Upcoming Classes at Powisset Farm

Hi everyone,

We will miss seeing you at the farm stand to pick up shares, but that doesn't mean that things are quiet in our barn. Check out these upcoming classes!

We also still have winter shares available. Shares are $150 for three bulk pickups that will take place from 10am-noon on November 17, December 1, and December 15.

-Jeff Hoodlet
Farm Apprentice

DIY facial treatments and Chinese cooking!

There are two classes coming up at Powisset Farm that you won’t want to miss. This Sunday, you can learn to make natural facial treatments for yourself and for holiday gifts. Then on Thursday 11/8, join us as we cook up some amazing, authentic Chinese food.

Register via the links below -- hope to see you there!

Face First: Custom Facial Treatments

Sunday, November 4

2pm-4pm

Experience an afternoon of indulgence and learn how to make your own facial skin care products using simple, natural, and easy-to-pronounce ingredients, all while sipping on a refreshing beverage with newfound friends. You’ll walk out with samples, recipes, and the confidence you can make these products at home. Sheer joy!

Products you’ll learn to make and take home:

• 1/2oz. Coco’s Joyful Facial Cleansing Oil
• 2oz. Coco’s Pure Face & Body Cream
• Vanilla Tangerine Lip Balm

This hands-on class will be taught by Coco Lewis, a self-proclaimed Joy Warrior and Owner of Nourish with Coco. Register at http://bit.ly/DIYfacialclass1.

Culinary Tour of China: Scallion Beef, Xian Bing & More

Thursday, November 8

6pm-8pm

Join us for our final class in our "Culinary Tour of China" series, led by chef Roberta Hing!

We'll start by making Xian Bing -- a savory stuffed pancake and popular street food in Xian, the city of the famed Terra Cotta Soldiers. We’ll also prepare Scallion Beef, a northern specialty from Shandong province, and delicious Crispy Sichuan String Beans.

Don’t worry if you missed the first two classes of the series -- each class stands on its own! Register at http://bit.ly/ChinaClass3.

PS: You can see all our upcoming classes for adults and children on our website!

-Jessica Devine
Events and Marketing - Chestnut Hill Farm and Powisset Farm

Powisset Cooks! - Culinary Tour of China

Hello Powisset CSA members! Powisset Farm has a special offer for you: This Thursday, October 25, from 6pm to 8pm, is our Chinese cooking class called “Culinary Tour of China.” We’d like to offer you 15% off the class (that means as a Trustees member, you will pay $51 instead of $60). Please join us!

Chef Roberta Hing will lead us as we make Sesame Peanut Noodles from northern China — often served for Chinese New Year to symbolize long life. We will also make tender Chicken with Snow Peas from Hebei province and gorgeous Stir Fried Shanghai Bok Choy from eastern China.

To register and receive the discount, please email Jessica at jdevine@thetrustees.org. We hope to see you there!

Jessica Devine

Events and Marketing - Chestnut Hill Farm and Powisset Farm

CSA Week 20 - A 20-Acre Thank You

Our fearless leader fighting for sweet potatoes

In this post...

• Thank you for a great season!
• Winter share
• In this week's share
• Other events at Powisset

The trembling leaves mark the end of another beautiful season on the farm. This moment has been seven months in the making, and the time has absolutely flown by. It feels like just yesterday that we were scrambling to set up the greenhouse in the middle of a cold, wet February snowstorm. Today I visited last winter’s piglets that we welcomed in the middle of the night during a blizzard and without power. They were upwards of three hundred pounds and ready to become mothers of their own piglets for next season. Back then, our laying hens weren’t yet a twinkle in their mother’s eye, and our successful barnyard experience was still a storage area for accumulated farm equipment. This season our animals, crops, property, and personal experiences grew with your help, and we hope that you were able to enjoy the changes taking place during the course of the year.

A well-managed farm sees beneficial insects like
this mantis

I speak for everyone on our crew when I say how grateful we are that you were part of our experience this year. The CSA allows us to learn and practice an important trade that is so often forgotten by those who think food comes shrink-wrapped from a factory. Not only are you contributing to little old Powisset Farm, but also to a culture that broadcasts the importance of local agriculture.

As the fields of cash crops shift into acres of cover crop that will preserve the soil and prepare nutrients for next season, we too will morph into winter roles. Equipment and infrastructure will be updated, our muscles will get a rest, and we will renew our excitement for farming by dreaming up new ways to improve the property and the veggies it produces.

