CSA Week 15, 2024

CSA Week 15

The plan for the coming week is Honeynut squash, Cortland or Macoun apples, onions, sweet peppers, broccoli, potatoes (blue if we can find them in time for packing), beans, and possible peaches.

I heard some people got purple daikon radishes, or random greens, and other surprises…I have no control over some things (read, nothing, lol, but surprises should be fun)

Honeynut type of winter squash that’s similar to butternut squash but smaller and sweeter, it is actually a hybrid of butternut and buttercup and a more recent introduction into the gourmet specialty produce world.

Hey, we still have quite a few peaches if anyone still wants a crack at a box for whatever – hey they freeze well too for those winter smoothies or baked dishes.

Be sure to store your taters in the dark, and not in a plastic bag that will keep too much moisture on them. These are hyper fresh and hand dug, they have not been “cured” so the moisture content is very high and they cook very fast. They are extra amazing when they are so new!

Both the Fruit and Tomato CSAs are over – thanks so much for playing our extra fun CSA game!!

• butternut or honeynut squash
• 2 tart apples
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 4 tablespoons butter, cold
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Butter a 2- to 2 1/2-quart baking dish. Heat oven to 350°. Peel, seed, and cut squash into small slices. Core the apples, peel, and cut into thin slices. Toss squash and apples together. Transfer squash and apple slices to the prepared baking dish.

Combine brown sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg; cut in butter with fork or pastry cutter until crumbly. Sprinkle crumbs evenly over sliced squash and apples. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350° for 50 to 60 minutes, or until squash is tender.

Stuffed Honeynut Squash- this looks really nice with nuts and apples

Squash Soup

Winter Squash

Spaghetti Squash with a Greek Flair

It is with heavy heart that we have decided to leave the Boston Public Market after 9 years. Unfortunately, it has not turned out to be the “grocery shopper’s” market that we needed it to be, and after years of making adjustments and changing up product, it was obvious it was not economically viable for us to remain there. Interestingly we had our biggest days during the Covid lockdown because the farmers were the only ones with real food. Perhaps if all the people who found us then for online shopping, or signed up for CSA had stayed with buying local, and not returned to the supermarkets, we would be having a different conversation today. Many of you know we worked on bringing a public market to Boston for 17 years before it finally happened and we were so looking forward to having a fixed location and not setting up an entire market from scratch daily. It was fun while it lasted, but just not busy enough to keep us there. I will say that the CEO has been very accommodating and we thank her for all she has done. Some good news is we will be keeping the BPM as a drop off location for all the CSAs, so that much will remain the same. We are looking for another winter market to add to our JP Saturday, year round market 🙂 The bright side is Reid and Curtis, who will be taking over the farm someday, seem a little relieved to not be adding that juggernaut to their plates.

We have enjoyed nice, dry weather and are busy getting the winter squash in and next up: potatoes! We are picking the beautiful broccoli I mentioned weeks back I hoped would make it. Glenn has been putting water on next year’s strawberry crop and they liked it:) We like to see multiple crowns forming and also keep all the runners off so the plants can go into the winter strong. This was our best year for strawberries and we would like to repeat it…we put more than ever in CSA shares this year over other years 🙂

