritious toppings. Roast them-up and leave the skins on for all the extra nutrients.

News from the Field

We are at half-way for 24 week members this week. If you are a 16 week member take a look at our 8 week fall membership, so you don’t miss a week. Fall memberships are available in our 3 size packages:

Regular (receives all items listed weekly)	$200.00
Single (receives 6 items from list)	$136.00
Senior (receives 5 items from list)	$112.00

Late Blight Alert!!!

If you live in Cambridge you probably have read my recent articles, on front porch forum (our local community news letter shared thru the internet) regarding another outbreak of “Late Blight”. We never know when it will show-up as its mold spores travel on moisture (rain, dew, fog) and winds. This deadly fungal disease has reared its ugly head once again. All farmers and gardeners are on the lookout, with daily inspections, to protect their crops of tomatoes and potatoes. It can first appear as water soaked blotches and grayish mold on the underside of leaves and stems. It will quickly kill the plants. It tends to start further up the plant than most fungal diseases. If you have either of these plants be on the lookout for this disease. See the Cornell website for great photos to help you identify "late blight"
www.longislandhort.cornell.edu/vegpath/photos/lateblight_tomato.htm

To prevent it from spreading we recommend you cut your plants
down and bag them into trash bags and dispose of immediately.

Tomatoes: Remove any fruit, wash and eat it soon as possible or cook it in sauces and if canning follow all processing directions. Do not freeze without processing.

Potatoes: cut plants immediately at very first sign of disease, to prevent disease from traveling down the stems into the tubers (your taters). If plants are clean harvest potatoes, destroy all plants and dispose into trash bags. Plant in new location next year! Disease does not winter over on plant material, BUT Do NOT save seeds (young potatoes) for next year as they may be infected. Rotate plants to a new location and Destroy or till in any baby potatoes that pop up next year (a.k.a. volunteers), as they are also likely to be infected and spread the disease all over again next year.

Thanks!
Anne Tisbert

Week 11, August 15-22, 2011

2011-08-15T13:27:00.000-04:00

In your CSA bag

Regular may take all vegetables listed, Single size members may choose 6 items, Seniors choose 5.

~ Potatoes – 1 quart
~ Carrots – 1 bunch
~ Cabbage or Collards – 1 choice
~ Zucchini - 1
~ Summer Squash or Patty pans – 2
~ Cucumber – 1
~ Chard – 1
~ Peppers – 2
~ Tomato – 2 small
~ Basil – 1 bunch

Recipe of the Week
Sweet Peppers and Pasta

News from the Field
We are very happy to see this week’s rain. It helps save us a lot of time setting up the irrigation rotation. We are unable to get water to our fields up on Dean Rd in Underhill. This season, we have winter storage beans on the Dean Rd field and they are tolerating the dry spell quite well. I think Monday’s rain will bring them up to date to continue growing healthy. Only final yields will really tell, as the plants still look quite healthy. We can irrigate most of the valley; we usually use the piped water from the irrigation pond. From these pipes, we can set- up our generator to pump the water to the water wheel. The waterwheel sprays the water slowly over the crops while retracting its hose. When it’s done and the reel is full of hose it automatically shuts off. When the pond is not available we can use water from our large tanks along with the generator and either the water wheel and/or the irrigation sprinklers. Of course this all takes quite a bit of time to keep up with, but for now the rain is a blessing.

Sweet Peppers

Green and Purple, sweet bell pepper have 2 times as much vitamin C as oranges; red and yellow bell peppers have 4 times as much.

Sweet bell peppers can be orange, yellow, red, purple, brown, black, ivory or green, depending on the stage of ripeness and the variety. Green bell peppers are fully developed, but not ripe. All sweet bell peppers start out green, and change color as they ripen. (They also get sweeter). The color depends on the specific variety; the most common variety is green when unripe and red when ripe.

The other colors can be sold at a much higher price, so they are always allowed to ripen before being sold. The yellow, orange, and red color takes an additional 20-25 days to fully ripen, this adds to the reason they are more expensive and because they are ripe, they have a shorter storage time.

Peppers have complete flowers that are both male and female parts in the same flower. The number of lobes is related to the specific variety of pepper. There are varieties of peppers that produce 2, 3-4, or 3-5 lobed peppers. The 4 lobed 'bell' pepper was (and is) more popular in the U.S., so plants have been bred for this characteristic.

Thanks!
Anne Tisbert

Week 10, Aug 9 - 13, 2011

2011-08-09T18:24:00.000-04:00

In your CSA bag

Regular may take all vegetables listed, Single size members may choose 6 items, Seniors choose 5.

~ Beets w/ greens – 1
~ Carrots – 1 bunch
~ Cabbage - 1
~ Zucchini - 1
~ Summer Squash or Patty pans – 2
~ Cucumber – 1
~ Chard – 1
~ Green kale – 1
~ Peppers – 1 choice green/purple
~ Onions – 1 bunch
~ Garlic – 1 bulb

Also at the Farm Stand
Grown locally...
~ Maple Shade Farm – 2011 syrup shares of 2 half gallons for $48.00 are still available.
~ Maple Syrup: all sizes available
~ Valley Dream Farm –all items certified organic
~ Eggs – organic (not certified) -Great Scape Farm, Jeffersonville
~ Peaches – non organic -Pennsylvania Amish
~ Blueberries – Cave Moose Farm, Cambridge, certified organic
Recipe of the Week
Zucchini Bars

News from the Field

Our chickens which were a gift have turned to be a menace. The chickens have learned to fly from their area and ventured into the tomato greenhouses. They have had a grand time and have eaten their way through the red, ripe tomatoes. Those chickens have been relocated away from the farm!!!

The nice hot summer weather that we have been enjoying is not so good for the leafy green vegetables. The lettuce has bolted and we will need to wait for the next planting to be ready before we get more. Bolting means that the plant is trying to produce seeds to reproduce. For lettuce the plant starts to look like a Christmas tree at the top. The lettuce will start to lose its delicious flavor and become bitter.

This fall Valley Dream Farm will host:

The 1st Annual Vermont Organic Festival

Planning is still in progress, but I wanted to give everyone a heads up and invite fellow farmers, businesses, organizations and craftsmen to participate. The event is Saturday, October 1 from 12-4 at the Valley Dream Farm.

Events include: potato sack races, carrot peeling, applesauce eating, hayrides, river walk, live music by the Tammy Fletcher Band and Peter “Professor Fairbanks” Miller.

We are seeking the following: vendors selling organic food or 'crafty' non-food products; volunteers to help run activities or assist with parking the day of the event; and businesses to sponsor the event and help defray costs. Please check out the event website, www.vermontorganicfestival.com for a schedule of events and entertainment. More to come as the time draws near..!

Thanks!
Anne Tisbert

Week 9, August 1 - 8, 2011

2011-08-01T17:53:00.000-04:00

In your CSA bag

Regular may take all vegetables listed, Single size members may choose 6 items, Seniors choose 5.

~ Sweet Corn – single 2 / regular 4
~ Cabbage - 1
~ Zucchini – Romanesco Italian - 1
~ Summer Squash or Patty pans – 2
~ Broccoli or Carrots – 1 choice
~ Cucumber – 1
~ Fava Beans – 1 quart
~ Collards – 1 bunch
~ Lettuce – 1 Red or Green
~ Tomatoes – 1 (do NOT refrigerate)
~ Basil – 2 stems

Also at the Farm Stand
Grown locally...
~ Maple Shade Farm – 2011 syrup shares of 2 half gallons for $48.00 are still available.
~ Maple Syrup: all sizes available
~ Valley Dream Farm –all items certified organic
~ Eggs – organic (not certified) -Great Scape Farm, Jeffersonville
~ Peaches – non organic -Pennsylvania Amish
~ Blueberries – Cave Moose Farm, Cambridge, certified organic

Recipes of the Week
Summer Corn Salad
Zucchini Hash

News from the Field

Wishing you had a few more vegetables each week? If a single share is not enough give us a call and we will be happy to upgrade you (on a pro-rated basis) to a regular size share. Additional items are always available for purchase in the farm store or you can pre-order and receive them with your regular delivery.

This is unique squash week. We are offering you romanesco zucchini. This is an heirloom Italian zucchini that wins every taste test based on its unique, slightly nutty flavor and exceptional texture. We are also offering you patty pan summer squash. It tastes very similar to yellow summer squash. It is very delicious, especially when cut in thick flower shaped slices and drizzled with a mix of olive oil 6tablespoons, garlic 1 clove crushed and chopped basil leaves then thrown them on a hot grill and cook until seared on both sides with pretty grill stripes.

Also this week, we have a new vegetable that is very high in protein called Fava Beans. Fava beans were enjoyed by ancient Egyptians 5,000 years ago and 3,000 years later continued to be a prime source of protein in the Near East. The fava is a large, brown bean; these beans are often considered the tastiest bean around, along with being the meatiest bean. The favas grow in large pods that house approximately five beans each. They are popular in many parts of Europe and are beginning to gain a following in the United States. Fresh broad beans should keep fresh for up to a week if refrigerated; where as dried fava beans will keep for up to a year if stored in an airtight glass or ceramic container. They do take a bit of work to prepare.

PREPARING “Fava Beans”

Shuck beans (they look like pale green large beans) out of pods and discard pods.
Boil beans in lightly salted water for 10 minutes.
Remove thin green skins.
Cool. Eat warm with butter salt and pepper, or store in refrigerator for later use.
Use them in salads or in a stir fry with other vegetables

Thanks!
Anne Tisbert

Week 8 - July 25 - 31, 2011

2011-07-25T17:38:00.000-04:00

In your CSA bag

Regular membership takes all, Singles 6 items, Seniors 5 items

~ Carrots – 1 bunch bagged in crisper
~ Cucumber – 1 in crisper
~ Summer Squash – 2 or 3 refrigerate
~ Green Beans – 1 quart bag & refrigerate do not wash until ready to eat.
~ Radishes –1 bunch bagged in crisper
~ Kale – 1 bunch - refrigerate - very cold
~ Lettuce – 1 head – bagged in crisper
~ Scallions/Green Tails – bagged in crisper
~ Blueberries – 1 pint - refrigerate
~ Our Tomato – do NOT refrigerate

Also at the Farm StandGrown locally...
~ Maple Syrup, all sizes available - Maple Shade Farm
~ Tomatoes - Valley Dream Farm
~ Eggs - Pratt’s of N. Hyde Park
~ Peaches – Georgia, USA
~ Raspberries – P Mazza’s Farm, Essex VT
Recipe of the Week
Summer Squash Casserole

News from the Field

We sure had the full range of temperatures in this past week, from a roasting 94 degrees on Friday (while picking blueberries) to the return of cooler nights on Sunday, followed by the midnight showers. Joe does like the rain, every couple days or so. It helps to keep up with the ongoing job of irrigation. Vegetables are more complicated than a crop of Hay, but we need both for our rotations.

Making Hay
If a dairy farmer wants hay for his herd, then he usually prefers a higher protein legume (like alfalfa) mix for the milkers (females that gave birth within a year to be lactating) than a grassier hay mix for the heifers (younger female cows). When the alfalfa blossom is in the booting stage (just before opening into a blossom) it has a large quantity and yet a high quality and is time to be harvested. It is always nice to get three days of hot sun in a row. The farmer first cuts the crop with a “Mower”. The next day the hay is tossed around with a “Tedder” to help it fluff up and dry out. Sometimes it is tedded again in the afternoon. On the third day, the tedding process is repeated and when it is very dry and turns a paler dried out green color, then the hay is put into rows with a machine called a “Rake”. Raked hay must be baled when dry or it must be tedded and raked again to dry again on the fourth day. The bales are then stacked or kicked into a wagon and brought to the barn for stacking for winter storage feed. If it rains on the already drying hay during the process the hay loses its quality and is considered “Mulch” hay. Mulch has a much lower feed value and can be dusty and browner in color too. Before baling the hay into bales for storage in the barn, you must make sure the hay or grasses are dry. When the grass or hay is too green (not dried out enough), the bales will heat up and can even combust and start a barn fire. Think of it, when you rake up a pile of grass clippings, and leave it for a day. When you go back to pick up the pile, it is very hot. If the pile of grass clippings is turned frequently it can be made into compost.

Best Wishes: Two of our current employees, and close friends, Jackie Baressi and Tommy O’Connor, were married on July 24, 2011. The Celebration of their marriage was a beautiful, joyous, and fun filled day. Jay was in the wedding party and enjoyed seeing Anne put our garlic scapes into their floral arrangements. We consider them our extended family. We wish them a lifetime filled with continued happiness and many more memorable celebrations.

Thanks!
Anne Tisbert

Week 7, July 18-24, 2011

2011-07-18T13:18:00.000-04:00

In your CSA bag

~ Cucumber - 1
~ Broccoli- 1 bunch
~ Joi Choi – 1 head
~ Summer Squash – 2 or 3
~ Green Beans – 1 quart
~ Radishes –1 bunch
~ Kale – 1 bunch
~ Lettuce – 1 head
~ Blueberries – 1 pint
~ Tomato – 1 Canadian (brought in)

Also at the Farm Stand
Grown locally...
~ Maple Shade Farm – 2011 syrup shares of 2 half gallons for $48.00 are still available.
~ Maple Syrup: all sizes available
~ Tomatoes – Deep Root Organic - Canadian
~ Valley Dream Farm Tomatoes - limited
~ Eggs – Pratt’s of N. Hyde Park
~ Peaches – Georgia, USA
~ Raspberries – P Mazza’s Farm, Essex VT

Recipe of the Week
Blueberry Peach Crisp
Tips for Preparing Blueberries

News from the Field

The Organic Blueberry Bushes we pick are quickly ripening. We have to wait until the reddish purple ones to turn blue. If you pick them in the purple stage they are very tart, but if you wait for them to turn blue they are much sweeter. There are many varieties that we pick. Some have large berries while others have smaller, but they all taste great in pies and desserts.

