Winter Wellness CSA Openings!

 Winter Wellness CSA 2024

Greens are growing and the winter greenhouse is filling up at a good pace!

Last year our Winter Greens CSA evolved into our Winter Wellness CSA, which felt good and natural, and was well received. Let’s go again!!

 

As always, the highlight is our winter greens! Pea shoots, microgreens and salad mix will be accompanied by canned goods and herbal wellness items. This season the apple harvest WAS abundant, so apples will accompany the first 2-3 pick ups

Winter Greens Feature – organic pea shoots, zesty microgreens, mustard greens salad mix – one per pick up.

Canned Goods Feature – applesauce, apple butter, jam/jelly, pizza sauce, salsa – with 1-2 items in each share pick up.

Herbal Wellness Items Feature – one salve, lotion bar, elderberry syrup kit and more – holistic wellness comes from more than just food.

Produce Items Feature – apples 2-3x, garlic 1x, radish.

 

Winter Wellness CSA will have 7 pick-ups November—March. We like to start the week before Thanksgiving. Pick ups will look like à Nov(1), Dec(2), Jan(2), Feb(1), Mar(1), by my best estimate, pick ups per month. Greens are picked up at the farm store, or the Mankato Winter Farmers Market (ONLY if dates line up). Shares are roughly every several weeks, dependent on the growth of greens. I am better at anticipating this now, but every once and a while I may have to push back a week if growth is slow (clouds and cold and such). Flexibility is a must.

 

Investment is $290. $145 due up front for reservation, with remaining $145 due by first pick up.

 

Eggs – In the past I have reserved ahead but cannot this year. We have more regular, weekly farm store customers, so availability is more limited. As always, I will do what I can for you! I am at chicken maximum capacity, so I am a little at their whim!

 

Holler to reserve your share. There are only 9 available!

Send any questions our way.

Apple Sales Continue! (Farm Store Update)

 

Farm Store & Farm Updates Late October

It was a great year in the orchard, so apples are still available!!

The winter greenhouse is up and running and regular weekly harvests have started! Eat your greens! Varieties may change week to week. Watch the socials for updates, or be in touch. Salad greens will start in November.

The flavor of the season is
Apple Butter...move over
pumpkin spice.

What's In Store 

Apples - Multiple Varieties - 10/23: Fireside, Haralson, Cortland, McIntosh, Heirloom sampler quarts

Apple Cider - watch for our next pressing! Only 1 or 2 more times at the farm store.

Microgreens - Zesty Mix, Arugula

Pea Shoots - tastes like fresh spring peas!

Fall Radishes - Watermelon (milder, sweeter), Schwarzer Runder (black, spicier)

Eggs remain limited, grab them if you see them!

Canned items - Zesty Poblano Salsa (last call), Applesauce, Apple Butter

Herbal Wellness Items - Calendula Lotion Bar, Bruise Salve, Sore Throat Spray, Elderberry Syrup Kits, Herbal Tinctures (descriptions in store).

Coming Soon - Elderberry Jelly, various Jams, Knitbone Salve (muskuloskeletal), new items.

Winter Markets 

Brooke will be back at the Winter Mankato Farmers markets for her eighth year starting November 2nd! Winter markets run November - March on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays at  Bomgaars, Mankato.

Apples :: Regent

Late Season • Sweet

Regent apples at market.

Ripens
Early to Mid-October

Characteristics

Well-balanced sweet flavor, honeyed, with plenty of acidity. Crisp, with a pleasing texture and flavor. Uses: fresh eating and cooking; holds it's shape when cooked.

History

Introduced in 1964, by the University of Minnesota. 

Parentage: Red Duchess x Red Delicious.

Storage

Keeps 3-5 months in storage. 

Notes

This is a favorite fall apple! It is sure to please your palate.

A bag of Regent apples.

Peak Season Store Hours

Open 7 days a week for peak apple season!

Monday-Friday 9:00-7:00
Saturday & Sunday 9:00-3:00

Varieties in stock 9/30:

Honeygold
Cortland
Haralson
Sweet Sixteen
McIntosh
Fireside
Regent
Smokehouse
Stark

Hooples Antique Gold

Watch for variety updates and next cider pressing!!

