Farm News, October 3, 2017

Farm News

We’ve flipped the calendar to October, and there is a bit of a chill in the morning air, but for the most part we’re still in a warm and dry weather pattern. That’s been very helpful as we push to get the fall crops in. The big project this week is sweet potatoes, and we’ve finally got a bin full of them out of the ground and into the greenhouse to sweeten up for a week or so. They should be in the barn and at the market soon! In the meantime, our butternut squash is tasting great - we roasted some for dinner tonight and they got the ‘thumbs up’ from our family, so it’s time to get them to yours.Some of the summer crops are still hanging in there. We have a nice pick of sun gold tomatoes from the high tunnel this week, which is rare this late into the season, and are still picking beefsteak and heirloom tomatoes.   We even have a small pick of corn to start the week. I (Paul) am the corn director on the farm, and personally eat at least 3 ears (raw) before we pick each patch, and they have all been great. We even did a good job with the “worms,” which are really caterpillars, for most of the summer. However, the last few weeks have had had a high incidence of fall armyworm in the ear tip. They only damage the top inch or so of the ear, so to spare the faint of heart, we have chopped off just the tip of all the ears we are selling this week. Voila! No worms!It’s important to note that we are not aware of any other farm in western Connecticut that grows certified organic sweet corn. It is really challenging to do well. We hand sow each seed into plugs in the greenhouse and transplant them into the field so we can guarantee a good stand. We prepare our fields with cover crops, compost, and organic soil amendments to provide the heavy feeding stalks with plenty of nutrients and to improve the soil. We mechanically cultivate and hand weed the fields. We release beneficial wasps, and spray a low toxicity bio-insecticide (Bacillus thuringiensis, or BT) approved for use in certified organic crop production, to reduce insect damage.I relay all this because our certified organic corn is very labor intensive to produce, and requires a great deal of skill and knowledge precisely because we do not treat our corn with the synthetic fertilizers, insecticides, and herbicides that are commonly used in conventional (sometimes called “IPM”) crop production. We have discovered that some folks assume that all produce in a farmer’s market, farm stand, or CSA is organically grown, and that’s just not true. Also, there are farmers who will purchase crops on the wholesale market, but do not make this clear on their displays, which makes things confusing for customers, to say the least. Any grower you frequent should be able to clearly describe how they grow their produce, and denote crops that were purchased elsewhere, so you can make informed decisions about sourcing your family’s food.At Fort Hill Farm, we grow all the crops we sell, and we are certified organic by Baystate Organic Certifiers. We also sign the Connecticut Northeast Organic Farming Association’s (NOFA) Farmers Pledge, which encompasses all the organic rules but holds us to an even higher standard to treat our workers fairly, eliminate the use of synthetic pesticides, encourage healthy soil and farm ecosystems, conserve natural resources, and produce nutrient dense food for local communities.It costs zero money or paperwork to sign the NOFA Farmers Pledge.But it does take a strong commitment to the original goals of the organic movement.If a grower you frequent has not signed the pledge, ask them why not!We hope you enjoy the harvest and the farm,Paul and Rebecca, for Elliott, Bailey, Justin, Hannah, Lauren, and the field crew

Featured this week:

