Author: Core Group

Dear CSA Member

What beautiful summer weather. Hot and sunny, just enough rain to keep things growing. Tomatoes, Sun Gold Cherry Tomatoes, Eggplant, Peppers and Onions. A wonderful summer time share.

New this week is Fararo Cabbage. A larger round head of green cabbage to make summer time salads now that the lettuce is gone until fall.

Toma Verde Tomatillos for the first time this season. Tomatillos, also known as Mexican husk tomato. Not a tomato but in the same family, tomatillos can be eaten raw or cooked and are the main ingredient in Salsa Verde. There are good Tomatillo recipes on the farm website. Select The Farm tab and then Recipes.

Enjoy the harvest.
Deborah for everyone at Stoneledge Farm

Dear CSA Member

August and the tomatoes are finally ripening. It seems that tomatoes across the region have taken their time ripening this season. The early season wet and cold weather are not the most favorable growing conditions for tomatoes but the month of July was dry and the tomatoes have done well. The tomato plants have been tied up in a “basket weave” of twine to keep the tomatoes off the ground. Stakes are pounded into the row every other plant and then twine is wound down the row around one stake and then to the back of the next. Twine is then reversed on the row so that the tomato plant is held between the strands. The tomatoes have better air circulation and the leaves and fruit are off of the ground.

The onion harvest was great this season and they are the best looking and tasting onions we have grown in years. Last weeks’ Shallots are included in this overall onion family harvest. This week you will receive White Sedona Onions. The onions are harvested when their tops start to decline and the outer skin of the bulb is starting to thicken and dry. The onions are pulled, crated and then laid in long rows in the greenhouses on the benches to dry. Air and warmth allow the skins to finish drying and the onions are now ready for distribution for your CSA share.

We hope that you will mark your calendar with the upcoming Fall Farm Festival. The Fall Farm Festival will be held on the farm September 12 from 11:30-3:00. Please use the 145 Garcia Lane, Leeds, NY 12451 address. There are directions on the farm website Contact Us tab https://www.stoneledgefarmny.com/contact-information — or using your GPS. It is a great day to come to the farm and see how your vegetables are grown, meet your farmers and walk the fields. We have the grill hot and will have pork as well as grilled Sweet Corn and Portobello Mushrooms. There will be fresh fruit, Stoneledge Farm Coffee and water. We ask that members bring a dish to share so that lunch is a giant pot luck get together. If possible, please bring your own place settings, utensils and cup. No pets, please.

Stoneledge Farm Marketplace products: Coffee, Chocolate, Honey and Maple will be available for sale at the Festival.

There are flowers to pick and take home from the flower garden. If you would like to take flowers home, please bring your own scissors and something that will keep the flowers until you get home. Wet paper towels or newspapers in a plastic bag will usually do the trick.

It is really a great day to visit Stoneledge Farm and everyone who grows your vegetables. Please make a note on your calendar and come to the farm. If you have any questions, please send an e-mail to the farm. Hope to see you at the farm.

For more information about outdoor activities please check out:
https://www.greatnortherncatskills.com/
https://hikethehudsonvalley.com/
Use the West of the Hudson search.
Hudson Valley Hiking Guide (www.trails.com)
For information about the wineries in the Hudson Valley Region go to: www.hudsonvalleywinecountry.org/

There are a limited number of 1/2 bushel boxes of fruit available for order through the CSA online Marketplace. Please place your order by 5PM the day previous to delivery so we can have your order packed for delivery with your CSA shares.

Enjoy the harvest
Deborah for everyone at Stoneledge Farm

Dear CSA Member

No doubt that summer is here. Heat and humidity make it a challenge to work outside. We start early in the morning but still need to work into the heat of the day. The summer plants love the weather, though and it is just what is needed for sweet tasting Peppers, Eggplant and Cucumbers. This week Sun Gold Cherry Tomatoes, a member favorite.

New this week are Shallots. A fine crop of Shallots this season. We had very good sized transplants that continued to grow well once we planted them in the field even in the dry conditions in May and the wet conditions of June. Shallots are somewhat of a mix of flavors between an onion and garlic. They are also sometimes known as eschallots.

This is a Coffee Share delivery week for members with an optional Coffee Share. Fruit Share will be Peaches and Plums. Mushroom Share will be Oyster Mushrooms.

As always, the online Marketplace is open for weekly orders. I will send a reminder e-mail if you place a Marketplace order.

Please make a note on your calendar, September 12 from 11:30 to 3:00 is the annual Fall Farm Festival. The farm provides Pulled Pork with Rolls, Vegetarian Chili, Sweet Corn and Portobello Mushrooms from the grill and fresh Fruit. We ask that members bring a dish to share to round out the luncheon. A great day to visit the farm that grows your CSA share. More to come.

Enjoy the summer and the harvest.

Deborah for everyone at Stoneledge Farm

Dear CSA Member

It is a very busy time of year.  Tiding up the fields, spring time crop land tilled and replanted with Kale, Collards and fall vegetables.  Planting new crops to take over as others finish their seasonal harvests.  The endless cultivation of weeds that just do not give up.  Harvest for the weekly CSA shares.  

Eggplant is starting to produce and this week Green Beans.  Dust off your Eggplant recipes from last season.  We did compile a nice variety of recipes for Eggplant and they can all be found on the farm website, Recipe Section.  Looks like we may have another good Eggplant harvest.

Basil, Scallions, Bright Lights Swiss Chard and Lettuce.  I thought the lettuce was finished a couple of weeks ago but we started so many plantings this spring time and with all the cool rainy weather earlier this summer, the lettuce continues.  One more week of Celery.  The Celery is dark, juicy and sweet.  What Celery should really taste like.  

Fruit Share this week will be White Peaches and Yellow Nectarines.  Mushroom Share is Shiitake.

If you would like to order Coffee, Chocolate, Honey or Maple please log into your CSA Member Account from the farm website home page and place the order.  We will deliver the orders with the CSA shares.

Summer time.  It is great.
Enjoy the harvest.

Deborah for everyone at Stoneledge Farm

Dear CSA Member

Moving into summertime in the fields. A new set of photos of the potato fields in bloom have been posted on the Farm News section of the farm website: https://www.stoneledgefarmny.com/on-the-farm/farm-blog and also on the farm FaceBook page. Potatoes are beautiful when in bloom. Take a look.

The spring time vegetables are nearly gone with only a week left of lettuce. The fields where the spring vegetables were planted has been disced and fall vegetables planted for harvest later. It is a summer time feeling share this week with the first of the Oriental Express Eggplant being harvested. It looks delicious. Summer Squash is still producing along with bright purple skinned Red Scallions and Bright Lights Swiss Chard.

A reminder that the optional Shares: Mushrooms and Fruit are only to be picked up by those that have ordered them. We want to make sure that everyone can pick up the shares that they have ordered.

Marketplace items are available each week: Honey, Maple Syrup, Chocolate and Coffee. To order log into your CSA Member Account from the farm website home page.

Enjoy the Vegetables and this wonderful Summer weather.
Deborah for everyone at Stoneledge Farm