December Holiday Veggie Box Now Available

Now offering a December Holiday CSA Box!

Sign up Now

Enjoy 100% locally grown food

at your December Holidays

Sign up now for a box full of Holcomb Farm locally grown organic produce for your December holiday meals. The box will be pre-packed for you to pick up on Wednesday or Thursday, Dec 19 or 20^th between 3-7pm. Pick up will be in the Workshop on Wednesday and in the CSA barn on Thursday. For the price of $85, the box will include a diversified range of produce listed below. Please sign up with a selected pick-up day by Friday at 5 pm December 14^th.

For those of you who already purchased a Winter CSA, your selection of produce at the Thanksgiving distribution will be more diversified with equal or greater quantities than what is listed below.

What’s in the Box*:

Carrots 8 lbs Rainbow Carrots 1 lb Watermelon Radishes 2 lb Beets 5 lb Rutabaga 1 lb Winterbor Kale 5 tops Collard Greens 1.5 lb Parsnips 1 lb Jerusalem Artichokes 1 lb Kohlrabi 1 each Field Spinach 1.5 lb Kennebec Potatoes 5.5 lb Yellow Onions 1 lb Pac Choi 3 each Dried Jalapeno 5 each Fresh Herbs 1 bunch Acorn Squash 2 each Butternut Squash 1 each Tender Baby Salad Mix 1 lb

*Note: Specific items are subject to change based on the weather and availability. Substitutions of equal value will be provided if a certain item is unavailable.

Pick-up Wednesday, 12/19: the Workshop at Holcomb Farm 113 Simsbury Rd, West Granby, CT, 3-7pm

Pick-up Thursday, 12/20: CSA Barn 111 Simsbury Rd, West Granby, CT, 3-7 pm

To reserve your box, send an email to Jill Ford jill@holcombfarm.org. $85.00 payment is due at time of pick-up, cash or check only please.

Happy Holidays! Get ready to feast!

Announcing our Thanksgiving Farm Store - ONE DAY ONLY.

Farm Fresh Naturally-Grown Produce and Locally-Produced Goods 

 for your Thanksgiving Dinner.

Open to the Public

When: Monday November 19th, 3-7 pm

Where: The CSA Barn at Holcomb Farm, 111 Simsbury Road, West Granby, CT

The Farm Store at Holcomb Farm will be open during select hours the Monday before Thanksgiving to sell a selection of local products and Holcomb Farm produce!  Items will be available on a limited basis and first-come-first serve, so come on the early side for the full selection.  Please bring cash or check for your purchases as we do not accept debit or credit cards.  Thank you.

Farm Fresh Naturally-Grown Produce:

Sweet Bolero Carrots

Beets

Spinach

Arugula

Tender Baby Salad Greens (available in limited quantity)

Jerusalem Artichokes (limited quantity)

Brussels Sprouts

Watermelon Radishes

Kale

Kennebec Potatoes

Fresh Bunched Cilantro

Fresh Bunched Parsely

Pac Choi

Winter Squash

Dried Jalapeno

Farm Store Locally-Produced Items:

Sweet Pea Cheese and Yogurt

Locally - Grown Popcorn

Jellies and Jams

Holcomb Farm Ham (limited supply!)

Real Pickles selection

Katalyst Kombucha

Tomatillo Hot Sauce

Harney and Sons Juices and Teas

End of Season Message from Farm Manager Karen

Hello Members of the Holcomb Farm Summer Share 2012, 

I want to personally thank you all for joining us this season.  I know many of you have been members of the farm for a long time, and I know many of you have joined us this season for the first time.  For those of you who have been with us for multiple seasons, I appreciate that you chose to stick with us this year after the changes in the spring, and the risk of a new Farm Manager (me)!   I understand you made this decision because of your passion and commitment to the farm, and because of your understanding that transition and change will always be apart of life, whether we anticipate it or not.  For the new members this season, I am glad you found us and I hope you have had a rewarding first season experience with Holcomb Farm and the CSA model.  I hope that for all of you the vegetables and community have contributed to your lives as much as they do mine.  I greatly appreciate that you chose to show your support. I have considerably enjoyed my time here at Holcomb Farm with all its rewards and challenges, and I plan on staying on for the next season.

