Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about the Belmont CSA Winter Share.
Are there Winter Shares available? Schedule A (Oct 25, Nov 15, Dec 13) and Schedule B (Oct 18, Nov 8, Dec 6) are SOLD OUT.
Is it true that you want shareholders to leave their cars at home? Yes, it's true! The Belmont CSA is located in a residential area of Belmont. The farm is small. Most of the land is under cultivation; a very a small portion of our land is dedicated to parking. We have set up some mechanisms to help shareholders tread lightly on our limited space, maybe save a few gallons of gas and lessen traffic congestion at the farm.
***All vehicles coming to the farm to pick up shares will be scheduled. We expect that all drivers will get their choice of pick up times because of the large number of driving cooperatives and NAP delivery subscribers (see below for more info on NAP). If you're on foot or bike you can get your share anytime between 10 and 3.
***Incentives: Those who walk, bike, car pool or arrange delivery will be entered into a raffle. Prizes include gift certificates to Stone Hearth Pizza, Kitchen on Common, Formaggio Kitchen, and a pair of beautiful wool potholders from Cecelia Michaelis.
***Eco-friendly delivery for a modest fee has been arranged for Schedule B shareholders in Cambridge, parts of Somerville, Arlington and Belmont. The New Amsterdam Project has set up delivery zones and fees just for us! To arrange for Winter Share delivery, contact Joe at NAP, joe@newamsterdamproject.com
***A Ride Share map helps shareholders identify and contact other shareholders who live nearby. Belmont CSA winter shareholders can use the Ride Share map to arrange driving cooperatives (in which members take turns picking up CSA shares for one another) and car pools.
Will the Winter Share fit on my bike? Is it light enough for me to carry it home? The October share will weigh around 50 pounds. It's larger than the November and December shares due to 10 pounds of storage apples. A bike with a trailer, or a bike with two good-sized panniers and rider out-fitted with a backpack should work. Fifty pounds is a lot to carry any distance: Consider bringing a wagon or cart if you will pick up your share on foot. The November share will weigh approximately 40 pounds.
Is the produce organic? None of the farms participating in the winter share are certified organic, however all use organic methods to grow produce. Bruce and Jenny, at Picadilly Farm, write, Our growing practices are rooted in sustainable farming methods for our environment, fair working conditions for the farm crew, and sustainable methods that benefit all of us. We use no herbicides, chemical fertilizers or synthetic pesticides.
How many people will one Winter Share feed? How much produce is in one Winter Share? How long will one monthly distribution of vegetables last? Each monthly distribution contains between 35 and 45 pounds of produce. We hope that the October share will contain an additional ten pounds of storage apples. In my home, it barely feeds two adults for a month. Of course, we cook a lot, eat most of our meals at home, and have the neighbors (two adults and two vegetable loving kids) over for a weekly shared meal. This year we've decided to do our best to eat locally-grown produce all winter. We might need two Winter Shares.
Will one Winter Share be enough for your household or will it be too much? Here's some information that might help you answer the question for yourself.
The monthly distributions will weigh approximately 35 to 45 pounds. If your goal is to completely eat all the food in each distribution within a month, that's about 10 pounds of produce per week. That's a good amount of food for a couple. Much of the produce stores well - winter squash, potatoes, onions, shallots, carrots, parsnips, celeriac, beets can last months if stored at the right temperature and humidity. Shareholders often make the produce last even longer by cooking and freezing it (winter squash soup, potato and leek soup, or my favorite, turnip, leek and sweet potato soup, for example), pickling it (beets), fermenting it (cabbage). Other shareholders use the share up more quickly by juicing some of the produce (carrots, beets, apples) and using it to feed family and friends at holiday meals/parties.
Will you help me find someone with whom I can split a Winter Share? Can I buy a half share? Sorry, I don't have the resources to help shareholders find share partners. Winter Shares are pre-packed and come in one size.