We have to wait for the morning dew to dry before we can go and pick the berries. This is because blueberries are very susceptible to leaf rust. It is also commonly called “rust”. Rust can sit dormant on the blueberry bush. A similar fungus affects green beans (actually any color beans) and is also called rust and acts in a similar fashion. After a rain or when the leaves are still wet with morning dew, if the rust spores are disturbed when they are wet, they will activate and cause the plant to break break out with a yellowing that soon turns into a rust coloring and makes the fruit and beans undesirable. This fungus's alternate host Hemlock needs to be present for the disease cycle to be completed. Leaf rust is most prevalent in areas within the natural range of hemlocks. Therefore, we never pick blueberries or green beans in the early morning or anytime the bushes are moist. We would like to order dry afternoons with a breeze for berry picking season.

Blueberries are also very good for you too. Blueberries super food heart healthy benefits start when pectin binds with cholesterol, lowering levels and helping prevent the build-up of plaque in the arteries. Silicon may help in regenerating the pancreas.

Organically grown blueberries turned out to have significantly higher concentrations of total phenol antioxidants and total anthocyanin antioxidants than conventionally grown blueberries, as well as significantly higher total antioxidant capacity. (wholefoods.com)

On a sad note: One of our former employees, and a close friend, Kate Richardson, 21, was killed while riding her bike in Tennessee by a drunk driver. She worked here during the early beginnings of our CSA. She was like a family member to us. She will be greatly missed and our heart goes out to her family and friends. A Celebration of her life is Sat July 23rd at 11am at Lamoille Union High School. Visiting hours are on Fri July 22nd from 5-8pm at White-Fies funeral parlor in Morrisville and future info will also be posted on Front porch forum.

Thanks!
Anne Tisbert

Week 6, July 11 - 19, 2011

2011-07-11T15:10:00.000-04:00

In your CSA bag

~ Cucumber
~ Carrots
~ Joi Choy or Bok Choy – 1
~ Summer Squash
~ Radishes –1 bunch
~ Kale
~ Lettuce
~ Green Beans
~ Sugar Snap Peas

Also at the Farm Stand
Grown at Valley Dream Farm...
~ Flowers
~ Herbs
~ Bedding plants (20% off for all members)

Grown locally...
~ Maple Syrup, all sizes available - Maple Shade Farm
~ Tomatoes - Deep Root Organic, Canadian grower
~ Eggs - Pratt of N. Hyde Park

Coming Soon... ~ Boyden Beef

Recipes of the Week
Kale Crunch Chips
Kale Salad
Kale and White Bean Soup

Kale is so good for you I was determined to find a way to cook with it, especially something that kids would like too. I like Kale in any brothy soup. The longer it cooks the sweeter it gets. It tastes great in chicken or vegetable soups. It also tastes great in a sausage and potato soups. But the favorite way to eat Kale is to make some Kale chips. You can be creative too. Maybe you like a little Cajun spices on yours or just salt. We like them with parmesan cheese (not the Kraft powdered one, but the finely grated one where you can see little slivers of the cheese. Try them with your family and see if they like this healthy new snack.

News from the Field

The weather this past weekend was just great! Vermonters seem to relish the short summer season and those warm sunny days were just what we needed. The plants loved it too. They also like a mix of sunshine, heat, and rain. Of course the rain has been a bit heavier up to this point and hopefully we can get a good balance from here on out. The vegetable plants are directly affected by the weather. When we get to much rain the roots can’t get any air and can drowned and die. The plants that survive are weakened (kind of like being ill and exhausted). This leaves them vulnerable to insects as well as all that moisture which makes a great environment for diseases too. The rains not only wash off the organic sprays (that are very water soluble), they also deplete the soils nutrients. You may see yellowing in the leaves which is due to a lack of nitrogen. The farmer wants to re-fertilize but must wait until the field is dry enough to prevent getting stuck and using heavy equipment can cause excess soil compaction when it is wet.

When a plant is stronger it is healthier. A healthier plant is more able todefend itself from diseases, insects and weed pressures during its growth. We are trying to keep ahead of the weeds, which is always a challenge. They compete with the vegetable plant and steal its space and nutrients. On commercial farms they spray chemical herbicides to kill the weeds. The chemicals are so strong that most times they only have to spray once. On organic farms we can hoe the weeds, or mechanically cultivate the weeds. We do not spray with any herbicides or chemicals. So needless to say our weeds return quite frequently. This is also why organic prices are higher as there is much more labor and fuel involved. We invite any members that would like to get their hands dirty and pull weeds to drop by anytime. There is always a patch that needs addressing.

I received a call today that our certified organic Blueberry field that we rent is only a week away from picking.

The Brassica Story
Brassica vegetables are highly regarded for their nutritional value. They provide high amounts of vitamin C and soluble fiber and contain multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties.

There are lots of vegetables in the brassica family. It includes vegetables that are commonly grown and known as Broccoli, Broccoli Raab, Brussels Sprout, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Collards, Kale (this week!), Kohlrabi, Mustard, Radishes, Rutabaga and Turnip. Many of them can be grown for their ornamental leaves. Brassicas are commonly grown in northern climates due to their tolerance of colder weather.

Enjoy the flavors and the sunshine!

Thanks!
Anne Tisbert

Week 5, July 5 - 12, 2011

2011-07-05T14:52:00.000-04:00

In your CSA bag

~ Kohlrabi
~ Cucumber
~ Beets with Greens (also edible)
~ Green Beans- 1 quart
~ Bok Choy – 1 bunch
~ Garlic Scapes – 10
~ Radishes –1 bunch
~ Spinach-1 bunch
~ Lettuce
~ Tomato – 1 conventional (“not ours yet” they will be coming!)
~ Pansies – one 6-pack
(they need more soil so pot them up or in the ground and watch them grow - best in a place that has more sun than shade, and water when wilted)

Also at the Farm Stand
Grown at Valley Dream Farm...
~ Flowers
~ Herbs
~ Bedding plants (20% off for all members)

Grown locally...
~ Maple Syrup, all sizes available - Maple Shade Farm
~ Tomatoes - Deep Root Organic, Canadian grower
~ Eggs - Great Scape Farm, Cambridge

Coming Soon... ~ Boyden Beef

Recipe of the Week
Kohlrabi Cole Slaw

News from the Field

Happy 4th of July! Sorry to say that Strawberries are ending. You can pick if you look under the leaves about 20-minutes per quart. Blueberries, are still about three weeks away.

If you think it smells a little fishy around the farm store, then you are correct as we are frequently fertilizing the plants with an organic fish fertilizer. I guess the pilgrims were “right on” when they planted a fish under the sweet corn to fertilize it. We use an organic product called organic gem made from ground fish parts. It works great but does not always smell so great.

We have just emptied the greenhouse and members can take FREE plants

Summer Squash Plants:
yellow straight neck & Zucchini

Winter Squash Plants:
Acorn - dark green typical,
Carnival - a multi colored acorn like which is also the best for long storage
Butternut – tan with a long neck and fatter bulb at one end
Buttercup like - actually a Kabocha, which looks similar to a buttercup without the ring around the bottom stem
Sweet Dumpling – smaller, rounded with ribs, white with dark green stripes/spotting, stores well also one of the sweetest.
Cream of the Crop – a white acorn shaped squash.

Tomato Plants:
New Girl – an early, great tasting, disease resistant, 4-6oz firm
Big Beef – a larger 10-12oz, excellent tasting, All-American
Valley Girl – flavorful, midsize 7-8oz heavy yielding, temp tolerant
Paragon – very good flavor, 8-10 oz, big flush of fruit
Sun Gold – cherry, gold colored, tropical flavored, to die for !
Sprite - grape tomato, very prolific, red colored

MEMBERS receive a free 6 pack of pansies!

Today we are also giving you a free tomato. We sold out and were not able to buy organic ones for our farmers market and with all the 4th of July activities it seems that tomato sales were down. So you will benefit as a member with a free tomato of your choice.

Enjoy the flavors and the sunshine!

Thanks!
Anne Tisbert

Week 4, June 27 - July 2, 2011

2011-06-27T14:22:00.000-04:00

In your CSA bag

~ Lettuce – Green leaf
~ Kohlrabi – 1 bunch
~ Bok Choy – 1 bunch
~ Garlic Scapes – 6 pieces
~ Strawberries – U-Pick only (1 pint) you may pick today or return soon.
~ Radishes –1 bunch
~ Broccoli Raab – 1 bunch
~ Tomato Plant – one plant

Also at the Farm Stand
Grown at Valley Dream Farm...
~ Flowers
~ Herbs
~ Bedding plants (20% off for all members)

Grown locally...
~ Maple Syrup, all sizes available - Maple Shade Farm
~ Tomatoes - Deep Root Organic, Canadian grower
~ Eggs - Great Scape Farm, Cambridge

Coming Soon... ~ Boyden Beef

Recipe of the Week
Stir Fried Baby Bok Choy

About BOK CHOY – Cultivated in China since ancient times, bok choy is found in soups and stir-fries, appetizers and main dishes. Bok choy's popularity comes from its light, sweet flavor, crisp texture and nutritional value. Not only is bok choy high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C and calcium, but it is low in calories.

Bok choy, or brassica chinensis to use its scientific name, is classified as a cabbage. Nonetheless, bok choy bears little resemblance to the round European cabbages found in western supermarkets, or to Napa Cabbage for that matter. Its white stalks resemble celery without the stringiness, while the dark green, crinkly leaves of the most common variety is similar to Romaine lettuce. The Chinese commonly refer to bok choy as pak choi or "white vegetable." Another common name is white cabbage.

Storing: Re-cut bottom if wilted and soak in cold water for ½ hr then drain and wrap in plastic and place in crisper, it may
rejuvenate but it is still good even when wilted.

To cook: Chop leaves and stems & sauté or stir fry, with a little olive oil and garlic (use your scapes). Toss with pasta, fresh tomatoes (optional grilled sliced chicken) and your favorite herbs.)

About Strawberries - Store in refrig with a plastic cover; do not wash ahead of use.
To freeze your berries: Whole berries: rinse, air dry well (use fan), remove hulls and place on cookie sheet upside down; freeze 2 hours, remove from sheet into Ziploc bags (makes them easier to measure and separate). For jam or frozen strawberry Margaritas: wash, dry, hull, crush, Ziploc and freeze (optional - you can add ¼ cup of sugar per bag).

News from the Field

This week strawberry picking continues. We will be allowing you to pick a pint of strawberries this week with your CSA share and encourage anyone who would like to pick strawberries not to wait. This is probably the last chance to pick for this season. They may not last another full week. This week you get to pick a pint for free (you have up to a week to come and pick your free pint). Don’t wait too long or they will be over. The weather has been so strange this year. I would hate for you to miss the strawberry picking season. They really brighten up a cold winter’s day.

MEMBERS receive a free tomato plant!

We will be cleaning out our cold frame shortly and welcome any members to a free tomato plant. There never seems to be enough tomatoes in the summer, especially when you want to do some canning and put-up a few quarts for the winter storage months, so we are offering our members a free plant to pot-up for their own door step or deck. My favorite is a tomato sandwich on toasted bread with a slice of Vermont cheddar. It is a great way to start the day.

Things are on a full roll here at the farm. The sunshine we were waiting for has finally arrived. Enjoy the flavors and the sunshine!

Thanks!
Anne Tisbert

Week 3, June 20-25, 2011

2011-06-22T16:25:00.002-04:00

In your CSA bag

~ Lettuce - 1 head, your choice of Red Leaf, Green Leaf, Romaine
~ European Cucumber - one (from our greenhouse)
~ Bok choy - 1 head
~ Garlic Scapes - 6 pieces
~ Strawberries - 1 pint

Also at the Farm Stand
Grown at Valley Dream Farm...
~ Flowers
~ Herbs
~ Bedding plants (20% off for all members)

Grown locally...
~ Maple Syrup, all sizes available - Maple Shade Farm
~ Tomatoes - Deep Root Organic, Canadian grower
~ Eggs - Great Scape Farm, Cambridge

Coming Soon...
~ Boyden Beef

Recipes of the Week
Garlic Scapes and Strawberry BBQ Sauce

News from the Field

We've been picking strawberries this week! Pick-your-own customers started arriving last Wednesday when picking was light, but by the weekend people came in droves. We even had to close picking on Monday so CSA members would get their share. We would encourage anyone who would like to pick strawberries not to wait.

The weather was nice all weekend, except for a stray thunder shower with hail. We don't like to see hail shred the leafy crops, like lettuce, Swiss chard and kale; fortunately it was minimal here at the farm. Hope all the Dads in our CSA had a nice Father's Day. Great day for the fishing derby on the Lake, too.