I owe the positive experience I have had here to you all; the supportive community of CSA members, volunteers, Workshares, staff and Board members who have made this season possible.  I look forward to seeing everyone in the months to come for the Winter CSA and for the Summer CSA 2013. 

Karen Pettinelli, Farm Manager

Announcements:

Holcomb Farm is on TV - Winter Shares Making Headlines!  Check us out on CBS Channel 3 at:

http://www.wfsb.com/story/19975179/jen-pace-visits-the-holcomb-farm-in-west-granby

Now Thanksgiving Holiday Boxes are available to purchase and Winter Solstice Holiday Boxes will be announced in coming weeks!

End of Season Survey Summer CSA 2012 – Focus on Member Preferences Survey will be posted next week, check your email for announcement and link.

Storage Handbook for Winter Share Members Now Posted on the Blog

Reminder last chance for priority sign up for Summer CSA 2013 – ends Dec 1^st!

Email any questions to  info@holcombfarm.org, or call the farm office:  860-844-8616.

Handbook for Winter Storage Crops

Recommended Storage Temperatures and Relative Humidity Levels

for Crops in Your Winter CSA Share:

 Root Crops, Kale, Pac Choi and Brussels Sprouts    

Best Place to Store - The refrigerator, in a plastic bag with only some holes (not fully perforated)

Ideal Conditions - COLD and VERY MOIST (32-40o F, 90-95% RH)

Roots crops in this category included: beets, carrots, parsnips, watermelon radishes, rutabaga, and Jerusalem artichokes (i.e. sunchokes). Root crops, hearty greens (such as kale and Pac Choi), and Brussels Sprouts all will do well in your refrigerator as long as they are kept in plastic bags to ensure a high moisture level.  The plastic bag should have some holes so that the crops can 'breath' but they should not be fully perforated bags or else too much moisture will be lost.  If you keep root crops in a plastic bag in the lower drawers of your refrigerator you will be surprised to see how long they will stay fresh and delicious!

Potatoes, Cabbage, Kohlrabi

Best Place to Store - The basement or refrigerator, in a perforated plastic bag for longer storage

Ideal Conditions - COLD and MOIST(32-40o F, 80-90% RH)

Cabbage, Kohlrabi, and Potatoes do best in cold, humid (90-95%) conditions and will keep for months.  Potatoes will keep well in the basement, or in another cool dark place.  If potatoes are exposed to light they will sprout.  Cabbage and Kohlrabi will do better in the refrigerator in a perforated plastic bag, but if you are running out of room in the fridge they will also do fine in the basement! 

Onions

Best Place to Store - A cool area of the house, the 'cupboard', or even the basement

Ideal Conditions - COOL and DRY (32-50o F, 60-70% RH)

Onions and garlic like cold and dry (55-60% humidity) conditions and will keep from 3 to 7 months.

Winter Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatillos, Jalepenos,

Green Tomatoes, Dried Herbs  

Best Place to Store - any room in the house that tends to stay cool, but not the basement!

Ideal Conditions: MODERATELY WARM and DRY (50-60o F, 60-70% RH)

Squash and Sweet Potatoes do best at around 55 degrees F. and in slightly dry (70-75% humidity) conditions. A cool spot in your house such as an entryway or attic or cold pantry, where the temperature does not fluctuate widely, may be ideal for keeping squash.  Tomatillos, Jalepenos, Green Tomatoes, and Dried Herbs will all do fine in a slightly warmer area of the house such as the Kitchen.

Items that do not store well - Eat Soon!:

Broccoli, Cauliflower, Tender Salad Greens, Chard, Spinach, Lettuce, Peppers

Information from: Maine Organic Farmers Association and Penn State Extension Services

Goodbye, Farewell, Thanks

Today we say goodbye and good luck to several members of our farm crew. To Bandula, Haley and Gabe: we loved having you here.  Your hard work really did make a difference in the lives of this farm community. Thank you. May fertile fields and fair weather follow you on your next journey.