Category: Note from the Farmer

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

Week #7

Dear CSA Member

Each year at this time the farm undergoes our annual Organic Certification Inspection. Records are diligently reviewed, our fields, equipment and all of the supplies inspected. The farm has completed our annual inspection and certification. It is a rigorous process but we are proud to be able to display the USDA Organic logo.

The share this week has some unique vegetables. Real Celery, Fennel, Orient Express Eggplant, Cilantro and Early Jersey Wakefield Cabbage.

The Celery is dark green and has a strong flavor. The leaves are very flavorful as well and if you do not use them now, wash, chop and put in a zip lock bag to be stored in your freezer. When you are making soup as the weather cools, the Celery greens will be a wonderful addition.

Fennel has a sweet anise taste and can be cooked or eaten raw. There is a delicious Fennel and Tomato Soup recipe on the farm website Recipe section.

Marketplace Orders can be placed by logging into your CSA Member Account. There is delicious organic, tree to bar dark chocolate from Grenada. We visit the farmers and the chocolate maker and they are grateful for the support given by the CSA.

This week Fruit Share is Yellow Peaches and Sugar Plums. The Mushroom Share is White Button.

Enjoy the Harvest.
Deborah for everyone at Stoneledge Farm

 

WEEK 7 – FARM SHARE

Cabbage-1 head. You will see that the Early Jersey Wakefield has grown significantly. It is very tender and delicious.
Cucumbers-1 Silver Slicer. A white slicing cucumber.
Lettuce-1 head I thought the lettuce was finished last week but there was another late planting.
Summer Squash-4
Orient Express Eggplant-2
Summer Spinach-1 bunch
Celery-1 head
Fennel-2 bulbs
Cilantro-1 bunch

Fruit Share-
Yellow Peaches-1 bag
Sugar Plums-1 box

Mushroom Share
White Buttons

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

Dear CSA Member

It has rained 23 out of 30 days in June. Greens love the cold and wet and the Cabbage, Lettuces and Escarole are beautiful. The Kohlrabi is huge and Spinach green and sweet. Scallions are perfect from the white root to the green tip.

Sugar Snap peas are a favorite but due to the extreme rainy and cold conditions the Sugar Snap peas crop has failed. There are just some conditions that certain plants can not withstand. We are planting the Sugar Snap peas again and hope to have a crop for fall harvest. We have not planted peas for fall so we will need to see how it all works out but want to try.

This week is the first Fruit Share delivery. Please take fruit only if you have ordered this optional Fruit Share. If you do not remember you can check your order by logging into your CSA Member Account. Your CSA coordinators will have Fruit Share members on the sign in roster as well. This week there are local Sweet Cherries and Blueberries and Organic Red Currants.

This is also a Coffee Share delivery week and if you have a Coffee Share you will receive a reminder e-mail. Mushroom Shares are delivered every week and are Portobello Mushrooms this week.

Marketplace orders can be placed up to the day before your shares are delivered. To order from the Marketplace log into your CSA Member Account.

Enjoy the harvest.
Deborah for everyone at Stoneledge Farm

Dear CSA Member

It has been a cool and very rainy June. Complete opposite to the very dry and hot May. It is hard to believe that July is nearly here and we are cold working outside.

With the rain and cool temperatures come beautiful greens. Almost like growing in the fall. Natcha Escarole is a slightly bitter green that is excellent with white beans. Lettuces are still abundant and glorious. The Beet Greens are very nice and should be cut from the bulb and cooked as a green.

New this week is Cabbage. Early Jersey Wakefield Cabbage is an early, pointed cabbage variety that is also an Heirloom seed variety. The Cabbage is sweet and makes delicious slaw. An easy and delicious Cole Slaw recipe on the farm website Recipe section. The Recipe collection can be found under The Farm tab.

Kohlrabi, Red Kolibri, is the bulb shaped vegetable with leaves at the top. The leaves and the bulb are edible. Kohlrabi can be used fresh or cooked. The bulb tastes a bit like the stem of a broccoli and the beautiful purple-red color of the bulb is very attractive.

Marketplace items are available weekly. Mushroom Share this week is Oyster Mushrooms.

PS 11 3rd Grade Students visited the farm in May. We have received very nice thank you cards from the students. One student wrote a poem that we have included on the Farm News on the farm website www.stoneledge.farm.

Enjoy the Harvest.
Deborah for everyone at Stoneledge Farm