We have just finished reconstructing two of the three greenhouses we lost in the Dec 1st wind storm. Planting has taken top priority on the farm, so the third greenhouse will have to wait.

We are working toward a new certification, GAP (Good Agricultural Practices). The program is required by some large chain stores, like Hannafords and Price Chopper, to protect the public. The object is to be able to trace food back to its source to inspect records of where and how it was grown and how it was packaged. When we became "Certified Organic", we became better field managers and record keepers to comply with their requirements. We hope this GAP certification will also improve our management systems for shipping and be available to help our wholesale markets trace their food back to our farm. We feel it is important to know where you food is grown and how the farmers you buy from grow their crops. Keep it organic and local!

Thanks!
Anne Tisbert

Week 2, June 14-18, 2011

2011-06-13T15:46:00.000-04:00

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?

In Your CSA Bag

~ Baby Lettuce - 1/single, 2/regular
~ European Cucumber - one (from our greenhouse)
~ Broccoli Raab - 1 bunch
~ Green Garlic - 1 bunch
~ Carrots - 1/2 lb
~ Turnips - 1/2 lb
~ Oregano - a few sprigs

Also at the Farm Stand
Grown at Valley Dream Farm...
~ Flowers
~ Herbs
~ Bedding plants (20% off for all members, this week only)

Grown locally...
~ Maple Syrup, all sizes available - Maple Shade Farm
!! CSA members can purchase 2 half gallons for $48 !!
~ Tomatoes - Deep Root Organic, Canadian grower
~ Eggs - Great Scape Farm, Cambridge

Coming Soon... ~ Boyden Beef

Farmers' Markets

We will be in the Essex 5-Corners Farmers' Market across from the train station on Fridays from 3:30 to 7:30. Come see us! It is a great market to stroll around when your work week is over and the weather is nice.

Recipe of the Week Penne with Chicken and Broccoli Raab

News from the Field

The vegetables are getting off to a slow start this year, but our strawberries seem to be ripening ahead of schedule. We are hoping that pick-your-own will be open by this weekend.

This week your CSA bag will have two kinds of greens, one for salad and one for stir fry. Broccholi Raab is great as a side dish sautéed with green garlic; just add shrimp and pasta or rice for a full meal. This week's carrots are from cold storage and are crisp and sweet; they won't keep long so eat them up quickly.

Farmer Joe and the crew are busy planting all the winter squashes. Onions are all in; potatoes will be done as soon as the rain lets up; lettuce is always being restarted; peas and beans are up and growing. Sweet corn looks great and early -- we'll see as it gets closer to picking time!

Thanks!
Anne Tisbert

p.s. I am always looking for new recipes to try and to share in the newsletter. Got any you've tried and found delicious? Please drop off a copy at the farm or in your returning CSA bag.

Week 1, June 6-11, 2011

2011-06-06T14:02:00.000-04:00

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?

In Your CSA Shopping Bag
~ Baby Lettuce - 2 smaller heads
~ European Cucumber - one (from our greenhouse)
~ Rhubarb - bunch
~ Chives - choice

Also at the Farm Stand

Grown at Valley Dream Farm...
~ Flowers
~ Herbs
~ Bedding plants

Grown locally...
~ Maple Syrup, all sizes available - Maple Shade Farm (Share = 2 half-gallons for $50)
~ Tomatoes - Deep Root Organic, Canadian grower
~ Eggs - Great Scape Farm, Cambridge

Coming Soon... ~ Boyden Beef

Recipe of the Week Rhubarb Streusel Cakes

News from the Field

Welcome, Members, to Valley Dream Farm's summer CSA for 2011.

It is a little wetter here than our normal season and all this rain and cold have delayed our crops slightly. Lettuce is in the field just waiting for a big shot of sunshine and warmth. The sweet corn is ahead of schedule -- amazing! Before long you won't believe all your veggies.

We enjoy bringing you fresh and delicious produce each week. As our member you will receive a new Valley Dream shopping bag on your first pickup. It was a big hit with members last year, suitable for shopping anywhere. It is yours to keep and reuse weekly to collect your produce.

Picking up at the Farm Stand

Highlight your name on the list for your specific pickup day.
Take a copy of this week's newsletter (includes shopping list and recipes).
Shop for items on your list using your Valley Dream shopping bag.
Let us know if you have any concerns or changes to your pickup day for the following week.

Deliveries

Please be sure to take the bag with your name on the newsletter! There are different sizes of memberships, so please take yours.
Please return your clean bag next week. You will receive another bag filled with your new items.

Our staff is available to assist you with any purchases or questions that you may have. Read about them below.

Thanks!
Anne Tisbert

Thank you for supporting local farmers

We are looking forward to another successful growing season in 2011. It takes a lot of preparation and a wonderful work crew to get all those vegetables to you each week. We are fortunate to have both.

Our Crew includes:

Tamara, Farm and CSA Manager;
Geoff, Crop Harvest Manager;
Shane, Field and Equipment Manager;
Victor, Doris, Rich. Liana and high school students, harvest and weeding crew;
Heidi, Farm Stand and Greenhouse Manager, CSA Assistant, and our new GAP Safety Coordinator;
Anna, Jackie, Tommy and Crystal, farm stand and greenhouse workers;
Wendy, CSA and Blog news editor and (most important) Bookkeeper.

The Tisbert Family:
Joe, overseers all the land, equipment, wholesaling, and crop planning;
Anne, marketing, CSA, deliveries, farmers' markets, and newsletters;
Jay, Chief Consultant, supervisor of all varieties, head seeder, greenhouse designs and crop planning, CSA and farmers' market welcoming committee;
Becky, our daughter and recent college graduate, works in the fields and is great on a tractor;
Jon, our youngest, is a line cook at Top Notch, loves tractor work and creates amazing displays for our farmers' markets;
Zippy, 9-year-old chow mix;
Bella, 3-year-old bouncy black lab.

Week 13, August 31, 2010

2010-08-31T10:44:00.001-04:00

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?

In Your CSA Bag
Tomatoes
Sweet Corn
Carrots
Cucumber
Onions
Melon
Lettuce
Green Beans
Sweet colored peppers
Herbs - Basil and Garlic

Recipes of the Week Three Pepper Pasta Salad

News from the Field

Welcome members: Well who was expecting a heat wave in September, but here it is. I am sure this will put this summer in one of the warmest ever categories. Especially since the last two summers were so cold and wet. We are trying to keep the irrigation running through these hot spells. The cucumbers and summer squashes are such water loving vegetables that the plants will start to wilt as they try to give all their fluids to the heat. The onions are nicely drying out in the hot sun. The peppers are all starting to ripen into beautiful shades of oranges and reds.
The Story of Peppers
Peppers are used by many different nationalities from Mexican, Spanish, Thai, Indian, Asian, African, and many others including American recipes. Peppers come in many shapes and colors. Did you know that if you have a green pepper it is not ripe until it turns into the red/yellow/orange stage? That process usually takes nearly a month longer which is why the colored peppers cost more at the store. The mildest peppers are the sweet bell peppers and some smaller snacking size varieties. Banana and Aruba peppers are also sweet and great for frying.
Hot peppers are usually measured in scoville units. The higher the scoville number the hotter the pepper. The hottest peppers are scotch bonnets and habaneros which have a score of anywhere from 60,000 to 300,000 units. The capsaicin, which is what causes the burning sensation and can even cause a blister on your tongue. Capsaicin dissolves easily in the fats found in dairy products. So enjoy a little sour cream when you're feeling the heat.
Enjoy your tasty veggies and melon. - Anne Tisbert

Week 12, August 24, 2010

2010-08-24T10:52:00.003-04:00

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?

In Your CSA Bag
Potatoes
Corn
Carrots
Savoy Cabbage
Onions
Cucumber
Squash (choice of zuke, summer or patty pan)
Green Beans
Gold Chard
Peppers - HOT
Tomatoes
Herbs ~ garlic

Also at the Farm Stand

Sweet Corn - grown at Valley Dream Farm
Peaches - grown locally*
Boyden Farm ~ beef*
Maple Shade Farm ~ maple syrup*
Doe's Leap Farm ~ organic goat cheeses*

* These items are brought into our farm stand to give you a larger selection.

Recipes of the Week

Carrots with Honey Mustard Sauce

News from the Field
We are having an exceptionally great weather year and hope you are enjoying the plentiful harvest. Many of the vegetables that you are receiving will continue right into fall. Think of how healthy you are eating this summer. IF you are struggling to keep up with your vegetable consumption, here are a few suggestions:

Donate to a neighbor or a nearby senior citizen. (Most grew up with large gardens and they have a special fondness for fresh vegetables.)
Try to eat 2 veggies with every dinner, make one an appetizer or a dessert.
Always put veggies in your sandwich.
Make a big pot of veggie soup and freeze it for the coming frosty days ahead.
Try a new recipe (I like epicuriuos.com where you just scroll down and type in your veggie into an empty search box and it will soon come up with tons of different recipes with that ingredient in it, all at no charge)
Put up some veggies in the freezer.
Preserving vegetables by canning is a fun project if you have the right supplies and tools. You will need a large deep pot or canner with a lid, a jar grabber, wide mouth funnel, and canning jars with new lids and rings. (I use the "Blue Book" by Ball. You can usually find it right next to the canning supplies at the store. There is also a section on freezing and jams, jellies, and pickles.)

Please enjoy your fresh organic vegetables!- Anne Tisbert

Week 11, August 17, 2010

2010-08-17T11:40:00.004-04:00

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?

In Your CSA Bag
Corn
Zucchini
Carrots
Onions
Green Beans
Cucumber
Radish
Lettuce
Peppers
Tomatoes
Garlic

Also at the Farm Stand
produced locally...*
Boyden Farm ~ beef
Does' Leap Farm ~ organic goat cheese
Maple Shade Farm ~ maple syrup
Twiss Hill Farm ~ frozen whole organic chicken
* These items are brought into our farm stand to give you a larger selection.

Recipes of the Week
Quinoa and Green Bean Tabbouleh
Radish Tea Sandwiches

News from the Field
Green Beans are here! The anticipation of such tender succulent beans is a sure sign of summer. When shopping look for firm green or colored beans and stay away from rusty spotted or old leathery beans. A fresh bean will snap crisply and is velvety to the touch. Skip the beans that you can feel a bean seed bulging inside as they are past their prime and moving on into the seed stage instead of the green vegetable stage you are looking for.
Have you ever purchased green beans brought them home, washed them and put them in the refrigerator only to notice that your green beans developed rusting or browning spots? What could be causing this problem? Usually green beans will get rusty looking if they have been picked in the early morning, when the dew is still on the bushes. This is a fungus that will appear after the beans get wet. Therefore store them in your refrigerator in plastic but do not wash them until just before you are ready to eat the beans or prepare them for cooking.
There are many kinds of beans available. Green or string (which refers to older varieties that required you to pull a string down the length of the bean before eating), yellow often referred to as wax beans as they are not always as velvety as the green, and now there are purple beans that are easy to find on the plant and turn green when cooked.
Whatever you name green beans, I hope you enjoy them frequently in the summer when they're at their peak. When they're seasonal and regional, there's nothing as tasty as boiled beans.
Please enjoy our fresh organic vegetables!- Anne Tisbert

Week 10, August 10, 2010

2010-08-10T15:00:00.004-04:00

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?

In Your CSA Bag

Potatoes
Beets or Kohlrabi
Corn
Zucchini
Carrots
Broccoli
Cucumber
Radish
Lettuce
Tomato
Garlic

Also at the Farm Stand

produced locally...*

Blueberries ~ grown in the valley
Maple Shade Farm ~ Maple Syrup
Boyden Farm ~ beef
Twiss Hill Farm ~ Chicken
Free range eggs

* These items are brought into our farm stand to give you a larger selection.

Recipes of the Week

Fusilli with Corn and Tomatoes

News from the Field

We are very fortunate to have such wonderful growing weather this season. Most vegetables like the heat as long as there is plenty of water too. Thanks to our irrigations system we are able to keep the plants growing and the workers are keeping the weeds at bay. It never seems like true summer until the sweet corn begins. We hope you have enjoyed the sweet corn you received last week. Last year our members waited through a cold and wet June and July only to be disappointed to hear that we had over 140 dozen of our corn stolen. It was taken right from the field, during the middle of the night. We have moved the corn closer to home this year hoping to prevent that from happening again. It was around 11 pm when the phone rang and it as the neighbor telling me that there were men and dogs in the corn. I panicked thinking it was the thieves from the year before. Then I calmed down and remembered that we had asked a local coon hunter to stop by.

Corn has many predators besides the two legged variety. Birds love to eat the seeds as they emerge from the ground. We cover the newly planted rows with row covers to help protect the seeds. Birds also like to be in the corn to eat the corn borer and ear worms. Skunks will chew the bottom of the stalk to make it fall over and easier to get to the ears. Bears will roll around and flatten the stalks and then eat some and leave the rest. Most notorious are the raccoons. They have such a keen sense of smell. They know exactly when that corn is ready. They did get into the first planting just as it was starting to ripen. Thanks to the hunters and dogs and the double strand of electric fence, we have seen little new damage. We also try to stay ahead of any bugs (traveling to us by the storms) by using our organic sprays.

