Labor Day at Powisset

I can’t think of a labor day that I haven’t spent at Powisset farm in the last nine years. It’s the beginning of September and taking a day off in the height of tomato season is hard to imagine and until this fall, I’ve always lived on the farm making it challenging to spend a summer holiday anywhere but here.  This Monday I found myself back at the farm, even though i’m now a commuter!  But this Monday was different.  For the first time since april, I realized that I had Monday all to myself!  I woke up late (late!..okay, it was 7:30) and took my time with those cups of coffee.  I folded laundry (a non-farm task!) and walked the dog along my new city streets where she still barks at everyone!  When I was ready, I hopped on my pink bicycle and petaled it out to dover from Jamaica plain.  A holiday ride!  And when I got here, sweaty but invigorated , I realized the true delight of this Monday holiday!  I was alone at the farm.  

me and james. almost solo farm time.

Alone.  This doesn’t happen any more!  Mondays, which used to be a day of prep for the week, a day of reflection and renewal, a day with a little less field work and less people has transformed over the last few years to a day of leading big crews in the field, meetings with coworkers and hours of tractor work, a full day on the farm, rounding out the six day work week.  But, labor day, oh sweet labor day…you gave me a quiet farm today and for that, I am grateful.  Of course, I ran around the fields setting up irrigation and got on the little red tractor to cultivate some fall lettuce, but I also listened to music while finally catching up on emails you sent and I made to-do lists, which cleared space in my brain for thoughts other than farm tasks and I watched from afar as james benner cooled the piglets with the hose and visitors watched him with awe and delight.  And now it’s 8:30pm and I should probably call it a day, but quiet, solo days at the farm are hard to come by and for me, I’m beginning to realize that I don’t have all that much time to continue calling this farm my own.  So I may a slow walk down to shut the chickens in for the night and breathe in the farm air before I’m swept up in another week of production and wild energy that Powisset farm carries, like a beautiful crashing wave,  into my life each week.  

I’ll see you in the waves,

Meryl  & the Powisset farm crew

What's in the share:

preserving some tomaotes!

in the barn: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, tomatillos, hot peppers, carrots, basil, lettuce, arugula &/or chard, radishes &/or kohlrabi, leeks &/or scallions, cukes & squash  (no sweet corn this week, but it will return for its last week, next week)
in the fields: shelling beans, cherry tomatoes (we hope)



Winter shares and Pork Sales now for sale!

Sign up at the barn!

What’s a winter share?

What’s in it (most likely & possibly more):

Greens & more: lettuce, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, radicchio, spinach, salad greens and/or arugula, kohlrabi, herbs

Roots: potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, celeriac, carrots, turnips, rutabaga, storage radishes, daikon, parsnips

And: onions, shallots, leeks, butternut  (or other) squash, popcorn, hot peppers, garlic, dry beans and more

The pick-ups are:

Pick up #1: November 6^th + 7^th

Pick up #2: November 20^th +21^st

Pick up #3: December 5^th

Pick up #4: December 19^th

The cost of the full share is $300 (all four pick-ups)

The cost of the small share is $195: you must choose 2 pick-ups ahead of time!

Please join us this season! Please sign up at the barn.  You must pay at least a deposit to secure your spot in the winter share.

Pork Share!

Powisset Farm is offering a Pork Share again this season.  The pork share is about 22 pounds of pork (or roughly a quarter pig).  There will be sausage, loin chops, country style ribs, spare ribs, ham slices (or ham roast), smoked ham hocks or pig feet, liver or heart and bacon included in the share.  The price will be $195. If you are excited about getting a wide variety of pork from our very own Powisset-raised pigs, then this share is for you!  There will also be cuts of pork available at the farm if you just want a little pork and do not want to commit to a share.  

 There are a limited number of shares available; so we will sell shares at a first-come-first served basis.  Please contact Meryl at: mlatronica@ttor.org to sign up or with any questions.  You can also sign up at the barn.  Pick up for most of the share will happen in early October.

Upcoming Events:

Date change for Meryl's Going Away Party!

