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

The Farm Throughout the Year

We do a lot of things at Alternative Roots Farm! Here's a snapshot of what your year with us can look like!!

In the swing of apple season now watch for updates on varieties and fresh apple cider pressings!

For up-to-date farm store inventory swing by and take a peek! Watch social media, or connect with Brooke directly. Read more about our Farm Store.

Apples :: Chestnut Crabapple

Early Season • Sweet

Ripens

Early September

Characteristics

Delicious flavor in a small package. This beautiful 2" apple is pale yellow, streaked with red blushes and some russeting. Creamy white flesh is fine-grained and crisp, with a sweet, nut-like flavor that is great for fresh eating, cooking or making jellies. In the orchard it is an  excellent pollinator for other apples.

History

Released by the UofMN in 1946.

Parentage: Wealthy x Unknown

Storage

Keeps 4-5 weeks

Apples :: Pristine

Pristine apple.

Early • Tart

Ripens

Late July

Characteristics

Wonderfully tart, crisp, juicy and firm, with flavor and sweetness under the tartness. Medium-sized lemony-yellow hued skin with a pink blush, and white to cream flesh. Great flavor, and keeping, for an early apple.

History

Introduced in 1994.

Parentage: Co Op 10 x Camuzat.

Storage

1-2 weeks.

Notes

Has a biennial tendency. 2018 was or first crop and we are delighted with the flavor and crispness for such an early apple! We are excited to add this to our long list of apple varieties.

Apples :: Centennial Crabapple

Early Season • Sweet-tart

Ripens

Mid August

Characteristics

This sprightly summer treat was released by the University of Minnesota in 1957. This is not the crabapple you used to throw at the neighbor kids! This is a great tasting juicy snack. Great apple flavor in a little package. Don’t miss this one; it’s only around for a short time in the summer! Use for fresh eating and cooking.

History

Released by the UofMN in 1957.

Parentage: Wealthy x Dolgo

Storage

Keeps 2-3 weeks

Sowing Seeds 2024! Celebrating local foods & local skills

Sowing Seeds: Celebrating local foods & lost skills

Together let's plant the seeds of a more sustainable and resilient future!

Join us - and may like minded folks - for the second annual Sowing Seeds event!!

Tickets: Under 12 free, 12 and over $20, tickets are required
https://sfa-mn.org/minnesota-river/

Join the Minnesota River Chapter SFA, and Alternative Roots Farm, for a fun and memorable afternoon that’s all about celebrating local foods and rediscovering traditional self-sufficiency skills!

Featuring our community’s farmers and makers and set on a working farm, you’ll experience:

*Pop-Up Farmers Market*
....Barefoot Lane MN, Bartsch's Deep Roots Farm, Rebel Rooster Farm, Carlsonville Farm & Garden, Blue Dirt Farm, Moody Bees Honey, Under the Sun Herbs, Butter Cream Soaps., Alternative Roots Farm!!

*Skills demos*
...Sourdough Starter & Baking Basics, Maple Tapping 101, Using a Whole Chicken, Homemade Broth, Drying & Storing Herbs, Canning 101, Growing Great Garlic in Minnesota, Rendering & Using Lard, Wrapped Wood Basket, Homemade Soap and More!! and more!

*Kids Activities - craft, face painting with Making Faces Mankato, games and more!

*Wool to fleece fiber demo 11-2 with Dané Hiniker, Something New Farm

*TNT EATS Food Truck

*Farm Tours on a working Organic farm

Tickets: Under 12 free, 12 and over $20, tickets are required
https://sfa-mn.org/minnesota-river/

-->All ticket sales go to support the Minnesota River Sustainable Farming Association and their work locally.<--

Address: Alterative Roots Farm, 11197 130th St. Madelia, MN 56062
Parking: along the gravel road.

*Volunteers get in free!*
https://www.signupgenius.com/.../10C084CAFAF28A3F9C43...

Fall Apple Share Offerings for 2024

Fall Apple Share Offerings for 2024

*Sign up is currently open for returning members & wait list folks! If shares remain they will be opened up the end of the month!

Each week enjoy a 4 lb bag of fresh & local apples.