This year we have tried 2 new varieties of corn. The first is a smaller ear called"Sweet Chorus" and the second is a larger variety just starting to ripen called "Sweet Rhythm". Let us know how you like these varieties.

Please enjoy your fresh organic vegetables!- Anne Tisbert

Week 9, August 3, 2010

2010-08-03T11:13:00.005-04:00

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?

In Your CSA Bag this week:
Potatoes
Beets w/ greens
Sweet Corn
Zucchini
Summer Squash
Broccoli
Cucumber
Cabbage ~ Arrowhead, Green or Nappa
Gold Chard
Lettuce
Tomato
Herb ~ Basil

Also at the Farm Stand
produced locally...*
Boyden Farm ~ beef
Maple Shade Farm ~ maple syrup
Twiss Hill Farm ~ whole chicken
Free range eggs
* These items are brought into our farm stand to give you a larger selection.

Recipes of the Week

Anne's Quick Cheese Sauce

News from the Field

Are you wishing you had a few more vegetables each week?

If a single share is not enough give us a call and we will be happy to upgrade you (on a pro-rated basis) to a regular size share. Additional items are always available for purchase in the farm store or you can pre-order and receiver with your regular delivery.

Organic means that we do not use any synthetic chemicals or insecticides on your vegetables. So the cute little white butterflies that you see in the fields are actually pests looking to lay their eggs on their favorite crops. We do our best to remove any pests but as a precautionary measure we recommend you use a pre-soak or wash for all vegetables. See instructions for broccoli below. Some years we have more pressure than others, and this year there are almost none.
When you buy broccoli at the market it has been treated for tiny inch worms. For organic farm fresh broccoli you should soak it in a large pan or sink of cool water with a 1/2 cup of salt and a weighted plate on top. Leave for 15 minutes. Any worms will fall to the bottom of the sink. Remove broccoli and rinse. Then store in a plastic bag in the coldest pat of the fridge.

Broccoli is very high in vitamin C and is always popular at our house. When sitting down to a family dinner one of the children would hold up a piece of broccoli on their fork and ask Farmer Joe, "Dad, what kind of tree is this?" He would only pause for a second and say, "Oh, that's a Peach tree", soon to be followed by another child questioning "Well, what about this one?" "Oh yes, that's an apple tree", he would say and so it would continue until all their plates were clean and all the broccoli was gone. Now the kids are in their 20's and every once in a while when broccoli is served one of them will ask him again what type of tree they are about to eat. As we all chuckle, he continues with a straight face and says, "Well, that looks like a pear tree to me."

A new movement called "Slow Food" has started. You and your family can join in by spending meal times together. Make some of your own silly memories. Your kids are guaranteed to never let you forget.

Enjoy your fresh organic vegetables.

Anne Tisbert

Week 8, July 27, 2010

2010-07-27T10:46:00.004-04:00

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?
In Your CSA Bag
Zucchini or Summer Squash ~ 2
Chard ~ 1 bunch
Beets w/ greens ~ 1 bunch
Cucumber ~ 1
Red Russian Kale ~ 1 bunch
Lettuce ~ 1 head
Green Beans or Snow peas~ 1 handful
Fava Beans ~ 1 quart
Red or Gold Potatoes ~ 1 quart
Napa Cabbage ~ 1 head
Garlic Scapes ~ 4
Herb ~ Rosemary

Also at the Farm Standproduced locally...*
Sweet Corn ~ finally our own
Beef ~ Boyden Farm
Blueberries ~ locally grown, picked by Valley Dream Farm
Amish Peaches
Maple Syrup ~ Maple Shade Farm, Cambridge
* These items are brought into our farm stand to give you a larger selection.

Recipes of the Week
Grilled Fava Beans
Fava Bean Bruschetta

News from the Field
Please enjoy your fresh organic vegetables!- Anne Tisbert

What is that ugly looking bean pod in my bag this week?
The answer is FAVA BEAN!
"With their rich, meaty flavor, Fava Beans are the true stars of the legume family. You may have had them canned, dried, or frozen, but you really haven't had Fava Beans until you've savored them fresh and tender, direct from the field. They're such a delectable seasonal treat that connoisseurs will completely re-arrange that night's dinner menu to accommodate these marvelous beans. Much of the joy of Fava Beans comes from their versatility: fantastic by themselves, but also spectacular in combination with other ingredients in the creation of sumptuous dishes. A staple of Italian cooking, Fava Beans make superb dips and other appetizers, but they're also great in salads, sauces , sautes, stew, pastas, and risottos.

The Fava bean is actually an old-world tradition that is growing in popularity with knowledgeable cooks in the 21st century. For sheer longevity, you'd be hard-pressed to find a food that dates back further. They've been found in some of the earliest-known human settlements. Most often associated with Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern cuisines, the Chinese have also enjoyed them for more than 5,000 years. Fava Beans are also known by an amazing variety of other names: Broad Beans, Windsor Beans, Horse Beans, and even Pigeon Beans. By any name, Fava Beans are among the all-time great culinary vegetables." Ocean Mist Farms

How to store: To store Fava Bean pods, place them in a plastic bag in the crisper section of the refrigerator right away. The pods will keep fro five to seven days in the refrigerator.
Store cook and peeled Fava beans in plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to five days.

How to Cook: Cook Beans in a large saucepan in plenty of boiling water until tender, about 3-5 minutes, depending on the size of the bean. Drain well and rinse with cold water to cool. Peel outer shell of bean before eating.

Nutritional Value: Could Fava beans help keep us young? They have high concentrations of L-dopa (dopamine), an amino acid that is a neurotransmitter in the brain. Dopamine plays a role in the brain in such activities as memory, energy, and sex drive. Dopamine levels decline in brain cells as we age, so who knows what role Fava Beans might play in keeping these levenls up. We do know for sure that Fave Beans are low in calories and in fat, with no cholesterol. In a 1 Cup serving they're high in protein (an unbelievable 39g), iron (56 % RDA) and fiber, (37g), and are also good sources of vitamin C, vitamin A, and potassium.

Week # 7, July 20, 2010

2010-07-20T10:35:00.003-04:00

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?

In Your CSA Bag
Tomatoes ~ 1 large/1 small
Zucchini ~ 2
Summer Squash ~ 2
Beets w/ greens ~ 1 bunch
Cucumber ~ 1
Red Kale ~ 1 bunch
Lettuce ~ Choice 1 head
Sugar Peas ~ 1 quart
Blueberries ~ 1 pint
Herbs ~ Garlic Scapes

Also at the Farm Standproduced locally...*
Boyden Farm ~ beef
Green Top Farm ~ lamb & pork
Maple Shade Farm ~ maple syrup
* These items are brought into our farm stand to give you a larger selection.

Recipes of the Week
Brown Sugar Glazed Beets
Beet Raspberry Soup
Polka-dotted Pancakes

News from the Field
How are you enjoying the bounty of vegetables? Are you able to keep up with them all? It is amazing how fast they can disappear when you are munching on raw carrots, peas, cukes and even broccoli and zucchini as snacks. It also helps to keep those calories down, too. They all taste delicious with dip. And it's a great way to get the kids to eat them.
Don't forget to make "Kale Chips" as it's a great way to eat those healthy greens and still get some crunch.
The tomatoes are so terrific that Farmer Joe can often be found in the store with a fresh tomato in hand eating it like an apple. I like to enjoy a tomato sandwich on toast with a slice of cheese.
Please enjoy your fresh organic vegetables!- Anne Tisbert

2010-07-13T12:14:00.002-04:00

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?
In Your CSA Bag
Tomatoes 1 large/1 small
Zucchini - 2
Broccoli Raab - 1 bunch
Broccoli - 1 bunch
Cucumber - 2
Red Russian Kale - 1 bunch
Snow peas - 1 quart
Swiss Chard - 1 bunch

Also at the Farm Standproduced locally...*
Boyden Farm ~ beef
Green Top Farm ~ lamb & pork
Maple Shade Farm ~ Maple syrup
* These items are brought into our farm stand to give you a larger selection.

Recipes of the Week

Zucchini Tomato Supreme
Broccoli Raab, Bok Choy, Scapes, Zukes and Pasta

News from the Field
Well it seems like we all made it through last week's heat wave. The vegetables really seem to have taken off with a big growth spurt. We tried to keep the staff cooled off with river swim breaks and popsicles. I am sure glad for the return of cooler summer evenings for sleeping. We were happy to access our irrigation system (which was hardly used during the last two cool and wet summers). Thanks to an observant staff member, we did find an underground leak when he noticed the ground bubbling at the end of the strawberry patch. Farmer Joe rented an excavator and immediately began the dig. Jon helped Joe had dig out the rest of the pipe and so the repairs began. And now the Broken "T" with multiple breaks is fixed. We are up and running again. Even though the forecast is for rain, the vegetables require large amounts of water daily. It helps with growth and reduces stress to the plant. A stronger plant is healthier. A healthier plant is more able to defend itself from diseases, insect and weed pressures during its growth. We are trying to keep ahead of the weeds in the potatoes. Any member wanting to get a little dirty is welcome to pick weeds anytime.

The Zucchini Story
Zucchini is a type of squash. It is in the cucurbit family. Other members of the curcubit family are: all other squashes, pumpkins, gourds, melons, and cucumbers. It does really well with our irrigation because it contains a lot of water. It is also a favorite of several common pests. the stripe cucumber beetle (it looks like a referee with black and yellow striped wings, the size of a lady bug) and the spotted squash bug (has markings like a soccer ball). They can damage blossoms and very young fruits. We plant an earlier trap crop away from the main crop. this helps us to respond with a much smaller amount of organic treatments while still reducing the population.

Please enjoy our fresh organic vegetables!- Anne Tisbert

Week #5, July 6, 2010

2010-07-06T13:06:00.006-04:00

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?

In Your CSA Bag

Tomato - 1
Kohlrabi - 2
Broccoli Raab ~ 1 bunch
Cucumber ~ 2
Swiss Chard ~ 1 bunch
Lettuce ~ 1 head
Choice ~ Bok-choy/Zucchini
Herb~garlic scapes

Also at the Farm Stand

produced locally...*

Boyden Farm ~ beef
Green Top Farm ~ lamb & pork ~
organic breads
Free range eggs

* These items are brought into our farm stand to give you a larger selection.

Recipes of the Week

Kohlrabi Coleslaw

Chicken with Broccoli Raab and Penne

News from the Field

We hope you had a Happy 4th of July. We had fun with our float in the Jeffersonville parade. All of our kids were home and helped on the parade route.
We were so happy to have offered you strawberries this season and we are always sad to see them end. Every year farmer Joe says, "Wow! The strawberries really ended quickly this year." And I always reply, "No, they were here for a full 2 weeks just like last year, it's just that we enjoy them so much, and they are so delicious. We want them to last longer! To which he replies, "Yes, I guess you're right, but this year I think they tasted the best we have ever grown." That's when I laugh and think thank goodness I froze a few batches for this winter.

Jay bought 25,000 (yes 25,000) new plants for next year and a new variety that matures later in the season. Hopefully we can stretch the strawberry season a little longer next year.

The Brassica Story: There are many vegetables in the brassica family. It includes vegetables that are commonly grown and know as Broccoli, Broccoli Raab, Brussels Sprout, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Collards, Kale, Kohlrabi, Mustard, Rutabaga, and Turnip. Many of them can be grown for their ornamental leaves. Brassica vegetables are very highly regarded for their nutritional value. They provide high amounts of vitamin C and soluble fiber and contain multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties. Brassicas are common in northern climates due to their tolerance of colder weather.

Please enjoy your fresh organic vegetables and stay cool this week!- Anne Tisbert

Week #4, June 29, 2010 CSA Pick up

2010-06-29T11:59:00.005-04:00

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?

In Your CSA Bag

~ Tomato - one large & one small

~ Swiss Chard

~ Kale (purple)

~ Lettuce

~ Garlic Scapes

~ Choice: Bok-choy or Cucumber

~ Strawberries (get 1 pint/pick 1 pint)

Also at the Farm Stand

produced locally...*

Boyden Farm ~ beef

Green Top Farm ~ lamb & pork

Red Hen Baking Co. ~ organic breads

Maple Shade Farm ~ maple syrup

* These items are brought into our farm stand to give you a larger selection.

Recipe of the Week

Avocados with Strawberry Salsa and Tortilla Strips

News from the Field

Strawberries are available for you again this week. They seemed to have peaked this last weekend and are slowing down already. You may have noticed that our berries come a few days later (zone 4) vs. some of the other farms in the area (zone5, closer to the lake). Many people were out picking over the weekend and left with baskets of red, juicy berries. They may not last for another week. This week you may pick one pint for your CSA share (you have one week to pick your pint). Delivery members will receive their pint already picked.

Our Tomato Story:

Our tomatoes were started from seed in February. We grow several different kinds, each for a different purpose. We are also growing different colors this season. We grow special types to be grafted together when whey are about 3-4 inches tall. A root stock with great disease resistance and vigor is grown for the bottom of the new grafted plant and the top of the new grafted plant is chosen for its delicious flavor. Bi-focals and a steady hand are helpful when cutting the plants at similar angles and putting them together with a grafting clip. They are carefully transplanted into larger cells in a shaded incubation chamber an misted for 4 days to allow the grafts to take. Nest they are uncovered fro a week and returned to the sun slowly as the grafts begin to heal and the plants continue to grow. Soon the clips are removed and the new plants are again transplanted into small pots. By March the grafted plants are ready to be planted in the green house in black plastic with trickle tape underneath to keep those thirsty plants happy and the humidity in the greenhouse to a minimum. This is just one way we as organic growers can bring you a better tasting tomato.

