CSA and Farm Update

Dear Members of the Weir River Farm Community, CSA Shareholders, and Trustees members;

By way of introduction, my name is Leslie Cox and I am the Trustees’ Farm Director; For the last several years, I have had the pleasure of working with Rory and other Weir River Farm staff to shape and grow a CSA operation that serves the community and evokes the spirit and legacy of this spectacular property. We are deeply grateful to Rory for the vision, energy, and community spirit that she built at the Weir River Farm CSA over the past several years, and through this time of transition, we will carry her learnings and experience forward with us as we map out our next steps.

With Rory’s departure, we have been exploring CSA and farm production options for this coming summer that we can offer, in light of  the farm staff transition and the limited land base of Weir River Farm, which we have pushed to its limits in recent years. Rory’s learnings about the farm’s productivity and capacity are informing our thinking about our next operation – we are building one that fits the capacity of the land and the farm staff while still providing our community with healthy vegetables, beautiful flowers and unique experiences at one of Massachusetts most special farms.

Though we are in the midst of a transition and have a more limited offering for this season, we are pleased to be able to offer a limited number of CSA shares for the 2016 season. These 50 CSA shares will largely be sourced from the Trustees’ Chestnut Hill Farm, though we will supplement the offering with Weir River Farm produce as our growing gets underway this season.  Shares will go on sale very soon and, to honor our long-term shareholder community, will be offered first to our multi-year CSA shareholders before being opened to all past shareholders on a first come-first serve basis.

In addition to offering the CSA shares, we are exploring other opportunities to ramp up production and share the bounty, including u-pick veggies, flowers, and pumpkins, plant and seedling sales out of our new greenhouse, expanded meat sales, and a weekly retail farmstand.  Logistics on these options are currently being worked out and we will share more information on them as the details are confirmed.

In the meantime, we appreciate your patience and your shared commitment to a sustainable, vibrant future for our Weir River Farm operations. Though this transition period is difficult, we are optimistic that, with your help and support, we will continue to evolve the farm operation into an even more sustainable, vibrant, and engaging place that supports the property’s agricultural history and feeds its rich and bountiful future.

If you have questions about the farm options for this season, please contact me at lcox@thetrustees.org or reach out to Weir River Farm’s General Manager, Fran Blanchard at fblanchard@tthetrustees.org.

Warm Regards,
Leslie Cox, Farm Manager

CSA news

Our sad news last week that CSA farmer Rory O'Dwyer will be leaving Weir River has left us here at the farm, and many of you in the CSA, sorry to see her go. We know this news is surprising and we understand it may cause some worry as to where all your tasty veggies will be coming from this season. Right now we're hard at work answering just that question and figuring out what the CSA will look like this year. And we'll be in touch once we have that set. We definitely don't want you to go without tasty veggies!

In the meantime, if you have more concerns or just want to chat, we'll be at the Yellow House from 4-6pm on Tuesday, Feb. 22nd, so drop in and say hi. Fran Blanchard (Weir River Farm General Manager), Leslie Cox (statewide Farm Operations Director), and of course, Rory, would love to see you. If you can't make the meeting, you can always contact Fran at fblanchard@thetrustees.org, Leslie at lcox@thetrustees.org, or Rory at rodwyer@thetrustees.org. 

Witch hazel blooming on the farm this month. That sunny yellow burst is always a welcome sign that spring will be here eventually!
photo: Ann Antonellis

Chickens, anyone?

In many suburban towns, on the South Shore, raising backyard chickens is legal and fun. Whether your interest is in locally grown, organic eggs, broilers or sharing an experience with your children, a small flock of chickens may be just what you’re looking for . Learn about the benefits of backyard chickens, buying and caring for day-old chicks, securing a Coop, managing hens, collecting eggs (and the truth about roosters!). 

Order your chicks in March for fresh eggs in August! 

