1. Broccoli crop looks fabulous. Probably 2-4 weeks off.
2. Cabbage looks great, too. Probably 2-4 weeks off.
3. Turnips again in 2-4 weeks.
4. Beets likely again in two weeks
5. Radishes on and off over next 7 weeks.
6. Broccoli Raab in 4-6 weeks
7. Kale, Collards, Chard on and off over next 7 weeks. They all look great.
8. Salad Mix will likely be a staple for the rest of the year.
9. Winter Squash last two weeks of October. Spaghetti and Bnut mostly. Will update after squash harvest next week.
10. Celeriac in 4-6 weeks. This is new this year. Looks great.
11. Pac Choi in 6-7 weeks.
12. Arugula on and off over next 6-7 weeks.
13. Brussel Sprouts. Lots. But mostly in two more weeks. Then, through October.
14. Lettuce. early- mid October through the end of October.
15. Peppers 'til frost. Pablanos still to come.
16. Eggplants are toast. No more.
17. Hopefully, spinach in October. No guarantees here. Germination is spotty.
18. Tomatoes do look much better. Fruit are getting bigger and rosier. But no guarantees here, either, esp. if cold Sept.
19. Hopefully, Mustard and Japanese Spinach last couple weeks of October (this depends on the weather).
20. Potatoes. Next week is last week. Keuka Gold.

We hope all of you are having a relaxing and fun Labor Day weekend! Here on the farm, we continue working because the weeds and the vegetables do not stop growing on Holidays!

September is a big month for local food! I wanted to bring to attention a few local food events we have going on in the area this month:

*Sunday, September 12, 5 pm: Annual Harvest Benefit Dinner, Kirklin Farm ($75)

Come slow down, celebrate the season’s harvest and share a meal with your community. Dine outside under tents on the centennial Kirklin Farm, just outside Kalamazoo and help us raise funds for the Fair Food Matters’ Growing Matters Garden program and the Future Chefs program. These programs protect the stewardship of our land and strengthen our local economy by educating the next generation about food and where it comes from. Area chefs come together to prepare a five-course meal and celebrate the best of the season’s offerings. ($60 of the event cost is tax-deductible)

*Friday-Sunday, September 17-19: Mushroom Growing Weekend at Circle Pines Center in Delton

Michigan mycologists David Schaffer and Brian Rogers will reveal the art and science of growing edible and medicinal mushrooms. The pair owns and operates Mushroom Gardens LLC, a successful fungi farm in Interlochen.  These experts will lead you in hands-on log inoculation with cold stain oyster spores and impart trade secrets of the mushroom business. The weekend will also include Qigong, goat milking, lakeside sauna, canoeing, hiking and relaxation in a wooded atmosphere. To register call (269) 623-5555 or email info@circlepinescenter.net

*Friday-Sunday, September 24-26: Harvest Weekend at Circle Pines Center in Delton

This slow food and homesteading event at CPC will demonstrate how to extend the local food season. Harvest Weekend will include an experiential dehydration workshop led by Excalibur COO Whitney Verkade on Saturday, September 25th. Other workshops will explore and explain canning the garden’s bounty and cooking root vegetables with our very own talented kitchen staff.

Circle Pines Center is dedicated to supporting Southwest Michigan farmers. All participants of camps, educational events and retreats are served from-scratch meals consisting of organic, locally-sourced ingredients. This approach is in accordance with the mission of CPC to teach peace, social justice, environmental stewardship and cooperation as a way of life. Costs for workshops vary; visit the website for more information at circlepinescenter.org. To register call (269) 623-5555 or email info@circlepinescenter.net.
 
In addition to the Harvest Weekend, we are also having a farmer appreciation feast at CPC on Sunday, September 26th at 3:00pm. More than 12 farm families that have been providing CPC with locally-grown produce, meat, and cheese will join us, along with other community members, to celebrate the year of generous harvest. A five-course, locally-sourced meal will be served family style for a suggested donation of $60 per plate. Please email rachelz@circlepinescenter.net if you are interested in attending.

*Sunday, September 26, 1:30 pm: Barn Bash 2010 at Green Gardens

Join us for our annual Fall potluck at the farm on White Rabbit Road. Arcadia Way will be entertaining with their wonderful folkgrass music. RSVP by September 20 to ruthie@greengardensfarm.com so we can plan accordingly.