If you’re not ready for the season to end, please consider signing up for a winter share. You’ll be able to stock up on some great veggies before the darkness sets in, and you’ll be able to see your favorite farmers a few more times! Shares are $150 for three bulk pickups that will take place from 10am-noon on November 17, December 1, and December 15.

Alas, we hope you enjoy the final distribution!

Two farmers trying to stay warm on a cold day

• Sweet potatoes
• Potatoes
• Garlic
• Leeks
• Radishes
• Arugula
• Lettuce
• Bell peppers
• Hot peppers
• Butternut squash
• Popcorn
• Root crop mix
• Kale
• Celery
• Broccoli
• Carrots

Before we say farewell, don't forget about the many other things going on at Powisset Farm! Aside from some beautiful trails, we have some great activities for families and adults on our events page. Summer might be over, but there is still quite a bit to do on the property.

Hope to see you soon!

Jeff Hoodlet

Farm Apprentice

CSA Week 19 - Putting the Frosting on the Cake

In this post…

Crisp fall morning at the farm

• Winter share
• Farm update
• In this share
• Carrot Jalapeno Soup!

As you know, 2018 winter shares are now available at Powisset Farm! There will be three Saturday pickups taking place from 10am-noon on November 17, December 1, and December 15. If you are interested, please sign up online and pay in the farm stand. Cost is $150.
2018 Winter Shares Here!

I think it was the busiest week on the farm in a couple months. After weeks of keeping our eyes on weather reports, the time has finally come to prepare for frost. Temperatures in the fields are often lower than local weather forecasts predict, so we covered most of our leafy greens before the weekend when the Dover forecast expected 39 degrees. We didn’t end up getting a frost, but the reemay will help the plants to grow anyway and protect everything when the thermometer is expected to drop near freezing this week.

Freshly cultivated fall lettuce

We also prepared for our annual HarvestFest that took place on Sunday. It was a great celebration of another excellent season at Powisset. Our events team put together an awesome array of activities and vendors for the whole family to enjoy. We were also able to debut a few crops that have just started to “come on,” or get mature enough to be eaten. Different varieties of radish and turnip were available in the farm stand, along with pumpkins, squashes, and caramel apples. It was fun being able to show off our property to hundreds of newcomers.

In this week’s share…

"It's alive!" -Towing the old tractor to be
displayed for HarvestFest

• Sweet potatoes
• Potatoes
• Garlic
• Leeks
• Radishes
• Arugula
• Lettuce
• Bell peppers
• Hot peppers
• Butternut squash

With only a couple weeks left in the summer share, there is no better time to try a new recipe with your fresh veggies before winter sets in. Thank you Shira for putting together another delicious-looking recipe!

Creamy Vegan Carrot Jalapeno Soup!

Ok! Time to shine the spotlight on the carrots!!! We have been gifted quite a supply in our recent shares!

Sure, they are delicious fresh, roasted, dipped in hummus or shredded into salad, but if you want to taste them in their glory, try out this creamy vegan carrot soup. The cashew cream adds protein and a velvety texture. This soup is seriously soul-warming with just the right amount of heat! 

Want to share something you’ve made at home? Send your recipes our way!

Shira B.

Creamy Vegan Carrot Jalapeño Soup!

2lb Carrots, sliced
2 thick leeks, sliced into 1/2” half-rings 
2 stalks of Celery, diced
4 cloves minced garlic
3 de-seeded, chopped jalapeños 
8 cups veggie broth (2 boxes)
1 c. Raw cashews 
EVOO, salt, pepper, thyme, bay leaf

Sauté the chopped leeks in olive oil & coarse salt until translucent (~5min). Add the minced garlic and celery and sauté for two minutes more. One softened, add the sliced carrots, jalapeños and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer, uncovered, for about 45 minutes with one bay leaf. 
Meanwhile, Soak the raw cashews in water for about an hour. Drain in a colander and then blend until smooth with 3/4 cup of filtered water to make the cream. 
Once the vegetables in the soup have softened, use an immersion blender (or upright blender) to purée. Then mix in the cashew cream. 
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with thyme and fresh pepper!!! 
Give it a try. You won’t be disappointed! 

Lastly, just because the leaves have turned doesn’t mean that things have slowed down at Powisset! We still have many events on the schedule, including Culinary Tour of China cooking class, and Boo in the Barnyard for the kids. Check out our events page to learn more and register!

