Back in 1993, on a cold near-winter’s day at Harmony Valley Farm’s market stand in Madison, Wisconsin, I started juggling rutabagas as a way to pass the time and attract some attention on a day with few customers. It was a lark, but as time went on, juggling rutabagas proved an apt metaphor for the life of farming that I was just beginning that fall. Since that time, I’ve continued to add more and more rutabagas to my juggling act; I’m writing today to announce that I am putting down one of the many rutabagas that I currently have in the air.
Once we finish delivering our winter vegetable and fruit shares on March 16, Rock Spring Farm will discontinue the operation of its CSA program. But make no mistake – Rock Spring Farm will continue to provide great herbs and vegetables to stores in the Twin Cities, Rochester, and Decorah. In fact, with this opportunity for increased focus, we hope to do an even better job of producing a more-focused selection of crops.
When I started down my farming path in the summer of 1990, I looked at growing good food as a way to change the world. Over the past several years, I’ve become more and more involved with education about growing food as a way to change the world. And that has changed my world.
As most readers of the Eat Better Newsletter know, I co-direct the MOSES Organic Farming Conference, coming up in a little over a week. What started as volunteer committee work in 1999 has grown to a major part of my life and attention as that conference has grown into the largest, and many say the best, conference for organic farmers in America.
Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to evaluate aspects of farming operations for projects on post-harvest handling and transplant production; co-author a book, Fearless Farm Finances; consult on a variety of issues for farms large and small; speak around the country about food safety, systems development, and more; and even manage the development of a multi-function database for the Midwest and Organic Sustainable Education Service.
And this work, all of it informed by my work farming at Rock Spring Farm, is making a difference: I regularly hear testimonials about how the Organic Farming Conference changes lives, and how the educational work that I’m doing beyond that conference provides information vital to keeping farmers in farming in ways that sustain their work, their families, and their communities.
As part of this process, I’ve formalized the educational side of my operation into Flying Rutabaga Works. A new website, flyingrutabagaworks.com, provides information and resources for farmers and people interested in farming, including a new online newsletter, Chris on Farming.
My increased focus on the education, outreach, and public service side of my life’s work has resulted in a lot of juggling. And, while keeping a lot of rutabagas up in the air can be a lot of fun, I can see clearly that if I don’t make some changes, some of the rutabagas are going to start dropping.
CSA is the most management-intensive way of farming that I can imagine. Fifty some-odd crops, over a hundred varieties, and multiple plantings create over a thousand planting events every year – and marketing and customer service add another layer of complexity. Because of the success of the rest of the farm, and of the education wing of my business, I no longer have the management time to devote to the CSA. And without that devotion, it’s not fair to my members, my employees, my family, or myself to continue to operate the CSA in 2012.
To our members past and present, and to the people and businesses who have supported us through hosting pick-up sites, I can’t say thank you enough. The CSA provided an economic backbone and venue for experimentation for many years of this farm’s operation, and resulted in many relationships that I will continue to treasure as I move forward.
Organically yours,
Chris Blanchard, Farmer
P.S., I am in the process of updating the Rock Spring Farm website to reflect these changes. If you’re looking for a new CSA in 2012, please have a look at Featherstone Fruits and Vegetables; the Land Stewardship Project’s directory and LocalHarvest.org also provide a variety of options.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
In This Week's Box
Rutabagas – Enough said, I think.
Scarlet Turnips – Truly one of my favorite vegetables. Use them just like you would purple top turnips. They have a sweeter flavor that offsets the slightly metallic undertones of the turnip very nicely.
Heart of Gold Squash – the last of our winter squash!
Yellow Onions
Dried Peppers – you can grind these for pepper flakes, or use in soups or sauces to infuse with some heat.
Garlic
Celeriac - Celeriac is the same species as celery, but bred for the swollen root rather than the fleshy stems. A more primitive version of the species, celeriac has contributed almost all of the modern pest resistance to celery varieties. It has the same flavor compounds, but they come through more strongly; the flesh is soggy-firm, and works best in cooked dishes.
Carrots
Cabbage
Scarlet Turnips – Truly one of my favorite vegetables. Use them just like you would purple top turnips. They have a sweeter flavor that offsets the slightly metallic undertones of the turnip very nicely.
Heart of Gold Squash – the last of our winter squash!
Yellow Onions
Dried Peppers – you can grind these for pepper flakes, or use in soups or sauces to infuse with some heat.
Garlic
Celeriac - Celeriac is the same species as celery, but bred for the swollen root rather than the fleshy stems. A more primitive version of the species, celeriac has contributed almost all of the modern pest resistance to celery varieties. It has the same flavor compounds, but they come through more strongly; the flesh is soggy-firm, and works best in cooked dishes.
