Have a veggie subscription with us? You are getting this email because you do not have a box scheduled for this week, but can still make a regular order through our store. If so, please complete the checkout process to submit your order.
Order vegetables before Wednesday at 12pm for pickup and delivery this week.
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Some delicious beefsteak beauties! We have about 60 more crates than this... |
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Solidarity Program Update
and Call for Donations
Our Solidarity Program has been up and running for 2 months now, so we wanted to share some insights about how it’s going so far.
If you’re not familiar with it, our Solidarity Program aims to make healthy food more accessible to economically-vulnerable households in our community. The program splits the cost three ways: 40% is covered by community donations, 30% is covered by the farm, and 30% is paid by the recipient.
Immediately after it began in late June, the program sent boxes to 4 households. The usage accelerated substantially, with 19 boxes in July, and 30 in August. Solidarity boxes have gone to over 20 homes, and about 50% of recipients have purchased a box more than once.
Since it began, this community has donated over $1400 to fund the program and help their neighbours access good, local food. As of now, over $1000 from that donation pool has been used to pay the community funded portion of each box. With the current usage rate, we expect the rest of the donation pool will be used up before the end of September.
We’re really happy with how it has being going so far, both excited and grateful by how the community has contributed. We’ve updated the system to accept individual and subscription donations. There is a link to donate below, but don’t hesitate to email us if you would like help adding either form of donation. We are looking forward to continuing this program together!
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Farm Update
Last week we had the pleasure of hosting a tour group from L’Arche London’s DISH program. The group checked out our barns, seedling greenhouse, field, and had a great discussion about how we’re growing for our community. Then they took home some produce to prepare and serve a meal with! Thank you to CSA Member, Mel, for organizing it.
We’re hosting another tour this week for the National Farmer’s Union - Ontario. We really value connection and community with other growers, though it’s often hard to find time for it during the on-season. The benefits are huge though - sharing knowledge and experience makes for more resilient farms, keeping our food system strong. We’re really looking forward to it!
In the field this week, we’re doing an important step in supporting soil health; cover cropping! In the fall, our cover crops are either the ‘winterkill’ or ‘winter-hardy’. Winterkill crops (like oats and peas) don't survive the winter, so the goal is to seed them with enough time for them mature before they’re terminated by cold weather. Below ground, their roots will hold soil together through winter and then spring melts. Above ground, they form a protective blanket. As those plants decay, they feed the soil and delay weeds, making great new planting beds in the springtime.
With all the rain lately, the hasn't been an opportunity to seed winterkill cover crops. It sounds like we’re not alone, some vegetable farming friends are reporting the same thing. Luckily we had a small window this weekend, so we got some in the field. It’s late enough now that this might also be our last chance to seed winterkill crops this season.
After this, we’ll seed winter-hardy crops (like rye) which don’t need as much time to mature in the fall since they survive the winter and keep growing in the spring. The catch is, because they’re not terminated by winter weather, they call for a lot more prep work in the spring. So, those areas end up having to be used later in the season.
Have a question or something you would like to hear more about in a future newsletter? Let us know at the market, farm pickup, or send an email!
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Massive peppers homing from the field and especially from Hoophouse 3. You can't beat these rich colours! |
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FARM STORE NOTES
FROM OUR FARM:
We are up to our ears in tomatoes. What a great problem to have!
Here are real ways the farm crew is eating tomatoes this week:
-Pico de gallo: fresh tomato salsa
-Gazpacho: fresh tomato soup served cold
-Channa masala: tomato-based chickpea curry
-Arroz con tomate: tomato rice
-Tomato soup with grilled cheese
-Menemen: poached eggs in tomato sauce
-Stewed, with navy beans and sage
-Salsa Roja: red salsa
-Amoglio: fresh tomato and garlic sauce
-Bruschetta, pan con tomate, and open faced sandwich: so many ways to eat tomatoes on bread!
-'September Soup': pureed soup with tomato, red pepper, squash, and lots of cilantro!
-Sliced, on a plate, with salt and pepper (and maybe olive oil!)
-Eaten like an apple
Salad tomatoes: the secret hero for freezing or soup! The varieties we have this year (Mountian Magic and Verona) are so flavourful and since they have no core, they are really easy to process. Just wash and preserve! Cutting half is nice, but not necessary. Freezing these might be the easiest way to preserve tomatoes for winter use. Also great for salsa!
