Turtle Times

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Vol. 14, No. 2, May 19, ‘09     7260 NW 58th St., Johnston 50131  278-4522 (577-9208)

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Rain: 5/13, 0.4”; 4/15, 0.4”

In the Box . . .

Lettuce ‘Simpson Elite’, ‘Cracoviensis’

Spinach ‘Hector’, ‘Whale’, ‘Tyee’

Arugula (in with the lettuces)

Radish ‘French Breakfast’, ‘Plum purple’

Green garlic

Asparagus (for some)

Pansies, edible flowers

Farm Update

The strawberries are in full bloom, we set out 750 tomato plants last week, and of course the asparagus is growing daily.  So we went into panic mode Saturday night with the frost advisory to protect those three crops.  Ben and I decorated the crops with remay fabric and black weed fabric to cover things as best we could.  We think we escaped without damage, although it can take a few days to tell if a strawberry blossom has been hit.  So with that little scare behind us, welcome to the new season!  Things have been growing a little slowly because we haven’t had much hot weather.  This week sounds warmer, so we may bravely plant peppers, eggplant, and a few other warm loving plants with our fingers crossed behind our backs.  We have been progressing well with our schedule, which has included planting new asparagus and strawberry beds.

Some of the boxes will have asparagus this week, some of you have already gotten your entire share (4 lb for full share, 2 lb for half are the goals), and some of you may have to wait until another week if there’s not enough for everyone each week.  It is nice to finally be able to put them in your boxes instead of scheduling asparagus pickups, although it was nice to meet and see many of you.

The Salmon Experience

We are blessed to have a great connection to sustainably harvested wild Alaskan salmon.  Danielle Wirth has offered to coordinate our orders for this wonderful resource again this year.  If you have not experienced this event, it comes with some ground rules, but rewards us with very reasonably price salmon.  You must purchase in 50 lb bundles, pay with one check, although a group can go together on it.  We don’t always know when the fish will arrive, but do have it shipped frozen to DM Cold Storage. Because Danielle does this for us out of the goodness of her heart, she gets to call the shots. Anyone who bugs her excessively may incur the wrath of the rest of her loyal fishy friends. If you are interested or want more information, contact her now by email—this is the only time I will mention it.  Danielle Wirth [ehorizon@netins.net].

2009 Farm Crew

We have a great farm crew again this year.  Ben Saunders worked part time in the off season and is helping full time now.  Sue Forrester is back with her experienced hand, too.  We welcome newcomers Andrea, Adam, and Betsy.  In this newsletter and next, I’ve asked them to share a bit about themselves with you.

My name is Andrea Vaage, and I am from Grimes. I graduated from high school early in order to be able to work at the farm this year. I plan to attend Marshalltown Community College next fall and study Entrepreneurial and Diversified Agriculture. I am excited to be able to learn about and experience organic farming before studying it. I don't know what I will do after that, but I am sure it will involve agriculture somehow. When I'm not working, I enjoy hiking, biking, reading, and kayaking. I am looking forward to the rest of the summer and hope to learn a lot.

Hiya, I am Adam Nockels.  I was born in Lake City, Iowa but I only lived there for a couple of years before becoming a nomadic army brat.  I attended school in several different states as well as overseas but my summer vacations were spent with my grandparents in Lake City.  It was during these summers that I received a rudimentary education in farm life, developed an appreciation for local food, and formed a passion for the outdoors.  After graduating high school I enlisted in the military and spent eight years as an aircraft mechanic in the Air Force.  I enjoyed the experience but I desired a life that was more in tune with nature, so I separated and began my current experience at ISU where I am pursuing a degree in Biology.  My interest in local food production has led me to Turtle Farm where I hope to learn about responsible farming from Angela and her crew.

Recipes

We are about to embark on a multitude of lettuces and greens.  Homemade dressings are so good and take little time to prepare, and don’t have all the additives of many bottled dressings.  Stock up on tarragon, rice, balsamic, and raspberry vinegars and vary as you will. I’m repeating my favorite basic vinaigrette.  Check the turtle-farm.com website for others.

Basic French Vinaigrette

1 garlic clove, minced

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp Dijon mustard

2 T. red wine vinegar

2 T. olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Put the garlic and salt in a small bowl.  Using the back of a spoon, crush the garlic against the salt.  Add the mustard and vinegar and whisk till well mixed.  Add the olive oil to your salad greens and toss.  Add the vinegar mixture and toss again.  Check for seasoning.  These amounts can be varied according to your tastes.