Each bag sports 1-2 varieties of our organic apples. A mix of standard, lesser known and old heritage types - 2021 harvest included 33 varieties! We'll send out a short weekly newsletter, with apple facts, orchard notes and a recipe. Begins the first week of September.

Weekly pick up locations:

A.R.F. farm store (Th., Fri., or Sat.) - 6 or 8 weeks

New Ulm Pick Up, Turner Halle Lot (Th. at 5:00pm) - 6 or 8 weeks

Saturdays at the Mankato Farmers Market - 6 weeks

$60 :: 6 week Fall Apple Share

$78 :: 8 week Fall Apple Share *best price

*4 lbs not enough? The option to sign up for 2 shares is available.

*New ... first dibs on other Fruit Shares that may become available (raspberries, plums).

SIGN ME UP! 

Add to your Fall Apple Share Experience

Add on apple products and Winter Apple Shares.

Applesauce Share  ::  $88

A dozen jars of our clean-eating applesauce. Made with our delicious organic apples, a touch of local honey and organic lemon juice. Choose preferred month of pick up.

November Apple Share  ::  $25  **Closed** May add more later.

A 10 lb bag of table apples for fresh eating, baking or preserving. Primarily late-season storage varieties. This share will land 2-3 weeks following the 8 week Fall Apple Shares and 1-2 weeks before Thanksgiving.

December Apple Share  ::  $25 **Closed** May add more later.

A 10 lb bag of table apples for fresh eating, baking or preserving. Primarily late-season storage varieties. This share will land a month after the November Apple Share and 1-2 weeks before Christmas.

Storage Bushel  ::  $94

Stock the larder for winter! Receive a waxed box containing 40 lbs of table apples to store for fresh winter eating, at wholesale price. Select interest in sign up form. Final reservations made in October, for pick up by arrangement in early-mid winter.

SIGN ME UP! 

Farm Store Inventory May 16

 

HOT this week...

Bug Bite Salve - well at least for me. :D Bugs are starting to come out and this is providing me with some relief!

Stinging Nettles Tincture - For seasonal allergy support. Supporting healthy histamine response and relief. Take a dropperful in a shot of water 1-3xday. John feels relief soon after taking a dose.

Garden plants - see the list below!

The orchard is passing full bloom, with some flowers still on the trees and fruitlets starting to show on the earliest bloomers!

Read on for this week's farm store inventory...

Tips & directions to the farm store.

Eggs $6/dozen - free ranged & fed Organic feed
Asparagus $7 bunch
Rhubarb $4 bunch
Garden plants 4pk $5 - lettuce, kale, broccoli, kohlrabi, cabbage, ground cherries, tomatillo, 8 Varieties tomatoes (listed below, more deets in previous blog post!), NEW - green slicing cukes, picking cukes, basil, parsley.

Herbal Salves $10
—Bruise salve - prevent/treat bruises, fresh/deep wounds, burns, hemorrhoids
—Knitbone salve - sprains, strains, broken bones, arthritis/tendonitis, muskuloskeletal remedy
—Bug Bite Salve $10

Applesauce $8
Apple butter $6
Apricot Jam $8 Back in stock!

Calendula Lotion Bar $10
Herbal Bug Spray $7
Cool It Essential Oil Spray $5
Summer Gift Pack $21 - bug spray, bug bite salve, cool it spray

Elderberry syrup kit $25
Sore Throat Spray $10
Tincture 1oz/$15 - stinging nettles, holy basil, Ashwaganda, willow bark, astragalus, elderberry
Tincture 2oz/$25 - stinging nettles, Ashwaganda, holy basil, willow bark Applewood $10/10.5lb bag

Tomato Varieties *More plants at Total Landscape Supply

German Johnson 8-16oz Brandywine type slicer *BLT fav

Kellogg’s breakfast 1-2lb beefsteak type

Valencia low acid yellow slicer

Sun Gold cherry type, delicious & prolific

Amish Paste 8-12oz, meaty, juicy few seeds *fav

Brandywine 1lb+ great taste, popular

San Marzano 4oz paste type, few seeds, easy peel

Weavers Black Brandywine rush black tomato flavor, beefsteak type *farmer fav ever black tomato

Farm Store Inventory May 7

I planted 50 new rhubarb plants last year!! My old patches needed a little rehab and who can really have too much??!! The asparagus patch is a few years old and will only get more and more productive now -I'll lump these into all the perennial fruits we have to offer throughout the year! This means preservation season has officially kicked off - both of these need to get in my freezer for year round seasonal eating! So far I've been working on drying and tincturing nettles.