Join us on February 27, from 10-11:30 Weir River Farm

Cost: Members; $15 Nonmembers; $25 

RSVP to khart@ttor.org or call 781.740.7233

Lamb Sale this Thursday

Quick note to let you know our annual Lamb Sale is this Thursday, November 19th from 1-5pm at the Yellow House. Our lambs are raised entirely on the farm and have access to pasture every day. We never feed them antibiotics. We also have some ground beef and a few other beef cuts available. If you have questions about the lamb, please call down to the red barn at 781.740.7233.

Lamb Cuts and Prices

Ground lamb 9.00/lb
Stew 10.00/lb
Loin chops 18.00/lb
Shanks 9.00/lb
Shoulder chops 12.00/lb
Rack or rib chops 16.00/lb
1/2 leg of lamb 11.00/lb

Got Pork?

Our pigs are ready for market and this year we're going to be selling them a little differently. Instead of selling individual cuts, we're selling half animals. This means you get a variety of cuts of pork and the price per pound works out to about $3.50/lb.

We've been raising these Berkshire/Tamworth mixes here on the farm since they were 8 weeks old, after buying them from Farmer Chuck over at Freedom Food Farm in Raynham. They've eaten a diet of veggie scraps from the CSA, grain, and forage from their field and wooded pastures. We NEVER feed them antibiotics!

We expect our pigs to each yield around 250 lb of meat (125 lb per half pig) and the cost per half pig is $430. The exact poundage of meat and type of cuts will vary by each animal, but here's an approximate list of what a half pig generally breaks down into:

20-25 pork chops
2 roasts
1 ham
8 lb of bacon (!!)
3 lb of spare ribs
9 lb of ground pork or your choice of breakfast, hot Italian or sweet Italian sausage

To reserve your half pig, or ask any questions, email me at rodwyer@thetrustees.com.  We only have a limited number available, so they are on a first come first serve basis. Payment can be made when your pork is picked up from the Yellow House 3-4 weeks from now--we'll give you an exact date once we know it.

In related news, it looks like the lamb sale will be next week. I'll put out an announcement with the date and time in a few days.

Beef sale this Thursday and Friday

Even though the CSA is over for the season, you can still come hang out at the Yellow House this Thursday--and pick up some tasty steaks as well! We will be selling our Belted Galloway beef on Thursday, October 29th, from 2–6PM and again on Friday, October 30th, from 1PM–4PM. We have a full selection of steak cuts available, as well as packages of ground beef and hamburger patties.

Please park in the parking lot across the street from the Yellow House and come in through the front door. We accept cash, checks, and credit cards. If you have questions, call us at 781.740.7233.

If you're wondering about our pork and lamb, they will be available in November, exact date TBA.

See you at the farm!

The Last Hurrah

With mixed emotions, I hereby announce the Last Week of CSA for 2015! Though I'm sad to see the fields slowly emptying out and the farm crew and many volunteers making winter plans that don't involve long days on the farm, I'm happy to have another bountiful season at our backs. This season wouldn't have been possible without contributions of all kinds from so many. Starting from the ground up - our vital soil microbial community; the never-ending pollination work of our honey bees and many native pollinator species; our insect attack force of predatory nematodes and parasitic wasps; our hearty, stalwart crops; the tireless efforts and diverse talents of our field crew--Sophie, Casey, Chris & Isaiah; the dedication and passion of our CSA members who help make this farm a community; and lastly our INCREDIBLE hive of volunteers/pitchers-in/farm angels: Jenn, Dave, Katya, the kickass Thursday volunteer harvest crew: Bonnie, Abby, Brittney, Linda, Suzanne, Susan & Larry; Julian, Aisha, Emma & Graham, the BU Freshman crew, Dan & Jack, Marialena, the Blue Cross Volunteer  Farm Army, our big-hearted food pantry crew of Ed, Carpenter Ed, Bobby & Bill; the rain-or-shine crew of Kris, Dick, Ralph & Ann; and last but definitely not least the ever-and-always-delightful Lindsay & Maureen. Every piece of this ecological puzzle is essential to the Little Farm on the Big Hill that is Weir River Farm. BIG thanks to all!

On to more mundane, housekeeping matters: during pickup this week I'll have an email verification sheet out. This is for notification to renew your share for next year, which I'll send out this winter. Please add any additional email addresses you'd like me to send the notification to.

