2013 Shares Available!

We would love to have you join our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, or purchase a Farm Share with us this year! 

We believe in providing nutritious, wholesome, organically raised produce for our community and engaging with our customers.

You can find our more About CSA & Farm Shares and details about our 2013 Sign Up.

You can take a gander at the 2012 Newsletters and Box Photos to get a visual idea of what a CSA season is like, or to get recipe ideas.

When you're ready to sign up just download the Order Form, or ask us to mail one to you

Contact us with any questions you may have, or to reserve your share today!

To keep up with news on the farm sign up to get our blog posts sent directly to your email over on the right-hand sidebar of the webpage, or you can contact us to get on our email list at alternativerootsfarm@yahoo.com, or follow us on facebook.

Winter Planning

Well we have been busy farming ideas this winter! In December the catalogs started to arrive (which I always like to call the first sign of spring) and we get all nutty and excited about different veggie varieties. It's quite fun.

Our favorite catalogs & main companies we'll purchase from
this year. Primarily heirlooms, all natural--no GMOs. 

At this point we have all our varieties picked out, debated upon, and choices slimmed down. I have been working on a whole new bed layout for 2013, and with that a new crop rotation plan, which is somewhat complex. Once I'm done with the mapping then the next step is to order seed, tubers and sets!

A pic of the in-progress planting plan, which helps me to
determine how much seed stock I need and provides much
excitement of what's to come this summer!

A successful season is due much in part to thorough planning in the winter. My crop rotation serves to build healthy soil, aid in pest control and enhance efficiency; so a lot of thought has gone into alternating crop families, crop functions (soil building legumes, roots, vines), high/med/low nutrient needs of crops, placing everything next to beneficial/non-detrimental crops (companion planting).

My messy workspace :) You can't see the catalogs here
because they are all over the floor. Bonus points if you can
tell me what's missing from this picture!

Such an exciting time. All our previous year's CSA customers have been contacted about this season, and on January 17th we'll post all the new details for this year's CSA Shares & Farm Shares. Stay tuned, or shoot us an email at alternativerootsfarm@yahoo.com for any questions you may have.

Along with the planning we continue to build our knowledge over the winter (as always). This is a prime time of the year to watch webinars, read up on all those things I jotted down over the summer (i.e. why did the broccoli do that?), attend workshops, conferences and meetings. John headed up to the annual meeting for the Sustainable Farming Association's Crow River Chapter and presented on a panel of farmers, which gave him an opportunity to teach and learn at the same time--what a great opportunity. I am headed to Eau Claire on Thursday for the Midwest CSA Conference. Also, you can watch for me on the public access channel, as the Heart of New Ulm group has been helping to promote community supported agriculture farms with some little interviews--pretty cool.

May you have good food and good health in this wonderful new year!

{2012 CSA Season @ a Glance}

Here's a shortcut to the entire 2012 season :)


Weeks:


1               7              13

2               8              14

3               9              15

4              10             16

5              11             17

6              12             18

{Preserving the Harvest} Kale & Broccoli

Cooling blanched kale, to stop the cooking process and prepare for freezing.

Today I spent a little time cleaning out the cooler and making good of the last bits of harvestable produce out in the garden yet. The kale and broccoli are still going!

My blanching pot, cooling pot and draining baskets. Muffin tins at the ready for freezing portions.

Kale portioned into muffin tins for easy freezing.

 I found that removing the kale from the muffin tins was easiest done when it wasn't quite 100% frozen, or if it was, letting it thaw a tiny bit before prying it out with a fork. Then I popped 4 in a freezer baggie, and packed those freezer baggies in a large baggie. The rest of the kale was packed in freezer containers, also in manageable sizes.

We use kale for soups all winter, as well as in our eggs.

Draining blanch & cooled broccoli.

I love seeing broccoli turn instantly bright green when blanched--it's so pretty! We freeze our broccoli in vacuum seal bags, in usable portions. Generally I pack them in the bags, stick them in the freezer for a while, before I seal them, just until the water freezes to make things easier.

Fall Planting

What? Planting in fall?! Yes indeed.

Of course the main fall crop we plant is garlic. Garlic is planted in the fall to have enough time to grow to it's fully mature size, come July next summer.

This is Russian Red, one of three varieties we are planting this fall.

We also planted our first fall shallots. These (below) are a French Gray variety.

This (below) is the bed we prepared for the fall planting. Five rows planted down either side, with a skinny foot-path down the middle. The planting is now dressed with wheat-straw mulch.

Above and below you can see the planting method we were using. John rigged up a planting marker we used to mark the holes, so it made a nice grid. When we were working together it was pretty fast and efficient, with him marking, me lying the seed out, then we would both go back and plant. It took a little longer by myself, but it made for easy planting.

Here (above) you can see the shallots layed out on the planting grid. With the planting marker stood up it can be stepped on, then the bolts mark the planting holes.

Hooray! Can't wait to see these guys poking up through the mulch come spring--when everything else is brown and still waking :)

CSA :: Week 18

We delivered the last week of boxes yesterday--a fabulous end to a great season! You can find the Week 18 newsletter online here. Have a great off season!

October 9th, 2012 CSA Box ~ Week 18

In the final box: Red Russian kale, butternut squash, 1.5lbs apples, yellow onion, Black Krim tomatoes, German Pink tomato, Valencia tomato, 1lb parsnips, 2lbs Green Mountain potatoes.

CSA :: Week 17

Wow, I can't believe it is Week 17 already--it's been a great season, and it seems to have gone fast at this point.  You can find the newsletter for Week 17 here.

It is great to have the fall veggies here--the fall carrots are the best, it's time for delicious parsnips, and the fall cabbage has come in nicely, despite the heat.

 A a little sneak peek inside the box...

October 2, 2012 CSA Box • Week 17

In the box: fall apples, mixed heirloom carrots, cabbage, cherry tomatoes, green bell pepper, German Pink heirloom tomato, kohlrabi, Green Mountain heirloom potatoes, parsnips, kale, garlic, red onion.