Please enjoy your fresh organic vegetables!- Anne Tisbert

CSA Week #3, June 22, 2010

2010-06-22T10:41:00.006-04:00

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?

In Your CSA Bag
Swiss Chard
Bok-Choy
Lettuce - Red Fire Leaf
Cucumbers
Tomato
Strawberries - get 1 pint/pick 1

Also at the Farm Standproduced locally...
*Boyden Farm beef ~ *Fresh eggs ~ *Maple Shade maple syrup
* These items are brought into our farm stand to give you a larger selection.

Recipes of the Week
Garlic Scape Pesto
Fried Scapes
Spinach and Scape Frittata

News from the Field
Strawberries are available this week. You get a pint and you can come and pick a pint for free. You have up to a week to come and pick your free pint. Delivered members will receive a full quart.
The Strawberry Story - Our strawberries were planted last spring and weeded and cared for all summer at the farm. About a month ago we had a late frost. These low temperatures can kill the center of the strawberry blossom, which eventually will become a strawberry. Farmers with irrigation systems had their sprinkler pumps spraying water.
The water freezes and makes an ice coating on the blossoms holding the temperature of the ice, at 32 degrees. This will keep the berry in the center of the blossom from spoiling which happens when the temperature drops to a lower than freezing temps, usually anything lower than 30 degrees. The temperatures can drop very low usually when any of three things happen. 1. a cold front comes down from Canada, 2. There is a full moon, and 3. the skies are clear leaving no cloud cover for thermal warming and between 2-6am are the coldest before the sun rises. This ice coating process is also used on other fruit blossoms when a freeze is expected, such as oranges in Florida. Farmers without irrigation systems lost nearly all their early berry blossoms to freezing temperatures.
Please enjoy our fresh organic vegetables!- Anne Tisbert

Week #2, June 15, 2010

2010-06-16T10:33:00.008-04:00

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?

In Your CSA BagSpinach ~ Bok-Choy ~ Lettuce ~ Tomato ~ Cucumber ~ Basil

Also at the Farm Standproduced locally...
*Boyden Farm ~ beef
*Free range eggs
*These items are brought into our farm stand to give you a larger selection.

Recipes of the WeekFresh Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella Appetiser Salad, Stir-fried Baby Bok-Choy with Garlic

News from the Field
We hope you all enjoyed your vegetables last week. As usual veggies start off slowly in June with lots of greens. This week you have two greens. One for your salad and one for a stir-fry. Bok-Choy is great as a side dish or add some shrimp with rice or pasta for a full meal. We are excited to offer our own tomatoes that were started in the greenhouse in March.
Don't forget to come in with your new "shopping bag", cross your name off the list and pick up your weekly newsletter as you pick out your veggies. It is your bag to keep and re-use weekly. For those with deliveries, please return your bag every week and we will always have another one there for you.
The farm crew for the 2010 season includes: The Tisbert Family (Joe, Anne, Jay, Jon, and the dogs: Zippy and Bella), Tamara(field and greenhouse manager), Geoff, Josh, Shane, Doris, Rudi, Victor(field crew), Anna, Ashley V., Derek, Alex, Erica, Jackie, Tommy, and Crystal(farm stand/greenhouse), and Wendy(book keeper). All of our staff is available to assist you with any purchase or questions that you may have.
Please enjoy your fresh organic vegetables.

Strawberries are coming soon. We are hoping to offer pick your own starting Saturday, June 19, 2010. Please call for availability at 802-644-6598.

This Week at the Farm 5/17/2010

2010-05-18T11:43:00.006-04:00

Valley Dream Farm hosted our annual Spring Celebration on Saturday, May 15th. Despite the cool moist weather we had many of members (both new and returning) visiting the greenhouses and tasting all the wonderful foods we offer.

Several of our add-on share vendors came by with their offerings.

Green Top Farm cooked natural meats - beef, lamb, and pork - very delicious.

Doe's Leap Farm offered feta, chevre, and caprella goat cheeses.

Crusty organic breads from Red Hen Baking Company.

Sweet maple syrup from Maple Shade Farm.

The many kids loved the freshly harvested cucumbers from the greenhouse and kids of all ages loved the samples of this years sweet maple syrup. Everyone had lots of energy for the farm tours and checked out many of our improvements including our new Greenhouse #5 and the greenhouses full of cucumbers and tomatoes.

Visitors were given free samples of potatoes and carrots for stopping by and enjoying all the fun.

Our greenhouses are bursting with color and many guests grabbed hanging baskets for their decks and porches. Annuals and veggie starts are available in the greenhouse. It's not to late to start planning your summer garden.

CSA Memberships are still available.

Get an application.

IN THE STORE:

Greenhouse cucumbers- grown at Valley Dream Farm

Greenhouse tomatoes - Grown by a Deep Root Organic Coop member

Lettuce - grown at Valley Dream Farm

Fresh Eggs - Lucky Ladies Coop from Waterville

Boyden Farm Beef - beef raised at Boyden Farm in Cambridge

Apple Butter (organic) - Champlain Orchard, Shoreham

Maple Syrup - Maple Shade Farm, Cambridge

Store is open from 10am-7pm daily.

This Week at the Farm - May 2, 2010

2010-05-04T10:45:00.000-04:00

WOW!! What a week it's been. Starting with the snow Tuesday and Wednesday then the beautiful weather over the weekend. The greenhouse is open and the flowers are gorgeous. We have a large assortment of annual flowers and vegetable starts just waiting for you to come and pick them out.

We are still accepting applications for our 2010 CSA. There are many options for you and your family.

Check out an application.

IN THE STORE:

Greenhouse cucumbers

Lettuce

May 2010 Events:

Mothers' Day Weekend, May 8-9, 2010 - $2 off all hanging baskets. FREE Farm Tours (10am-2pm, top of the hour)

Spring Celebration, Saturday, May 15, 2010 - 10am-2pm. Come meet the farmers, staff and our add-on share vendors. Take a tour of the farm (tours start at the top of the hour). Find out more about memberships in our CSA program.

Window Box Weekend, May 22-23, 2010 - Come and learn how to plant your own window box or planter. FREE demos (10am-2pm on the 1/2 hour). Please recycle. Bring your own planter or purchase one of ours. Farm Tours (10am-2pm, top of the hour)

Memorial Day Weekend, May 29-31, 2010 - Come and learn how to make a cemetery planter to remember your loved ones. FREE demos 10am-2pm (on the 1/2 hour) FREE Farm Tours 10am-2pm (start at the top of the hour)

This Week at Valley Dream Farm

2010-04-21T09:44:00.013-04:00

This spring we have had all kinds of weather. 80 degree heat one day and 3 inches of snow 2 days later. Got to love Mother Natures spring fertilizer to green everything up.

Yesterday the crew and a couple of guests put plastic on the "New" greenhouse. This is the greenhouse that tried to fly to "OZ" during the big windstorms last winter. Only took a couple of hours to cover. It was quickly filled with all of the onions that Joe has been planting.

The plants that were started in the germination room back in February are now planted in the ground in the greenhouses. The cucumbers are slowly starting to produce for us. A fresh cucumber sliced for dinner is coming your way soon. YUM YUM!! There are even a couple of tomatoes in there.

The greenhouse opens on May 1, 2010.

Hours 10am-6pm daily.

MAY 2010 FARM EVENTS:

Saturday, May 1: Get your hands dirty and learn how to plant veggie starts. Free Demos on the 1/2 hour. All ages welcome. Children will receive their own potted seeds to take home. Farm Walking Tours 10am-2pm (start at the top of the hour)

Saturday, May 8 and Sunday, May 9: Mothers Day Weekend Special - $2 off all hanging baskets. Farm Walking Tours 10am-2pm (start at the top of the hour)

Saturday, May 15: SPRING CELEBRATION - Come and meet the farmers, staff and our vendors. CSA Members can sign up for their add-on shares. Farm Walking Tours 10am-2pm (start at the top of the hour)

Saturday, May 22: Window Planter Day - Come and learn how to plant your own window box or planter. FREE demos on the 1/2 hour . Sale: Buy 2 pansy six packs and get 1 free pansy six pack.

Memorial Day Weekend: Farm Walking Tours 10am-2pm Saturday (start at the top of the hour) Sale on Organic Veggie starts and Cemetery Planters

Have you signed up for your CSA membership? Memberships are still available.

Click here for an application.

This week in the greenhouse

2010-03-16T15:04:00.000-04:00

We are still planting Joe's onions. Many more to go. These are onions just starting to come up.
They may look funny to you but they come up bent in half and then straighten. Hard to believe that they will end up baseball size.

Students from the Vermont Youth Conservation Corp are helping us this week. They will assist us in planting more of the onions and will help to erect a new greenhouse that Joe is picking up in Massachusetts this week. The students are very helpful at this time of year. They will usually visit us again during the summer to help with weeding and again in the fall to help with the harvest. The VYCC also is helping other local farms and will work on other local conservation projects. We really appreciate their help.

We are still accepting applications for the 2010 growing season. We are offering both 16 and 24 week shares. Download an application today!

This Week in the Greenhouse

2010-03-11T12:25:00.000-05:00

Joe and Jay have been very busy in the green house this week. Pansies were delivered last week and needed to be transplanted. It's amazing how much growth there is in just one week. The picture here shows the pansies that arrived last week (on the left) compared to the pansies that arrived yesterday. The pansies arrive from the grower in a tray that has 512 cells/plants. These are then transplanted into 6 paks that will be available for purchase in mid-May.

Another large project this week is for Joe. He ran out of onions this winter. OH NO! This year he is planting 300,000 seeds. That's about 708 trays of onions to be transplanted on about 1 acre. We all hope that he doesn't run out this year.

We are still accepting applications for this years CSA. We have many options for you to choose from and will deliver FREE to your workplace if you have 5 or more members being delivered.

GET AN APPLICATION HERE!

2010-02-24T16:30:00.007-05:00

Wow!! How about that snow? At least 10 inches and it's still falling.

It's very warm in the germination room and this week Anne and Jay are busy grafting tomatoes.

Why do we graft? We do this so that we have the best of our varieties.

These grafts are with plant stock that was started a bout 3 weeks ago. We use Maxifort and Beaufort tomatoes as the bottom, to give a vigorous growth and disease resistance to the top. We use the ever popular Buffalo tomato as the top.

We hope to have these grafted plants in the greenhouse in the ground in about 3 weeks, and tomatoes around the end of May.

We have also started cucumbers to be planted in their own greenhouse and parsley to be planted in the fields when the snow melts.

Don't forget to sign up for this summer's CSA.

2010 CSA Shares

2010-02-16T14:43:00.000-05:00

This year we are offering three share levels and two season lengths. You can have flexibility both in price and in your harvest preferences. Choose from 16 weeks of summer crops or a full 24 weeks between June and November.

The economical Senior share (must be over 65) gives you a choice of 5 items each week. The Single share gives you 6 items per week. The Full share lets you haul 10 or 12 different items each week, depending on the harvest.

16 Weeks (summer only)

Full share $350,
Single (6 items) $232,
Senior (5 items) $200

24 Weeks

Full share $495,
Single (6 items) $355,
Senior (5 items) $250

Payment Options

Our 4-payment plan can be arranged for a 5% fee with due dates in 2010 on March 1, April 1, May 1, and June 1.

Please send us your contact information, choice of share level, and your check payable to:

Valley Dream Farm

5901 Pleasant Valley Road,

Cambridge VT 05444

Please enjoy our fresh organic vegetables!
- Anne Tisbert

2009 Week 24

2009-11-16T12:51:00.001-05:00

THANK YOU for being such wonderful CSA members at Valley Dream Farm!

We all hate to see the season end, but this is your 24th week of receiving vegetables, our longest season ever. We are grateful to have had such an amazing staff to be able to provide you such a bountiful season, after the coldest and wettest summer in our records.

In Your CSA Bag

White Potatoes ~ 2 qts
Potatoes, your choice ~ 2 qts
2 Squash ~ choice variety
Beets ~ 10
Purple Top Turnips ~ 6
Onions ~ 10 small
Carrots ~ 10
Brussels Sprouts ~ 1-2 qts
Kale ~ 1 bunch
Lettuce ~ 1 head
Herbs ~ Garlic ~ 2

Recipe of the Week

Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts

News from the Field

Anyone wishing to order a THANKSGIVING BASKET has until Friday, Nov 20th, for pick up on Saturday, Nov 21st. Some members have ordered baskets to be delivered to the Cambridge food shelf. We too will be donating baskets in Cambridge and Underhill. We feel blessed to live among such caring community members.

We hope to have you all back next season and remind you to send in your deposits. As always, payment plans are available.

Thank you from all of us here at Valley Dream Farm. May your Holidays and Families be blessed!
- Anne Tisbert

2009 Week 23

2009-11-09T09:36:00.003-05:00

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?