Thanks so much for your continued support of our farm. It is such a pleasure to produce fresh, local, and responsible food for our community. We hope you enjoy the final weeks of the season! If you have any questions, comments, or recipes to share, please feel free to contact me at jhoodlet@gmail.com, or our manager Andrew Kelly at akelly@thetrustees.org.

Hope to see you soon,

Jeff Hoodlet

Farm Apprentice

HarvestFest is Happening as we Speak!

Fall is the best time to enjoy the farm! Come by Powisset and enjoy our annual HarvestFest. There are vendors, activities, open barnyard, Powisset Cafe, fresh veggies, caramel apples, and much more! The weather couldn't be better to enjoy the celebration of another great season here.

Just because summer is over doesn't mean that you have to miss out on fresh, local produce. Sign up for our winter share HERE and pick up three great distributions in late November and early December!

Winter Shares & HarvestFest

Hi all,

As you know, 2018 winter shares are now available at Powisset Farm! There will be three Saturday pickups taking place from 10am-noon on November 17, December 1, and December 15. If you are interested, please sign up online and pay in the farm stand. Cost is $150.
2018 Winter Shares Here!

In other news, Harvestfest is coming up this weekend! Fall is the most exciting and beautiful time on the farm, and we would love to see you here this Sunday, October 14 from 10am-3pm. To tell you more, here is a blurb from our events and marketing specialist.

Come celebrate the fall season with some good old-fashioned farm fun at Powisset Farm’s HarvestFest! It’s a day filled with live music, food and beverages, farm animals, fantastic vendors, hayrides, contests, and games and activities for all ages.

Highlights of the day include:

- Farm animals
- Arts & crafts activities
- Pumpkin painting
- Face painting
- Vendor Village: arts & crafts, jewelry, gourmet foods, local favorites, and so much more!
- Children’s hay maze
- Hayrides
- Field races all day
- Pie eating contest at noon
- Bicycle cider press
- Plus lots more!

All this activity will work up your appetite, and we’ll have so many options for you: Stone Comfort Pizza, Zelus Brewery, Ben & Jerry’s, BBQ, and our very own Powisset Cafe and Farm Stand will be open! Check out the gorgeous produce, delicious snacks and drinks, and all kinds of yummy options.

Admission includes everything except food & beverages, hayrides, and pumpkins to paint (but the first 100 families get a small pumpkin with admission!). This event runs rain or shine!

Members: $9/person; $24/family
Nonmembers: $15/person; $30/family.

-Nicole Lewis

Don't forget about our other events and classes on the farm! We will be hosting a "Culinary Tour of China" class in the coming weeks. Below is more information and a link to sign up.

Join us as we embark on a culinary tour of China with a selection of hands-on Chinese cooking classes. We’ll be creating three dishes in each class, representing different regions around the country. You’ll learn simple techniques to help you replicate these authentic dishes at home, and will be able to sample your creations with classmates at the end of each class. Take all three classes in the series or select just one or two.

10/11 - Culinary Tour of China: Part One

In Part One, we’ll begin our tour in northern China with Scallion Pancakes--a popular street food in Beijing. We will also make Millionaire’s Chicken, a dish from the Sichuan province--and a perfect make- ahead entree. We’ll round out the menu with Stir Fried Sugar Snap Peas and Mushrooms from the southwestern provinces. 

10/25 - Culinary Tour of China: Part Two

11/8 - Culinary Tour of China: Part Three

Register Here

-Nicole Lewis

CSA Week 18 - Farmers in the City

Sleepy Simba

CSA Distribution/Farm Stand Hours

Tuesdays 2:30pm-6:30pm

Thursdays 10:30am-6:30pm

Saturdays 10:00am-4:00pm

Powisset Café Hours

Saturdays 10:00am-2:00pm

Barnyard Hours ($10/child, $5 for Trustees members) UPDATED HOURS

Thursdays 11:30am-1:30pm

Saturdays 10:00am-2:00pm

In this post

• Reminders
• In the share
• Mobile Market: Farmers in the City
• Smoky Pumpkin Hummus

Hi all, I hope that you have had a great week. We have just a couple reminders to attend to again before the weekly updates.

• Firstly, please don’t forget to take our CSA survey. Your feedback is invaluable, and we want to make our farm as awesome as possible for you!
• Winter shares are now available! Please sign up and pay in the farm stand. It is $150 for three bulk pick-ups. Stock up on veggies before winter darkness sets in!
• Also, please note that the barnyard hours have changed. Instead of being open on Wednesdays, the barnyard will now be open on Thursdays from 11:30-1:30.
• We are holding a raffle for two handmade mahogany Powisset Adirondack chairs. Check out the beautiful pieces at the property! Tickets are $50 each, and only 100 tickets will be sold.