Where is the Winter Share pick up? At the farm in Belmont: 34 Glenn Road, Belmont, MA 02478. Shares will be distributed from the hoop house (behind the farm stand). Go to http://maps.google.com and type in the address to get directions.
What day of the week is the Winter Share distributed? The Winter Share is distributed one Saturday per month in October, November and December.
Can I visit the farms? Yes! Just contact the farmer to find a good time to visit.
Can I buy a Winter Share on-line? Can I drop by the farm and give you my check for the Winter Share? The only way to buy a Winter Share is to complete the subscription form and mail it along with your check to Gretta Anderson, Belmont CSA, P.O. Box 533, Belmont, MA, 02478. You are welcome to stop by the farm and say hello, but I prefer that checks (and other important paper!) be mailed to me. Makes it much easier for me to keep track of your subscription.
I don't live close to Belmont. Is there a Winter Share near where I live? Try www.localharvest.org to find the CSA nearest you. Picadilly Farm also offers their own Winter Share to folks who live in the Winchester, NH area.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Storage Tips for Winter Vegetables
Storage Tips
Adapted from Richard Harrison, How to Store Vegetables in a Typical Suburban Home
FIRST, identify the areas in your house that do not freeze and may be suitable for storing vegetables.
Refrigerator, 40 degrees, 30-40% humidity
Carrots, celeriac, beets, apples, pears, kale, bok choi, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, turnip, rutabaga
Unheated entrance or attic or spare room, 40-50 degrees, 10-30% humidity
Winter squashes such as butternut, delicata, acorn squash, onions, garlic
Cellar, cool damp corner, 33-50 degrees, 30-50% humidity
Potatoes, sweet potatoes
SECOND, prepare the vegetables for storing. Each vegetable will be discussed below under its storage area. Before discussing each vegetable observe the following rules of thumb when storing vegetables.
*Never wash a vegetable that you are preparing for storage. Washing shortens storage life, sometimes by months.
*When storing in a plastic bag in the refrigerator make sure that you remove as much air from the bag as possible before storing.
Refrigerator
Beets
Cut the tops off. If the tops are in good shape wash them and cook them. Yum. Don’t wash the beets. Store them in a plastic bag in the back of the refrigerator. The tops where you cut off the greens might be a little rotty. Not to worry. When you peel them the insides will be great. Inside that plastic bag beets in the back of the fridge will keep for months.
Brussels sprouts
We usually cut the little sprouts off the stem and store them in a plastic bag in the back of the fridge like the carrots. They will keep for at least a couple of months. They will usually keep for up to six weeks.
Carrots
Store in a plastic bag in the back of the refrigerator. Carrots will keep for months this way. After being stored a long time there may be a white root substance on the carrot. Not to worry. Just peal it off. As long as the carrots are bright orange underneath they will taste wonderful. Organic carrots actually gain sweetness when stored.
Cabbage
Store cabbage in a plastic bag. When you take it out some of the outside leaves may look mildewed but not to worry. Simply strip off the outside leaves and the inside is as good as new. Cabbage will keep this way in the back of the fridge often for three months.
Celeriac
Tops will probably be off. Store like carrots. If any part is a bit rotty when you take it out merely cut it off. Chances are the rest is just fine.
Collard Greens, Kale
These are not long keepers. Best to eat them within two or three weeks of the delivery. Immerse in cold water, wrap in a cloth dish towel, and place in your fridge.
Turnips, Rutabaga
Store like carrots.
Unheated Entrance, Attic Space or Unheated Spare Room
Make sure that this area doesn't freeze. For example, a bulkhead might freeze.
The rule of thumb that I use for vegetables stored in this category are as follows:
*Store items one level deep on trays, preferably open at the bottom for air circulation. I often use the black trays that you get at garden centers when you buy plants. Great recycled item.
