Leaves Turning

Yesterday I was driving around the roads near the farm on my Monday-bagel-for-lunch-run when I noticed that I was surrounded by trees with colorful leaves.  The leaves were turning color!  Does this mean it’s actually fall, I wondered, as I was wearing my first sweater of the season.  Trying not to get too distracted by the canopy of trees and the Neighborhood Farm Fields along Hartford Street, I thought about the time in between when the leaves are green and when they are red, orange, yellow and all the other hues of the fall rainbow.  

Of course, I should ask Andy, our farm apprentice/tree expert for the real explanation of what’s happening to the leaves….but beyond the scientific explanation I was thinking about our noticing of the transitions around us.  I wait and wait for the leaves to pop out in the spring-and this season it took so long.  I remember looking up at the trees each day, in the long days of spring, trying to decipher each bud and having a hard time believing that the leaves would ever arrive.  And then one day, they were there, glowing green, covering every branch and I felt sad that I missed the moment they emerged, but was glad they were here.

And then for weeks, I have longed for fall to arrive, for something like cooler weather or leaves changing to let me know that I had made it to the homestretch of the season, in my last year.  And without noticing it happening, the leaves turned.  I was sad I missed the moment, but glad that it had come and am grateful for this season, full of beautiful things. 

It’s the noticing of the changes happening that I (and maybe you also) miss on the farm.  We know we used to be smaller.  We know we started with one table, some hand written paper signs and one lightbulb swinging from its cord to illuminate our pick-ups.  We know at some point we didn’t have an herb garden or a flower garden or chickens or a weedy raspberry patch.  We missed the moment they came, but we are glad they are here and how they feel like they have always been a part of our farm.  We know we started with five acres and are now up to 16 or maybe more and we missed the exact moment that it happened, but we’re glad that it did, as those fields feel like they’ve always had our veggies tucked in clean and weedy rows.  And the people, so many crew and csa members and visitors have come and gone through the farm.  And I remember working with tara and molly and aviva (our first farm crew) like it was yesterday, bringing up vegetables with a garden cart to a dark wash station at the end of a fall day.  I don’t remember when or how the farm crew went from four to fifteen, but I know that it’s changed and I’m sad to miss the teams I’ve loved over the years, but glad for this crew, who feel like they’ve been here for years.

Like the turning leaves, our farm has and changed from green to red and back again. Still the same place, but in a different stage of our growth, each stage beautiful, each stage necessary for our farm to grow out in circles, our trunk growing strong and tall and wide. 

See you at the farm,
Meryl & The Powisset Farm Crew


What's in the share:
in the barn: tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, tomatillos/hot peppers, lettuce, turnips/radishes, arugula/kale, herb choice, chard/spinach, acorn squash!, beets, apples (just a taste) from UMASS orchards

in the fields: PYO is winding way down! just some cherry tomatoes and raspberries..this would be a great time to enjoy a walk around our back fields...with the time you used to give to picking!  it's beautiful back there!

The Ride for Food!
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to all who supported my with a donation or a cheer or a high five!! Last Sunday was the Ride for Food http://www.threesquaresne.org/
and I rode 25 miles!! yay!  And I reached my goal of $1000!!
Hooray and thank you for all of your support!

before and after pics:
 

before! looking excited!

after! me and dawnielle! We did it!!

In the Farm Stand


Fall is definitely in the air. I've pulled out my light sweaters for the morning but I'm still wearing flip flops. This transition of season is always bittersweet for me. I love the change, the smell in the air and the colors that Fall brings but I know that winter is also on it's way. What better way to make this transition warmer than with a fall pie?  Bushel and Crumb will be back this Thursday with their last savory selection of the season. It's a winter squash, onion, cheddar, and gouda pie - everything fall wrapped up into one delicious pie! Come by and grab one for dinner. The last sweet pie will be on October 8th and then holiday pies will be ordered.



We're also very excited to welcome back our pottery friends Lisa & Sue this Saturday, September 26th. Lisa WB Walker and Hog Wild Pottery will be selling heir functional one of a kind pottery. Both artists create their dishwasher and microwave safe pottery at Potters Place, a cooperative pottery studio and school in Walpole. Visit www.lisawbwalker.com and www.hogwildpottery.com to see all that they offer.













Recipes of the Week

What are those white and pink marbled shelling beans in the share!?!?! Those are called Dragon Tongue beans and not only are they pretty, they're delicious! Not sure what to do with them? First you need to shell them out of the pods. Then rinse them and soak them overnight, like a dried bean. Then use them as you would any other bean. This morning I tossed them in a crock pot Pork Posole soup that is slowly cooking as I type this. For more inspiration, check out these recipes:

Dragon Tongue Herb Spread or Dip

Succotash with Bacon & Croutons