In this week's share

• Potatoes
• Peppers
• Onions
• Carrots
• Radishes
• Eggplant
• Kale
• Chard

As the mercury inches into the 40s, we obsessively check on the weather forecast to make sure that a surprise frost doesn’t come and wipe out our hard work. We will be harvesting the last of our summer CSA crops in the next couple weeks, so much of our focus has turned to protecting winter CSA assets that will be at more risk from the cold temperatures in November.

Farmers in the city!

Things looked a bit different on the farm this week. We were able to harvest a large quantity of onions and carrots for storage during the Sukkot festival, so much of our time was spent cleaning and processing these crops rather than pulling them from the ground. I was also given the opportunity to take the Mobile Market into Boston. This is something that I have been hoping to do all season long. It is great being able to talk with CSA members in Dover, but our produce also reaches into the city where we are able to bring fresh, clean, local vegetables to food deserts at affordable prices. Many of these customers don’t have access to a vehicle or grocery store that can provide products like this. Being in the city, we also see a much more diverse taste in food. It was great to hear how appreciative they were to find some vegetables that are difficult to find in this part of the country. Green tomatoes, okra, and callaloo were among the favorites. These customers also gave us a new perspective on how these plants can be harvested, and how much of them we should think about growing next year. Much of the benefit in joining a CSA is trying new or unusual foods. This experience truly gave me an opportunity to look at our work in a different light.

Canning raspberry jam before winter

I would like to thank the other farmers for picking up the slack this weekend as I took a couple days off. With this time, I was able to work on some canning. I cooked some of the last remaining Powisset raspberries into jam as we start thinking about saying goodbye to fresh fruits and veggies for a few months. I would like to encourage you to do the same with some of the produce that you receive in the last distributions. The food will taste even better once it hasn’t been available for months.

With that being said, here is another healthy recipe from Shira B. that tastes like fall! If you have any questions, comments, or a recipe that you would like to share, please feel free to email me at jhoodlet@gmail.com, or our manager Andrew Kelly at akelly@thetrustees.org.

Smoky Pumpkin Hummus

I bought a pretty little pumpkin from the farm stand a couple weeks ago. It was nice seeing it in the center of the kitchen island, just as pretty as a small bouquet of flowers this time of year really. Then I came across a few recipes for pumpkin hummus and finally made the sacrifice! But definitely worth it. And to top it off, pumpkin is a super source of vitamins A, C, E, as well as B complex vitamins and minerals like copper, potassium, calcium and phosphorus. Don't forget to reserve and dry the seeds for roasting - the seeds are high in protein, fiber and tryptophan!

Below is my version of Pumpkin Hummus! 
Enjoy!!
Shira B.

SMOKY PUMPKIN HUMMUS:
1/2 c. Roasted pumpkin (cut pumpkin into cubes and roast at 400 for about 45min, mixing 1/2 way through cooking time)
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed well
1 clove garlic 
2 Tbl water
2-3 Tbl EVOO
1 Tbl tahini 
1 Tbl fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
Pepper to taste

Blend all ingredients at a slow speed in a good blender or food processor. Top with a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle of paprika and toasted pepitas!

CSA Potluck 10/10 at 6:00

Hi friends,

Just a quick blurb to let you know that we are hosting a CSA member potluck on Wednesday, October 10th at 6:00pm! It will be a great opportunity to enjoy an evening and meet other members of the Powisset community. We (the farmers) are excited to share this season's experiences and chat about all things farming and life.

With only a few more weeks to go, it would be a great way to end the season and celebrate the bounty that nature has provided for us this year. Please bring a dish to share, drinks, cups, plates, and utensils.

If you could sign up in the farm stand, it would be great to get an idea of how many people will be coming. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me at jhoodlet@gmail.com or our manager, Andrew Kelly at akelly@thetrustees.org.

Hope to see you there!

Jeff Hoodlet
Farm Apprentice

CSA Week 17 - Winter Shares Now Available

In this post…

• Updated barnyard hours
• This week on the farm
• Distribution list
• Healthy cooking with Shira!