Don't forget to RSVP to our fabulous end-of-season Harvest Dinner next Tuesday, October 27th at 6pm.  There's optional yoga at 5pm, then the potluck dinner, which is BYOB, and then rumor has it there'll be games and prizes as well...

Tuesday is the penultimate Farm Fresh Yoga for this season--see you at 5:30 at the Yellow
House. We're still looking for recipe submissions for the Weir River cookbook--send us your favorites and we'll make you famous*.

During CSA pickup this week we will have some beef from our Belted Galloway herd available for sale. Ground beef and select steak cuts will be offered. Our Beef Sale next week will feature the full range of steak cuts that we usually have available. The Beef Sale day and time are TBA--I'll post it here when it is announced. The Pork Sale and Lamb Sale will not be until later in the season and haven't been scheduled yet. We accept cash, check and credit cards.

In your final share this week: lettuce (leaf lettuce and some mini romaine heads), leeks, beets (a mix

leeks in the field

of beets grown here at Weir River, at Freedom Food Farm in Raynham, and at Langwater Farm in North Easton), Brussels sprouts (whoopwhoop!), garlic, kohlrabi (see recipe section below), gorgeous red mustard greens, a choice of butternut squash (from Freedom Food Farm in Raynham) or kabocha squash, onions, bok choy, chard, kale, a pumpkin (from Ward's Berry Farm in Sharon--conventionally grown), and more PYO herbs to last you through the (hopefully mild) winter.

Recipes of the Week

What's kohlrabi? It's the bright purple, ugly duckling, oft-ignored stepchild of the cabbage family. It looks like a vegetable from outer space and tastes like broccoli stems. How do you eat it? Martha has a great collection of recipes here, but I think it's best peeled and cut into matchsticks and dipped in yummy dressing. Simple and fool-proof.

Red mustard greens are gorgeous but intimidating. But don't worry, you can do this! I like them sauteed with a buddy (chard or spinach works great) in olive oil and garlic. Kale will work too, but that combo packs more of a punch.

Kabocha? Is that a red pumpkin? Kinda. It's a Japanese winter squash and it's my favorite kind. Dense and sweet, it's flavor is earthier than your traditional butternut or your candy-pop acorn squash. I use it in any recipe that calls for butternut or pumpkin and then take lots of compliments on how good my butternut/pumpkin what-have-you is. My favorite recipe is below and it's what I'm planning to make for the Harvest Dinner next week.

Kabocha Chili
adapted from thekitchn.com's Pumpkin Chili recipe

3 lb kabocha, cut into 1" pieces
2 medium rutabaga, Macomber turnips, or regular turnips, approx 3/4 lb
1/2 c. unsalted butter
1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 c. finely ground cornmeal
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced and rested for 10 minutes
2 Tbs tomato paste
4 c. vegetable broth (or you can substitute 2 cups of broth for 2 cups of beer..yum!)
2 10 oz cans diced tomatoes with green chiles (Muir Glen makes the best, I think)
2 16 oz cans chili beans, rinsed and drained
2 c. frozen roasted corn
1/2 Tbs chili powder (or more to taste)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
several dashes Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
balsamic vinegar to taste
chopped scallions for garnish (optional)
shredded cheese to serve
sour cream to serve

Cut turnips and kabocha into 1" pieces. In a large soup pot heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. When melted, whisk in the cornmeal until smooth, then add the onions and garlic and saute.
Add the tomato paste, spices and Worcestershire sauce and stir in well. Add salt and pepper and balsamic and stir well.
Add the kabocha, turnip and red pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes.
Add the broth(/beer?), diced tomatoes, beans and corn and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and cook for 1 hour, or until the pumpkin and turnip are tender. It gets better if simmered longer--several hours at least.
Before serving, season to taste with salt and pepper and extra balsamic and Worcestershire if desired. Serve hot with scallions, shredded cheese and sour cream.

*CSA cookbook fame will apply only within the boundaries of Weir River Farm.