Long time members will recall I love to read Bradford’s History of Plymoth Plantation, his accounts of the weather, is both interesting and enlightening – especially for history nerds (me). They were worried about famine, Bradford writes “…by a great drought which continued from the 3. weeke in May, till about the midle of July, without any raine, and with great heat (for the most parte), insomuch as the corne begane to wither away…” and “In the begining of the year was a great drought, and no raine for many weeks togeather, so as all was burnte up, haye at 5li. a load; and now all raine, so as much sommer corne and later haye is spoyled.” Here’s an account of a hurricane that struck and Bradford predicts the damage will still be present for 100 years “This year, the 14. or 15. of August (being Saturday) was such a mighty storme of wind and raine, as none living in these parts, either English or Indeans, ever saw. Being like (for the time it continued) to those Hauricanes and Tuffons’ that writers make mention of in the Indeas. It began in the morning, a litle before day, and grue not by degrees, but came with violence in the begining, to the great amasmente of many. It blew downe sundry houses, and uncovered others; diverce vessells were lost at sea, and many more in extreme danger. It caused the sea to swell (to the southward of this place)above 20. foote, right up and downe, … it tooke of the borded roofe of a house which belonged to the plantation at Manamet, and floted it to another place, the posts still standing in the ground; and if it had continued long without the shifting of the wind, it is hke it would have drouned some parte of the cuntrie. It blew downe many hundered thowsands of trees, turning up the stronger by the roots, and breaking the hiegher pine trees of in the midle, and the tall yonge oaks and walnut trees of good biggnes were wound like a withe, very Strang and fearfull to behould.” (“withe” references a woven basket)

Sounds terrifying!

Meanwhile, the weather has been very pleasant and enjoyable here, come on out to the farm anytime folks! We have pick your own pumpkins across the street from the barn and it is a nice time to visit.

The leaves are turning out here and the color looks to be strong so far which is to be expected with the last few dry weeks.   Stay tuned for gleaning…which, as always, we hope will be at the end of October and not sooner:)

Eat well,

Geneviève Stillman   

Two more weeks of CSA extension option!

Why not keep things rolling until Still Life Farm winter CSA begins!!! Add two more weeks to your 16!! (we are on week 15 this week) We are offering an extension to current CSA members of an additional two weeks for $70. That way you will have your winter squash, late tomatoes, Brussels sprouts (hopefully), broccoli, late season apples, cabbage, and other fall crops. It’s simple, just complete your purchase for 2 more weeks and we will keep you on your existing list. These two weeks will blend seamlessly filling the gap between our Summer CSA and Still Life Farm’s Winter CSA.

This will be two consecutive weeks of our regular size bag, so if you had a SSM, it will just be the regular bag (though FULL!):

Saturday: October 5 & 12
Sunday: October 6 & 13
Monday: October 7 & 14
Tuesday: October 8 & 15
Wednesday: October 9 & 16
Thursday: October 10 (is week 16 due to July 4) 17 & 24
Friday: October 11 & 18

Discounts will be applied to Stillman’s Farm “store credit” (think electronic Stillman’s Bucks!) for you to use at anywhere you can find us and for any product we sell (yes, for honey, sauce, pickles, plants, etc)

• Here are the bundle options (please note– you must purchase bundled options at SAME TIME to qualify for bundle discount):

  • 2 week CSA extension + Summer CSA 2025 for $620 $550 ($70 -2 week extension is FREE!)
  • 2 week CSA extension + Spring CSA for $490 (1 lb ($20) jar of Stillman’s Farm honey FREE at first pick up and 7% discount off 2 week extension)
  • 2 week CSA extension + Spring CSA + Summer CSA 2025 for $1045 $975 (Includes 2 week extension FREE! 1 lb ($20) jar of Stillman’s Farm honey at first pick up FREE)

  Not feeling the 2 week extension?

  • Spring CSA + Summer CSA 2025 for $975 (Includes 1 lb ($20) jar of Stillman’s Farm honey at first pick up FREE and $60 store credit)

  Just interested in the Winter CSA for now? Sign up here 

Woot!

Don’t want any more CSA bags this year and not ready to sign up for next year? No worries! We will still be offering our large discount (in the form of store credit) to returning members through November. The early sign up discount offer will go out to members later in October. Also, you can always sign up for Still Life farm Winter CSA or Stillman Quality Meats meat bucks whenever. The 2 week extension special bundle offers expire October 1st.

All the bundles are listed at the bottom and this year -you can order your perfect bundle in one fell swoop

OH! Don’t forget, we offer our own installment plan to pay in 4, without interest, which a lot of us really appreciate these days 🙂