CSA Distribution/Farm Stand Hours

Tuesdays 2:30pm-6:30pm

Thursdays 10:30am-6:30pm

Saturdays 10:00am-4:00pm

Powisset Café Hours

Saturdays 10:00am-2:00pm

Barnyard Hours ($10/child, $5 for Trustees members) UPDATED HOURS

Thursdays 11:30am-1:30pm

Saturdays 10:00am-2:00pm

Hello friends,

Hi all, I hope that you have had a great week. We have just a couple reminders to attend to again before the weekly updates.

• Firstly, please don’t forget to take our CSA survey. Your feedback is invaluable, and we want to make our farm as awesome as possible for you!
• Also, please note that the barnyard hours have changed. Instead of being open on Wednesdays, the barnyard will now be open on Thursdays from 11:30-1:30.
• We are holding a raffle for two handmade mahogany Powisset Adirondack chairs. Check out the beautiful pieces at the property! Tickets are $50 each, and only 100 tickets will be sold.
• If you are interested in signing up for a winter share, they are now available! Three bulk pick-ups in November and December for $150. Stretch out your farm-fresh produce before winter hibernation sets in!

Farm stand looking good

With October upon us, we are definitely in Fall mode at the farm. This development has been weeks in the making, but it is official with the vibrant red leaves consuming the oaks along Powissett Street. Even when we are able to get some extra sleep and head into the fields at 8am, sweatshirts are a must until the sun burns off the mist and thaws out our sore shoulders. Growth tends to slow during this time of year, especially with the weeds. We try to plant crops that continue to produce in cooler temperatures during this time of year, but the pigweed and grass definitely prefer the kind of heat that we experienced throughout the summer. This slower growth gives us a little extra time to cultivate our beds, which we have needed because we can’t get the tractors into the fields when it is as wet as it has been.

Thank you to everyone who came out to help with Sukkot!

The cultivating tractor only has two-wheel drive and would likely get stuck in the mud if we attempted to bring it out anyway, but for other reasons, we try to limit vehicle use in the fields until the soil has dried out. Soil tends to be healthiest when it is disturbed as little as possible. Driving tractors or trucks on top of soil creates compaction, which makes it difficult for roots to penetrate and lowers the numbers of microorganisms that encourage healthy nutrient levels. This compaction occurs most when the soil contains moisture. Over the past few weeks, it has been so wet that there is often standing water in certain spots in the fields.

As expected, the distribution list will begin to slowly shift into crops that were seen earlier in the year. We are still clinging onto some summer crops (tomatoes and peppers), but we are welcoming in seasonal varieties like turnips and carrots.

In this week’s share

Not beet pesto, but making chicken noodle soup with all
Powissett ingredients!

• Potatoes
• Chard
• Kale
• Turnips
• Tomatoes
• Bell peppers
• Onions
• Carrots

Thanks again to Shira B. for giving us another new recipe! If you would like to share a recipe of your own, please feel free to send them to me at jhoodlet@gmail.com.

Hi everyone,

Something tells me fall is here and I am seeing lots of roots in our future! I love using vegetables in novel ways and thinking out of the box! The pesto recipe below is a favorite of mine and features beets instead of basil or other greens. The sauce is the most gorgeous magenta color when finished. Kids will love the way it colors their spaghetti pink! The toasted walnuts add a nice dose of omega-3 fatty acids, which can help boost your mood, especially as the days get shorter and our lives get busier this time of year! I'd call this comfort food at its finest. Make extra; keeps well in the freezer.

Shira B.

Beet Pesto

1.5lb beets - scrubbed, trimmed and halved  --  toss with EVOO and coarse salt; wrap tightly in parchment and then foil; roast at 425 for 60min

Let beets cool, then peel.

Cook 1lb of spaghetti (I use "barilla plus" for extra protein) and reserve 1c of the cooking water

In a food processor or high powered blender, combine beets, 3/4 c toasted walnuts, 1 large chopped ripe tomato (seeds removed)

Add 2 cloves of garlic smashed with sea salt to form a paste, and some fresh oregano or whatever fresh herbs you have on hand.

Puree well, adding reserved pasta water until creamy in consistency

Toss beet "pesto" with pasta and top with a heaping Tablespoon of Part-skim Ricotta; drizzle with EVOO and a sprinkle of black pepper!

*For a vegan version, omit the ricotta and sprinkle with nutritional yeast.

*Beets are an excellent source of folate and a very good source of manganese, potassium and copper.

They are also a good source of dietary fiber, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin C, iron and vitamin B6.

http://www.health.com/nutrition/beets-health-benefits#beets-benefits-opener