Carrots
Cabbage
Recipes You Can Use
Roasted Fall Vegetables with Balsamic Vinegar
4 lbs assorted root vegetables: turnips, rutabaga, celeriac, winter radish, carrots, beets; winter squash works well too.
3 tablespoons olive oil
a smattering of fresh or dried herbs (we like rosemary)
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
Note: We sometimes add whole shallots, quartered onions, and un-peeled garlic cloves to this as well.
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub vegetables and cut off roots and tops. Cut into 2 inch pieces and toss with olive oil. Spread on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes or until fork tender. Add minced garlic and dried herbs. Stir and cook for 7 minutes more. Remove from oven. Add balsamic, salt and pepper. mix well and serve.
Celeriac Salad
2 lbs celeriac, peeled and cut into matchsticks
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 tsp stoneground mustard
Blanch celeriac in boiling water for 2 minutes; dunk in cold water to stop cooking, then drain. Place in a bowl and add oil and vinegar. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Refrigerate, covered, for at least two hours. Crush garlic into a paste and combine with the mayonnaise and mustard, and add this mixture to the celeriac and stir well just before serving.
Spicy Squash Pizza
1 Pizza’s worth of fresh or pre-baked pizza dough
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound, approximately, winter squash
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon allspice
pinch of cloves
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 cups shredded mozzarella (smoked, if possible)
3 tablespoons squash seeds
Dried pepper flakes
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Peel and seed the winter squash, and slice into uniform ½-inch thick pieces. In a heavy skillet, combine the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Once the butter melts, add the sliced squash and cook, turning occasionally. About halfway through cooking, sprinkle with the cinnamon, allspice, and cloves, and salt and pepper to taste. Add more olive oil if the squash begins to stick. When the squash is slightly browned and tender, but before it loses its shape, remove the slice to a paper towel to drain. Meanwhile, roast the winter squash seeds on a cookie sheet in the oven until slightly crunchy. Prepare the pizza crust according to the recipe or instructions, then brush the dough with olive oil and top with the cheese. Put the squash slices on the cheese, sprinkle with the squash seeds, add hot pepper flakes to taste, and drizzle with olive oil. Transfer the pizza to the top rack in the oven and bake until the crust is crisp and the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. Slice and serve immediately. Serves 2.
4 lbs assorted root vegetables: turnips, rutabaga, celeriac, winter radish, carrots, beets; winter squash works well too.
3 tablespoons olive oil
a smattering of fresh or dried herbs (we like rosemary)
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
Note: We sometimes add whole shallots, quartered onions, and un-peeled garlic cloves to this as well.
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub vegetables and cut off roots and tops. Cut into 2 inch pieces and toss with olive oil. Spread on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes or until fork tender. Add minced garlic and dried herbs. Stir and cook for 7 minutes more. Remove from oven. Add balsamic, salt and pepper. mix well and serve.
Celeriac Salad
2 lbs celeriac, peeled and cut into matchsticks
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 tsp stoneground mustard
Blanch celeriac in boiling water for 2 minutes; dunk in cold water to stop cooking, then drain. Place in a bowl and add oil and vinegar. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Refrigerate, covered, for at least two hours. Crush garlic into a paste and combine with the mayonnaise and mustard, and add this mixture to the celeriac and stir well just before serving.
Spicy Squash Pizza
1 Pizza’s worth of fresh or pre-baked pizza dough
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound, approximately, winter squash
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon allspice
pinch of cloves
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 cups shredded mozzarella (smoked, if possible)
3 tablespoons squash seeds
Dried pepper flakes
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Peel and seed the winter squash, and slice into uniform ½-inch thick pieces. In a heavy skillet, combine the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Once the butter melts, add the sliced squash and cook, turning occasionally. About halfway through cooking, sprinkle with the cinnamon, allspice, and cloves, and salt and pepper to taste. Add more olive oil if the squash begins to stick. When the squash is slightly browned and tender, but before it loses its shape, remove the slice to a paper towel to drain. Meanwhile, roast the winter squash seeds on a cookie sheet in the oven until slightly crunchy. Prepare the pizza crust according to the recipe or instructions, then brush the dough with olive oil and top with the cheese. Put the squash slices on the cheese, sprinkle with the squash seeds, add hot pepper flakes to taste, and drizzle with olive oil. Transfer the pizza to the top rack in the oven and bake until the crust is crisp and the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. Slice and serve immediately. Serves 2.
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