I hope that you all can come out so that we can give Meryl the proper send off she deserves! We are changing the date from Sun, November 1st to Saturday, November 14th. Please RSVP to one of the "Nicoles" at nlewish@ttor.org (N1) or nnacamuli@ttor.org (N2).

Trustees Membership Drive & Ice Cream Social

As a reminder, Powisset Farm will be hosting a Trustees Membership Drive & Ice Cream Social on Saturday, September 19th from 1-4pm. You will not only get a chance to learn more about the Trustees, but you will be able taste some of our home made apple crisp and Crescent Ridge ice cream (generously donated by Crescent Ridge!) but the afternoon is turning out to be an exciting one. At 2:00pm, Melissa Gilbert will be leading a group down to the piggery and chicken coop for a visit with our farm animal friends. In addition some of our wonderful neighbors and vendors have generously donated raffle prizes including a gift certificate from Chiara Bistro, a gift certificate from Blue Moon Bagel Cafe, a Thanksgiving pie from Bushel & Crumb, a goodie bag from Copper Kettle Bakery, a Powisset Cooks! class, and a mystery bag from the farm. Raffle winners will be announced close to 4:00pm. Lastly, anyone who signs up for Trustees membership on that day will get 10% off farm stand purchases for the remainder of September (excludes textile merchandise)!

Powisset Photo Contest Results

Visitors to the barn during July saw a collection of farm photographs, with an invitation to vote for your favorites.  The photographers for our first Photo Competition were Kim Benner, James Benner, Madeline Rothstein, Abel Sanchez, Tod Dimmick, Parker Harrington, Karen Cagan, Rita Cagan, Brian Gorman, and Erin Pritchett.  Photographs were all taken at the farm, and they are beautiful.  We’re hoping to do something like this again next year, so if you’re a photographer at any level, contact toddimmick@gmail.com to get on the list!   Congratulations to the winners, and thank you for being part of the fun!

THE ENVELOPE PLEASE:

The youth winner is James Benner for his photograph “Ears and Nose”
The adult winner is Parker Harrington for “Powisset from Slightly Above”

The Winners are eligible for a fabulous prize:  a dozen Powisset Farm Eggs!

Calling all artists, designers, and graphic gurus!  

To kick off Powisset Farm's 1st ever Book Club this fall, "Farm-to-Fable," we are hosting a Logo Contest!

So send us your brightest book and farm inspired artwork (PDF preferred over kale etchings), graphically capturing name and motif by:  DEADLINE EXTENDED: SEPT. 30th.  

Winner to be selected by a jury of award winning graphic designers (no pressure).  Look for the Book Club's calendar, reading list, NEW look, and t-shirts coming soon !

Contestants, please send entries to either Suzanne Greenwald (suzannebgreenwald@gmail.com) and/or Anne Innis (anne.foss.innis@gmail.com). 

Recipes

In the share this week you'll see some veggies that we haven't seen in a few weeks: Leeks and Kholrabi. Leeks are from the onion family and have a white bulb with large, overlapping, leaves. I recently learned that they are also one of the Welsh national emblems! Kholrabi is from the cabbage family and has a gnarly bulb-like shape with greens atop. The whole plant is edible either raw or cooked. Here are a few ideas on what to do with both vegetables/

Leek Recipes
You can use leeks in place of onions in most recipes but they also can stand on their own. Here are some creative ways to enjoy leeks.

Leek & Olive Tart With Two Cheeses
Creamed Leeks

Kholrabi Recipes
I love to use Kholrabi as a slaw or mixed into a cabbage slaw but with Fall around the corner, I thought sharing a roasting recipe would be fun and timely (although the weather these days makes me want to keep the cold slaw recipe on hand).

Roasted Kholrabi
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut four kholrabi bulb about 1/4 inch think and then cut in half. Toss with 1 Tbl. of olive oil (or other favorite cooking oil), 1 garlic clove (minced or crushed), salt and pepper. Place the kholrabi in a single layer on  baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minut (tossing or turning once in between). Sprinkle with parmesean cheese and bake for an additional 5 mnutes to brown the cheese. Serve and enjoy!

Greek Style Kholrabi Pie