Applesauce, Apple butter, herbal wellness and other farm fresh goods also in store! 

Thanks for shopping local! 

 

Worth Reading: "Ugly fruit may pack more nutrition"

Worth repeating. From the article "Ugly fruit may pack more nutrition" - those blemishes on your apples may provide more antioxidants and sugars.

“In an unofficial experiment, Greenman tested scabbed and unscabbed Parma apples...scarred apples had a 2 to 5 percent higher sugar content than unmarred apples from the same tree. More sugar means a higher alcohol content once fermented, producing a tastier hard cider.

But she loves these ugly apples for another reason: They may be more nutritious and have a higher antioxidant content.”

----> When we demand perfect looking, uniform, shippable and shelf-stable foods oftentimes this comes at the cost of less nutritious produce and more food waste. Also, the loss of genetic diversity. Real food has variation, imperfections...and sometimes it's ugly.

“We already suspect this is the case with organic fruits and vegetables. A 2014 review of 343 studies found that organic produce had lower pesticide residue and a 20 to 40 percent higher antioxidant content than conventional produce. Those antioxidants include compounds such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, anthocyanins and carotenoids, all produced by plants as defense mechanisms when they are stressed by pests.”

----> When it comes to organic apples you know you're getting a more nutritious product, because conventional apples are one of the most highly sprayed and contaminated foods, ranked high on the Dirty Dozen list.

“One study showed that an apple covered in scab has more healthy, antioxidant phenolic compounds, called phenylpropanoids, than a scab-free apple peel. Another study showed that apple leaves infected with scab have 10 to 20 percent more phenolic compounds.”

FULL ARTICLE: Ugly fruit may pack more nutrition MPR, April 27, 2016

Apples :: Haralson

Late Season • Tart • Heirloom

Haralson apples.

Ripens

Late September to Early October.

Characteristics

A complex tart flavor and firm texture. This distinctive apple is crisp and juicy, with characteristics that make it great for fresh eating, cooking, cider and storage. It is said to make a great-tasting and perfect-textured pie. 

History

Developed by the University of Minnesota, 1922 - a Minnesota heirloom.

Offspring: Honeygold.

Parentage: Malinda x Wealthy.

Storage

Keeps 4-5 months in storage, while retaining good flavor.

Notes

For years Haralson was the number one apple in Minnesota. The variety tends towards biennial bearing (altering between high and low yielding years).

Farm Store Mid September

 

A Peek at the Mid-September Inventory

It is prime apple season and there are more and more varieties of apples in the farm store all the time! Varietal choice changes as we move through the season. Watch for our first pressing of apple cider this month!!

Now in stock:

Apples: Haralson, McIntosh, Porter's Perfection, Gloria Mundi, Mystery, Chestnut Crab

Veggies: Green onions (last call), celery, arugula, garlic (from Under the Sun Herbs).

     Watch for: salad mix, fall radishes, kale.

     Coming soon: pea shoots, microgreens! Can't believe it's that time already!

Eggs remain limited at the moment, as we wait for numbers to rise again. The pullets have started to lay, but there are still some broody hens - one just hatched 10 chicks!

Applesauce

Apple Butter

Watch for: Elderberry Jelly, Blueberry & Strawberry Rhubarb Jam, and Plum Jam.

Herbal Wellness Items:

    Calendula Lotion Bars

    Herbal Salve: Bug Bite, Bruise, Knitbone

    Herbal Bug Spray

    Elderberry Syrup Kits *Support your immune system naturally!

    Herbal Tinctures: Willow Bark (pain relief), Motherwork (pms, cramps, grief, menopause), Holy                 Basil (stress, adaptogen), Elderberry (immune support), Astragalus (adaptogen, immune support),         Stinging Nettles (allergy support/healthy histamine response).

    Sore Throat Spray *Heal & sooth

If you are new to the farm store...

The store boasts the best of what we have in season with many items year round! Sometimes you see us, sometimes you don't, as the store is self serve. BUT we are generally accessible for questions! Bring exact change cash, local check or pay via venmo.

You might see pigs! Chickens! Dogs! Oh my. :)

The farm store is open year round and fresh sweet cider is available 3-4 times during pressing/apple season, so grab it while it's in stock! It's truly amazing.

Locally Yours,

  John and Brooke