Take care, Trent & Ruthie

Gary Rinehart clearly remembers the summer day in 2002 when the stranger walked in and issued his threat. Rinehart was behind the counter of the Square Deal, his “old-time country store,” as he calls it, on the fading town square of Eagleville, Missouri, a tiny farm community 100 miles north of Kansas City.

The Square Deal is a fixture in Eagleville, a place where farmers and townspeople can go for lightbulbs, greeting cards, hunting gear, ice cream, aspirin, and dozens of other small items without having to drive to a big-box store in Bethany, the county seat, 15 miles down Interstate 35.

Everyone knows Rinehart, who was born and raised in the area and runs one of Eagleville’s few surviving businesses. The stranger came up to the counter and asked for him by name.

“Well, that’s me,” said Rinehart.

As Rinehart would recall, the man began verbally attacking him, saying he had proof that Rinehart had planted Monsanto’s genetically modified (G.M.) soybeans in violation of the company’s patent. Better come clean and settle with Monsanto, Rinehart says the man told him—or face the consequences.

Rinehart was incredulous, listening to the words as puzzled customers and employees looked on. Like many others in rural America, Rinehart knew of Monsanto’s fierce reputation for enforcing its patents and suing anyone who allegedly violated them. But Rinehart wasn’t a farmer. He wasn’t a seed dealer. He hadn’t planted any seeds or sold any seeds. He owned a small—a really small—country store in a town of 350 people. He was angry that somebody could just barge into the store and embarrass him in front of everyone. “It made me and my business look bad,” he says. Rinehart says he told the intruder, “You got the wrong guy.”

When the stranger persisted, Rinehart showed him the door. On the way out the man kept making threats. Rinehart says he can’t remember the exact words, but they were to the effect of: “Monsanto is big. You can’t win. We will get you. You will pay.”

Scenes like this are playing out in many parts of rural America these days as Monsanto goes after farmers, farmers’ co-ops, seed dealers—anyone it suspects may have infringed its patents of genetically modified seeds. As interviews and reams of court documents reveal, Monsanto relies on a shadowy army of private investigators and agents in the American heartland to strike fear into farm country. They fan out into fields and farm towns, where they secretly videotape and photograph farmers, store owners, and co-ops; infiltrate community meetings; and gather information from informants about farming activities. Farmers say that some Monsanto agents pretend to be surveyors. Others confront farmers on their land and try to pressure them to sign papers giving Monsanto access to their private records. Farmers call them the “seed police” and use words such as “Gestapo” and “Mafia” to describe their tactics.

When asked about these practices, Monsanto declined to comment specifically, other than to say that the company is simply protecting its patents. “Monsanto spends more than $2 million a day in research to identify, test, develop and bring to market innovative new seeds and technologies that benefit farmers,” Monsanto spokesman Darren Wallis wrote in an e-mailed letter to Vanity Fair. “One tool in protecting this investment is patenting our discoveries and, if necessary, legally defending those patents against those who might choose to infringe upon them.” Wallis said that, while the vast majority of farmers and seed dealers follow the licensing agreements, “a tiny fraction” do not, and that Monsanto is obligated to those who do abide by its rules to enforce its patent rights on those who “reap the benefits of the technology without paying for its use.” He said only a small number of cases ever go to trial.

Some compare Monsanto’s hard-line approach to Microsoft’s zealous efforts to protect its software from pirates. At least with Microsoft the buyer of a program can use it over and over again. But farmers who buy Monsanto’s seeds can’t even do that.

Read more here.

Greetings:

Well, with the cooler temperatures and shorter days, Fall is on its way! Barn Bash '10, the farm's annual fall harvest celebration, will be on Sunday, September 26 from 1:30-4:00 PM RAIN or SHINE! Arcadia Way (Acoustic Folkgrass musicians) will be entertaining, starting around 2 PM. Family and guests are welcome to attend, but please RSVP to ruthie@greengardensfarm.com by Sept. 20 so we can plan accordingly. Click here for directions if you have not been to the farm before.

This is a big potluck! A farm-inspired dish is required for entry, preferably with a farm ingredient. There will be plenty of good food, music, and fun. No need to bring silverware, plates, cups, chairs, or pets. For those who haven't seen the farm, you will be welcome to walk around to view the crops growing in the field and high tunnel.