Butternut squash:  Butternut, butternut, oh butter butter butter butternut, oh butternut! We really appreciate a squash that grows well on our sandy soil, or rather, one with which we've negotiated over the years through various cultural techniques and have come to a sort of truce. We have a nice crop this year of this New England classic! Like all winter squash, prepare by cutting in half, scooping out the seeds, oiling the cut edges, and putting face down in a baking pan with a quarter inch of water in it. Bake at 375F until a fork slides in easily, let cool a bit, and enjoy. Serve with butter and maple syrup. Or peel and cube, toss in olive oil, and roast in the oven with other fall roots. It should store for many weeks in a dry place between 55F and 65F.Fresh young turmeric: This symbol of health and the tropics is a sticky wicket for us because of the long, long growing season it requires. Although we start the growing process in February, the shoots don't emerge until July, and we barely get a crop by the first frost in October! It's not a money maker for us in CT, but it sure does keep things interesting. Aside from healthful teas and elixirs, folks love to grate it into yogurt, shave onto baked fish, and add to sautés and light sauces. Store in the fridge in a waxed paper bag or a plastic container for 10 days, then freeze whole in a freezer bag. (Do not thaw entire piece, but rather, shave frozen and return piece to the freezer asap.)Also available: arugula, baby red kale, tatsoi, salad mix, rainbow chard, curly green and lacinato kale, pea shoots, sunflower sprouts, red, Chioggia, & golden beets, garlic, carrots, parsnips, celeriac, Red Torpedo and storage onions, leeks, radishes, salad turnips, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, baby bok choy, fennel, escarole, radicchio, head lettuce, mixed sweet peppers, green bell peppers, assorted hot peppers, potatoes, eggplant, Brussels sprouts, collards, cauliflower, Purple Top turnips, corn (limited amounts until gone) and baby ginger!Pick Your Own at the farm: The late flowers are still going...what a great flower year it's been!  Fall beans look to be starting up. The parsley and perennial herbs are going strong.PYO Hours: The PYO patch is open 30 minutes before and 30 minutes beyond barn distribution hours. Pick your own patch is also open to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays during our Farm Stand, from 2:30 to 6:30 pm.Coming soon:   Sweet potatoes!

Recipes, suggested by Rebecca Batchie; also see the Fort Hill Farm Recipe Database

Roasted Butternut Squash and Red OnionsFrom the New York TimesAbout 1/2 cup olive oil, plus extra for pans4 large red onionsCoarse salt and black pepper4 pounds butternut squash cut into 1/2-inch wedges, peeled or unpeeled⅓ cup pine nuts or shelled green pistachio nuts (optional)2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley, mint, cilantro or a combination, for garnishFor Tahini Sauce (Optional)¼ cup tahini paste2 tablespoons lemon juice1 small clove garlic, crushedHeat oven to 475 degrees. Lightly coat two large baking sheets with olive oil.Peel onions, leaving root ends intact. Cut each onion in half from stem to root. Cut each half into 4 wedges, leaving the root intact so that each wedge holds together. Spread on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil.Put the squash in a large mixing bowl. Add 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and about 1/4 teaspoon pepper; toss to coat. Spread on a baking sheet, peel side down (if intact).Place both pans in oven and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, until the vegetables have taken on some color and are cooked through. Keep an eye on the onions, as they may cook faster than the squash and need to be removed earlier.If using nuts, pour 1 tablespoon oil into a small frying pan and place over medium-low heat. Add nuts and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, until the nuts are golden brown and smell toasty. Immediately remove from the heat and dump onto a cutting board to stop the cooking. If using pistachios, chop coarsely when cool enough to handle.To make tahini sauce, place tahini in a bowl. Add lemon juice, 1/4 cup water, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Whisk until sauce is the consistency of honey, adding more water or a tablespoon of olive oil if necessary.When the vegetables are cooked, set aside until ready to serve. (The vegetables should be served the same day they are made. They can be served at warm room temperature, or reheated just before serving.)To serve, combine vegetables on a large serving platter. If using tahini sauce, drizzle on top. Sprinkle herbs and, if using, and nuts on top and serve. Joshua McFadden's Bitter Greens Salad with Melted CheeseAdapted from Food 523 tablespoons red wine vinegarExtra-virgin olive oilKosher salt and freshly ground pepper1 large head escarole or radicchio (3/4 pound), cored and coarsely shredded5 ounces arugula¼ pound Crucolo, provolone, Taleggio, or Fontina cheese, grated½ cup roughly chopped lightly toasted hazelnutsSaba or balsamic vinegar, for drizzlingHeat the broiler to high. Whisk the red wine vinegar with 1/4 cup olive oil in a large bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Add the radicchio and arugula and toss to coat them nicely. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Pile the salad on ovenproof plates or an ovenproof platter and top with the cheese. Broil the salad just until the cheese is melted, about 1 minute. Sprinkle the toasted hazelnuts on top and finish with a drizzle of saba. Serve right away. Serves 6.