In Your CSA Bag

Pie Pumpkin ~ 1

Potatoes ~ choice, 1 qt

Squash ~ choice variety

Beets ~ 6-10

Purple Top Turnips ~ 4-6

Onions ~ 6 small

Carrots ~ 6

Brussels sprouts ~ 1 qt
Herbs ~ garlic

Recipes of the Week

Savory Squash Pie
Squash Scones

News from the Field

One more pickup, next week -- the week before Thanksgiving! We are offering an additional THANKSGIVING BASKET for your dinner for $25. The basket contains 1 lb each of Beets, Brussels sprouts, Carrots and Turnips, 2 Butternut squash, a pie Pumpkin, and 5 lbs of white Potatoes. Place your order by Friday the 20th for pickup at the Farm on Saturday the 21st.

Our survey says 99% of our customers are happy with the quality and quantity of produce they received at Valley Dream Farm. There were way too many favorites to list them all. The least favorite category was varied, but cabbage and fava beans ranked as the top dislikes. Many loved the option to switch up to two items per week and took advantage with their least favorite items.

Many members wished for more sweet corn and so did we. We have to believe that next year corn on the cob will be back on track as it was in previous years. This week we finished planting garlic for next year. You can look forward to delicious garlic scapes in the summer and bulbs in the fall.

We hope to have you all back next season! Send in your deposit before the 21st to reserve your membership at this year's price. Next year's CSA membership forms will be available on our website soon.

Please enjoy our fresh organic vegetables!
- Anne Tisbert

2009 Week 22

2009-11-02T09:58:00.004-05:00

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?

In Your CSA Bag

Potatoes ~ choice, 1 qt
Squash ~ u-pick variety
Beets ~ 6-10
Purple Top Turnips ~ 4-6
Onions ~ 6 small
Carrots ~ 6
Brussels sprouts ~ 1 qt
Chard ~ 1 bunch
Herbs ~ garlic

Recipes of the Week

Winter Squash Braised in Apple Cider
Spinach Pumpkin Swirl Quiche

News from the Field

This week we harvested the last of the carrots. Everyone who filled out our survey loves them. We heard over and over how sweet they taste. We store the carrots in plastic to keep them crisp. You should too. We store them at 35 degrees in the cooler until spring -- or we sell them all first (always the goal).

When you drive by the farm, you'll see us tilling the fields. This is to return the dead plant material back into the soil. You should do this in your own garden to avoid giving pests a place to overwinter. Turning the dead plants and leaves back into the soil allows composting and feeds the micro-biotic life that keeps our soils healthy. DO NOT leave vegetables in the ground! Potatoe tubers especially can harbor the dreaded blight if they don't freeze solid on the surface. They could carry this year's diseases into next year.

Please enjoy our fresh organic vegetables!
- Anne Tisbert

New Hours

Before Thanksgiving:
Tues & Thurs, 2-6 pm; Sat & Sun 12-6 pm; Nov 21st, 2-4 pm

Dec 5th & Jan 2nd (first Sat of the month), we will be selling storage vegetables. Call for times and availability.

2009 Week 21

2009-10-31T17:34:00.004-04:00

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?

In Your CSA Bag

Potatoes ~ red & white ~ 1 qt
Squash ~ 1 butternut
Beets ~ 1 lb
Purple Top Turnips ~ 2 or 3
Red Cabbage
Onions ~ 1 bag
Carrots ~ 6
Brussels sprouts ~ 1 qt
Celeriac or Kale
Chard ~ 1 bunch
Herbs ~ garlic

Storing Fall/Winter Crops

Beets, carrots, turnips, cabbage, celeriac and Brussels sprouts like to be stored in plastic in the refrigerator and can last for weeks or even months. Kale and Chard also like it cold but they should be used within a week or two of harvesting. Kale especially likes ice cold and moisture. Potatoes and squash like it cool, dry and dark.

Recipes of the Week

Pickled Beets
Roasted Roots
Beet and Carrot Cake

News from the Field

Today's recipe is pickled beets. I remember sitting at my grandma's table and rubbing red beets on my lips and asking her if she liked my new lipstick. She would always laugh and my siblings would copy me and we'd all laugh. Meal time can make great memories.

Beware of red beets! They leave your body the same color as they go in, so don't be alarmed when flushing or changing Jr's diapers!

There are 3 more pickup days after today. The last pickup is the week of November 16th. We still have certain items for sale in bulk to fill your root cellar. We have potatoes, beets, turnips, carrots, garlic and squash.

Please enjoy our fresh organic vegetables!
- Anne Tisbert

2009 Week 20

2009-10-20T10:35:00.005-04:00

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?

In Your CSA Bag

Potatoes ~ blue/blue _ 1 qt
Squash ~ 1 Blue Hubbard
Red Beets ~ 1 lb
Red Cabbage ~ 1 head
Onions ~ 1 bag
Carrots ~ 6
Brussels sprouts ~ 1 qt
Peppers ~ 2 sweet + 2 Jalapeño
Chard ~ 1 bunch
Lettuce ~ 1 head
Tomato ~ 1 green
Herbs ~ parsley ~ 1 bunch

Also at the Farm Stand

produced locally...*
Boyden Farm ~ beef
Green Top Farm ~ lamb & pork
Red Hen Baking Co. ~ organic breads, fresh Tu/Th/Sat
Free range eggs

* These items are brought into our farm stand to give you a larger selection.

Recipes of the Week

Fried Green Tomatoes
Roasted Pumpkin or Squash Seeds

News from the Field

We still have 5 weeks of shares, counting today. The last pickup will be the week of November 16th.

You may have noticed white tarps out in the fields. This covering is called "remay", a woven fabric used to protect crops in very cold temperatures. They will add about 10° to the air temperature underneath and extend the season a couple of extra weeks. We use this in spring, too, so we can plant early and have your produce ready earlier.

We are busy harvesting the remainder of the crops. A few items will still grow at these cooler temps -- Brussels sprouts, chard and kale are being picked daily.

You can buy a few items in bulk now. Fill your root cellar and have veggies all winter -- potatoes, turnips, carrots, garlic and squash.

Please enjoy our fresh organic vegetables!
- Anne Tisbert

2009 Week 19

2009-10-12T18:41:00.005-04:00

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?

In Your CSA Bag

Fingerling Potatoes ~ 1 qt
White Acorn Squash ~ 1
Purple Top Turnips ~ 1 lb
Gold Chard ~ 1 bunch
Celery ~ 1 bunch
Carrots ~ 6
Brussels Sprouts ~ 1 qt
Sweet Peppers ~ 2 yellow
Lettuce ~ 1 head
Tomato ~ 1
Herbs ~ garlic ~ 1 bulb

Also at the Farm Stand

produced locally...*
Boyden Farm ~ beef
Green Top Farm ~ lamb & pork
Red Hen Baking Co. ~ organic breads, fresh Tu/Th/Sat
Free range eggs

* These items are brought into our farm stand to give you a larger selection.

Recipes of the Week

Anne's Meatloaf Stuffed Squash
Southern Turnip Supreme

News from the Field

Six more weeks of shares. The last pick-up is the week of November 16th.

New this week is Purple Top Turnips. They are delicious on their own or a great soup ingredient. Try the turnip recipe above.

This summer's wet weather has not been kind to Vermont growers and the latest victim to the moisture is our tomato greenhouse. We hope you enjoyed the fresh red tomatoes this season and look forward to more next year.

Next week we will be doing our annual survey of your CSA experience here at Valley Dream Farm. Please help us plan for next year by giving us your feedback. This will take only a few minutes when you pick up next week.

Please enjoy your fresh organic vegetables!
- Anne Tisbert

2009 Week 18

2009-10-05T16:45:00.001-04:00

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?

In Your CSA Bag

Potatoes (red w/red flesh) ~ 1 qt

Buttercup Squash ~1

Pumpkin ~ 1 per member + 1 for each child of member

Broccoli ~ 1 bunch

Carrots ~ 6

Kale ~ 1 bunch

Celery ~ 1 bunch (good for soups)

Onions ~ 1½ lbs ~ paper bagged

Lettuce ~ 1 head
Herbs ~ garlic ~ 1 bulb

Also at the Farm Stand

produced locally...*
Boyden Farm ~ beef
Green Top Farm ~ lamb & pork
Red Hen Baking Co. ~ organic breads, fresh Tu/Th/Sat
Free range eggs

* These items are brought into our farm stand to give you a larger selection.

Recipes of the Week

Autumn Minestrone
Baked Buttercup

News from the Field

It is such a great time of year when the air is crisp and the leaves are showing off their brilliant colors. At the end of last week the first white snow came to top off the mountain. We don't always get snow during foliage, but when we do it is such a special treat. It reminds me of a Banana Split with the colors peeking out from under the white top. It is quite understandable why people travel from all over to "peep" at the beautiful colors of our Vermont countryside.

Lots of customers have dropped in for their pumpkins. Some wanted pumpkins to carve and decorate while others picked small sweet pumpkins for pies. Because we have a slight pumpkin shortage (again due to our very wet, cold summer), we have purchased a bin full of additional pumpkins for you. There is one for each membership, plus one for every child of every member as we know every child needs their own pumpkin.

Along with pumpkins come winter squashes and we have many varieties for you to try. This week's squash is "Buttercup", an old New England favorite. Buttercups have the classic gray/green circle on the bottom.

We usually roast our potatoes but last night Joe peeled a pan full of mixed colored potatoes. The whites, reds and blues whipped into mashed potatoes of the prettiest lavender! Maybe this week's reds with red flesh, combined with some whites, will give you "potatoes in the pink". Any way you like them, it's fun to be color creative with food.

Please enjoy our fresh organic vegetables!
- Anne Tisbert

2009 Week 17

2009-09-30T16:22:00.004-04:00

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?

In Your CSA Bag

Watermelon ~ 1
Potatoes (gold) ~ 1 qt
Green Cabbage ~ 1 head
Broccoli ~ 1 bunch
Brussels Sprouts ~ 1 pint
Romaine ~ 1 head ~ OR ~ Spinach ~ 1 xl handful
Peppers ~ 2 sweet
Onions ~ 1 1/2 lbs, paper bagged
Tomatoes ~ 2
Herbs ~ mixed ~ 1 bunch

Also at the Farm Stand

produced locally...*
Boyden Farm ~ beef
Green Top Farm ~ lamb & pork
Red Hen Baking Co. ~ organic breads, fresh Tu/Th/Sat
Free range eggs

* These items are brought into our farm stand to give you a larger selection.

Recipes of the Week

Mashed Gold Potatoes
Tricolor Potatoes with Pesto and Parmesan
Sauteed Brussels Sprouts

News from the Field

It was a very busy weekend here at the farm. We had the whole family at home visiting, which means they were all helping on the farm too. We were trying to harvest the potatoes before the rains came, as the mud can get deep and difficult.

How do we harvest you ask? It takes 6 workers to harvest potatoes.

The first worker drives the tractor pulling the huge 2 row harvester. Her job is to stay in the rows and control the overall speed of the harvest.

The second worker drives the tractor pulling the potato wagon. This “V” shaped wagon collects the potatoes dropping from a conveyor belt attached to the harvester. Her job is to keep pace with the first tractor while evenly dispersing the potatoes in the wagon. Distractions are not an option for this worker!

The third worker controls the hydraulics to raise and lower the conveyor arm of the harvester over the potato wagon. He also controls the depth of the digging. Too deep can clog the harvester and too shallow can miss or chop up the potatoes. He also helps the others sort potatoes when not running the controls.

The harvester's many conveyors sort the potatoes from rocks and other debris. The other three workers stand on top of the harvester and remove any remaining debris so that only potatoes go into the wagon. They have to work fast to keep up with the tractors.

When the potato wagon is full, it is returned to the barn, and potatoes are unloaded into large wooden bins to cure. After warm curing, they are sent to cold storage for the winter. As orders arrive we wash the potatoes in the barrel washer (currently next to the greenhouse), pack them and then ship them throughout the winter.

Our workers labored hard and, thanks to them and our kids, we harvested most of the potatoes before the rains came!

Please enjoy our fresh organic SPUDS!
- Anne Tisbert

2009, Week 16

2009-09-23T13:19:00.004-04:00

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?

In Your CSA Bag

Watermelon ~ 1
Potatoes (all blue) ~ 1 qt
Broccoli or Brussels Sprouts ~ 1 pint
Cucumbers ~ 2
Carrots ~ 1 lb ~ approx 6
Salad Greens ~ 1 XL handful
Peppers ~ 2 sweet & 4 jalapeno
Tomatoes ~ 2
Herbs ~ parsley ~ 1 bunch

Also at the Farm Stand

Sweet Corn, Zucchini, Broccoli, Broccoli rabb, Kale, Swiss Chard

produced locally...*
Boyden Farm ~ beef
Green Top Farm ~ lamb & pork
Red Hen Baking Co. ~ organic breads, fresh Tu/Th/Sat
Free range eggs

* These items are brought into our farm stand to give you a larger selection.

Recipe of the Week

Roasted Corn Cala with Tomato Salad

News from the Field

We had two frosts last weekend in our low spot at the foot of Mr. Mansfield. The cold air just slides right down on us.

Thank you to the members who helped with the squash harvest. All different types of winter squash are sorted and packed in bins in the cozy barn where they will stay above freezing until they are shipped.