Beefsteaks: Aside from the worlds best tomato sandwiches and they make really delicious soup and sauce.
Half bushels available!
Leeks and Root parsley starting this week
From the Fields:
Bunched: Leeks, root parsley, sorrel, kale, chard, radish, carrots, fennel.
Bagged: Salad mix, arugula
Heads: Celery, broccoli, garlic, cabbage, choi
Herbs: Green or red Genovese basil (lots right now if you want to make pesto!), tulsi (holy basil), Thai basil, mint, oregano, marjoram, dill, cilantro, flat parsley, curly parsley, rosemary
Baskets: Sweet peppers,eggplant, yellow potatoes, tomatoes, roma tomatoes, salad tomatoes, green tomatoes, beets, beans, Serrano chilies, cayenne peppers, shishito peppers, poblano peppers, jalapeno, tomatillos, Salsa Verde packs
Hoophouses and tunnels: beefsteak tomatoes, roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, sweet pepper, basil
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FROM OUR SUPPLIERS:
Organic Ontario apples through Pfennings
Locally Grown (not organic) apples from our neighbours at Great Lakes
Sweet Potatoes from HOPE Eco are back
Field of Greens Farm (Dutton): Everbearing strawberries
Great Lakes Farms (Port Stanley): Sunrise, Paula Red, Zestar and Ginger Gold apples. Barlett Pears
Daryl Myny (Vienna, ON): Spanish onions, Honeynut squash, delicata squash
HOPE Eco-Farms (Aylmer): Sweet corn, red onions, watermelon, sweet potato
Pfenning's (New Hamburg): Cauliflower.
Through Pfenning's: Ontario mushrooms, Honeycrip apples, McIntosh apples, Lucious pears. Canadian tofu. From further away, citrus, ginger, turmeric.
DAIRY and EGGS
HOPE Eco-Farms (Aylmer): Eggs
Through Pfenning's: L'Ancetre butter and grass-fed cheeses
Gunn's Hill (Woodstock): Brie, Handeck and Five Brother's cheese
FROZEN
3Gen Organics (Wallenstein): Ground pork, sausage, bacon, ham, tenderloin, chops
YU Ranch (Tillsonburg): Pasture-raised ground beef, beef patties, stewing beef
New Leaf Foods (London): Plant-based beet burgers
BAKERY
J&D Peters Tortillas (Aylmer): Corn, spelt, whole wheat and unbleached flour tortillas.
La Houlette de vie (St. Thomas):Sourdough bread and pastry with grain that Seth fresh-mills himself
Artisan Bakery (London): Sourdough bread and pastries made with local flour
PANTRY
Aldred Maple (West Lorne): Amber, dark, or whiskey barrel-aged maple syrup.
Wildflowers Honey (St. Thomas): Unpasteurized honey from hives all over Elgin County, including our farm!
Mat's Fine Oils (Staffordville): Fresh, organic and cold-pressed, hemp and sunflower oil. Store in the refrigerator.
From the Land Fermented Products (Port Stanley): Fire cider, elderberry syrup
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BULK FRUITING CROPS
Now available:
Sweet Peppers, Roma tomatoes, Beefsteak tomatoes, salad tomatoes (perfect for salsa), seconds beefsteak tomatoes
Organic, local, and downright delicious! Bulk fruiting crops will be available now through the end of October. Inventory is updated every Monday. Order until Wednesday at 12pm for pickup/delivery options later in the week.
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PICKUP/ DELIVERY OPTIONS
Farm pickup: Thursday 4pm-8pm.
Home delivery: Thursday or Friday in London/St.Thomas, Saturday in KW region
Western Fair Market pickup: Saturday 8 am to 3 pm / Sunday 10 am to 2pm
Kitchener Market pickup: Saturday 7 am to 2 pm
We love to re-use wherever possible! We can take our CGF boxes and liner bags, strawberry and blueberry baskets/boxes, milk bottles, and egg cartons.
For deliveries, please leave these return items out where you would like your order dropped off. Thank you!
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Why am I on this list? At some point you signed up for our previous "farmstand" list or our newsletter list. Want to get off the list? No problem: . Common Ground Farm 6986 Middle River Road St. Thomas, Ontario N5P 3S9 |
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