The orchard is in FULL BLOOM this week!! You won't want to miss it.

Read on for this week's farm store inventory...

Tips & directions to the farm store.

Eggs $6/dozen - free ranged & fed Organic feed
Asparagus $7 bunch
Rhubarb $4 bunch
Garden plants 4pk $5 - lettuce, kale, broccoli, kohlrabi, cabbage, ground cherries, tomatillo, 8 Varieties tomatoes (listed below, more deets in previous blog post!)

Herbal Salves $10
—Bruise salve - prevent/treat bruises, fresh/deep wounds, burns, hemorrhoids
—Knitbone salve - sprains, strains, broken bones, arthritis/tendonitis, muskuloskeletal remedy
—Bug Bite Salve $10

Applesauce $8
Apple butter $6
Apricot Jam $8 Back in stock!

Calendula Lotion Bar $10
Herbal Bug Spray $7
Cool It Essential Oil Spray $5
Summer Gift Pack $21 - bug spray, bug bite salve, cool it spray

Elderberry syrup kit $25
Sore Throat Spray $10
Tincture 1oz/$15 - stinging nettles, holy basil, Ashwaganda, willow bark, astragalus, elderberry
Tincture 2oz/$25 - stinging nettles, Ashwaganda, holy basil, willow bark Applewood $10/10.5lb bag

Tomato Varieties *More plants at Total Landscape Supply

German Johnson 8-16oz Brandywine type slicer *BLT fav

Kellogg’s breakfast 1-2lb beefsteak type

Valencia low acid yellow slicer

Sun Gold cherry type, delicious & prolific

Amish Paste 8-12oz, meaty, juicy few seeds *fav

Brandywine 1lb+ great taste, popular

San marzano 4oz paste type, few seeds, easy peel

Weavers Black Brandywine rush black tomato flavor, beefsteak type *farmer fav ever black tomato

Garden Plants Have Arrived!

Garden plants have arrived at the farm store!

Grab your salsa and BLT tomatoes, plant some lettuce, cabbage for kraut and more! The sun is shining and things are going to take off with this spring weather.

Do you spy my helper?! Leo helped me get the load of tomatoes, ground cherries, tomatillos and more brassicas this morning for opening the farm store for the week. Full list of plants below.

Every year I enjoy watching the sea of tomatoes grow in the deep winter greenhouse! It is so full and abundant with promise for the gardening season ahead!!

At the farm store the plants are either right inside the breezeway (picture), especially  on windy or rainy days, or right outside of the quonset, next to the farm store door. We do our best with the set up we have!! They are also at The Greenhouse at Total Landscape Supply, Madelia!

We hope you'll stop out this week and grab some Organic garden plants to nourish your bodies and souls this week! Each 4 pack container is $5. Rhubarb and asparagus are in season too, and our egg laying ladies are staying busy.

Garden plants available at the farm:

All come in 4-pack containers for $5

Noted below are extra plants available at Total Landscape!

Lettuce

Kale

Broccoli

Kohlrabi

Cabbage

Ground Cherries

Tomatillo

Tomatoes - 8 varieties

-German Johnson 8-16oz Brandywine type slicer *BLT fav -Kellogg’s Breakfast 1-2lb beefsteak type -Valencia low acid yellow slicer -Sun Gold cherry type, delicious & prolific -Amish Paste 8-12oz, meaty, juicy few seeds *fav -Brandywine 1lb+ great taste, popular -San Marzano 4oz paste type, few seeds, easy peel -Weavers Black Brandywine rush black tomato flavor, beefsteak type *farmer fav ever black

**Coming later this week: green slicer, white slicer & picking cucumbers!!

**Also available at Total Landscape Supply, Madelia: our famous Celery, Cauliflower, Jalapenos (delivering 5/9)

Look for this sign when you are there shopping!!