On Monday, a nice and warm last day of summer, we harvested the rest of the watermelons. Some are a bit paler inside this year but taste just as sweet as the dark pink ones we had last year. Cantaloupes are still clinging to their vines and we are beginning to wonder if they will ripen in time.

We wish the warmth would stay a little longer, but it feels more sensible to have brisker weather when we start cooking soups and stews for fall and winter bluster. Autumn colors are blooming and we can all enjoy what people travel for miles to see in Vermont.

We love farming in Pleasant Valley! Please enjoy our fresh organic produce!
- Anne Tisbert

2009, Week 15

2009-09-15T18:08:00.003-04:00

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?

In Your CSA Bag

Watermelon ~ 1
Potatoes (mixed) ~ 1 qt
Beets ~ 1 lb
Broccoli Raab ~ 1 bunch
Cucumbers ~ 2
Carrots ~ 1 bunch
Lettuce ~ 1 head
Spinach ~ 1 XL handful
Zucchini ~ 2
Peppers ~ 2 sweet & 4 jalapeno
Tomatoes ~ 3 small/med
Herbs ~ garlic ~ 1 bulb

Also at the Farm Stand

Sweet Corn, Blueberries, Broccoli, Broccoli rabb, Radishes, Kale, Swiss Chard, Fava Beans

produced locally...*
Boyden Farm ~ beef
Green Top Farm ~ lamb & pork
Red Hen Baking Co. ~ organic breads, fresh Tu/Th/Sat
Jericho Settlers Farm ~ free range eggs

* These items are brought into our farm stand to give you a larger selection.

Recipe of the Week

Watermelon and Feta Salad

News from the Field

The weather the last two weeks was just what we needed. Our sun- and warm-weather-loving crops are catching up. Watermelons are finally ready for you! They are sweet and juicy—well worth the wait.

The fall harvest has come quickly. We are harvesting squash, pumpkins, potatoes, brussels sprouts and many other delicious fall crops. If you are interested in helping with the harvest, please sign up in the store. Last year a few members brought their families in the evenings after work to pick squash and pumpkins and put them into bins. Fun was had by all.

We love farming in Pleasant Valley! Please enjoy our fresh organic produce!
- Anne Tisbert

2009, Week 14

2009-09-07T11:41:00.002-04:00

FALL SHARES AVAILABLE NOW! Tell your friends!

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?

In Your CSA Bag

Potatoes ~ 1 qt
Beets ~ 1 bunch w/ greens
Broccoli ~ 1 bunch
"Veronica" Romanesco Cauliflower ~ 1 head
Cucumbers ~ 2
Carrots ~ 1 bunch
Lettuce ~ 1 head
Spinach ~ 1 XL handful
Zucchini ~ 2 small/med
Peppers ~ 2 yellow sweet & 4 jalapeno
Tomatoes ~ 1 med & 1 small

Also at the Farm Stand

Sweet Corn, Diakon Radishes, Broccoli rabb, Kale, Swiss Chard

produced locally...*
Boyden Farm ~ beef
Green Top Farm ~ lamb & pork
Red Hen Baking Co. ~ organic breads, fresh Tu/Th/Sat
Jericho Settlers Farm ~ free range eggs

* These items are brought into our farm stand to give you a larger selection.

Recipe of the Week

Roasted Cauliflower

News from the Field

Joe went out to the corn field on Sunday in mid-August and came back with the exciting news that we finally had a crop ready. We had to plow in the first two plantings this year because of the cold, wet spring. But when we went out on Tuesday morning to pick it fresh for our CSA members, it was gone -- carefully and expertly picked. Joe looked for signs of bear, coon or skunk. Wildlife usually leave a mess and our workers would have delivered the harvest to the farm stand if they were ahead of schedule.

Alas, we had to face the reality that someone had stolen 160 dozen ears of corn from our field. Who does that?? Was it for a big (really big!) corn roast? or to sell somewhere else? We are very sorry to have to share this loss with our members. We have purchased corn for you from our friendly organic farmers in the Deep Root Co-op.

Chin up and move on, we say. We hope to have the next planting ready by the end of September. Our trail biking friends have offered to camp out with their dogs and hunting gear to guard for us!

On a good note, Jay has picked a very unusual Romanesco cauliflower, named "Veronica". With its lime green spiraled pinnacles, it looks quite alien but tastes quite mild. Steam it upright for a conversation starter at the dinner table!

We have seen (and tasted) the first watermelons. They need a little more time to be sweet and juicy. Until then, please enjoy our fresh organic produce!
- Anne Tisbert

2009, Week 13

2009-09-04T16:03:00.006-04:00

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?

In Your CSA Bag

Potatoes ~ 1 qt
Beets ~ 1 bunch w/ greens
Broccoli ~ 1 bunch
Cucumbers ~ 2
Fennel ~ 1 bulb
Lettuce ~ 1 head
Spinach ~ 1 XL handful
Zucchini ~ 2-3 small/med
Peppers ~ 2 sweet & 4 jalapeno
Tomatoes ~ 1 med & 1 small
Herbs ~ choice: basil

Also at the Farm Stand

Sweet Corn, Blueberries, Diakon Radishes, Broccoli rabb,
Kale, Swiss Chard

produced locally...*
Boyden Farm ~ beef
Green Top Farm ~ lamb & pork
Red Hen Baking Co. ~ organic breads
Jericho Settlers Farm ~ free range eggs

* These items are brought into our farm stand to give you a larger selection.

Recipe of the Week

What to do with Fennel
A few Italian ladies we know say they just cut up the raw fennel and toss into salad.

News from the Field

Where did our summer go? I spotted a leaf changing color this week. Forecast is promising, though, and we are hoping for another month of Indian summer.

We are harvesting potatoes now. Enjoy the rainbow before the All Blues and All Reds are gone. Golds, Red Skinned, Fingerlings and Russets are coming soon. The Russets need more good weather; here in Vermont they are somewhat smaller than in Idaho, but ours are tastier! Fennel is new this week and winter squash varieties are coming along nicely.

We have large quantities of many items at this time of year, so let us know if you need a case of veggies to can or freeze. We can give you a wholesale price.

Please enjoy our fresh organic produce!
- Anne Tisbert

2009, Week 12

2009-08-24T16:06:00.001-04:00

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?

In Your CSA Bag

Potatoes ~ mixed ~ 1 qt
Beets ~ 1 bunch
Cucumber ~ 2
Eggplant, Cabbage or Gold Chard ~ choice
Green Beans ~ 1 ½ handfuls = 1lb
Spinach ~ ½ lb
Peppers ~ 2 sweet & 4 jalapeno
Tomatoes ~ 1 small/med
Zucchini
Herbs ~ Garlic bulb

Also at the Farm Stand

Sweet Corn, Blueberries, Zucchini, Broccoli rabb, Kale, Swiss Chard, Fava beans

produced locally...*
Boyden Farm ~ beef
Green Top Farm ~ lamb & pork
Essex ~ Squash and Zucchini (non-organic)
Red Hen Baking Co. ~ organic breads
Jericho Settlers Farm ~ free range eggs

* These items are brought into our farm stand to give you a larger selection.

Recipe of the Week

Grilled Zucchini and summer Squash

News from the Field

A sign of summer's end, our youngest son Jon moved out of the house and into the dorm at Johnson State College. It is always a bitter sweet day for us, happy for their new independence and sdt at their absence as our family grows smaller at the dinner table.

The Crew here at the farm has been working very hard. They hand pull and hoe the weeds away from our plants every change they get between planing and harvesting. This is to prevent the weeds from stealing the nutrients in the soil.

We are on schedule for fall crops. Broccoli, Cabbage, Brussels sprouts and Greens are all growing nicely and we're looking forward to all kinds of squashes, too. We love farming in Pleasant valley!

Please enjoy our fresh organic produce!
- Anne Tisbert

2009, Week 11

2009-08-17T15:36:00.007-04:00

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?

In Your CSA Bag

New Potatoes ~ mixed ~ 1 qt
Sweet Corn ~ 4 ears
Cukes ~ 1
Spinach ~ ½ lb
Colored Beans ~ 1 ½ handfuls = 1lb
Bok Choy ~ 1 head
Lettuce ~ 1 head
Peppers ~ 2 sweet or 4 jalapeno
Tomatoes ~ 1 large & 1 small/med
Herbs ~ choice

Also at the Farm Stand

Sweet Corn, Blueberries, Zucchini, Broccoli, Radishes, Broccoli rabbe, Kale, Swiss Chard, Fava beans

produced locally...*
Boyden Farm ~ beef
Green Top Farm ~ lamb & pork
Essex ~ Squash and Zucchini (non-organic)
Red Hen Baking Co. ~ organic breads
Jericho Settlers Farm ~ free range eggs
Doe's Leap ~ Organic goat cheese

* These items are brought into our farm stand to give you a larger selection.

Recipe of the Week

Marinated Green Beans

News from the Field

The heat over the weekend was fantastic. We were able to make some hay during the nice warm sunshine.

The vegetable stand is very full. We are bursting with vegetables. We also carry meats, Beef from Boyden Beef and Pork and Lamb from Green Top Farm of Hyde Park. Goat cheese from Doe’s Leap and Breads from our friendly organic bakers at Red Hen Bakery in Middlesex. Bread is fresh at the farm stand on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Please enjoy our fresh organic produce!
- Anne Tisbert

2009, Week 10

2009-08-10T15:36:00.000-04:00

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?

In Your CSA Bag

New Potatoes ~ red, white, blue & gold ~ 1 qt
Sweet Corn ~ 4 ears
Broccoli ~ 1 bunch
Cabbage ~ 1 head
Carrots ~ 1 bunch
Green Beans ~ 1 ½ handfuls = 1lb
Bok Choy ~ 1 head
Lettuce ~ 1 head
Peppers ~ 2 sweet & 4 jalapeno
Tomatoes ~ 1 large & 1 small
Herbs ~ choice

Also at the Farm Stand

grown at Valley Dream Farm...

Sweet Corn, Blueberries, Zucchini, Broccoli, Radishes, Broccoli rabbe,
Kale, Swiss Chard, Fava beans

produced locally...*
Boyden Farm ~ beef
Green Top Farm ~ lamb & pork
Maple shade Farm ~ maple syrup
Essex ~ Sweet Corn, Summer Squash and Zucchini (non-organic)
Red Hen Baking Co. ~ organic breads
Jericho Settlers Farm ~ free range eggs

* These items are brought into our farm stand to give you a larger selection.

Recipe of the Week

Roasted New Potatoes

News from the Field

If we seem a little distracted it is because we are so busy during this time of year. We are picking, weeding and even trying to spray natural organic preventatives for all the diseases when the sun does shine.

Please remember to rinse all your veggies just before eating or preparing. Please refer to last week’s newsletter regarding storage and refreshing of your veggies. Just keep on eating your vegetables while they are here and sooooo fresh!

Please enjoy our fresh organic produce!
- Anne Tisbert

2009, Week 9

2009-08-04T17:43:00.005-04:00

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?

In Your CSA Bag

Lettuce
Broccoli
Carrots
Broccoli Raabe
Fava Beans
Radishes
Swiss Chard
Peppers (sweet & jalapeno)
Tomato
New Potatoes (red, white, blue & gold mix)
Herbs

Also at the Farm Stand

grown at Valley Dream Farm...
Green Beans, Carrots, Broccoli
Blueberries

produced locally...*
Boyden Farm ~ beef
Green Top Farm ~ lamb & pork
Maple shade Farm ~ maple syrup
Essex ~ Sweet Corn, Summer Squash and Zucchini (non-organic)
Red Hen Baking Co. ~ organic breads
Jericho Settlers Farm ~ free range eggs

* These items are brought into our farm stand to give you a larger selection.

Recipe of the Week

Broccoli Salad

News from the Field

The vegetables are really starting to produce and we see your bags are more full by the week. We have a new lettuce this week called deer tongue it is a baby Boston lettuce.

I wanted to let you know about bringing wilted veggies back, and how to store them so they are stored in the best condition. Lettuce will revive, just re-cut the bottoms and submerge in a sink filled with cold water for 15 minutes, shake off excess water and place in a plastic bag before putting in the veggie drawer. Give it a few hours. The root crops like the moisture too. Soak, shake off excess and store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

Tomatoes belong on the counter or window sill for the best flavor, never in the fridge it makes them mealy.

Potatoes stay best in a cool dark place (which may be the fridge during the summer).

Kale and Broccoli love the cold, 32 degrees, we pack them in bags (with ice too) in the coldest part of your frig. Please enjoy our fresh organic produce!

- Anne Tisbert

2009, Week 8

2009-07-29T20:22:00.005-04:00

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?

In Your CSA Bag

Lettuce
Cabbage
Peas
Radishes
Swiss Chard
Peppers (purple or green)
Tomato
Blueberries
Herbs
Annuals

Free Flowers!!
All annuals in the cold frame need to go!

Also at the Farm Stand

grown at Valley Dream Farm...
Green Beans, Carrots, Broccoli
Strawberries (get them while they last)

produced locally...*
Boyden Farm ~ beef
Green Top Farm ~ lamb & pork
Maple shade Farm ~ maple syrup
Essex ~ Sweet Corn, Summer Squash and Zucchini (non-organic)
Red Hen Baking Co. ~ organic breads
Jericho Settlers Farm ~ free range eggs

* These items are brought into our farm stand to give you a larger selection.