A $5-10 donation is encouraged to help the farm cover the costs of the band and putting on the party.

Hope you can make it!

Your Farmers, Trent & Ruthie

Photo from last year's Bash of the band seting up. Good people, music, and food followed.

Green Gardens 2010 CSA Information

The 2010 CSA at Green Gardens is all full. Please contact the farm at trent@greengardensfarm.com to be on the 2011 waiting list.  Green Gardens' 70-member CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program will run every week from June 8th to October 29th in 2010. CSA members will receive a weekly box of vegetables, melons, and herbs from the farm on White Rabbit Road. Here are the details...

What's in a Box?

Boxes will have a nice variety. We understand that getting the same produce over and over again is boring and makes eating a chore. Not to worry, we will provide you with recipes weekly in your box - some traditional basics as well as new, tasty combinations. Staple crops will be emphasized because they are most versatile and commonly consumed. These include tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers, winter squash, beets, radishes, turnips, broccoli, onions, garlic, sweet peppers, lettuce, etc. Greens such as kale, swiss chard, collards, mustards, and salad mix will also be commonplace in the boxes.

Unusual crops will also be part of the boxes from time to time. Kohlrabi, pac choi, fennel, hot peppers, melons, tomatillos, eggplant, etc. are limited crops that will show up in the boxes on a weekly basis. To get a better sense of what will be in the boxes at certain times of the year, check out our 2010 monthly produce availability.

The produce is always fresh, normally harvested 1-2 days prior to being placed in your box. All produce comes from the soil of Green Gardens Farm. We do not buy any produce from any other growers to put in the boxes. By doing this, we can guarantee the quality and freshness of the produce.

Examples of CSA Boxes:

Photos of 2010 boxes at Green Gardens Community Farm...

Spring Box: 1/3 LB Salad Mix, bunch of radishes, bunch of Purple Top Turnip, 1 bunch of kale, bunch of collards, kohlrabi, green onions, bunch of Swiss Chard, bunch of cilantro, bunch of garlic whistles

Summer Box: 4 sweet peppers, 2 LBS of red potatoes, 8 summer squash/zucchini, 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, 6 ears of sweet corn, 1 LB of tomatillos, 2.5 LB of tomatoes, 6-8 baby eggplant, 1 bunch of cilantro

Early Fall Box: 1 bunch of beets, 5 sweet peppers, 2 jalapenos, 1 bunch of kohlrabi, 1 bunch mustard of greens, 1 bunch of kale, 1 pac choi, 1 bunch of carrots, 1 bunch of Hakurei salad turnips, 2 summer squash, 2 delicata winter squash

Later Fall Box: 1 bunch of kale, 1 stalk of brussel sprouts, 5 eggplant, 1 pac choi, 1 bunch of Japanese spinach, 5 bulbs of garlic, 4 sweet peppers, 2 ancho peppers, 2 sugar dumpling winter squash, 1 bunch of Hakurei salad rurnips, 1/3 LB arugula.

Here are some examples of what a bunch may look like:

               Swiss Chard                                           Mustard Greens

     Hakurei Salad Turnips                            Beets

French Breakfast Radishes        Cherriette Radishes

Each weekly box is likely enough to feed...

1. A family of six light vegetable eaters for one week

2. A family of four moderate vegetable eaters for one week

3. A couple who are heavy vegetable eaters for one week

4. One vegetable-eating machine!

With farming, there are simply no guarantees when it comes to having crops. Numerous things can go wrong. Excess rain, early and late frosts, pests and diseases, and lack of time can all hamper crop production. Fortunately, most things go right most of the time. Sharing the risks and reaping the benefits of the harvest is an integral component of the CSA concept. CSA members will be updated with crop-growing information, farm gatherings, and recipes via newsletters at least bi-weekly.

One-half shares may be available in 2011 or 2012, not 2010.

New Add-On for 2010: Flowers!

A flower share will be available for approximately 8 weeks of bouquets of flowers from the farm. The bouquets will include a wide assortment of flowers: sunflowers, zinnia, black-eyed susan, amaranth, celosia, gomphrena, cinnamon basil, eucalyptus, and grasses.

Here is a good example....

Cost will be $60. They will be delivered in buckets of water to pick-up locations.

Since these are freshly cut flowers, they normally should last 6-7 days in a vase.

Will All the Items in the Boxes be for Sale at the Market or the Farm?