*With squash don't let the items touch each other
*Make sure that some ventilation is feasible. For example store trays on a rack with some circulation
*Keep the area dark. This is particularly important for garlic and onions that will begin to sprout if exposed to light
*Inspect all items when taking something from storage. If there are signs of spoilage, noted below, use the item as soon as possible
*Always store the best specimens the longest. Use broken stem squash first.
Butternut squash
Has the longest storage life of any squash. It will sometimes last the whole winter if the storage location is cold and dry enough. If you see any spots developing use as soon as possible. Spots develop into rotty areas and eventually the whole core will rot, and the squash will be unusable. If you need to fix too much squash because it is spoiling simply cut up a whole bunch, steam it, and freeze the pieces for consumption later in the winter.
Delicata squash
Delicata does not store well. Use this squash within six weeks of the delivery. If delicata is starting to go it will probably be too late to salvage anything. It is too small a squash to recover rot.
Onions
The length of time that onions will store is highly dependent on the variety – the onions in the multi-farm winter share are storage onions and should last several months, especially if stored in a dark, cool area. When onions start to sprout they gradually become unusable. If you see an onion sprouting use it as soon as possible. If onions become soft they are rotten and should be removed from storage.
Cellar in a cool damp corner
The rules of thumb for the cellar storage are:
*Store items one level deep on trays as above.
*Some ventilation is helpful.
*Keep the area dark. This is particularly important for potatoes that will begin to sprout if exposed to light
*Inspect all items when taking something from storage. If there are signs of spoilage, noted below, use the item as soon as possible
*Always store the best specimens the longest.
Potatoes
Potatoes will usually store 2-3 months. Potatoes specifically noted as a storage variety will often do better. If possible store on flat trays. The benefit is the avoidance of the "bad apple" syndrome, and one can inspect all the potatoes as you use them up permitting you to take ones that are beginning to sprout. A soft potato usually means that it is rotten, but cut it up to make sure.
Sweet potatoes
Treat sweet potatoes in the same manner as regular potatoes. They will probably not keep as long so plan to use them in 1-2 months.
Popcorn
Unshelled corn should be stored at temperatures near 32F and high relative humidity. Once or twice a week, shell a few kernels and try popping them. When the test kernels are popping well and tasting good, shell and store the rest of the kernels. Store the kernels in sealed, airtight containers. If stored popcorn fails to pop, it may be too dry. Add 1 tablespoon of water to a quart of popcorn. Cover and shake at frequent intervals until the popcorn has absorbed the water. After 3 or 4 days, test pop a few kernels to see if it is ready.
Adapted from Richard Harrison, How to Store Vegetables in a Typical Suburban Home
FIRST, identify the areas in your house that do not freeze and may be suitable for storing vegetables.
Refrigerator, 40 degrees, 30-40% humidity
Carrots, celeriac, beets, apples, pears, kale, bok choi, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, turnip, rutabaga
Unheated entrance or attic or spare room, 40-50 degrees, 10-30% humidity
Winter squashes such as butternut, delicata, acorn squash, onions, garlic
Cellar, cool damp corner, 33-50 degrees, 30-50% humidity
Potatoes, sweet potatoes
SECOND, prepare the vegetables for storing. Each vegetable will be discussed below under its storage area. Before discussing each vegetable observe the following rules of thumb when storing vegetables.
*Never wash a vegetable that you are preparing for storage. Washing shortens storage life, sometimes by months.
*When storing in a plastic bag in the refrigerator make sure that you remove as much air from the bag as possible before storing.
Refrigerator
Beets
Cut the tops off. If the tops are in good shape wash them and cook them. Yum. Don’t wash the beets. Store them in a plastic bag in the back of the refrigerator. The tops where you cut off the greens might be a little rotty. Not to worry. When you peel them the insides will be great. Inside that plastic bag beets in the back of the fridge will keep for months.
Brussels sprouts
We usually cut the little sprouts off the stem and store them in a plastic bag in the back of the fridge like the carrots. They will keep for at least a couple of months. They will usually keep for up to six weeks.