Recipe of the Week

Grilled Rainbow Chard with Fava Beans and Oregano

News from the Field

We've had sun and humidity; now we are asking for three consecutive days of sun without rain so we can make hay. I keep hoping August will be sunny, warm and drier.

Rain and wet ground has brought some plant disease issues. Plant roots need air and we love to find earthworms tunneling around them. Rain and wet ground drive the worms to the surface and rot the roots. A water mold called potato blight, which caused the great famine in Ireland, was recently found as close to us as Burlington. The blight also affects tomatoes. If your plants suddenly die, dispose of them in tied trash bags; do NOT compost them as the disease will overwinter. We have 8 acres in potatoes, so I hope it stays away from here!

Combating slugs? Sprinkle wood ashes around the base of your plants or place jar lids filled with beer to drown them.

Enjoy our fresh organic produce!
~ Anne Tisbert

2009, Week 7

2009-07-22T12:40:00.005-04:00

What delicious organic veggies are available this week at Valley Dream Farm?

In Your CSA Bag

Sugar Snap Peas or Snow Peas
Lettuce
Carrots
Cabbage (Green, Napa, Arrowhead)
Lacinata Kale
Swiss Chard or Kohlrabi
Tomato
Basil
Annuals

Free Flowers!!
All annuals in the cold frame need to go!

Also at the Farm Stand

grown at Valley Dream Farm...
Green Beans
Fava Beans

produced locally...*
Blueberries
Boyden Farm ~ beef
Green Top Farm ~ lamb & pork
Maple shade Farm ~ maple syrup
P. Mazza's Farm ~ summer squash & zucchini (non-organic)
Red Hen Baking Co. ~ organic breads
Jericho Settlers Farm ~ free range eggs

* These items are brought into our farm stand to give you a larger selection.

Recipe of the Week

Fresh Green Peas & Sugar Snaps in Sesame Dressing

News from the Field

It's mid july and we are finally seeing and feeling the summer sunshine. But in Vermont we say, if you like the weather, wait an hour. Last Friday some of our neighboring farms were hit by a terrible hail and rain storm. Luckily, Valley Dream Farm only got heavy rain.

Hail shreds the leaves on lettuce or other greens, leaving the crop unsalvageable for sales. One farm even reported having tomatoes ripped off plants and plants bent over and broken. They hope to repair the plants as it is too late to replant this far into the season. To help our neighbors get through this unexpected difficulty, Valley Dream Farm has donated lettuce to a CSA farm in Westford and a farm stand in Johnson. Please keep them in your prayers.

Enjoy our fresh organic produce!
~ Anne Tisbert

News from the Strawberry Field

2009-07-01T14:25:00.007-04:00

Last week we were still waiting for the big heat wave, knowing that when it arrives we will all be melting and wishing for those cooler days and nights.

The strawberries were being difficult. They must love being pink and tart! I always expect them to come out on my birthday, June 23rd. At last, this week we are able to offer them in your CSA bags. U-Pick is open 10am to 6pm. Bring your own basket!

Things are growing well with all this rain -- including the weeds and pests. We are trying to stay on top of them all. The broccoli needs a little attention from you, as we do not spray it with chemicals. The broccoli you buy in the store is sprayed to kill cabbage moth. Aren't you happier to eat organic now?

Soak your broccoli in the sink with a gallon of water and 1/2 cup salt. Put a plate on top to keep it submerged for 15 minutes. This will remove any of the tiny green cabbage moth caterpillers that are hiding in the heads. If they are in there, you probably won't see them until they are in the bottom of your sink. Shake or rinse off the salt water and put the broccoli into a plastic bag in your vegetable drawer. Broccoli can withstand the coldest spot in your refrigerator.

Come visit us at the Cambridge and Williston Farmers' Markets on Saturday mornings.

Anne - June 23, 2009

New Season 2009

2009-05-10T19:54:00.003-04:00

We're growing in more ways than one this year.

In addition to our delicious organic vegetables and fruits, plants and flowers, we are offering a variety of yummy local products -- meat, eggs, cheese and bread.

We are especially pleased to have Boyden Farm naturally grown beef available daily at our farmstand. Mark and Lauri Boyden have closed their on-farm market to concentrate on the deluge of events at their beautiful newly remodelled barn. They will be relying on restaurants and markets -- like our farmstand -- to distribute their products.

We are also offering CSA add-on shares for our own floral bouquets as well as

Red Hen organic bread,
Jericho Settler Farms natural free range eggs,
Twiss Hill organic chicken,
Maple Shade syrup,
Doe's Leap organic goat cheese,
Greentop Farm meats.

The annual Spring Celebration -- opening day for our CSA membership -- is at the farm on Saturday May 16th from 11 am to 3 pm. Taste the products in our new share add-ons, design your window boxes, take a tour, peek in the greenhouse, pick up bedding plants, and take home free samples and our new Valley Dream Farm CSA cloth bags. Great prices on everything!

Visit our website for directions and more information about what's available right now. See you at the farm on May 16th!

Anne Tisbert, Valley Dream Farm

Happy New Year

2009-01-20T18:49:00.003-05:00

Winter is here and it is very cold and blustery. There are no more tomatoes until next season, as the day light hours became too short for the plants. The greenhouse is growing much slower than we anticipated, but your patience has paid off.

In today's CSA basket, you will receive the first of the mesculin mix. In it is several varieties of baby lettuce, red sails, salad bowl and rouge d'hiver; also there are other baby greens, slightly spicy called Pac Choi, Tatsoi, a Red Russian Kale, and a very serrated leaf called Mizuna. We have also added baby "Cress" which is in the water chestnut family. It has a completely different shape than the lettuces and a very tiny leaf. Tamara described it as having a sweet apple flavor.

We also wanted you to have the first of the BABY radishes called "D'Avignon". They are a traditional variety from Southern France. They are oblong shaped, red colored with white tips and are quite a bit sweeter than your normal radish. Their tops are edible and can be added to your greens.

There are also several varieties of squashes, Carnival (multi-colored orange and yellow), Delicata (light yellow with green stripes, oblong shaped), and Dark Green Acorn (ribbed). We have brought in some more onions and parsnips for you to try. They are organic from Riverside Farm in Hardwick.

Members have been so happy with their vegetables we have had may phone calls to add additional items to their share pick-ups. The Farm Stand is officially closed, now. If you would like to order ahead -- turnips, beets, carrots, potatoes (reds, golds, and whites in 5, 10, or 50 lbs) -- to add to your CSA share or if you need additional items or want to store more of what you are receiving today, just leave us a phone message with your name. Please give us 48 hour notice so we can arrange to have your extra items packed and waiting for you.

Enjoy your fresh vegetables and produce.

We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year! We wish you all God's Blessings for a healthy 2009.

Anne Tisbert

Tucking in for Winter

2008-11-16T10:07:00.006-05:00

We hope you all had a Happy Halloween and are getting ready for Thanksgiving.

The warm weather this week has us out in the fields removing the plastic mulch and tilling the soils to prepare them for their winter naps. If you haven't gotten to it, it's your last chance to plant your perennials and bulbs. We have mulched the strawberries and the cover crops are all sprouted. Jay is anxiously awaiting the new seed catalogs so he can pick the exciting new items for next season. We also received a few new seeds for the winter shares and we are planting and waiting to see how they grow in the greenhouse under the row covers. The salad greens and spinach leaves have just started to show their green color above the soil. We will be offering you fluffy white potatoes for the month of November. Just in time for your Thanksgiving gravy. The Pie pumpkin can be used for pie, pumpkin seeds or for table decoration.

The Farm stand is officially closed so if you need any additional Thanksgiving items or if you want to store more of the items you are receiving today, just leave us a phone message and we can arrange to have it packed and waiting for you. Please give us 24 hour notice.

Enjoy your fresh vegetables and produce.

2008 Conservation Farmers of the Year

2008-10-27T14:52:00.002-04:00

We were so pleased to be recognized for our efforts this year by the LCNRCD at their annual Harvest Dinner on Oct. 12th. Here's what they said about us...

Honoring Valley Dream Farm for their commitment to agricultural security in the Lamoille Valley.

The Tisbert family purchased the farm known now as Valley Dream Farm from Fred Trask in 1992 and preserved the land with the American Farmland Trust. The Tisberts began milking 90 head of registered Holsteins. Falling milk prices, the importance of family and a strong desire to be good land stewards were all motivating factors behind their transition to organic vegetable production.

To protect soil and water quality, the Tisberts utilize a nutrient and pest management plan and implement practices such as diversified crops, cover crops and crop rotation. In 2008, with assistance from USDA NRCS, a section of streambank was stabilized and over 8,000 feet of irrigation pipe installed to water plants, protect against frost and eliminate the need to draw water from a small brook.

Valley Dream now includes a 200 member CSA (Community supported Agriculture), three weekly farmers markets, a vibrant farm store and a relationship with Salvation Farms of the Vermont Foodbank. The farm works with Salvation Farms and volunteers to harvest produce and make it available via the Vermont Foodbank and community food shelves; furthermore, the farm has developed a program with Laraway School to have their students work in the fields and help harvest produce of their community supported lunch program. In only two years the farm has donated over 22,000 pounds of fresh, local produce to those in need.

Valley Dream is a member of NOFA (Northeast Organic Farmers Association), an organization that regulates and certifies organic farms, and distributes produce from Maine to Florida with Deep Root Organic Co-op, a local vegetable cooperative.

Many thanks to Anne, Joe, Jay, Jen, Ashley and Becky for thier commitment to agriculture, good water and soil health and the well-being of Vermonters,

The Harvest Dinner was coordinated by LCNRCD (Lamoille County Natural Resources Conservation District & Nature Center in partnership with NOFA-Vermont's Farm to Community Mentor Program, with financial support from Lamoille County Farm Bureau. A delicious buffet of local foods was catered by Black Diamond Barbeque, Elmore, and hosted Boyden Farm in their beautiful newly renovated barn.

PHOTOS and links to these wonderful folks.

Storage Tips

2008-10-23T10:28:00.000-04:00

Several members have requested instructions on how best to store their vegetables. Here are a few tips.

Cucumbers will only keep for about one week in the refrigerator with a damp paper towel inside a plastic bag. Peppers and eggplant will do best in the vegetable crisper in a plastic bag. Eggplant tends to be a bit more perishable, so eat them up as soon as possible.

Kale, chard and broccoli all like to be really cold and wet. Place them in a plastic bag in the veggie crisper and add some crushed ice. Chard keeps up to one week, kale two weeks, and broccoli up to three weeks. If they do wilt, recut the bottom of the stems and soak them in a sink full of ice water for 1/2 hour and then cook.

Beets, carrots, Brussels sprouts and turnips like moisture and cool temperatures. Put them in separate sealed plastic bags, each with a damp paper towel, and they will keep for about a month.

Lettuce can be washed, rinsed and not dried before putting into a plastic bag with a very wet paper towel. It will stay crisp for about 5 days. Lettuce can also be kept like hydroponics by standing it upright in a wide cup of water with a bag over the top to keep the leaves hydrated. This also helps sweeten the lettuce if it is a bit bitter.

Potatoes, onions, winter squashes and garlic should always be left in a dry, cool, dark place. The dark prevents potatoes from turning green and bulbs from growing from inside. They can keep for months, but check weekly. If eyes appear on the potatoes, they have started growing again. Cut out the eyes, use them right away, and look for a cooler place to store your next batch. If onions or garlic grow green shoots, cut lengthwise and remove the green parts. Use immediately.

Tomatoes and tomatillos don't like cold. Do not refrigerate them unless they are fully red and you want to stop the ripening process.

Beets, carrots, turnips, cabbage, celeriac and Brussels sprouts like to be stored in sealed plastic bags in the refrigerator and can last for weeks or even months.

Please enjoy your fresh organic vegetables!

- Anne Tisbert

Winter CSA Shares of Certified Organic Produce

2008-10-08T13:28:00.002-04:00

Eat delicious Watermelon, Tomatoes, Brussels sprouts, Broccoli and lettuces before old jack frost puts us into the deep chill.

Then we will have dried beans, beets, carrots, turnips, potatoes, and winter squashes all grown right here in Pleasant Valley. We will also be growing, season extended greens for salads and tomatoes until the deep winter days are no longer sunny and warm. We will continue to include delicious recipes and ways to make your cooking quicker and easier.

The price for a full winter share is $442.86, a savings of 10-20% over retail organic -- and it is fresher and you know where it is grown. You can make three payments of $155.00, checks post-dated 10/5, 11/5, and 1/5/2009. Full shares will pickup twice a month:

Oct 9th and 23rd Nov 6th and 20th Dec 4th and 18th Jan 8th Feb 5th
Thursdays between 4-6pm

Many of you were interested in a smaller portion of winter veggies, so we will now be offering a ½ share at $246.00. Half shares will pick-up only once a month. The 1/2 share season will run for 5 pick-ups:

Oct 23rd Nov 6th Dec 4th, Jan 8th Feb 5th
Thursdays between 4-6pm

If you need a Saturday pick-up, please call. Deliveries are available to local drop sites on Wednesdays for an additional fee of $6.00 /week.

Join on our website ValleyDreamFarm.com