Many of them will, some of them won't. Since CSA members have decided to invest so heavily in the farm, we intend to give them priority when we have a limited amount of a certain crop available. This means that hierloom tomatoes and other unusual crops may be in the boxes, but not at the farmers market or farm stand.

Is the Produce Organic?

The farm follows the standards as layed out in the National Organic Program for organic growers. However, the farm is not Certified Organic. Instead, we opted to be Certified Naturally Grown. We use composted dairy manure for fertilizer, organically-approved pesticides and fungicides only, cover cropping, crop rotations, and other techniques to reduce our footprint on the land and grow great produce. For more information on CNG and the farm's growing practices, click here.

Can I Share a Box?

Sharing a box in perfectly acceptable. It is fine for family/friends to either rotate weeks or share the contents of each box.

When and Where Do I Pick My Box Up?

There will be three days you can pick up your box at pick-up sites each week:

Tuesday: Harper Creek (4-7 PM), Lakeview (4-7 PM), North-side close to Downtown (4-7 PM), and the Farm in Pennfield from 4-7 PM (dusk later in the Fall).

Wednesday: Richland Farmers Market (from 3:30-6 PM) at the Richland Area Community Center on CD Ave.

Friday: Lakeview (4-7 PM) and the Farm in Pennfield from 4-7 PM (dusk later in the Fall).

We Want To Discourage Driving Great Distances For A CSA Box

We encourage people not to be CSA members if they are required to drive more than 10 miles and/or cannot group box pick-up with other members. Driving great distances to pick up a CSA box is not a sustainable practice. When we talk about lowering our food miles, we must also factor in how far we drive to get our food. Having a pick-up spot close to you makes the CSA concept sustainable! If you don't have a CSA farm near you, consider organizing your community and hiring a farmer. This is how many CSA's have started.

What If I Can't Pick Up My Box?

If you nor anyone you know can pick up a box for you at the drop site, there are several possible options. We can hold your box for you at the farm. We have a cooler at the farm and it can remain in there until you can pick it up. You can also donate the box to a local non-profit/food bank in Battle Creek. Or, you can can tell us that you simply don't want us to prepare a box for you for a certain week. In that case, the produce would likely be sold at the Farmers Market, instead. No money is returned for boxes that are not used during the course of the season.

What does a CSA Share Cost?

Shares will be $425. This is the same price as 2009. Early payment discount will not be available this season, although if you want to pay early that is fine. Despite breaking even in 2009, the farm still has considerable debt from 2008 and has invested in a $10,000 high tunnel (greenhouse) for early tomatoes in 2010, so the extra revenue is sorely needed. 2010 boxes will be of higher value than 2009's, including more salad mix, earlier tomatoes, more potatoes, alliums, and lettuce.

The $425 price tag works out to be roughly $20/week. We believe this is a fair price for premium, local, sustainably-raised, and healthy food.

If you would like to break this down into two or three payments and pay in January and February that will work, too! I have time to be an accountant in January and February!

When Do I Pay?

Please pay $425 to the farm by April 1, 2010. Checks can be made payable to Green Gardens and sent to the farm at 8319 White Rabbit Road, Battle Creek, MI 49017. No deposit necessary for 2010.

A membership agreement will be sent out in late January to remind you of your balance and membership details.

The 20% OFF CSA Member Discount

All CSA members are entitled to a 20% off discount on all additional orders made from the farm at the Farmers Market or through the online farm stand.

Other CSA Tidbits!!!

•               Watch a movie about CSA farms in Michigan from our favorite Michigan musical artists Seth Bernard and May Erlewine!

•               Listen to a Maryland organic farmer discuss the CSA concept.

•               An article from the NY Times about the recent growth of CSA's across the country.

Rustica on the Kalamazoo Mall.

Food Dance

Zazios

People's Food Co-op in Kalamazoo

Circle Pines Center in Delton

In 2010, the Green Gardens will be selling produce at the Kalamazoo Bank Street Farmers' Market. We now have a permanent spot! You can find us on the southeast corner near Bank Street, just outside of the structure and across from Kalamazoo Granola and Young Earth Farm.

When? Saturday from May 1 through late November. Market hours are typically from 7:30 AM-12:30 PM.

Where? The market is located on Bank Street, just South of Bronson Hospital. If you are unfamiliar with Kalamazoo, here is a map.