Carrots
Store in a plastic bag in the back of the refrigerator. Carrots will keep for months this way. After being stored a long time there may be a white root substance on the carrot. Not to worry. Just peal it off. As long as the carrots are bright orange underneath they will taste wonderful. Organic carrots actually gain sweetness when stored.
Cabbage
Store cabbage in a plastic bag. When you take it out some of the outside leaves may look mildewed but not to worry. Simply strip off the outside leaves and the inside is as good as new. Cabbage will keep this way in the back of the fridge often for three months.
Celeriac
Tops will probably be off. Store like carrots. If any part is a bit rotty when you take it out merely cut it off. Chances are the rest is just fine.
Collard Greens, Kale
These are not long keepers. Best to eat them within two or three weeks of the delivery. Immerse in cold water, wrap in a cloth dish towel, and place in your fridge.
Turnips, Rutabaga
Store like carrots.
Unheated Entrance, Attic Space or Unheated Spare Room
Make sure that this area doesn't freeze. For example, a bulkhead might freeze.
The rule of thumb that I use for vegetables stored in this category are as follows:
*Store items one level deep on trays, preferably open at the bottom for air circulation. I often use the black trays that you get at garden centers when you buy plants. Great recycled item.
*With squash don't let the items touch each other
*Make sure that some ventilation is feasible. For example store trays on a rack with some circulation
*Keep the area dark. This is particularly important for garlic and onions that will begin to sprout if exposed to light
*Inspect all items when taking something from storage. If there are signs of spoilage, noted below, use the item as soon as possible
*Always store the best specimens the longest. Use broken stem squash first.
Butternut squash
Has the longest storage life of any squash. It will sometimes last the whole winter if the storage location is cold and dry enough. If you see any spots developing use as soon as possible. Spots develop into rotty areas and eventually the whole core will rot, and the squash will be unusable. If you need to fix too much squash because it is spoiling simply cut up a whole bunch, steam it, and freeze the pieces for consumption later in the winter.
Delicata squash
Delicata does not store well. Use this squash within six weeks of the delivery. If delicata is starting to go it will probably be too late to salvage anything. It is too small a squash to recover rot.
Onions
The length of time that onions will store is highly dependent on the variety – the onions in the multi-farm winter share are storage onions and should last several months, especially if stored in a dark, cool area. When onions start to sprout they gradually become unusable. If you see an onion sprouting use it as soon as possible. If onions become soft they are rotten and should be removed from storage.
Cellar in a cool damp corner
The rules of thumb for the cellar storage are:
*Store items one level deep on trays as above.
*Some ventilation is helpful.
*Keep the area dark. This is particularly important for potatoes that will begin to sprout if exposed to light
*Inspect all items when taking something from storage. If there are signs of spoilage, noted below, use the item as soon as possible
*Always store the best specimens the longest.
Potatoes
Potatoes will usually store 2-3 months. Potatoes specifically noted as a storage variety will often do better. If possible store on flat trays. The benefit is the avoidance of the "bad apple" syndrome, and one can inspect all the potatoes as you use them up permitting you to take ones that are beginning to sprout. A soft potato usually means that it is rotten, but cut it up to make sure.
Sweet potatoes
Treat sweet potatoes in the same manner as regular potatoes. They will probably not keep as long so plan to use them in 1-2 months.
Popcorn
Unshelled corn should be stored at temperatures near 32F and high relative humidity. Once or twice a week, shell a few kernels and try popping them. When the test kernels are popping well and tasting good, shell and store the rest of the kernels. Store the kernels in sealed, airtight containers. If stored popcorn fails to pop, it may be too dry. Add 1 tablespoon of water to a quart of popcorn. Cover and shake at frequent intervals until the popcorn has absorbed the water. After 3 or 4 days, test pop a few kernels to see if it is ready.
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