First 2011 CSA Newsletter

Dear CSA Shareholders,

Our season has gotten off to a great start, thanks to rain and perfect temperatures! The crops are looking beautiful, our staff has become a family and we have had a great turnout of volunteers this year to help us. We’d like to introduce our new and returning staff so you have an idea of who will be at each distribution. 

Leigh Rovegno, manager of the CSA, will head the York Street distribution team and will be joined by Brian Gandy and Elizabeth Mullen, CSA growers. Jenny Thomas, our head grower, will be at our Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield distribution. She was with the CSA last year. DeJa Walker and Sami Lester, CSA interns, will also be part of our Chatfield distribution. Josie Hart-Genter, new this year, is the CSA community coordinator and will be at our first distribution.

new options this year

Fruit Shares

You have the option this year to add a fruit share to your normal distribution pickups. Each week starting in August, you will be able to pick up a pre-bagged selection of:

• Peaches
• Apples or pears
• Peaches and plums
• Applesauce
• Cider

The deadline for payment has been extended to June 23, a week after our first distribution. If you are interested in purchasing a share, you can bring a check or credit card to our first distribution and buy it then. Each share is $210, however feel free to split it with another family. For more details please see the contract linked below. You can pick up your bag of fruit when you pick up your regular share at either location.
http://sfc.smallfarmcentral.com/dynamic_content/uploadfiles/1321/2011FruitShareInformationAndContract1.pdf
New Produce

We have added new and exciting crops this year to our distribution, so stay tuned for recipes and cooking demos for these veggies. The new herbs/veggies include:

• Fennel
• Kholrabi
• Parsnips
• Additional turnips
• Watermelon
• Garlic
• Additional potato varieties
• Brussel sprouts
   

first distribution (june 16, 4-7 p.m.) 

Our first distribution for all shareholders will be held at our CSA washstand building, behind the Hildebrand Ranch area. Please park in the schoolhouse parking lot and head down the path past the ranch house until you see the small white building on your left. We will have tours of the field if you would like to see the crops growing. We also will have a cooking/tasting demonstration by Susan Evans, herbalist and chef. She will be working with the vegetables of the week and handing out recipes to take home. Please remember to bring your own bags and fruit share payment methods.

When you arrive, you will be selecting produce from baskets, weighing it out and bagging it up. We will let you know how much of each item is available to you depending on the size of your share.

this week’s produce (june 16)

Lettuce, spinach, dill, cilantro, parsley, oregano, salad mix, arugula, kale

• Please note that this is a tentative list and is subject to change.

next week’s produce (june 21 or 23)

Lettuce, spinach, dill, cilantro, parsley, oregano, salad mix, arugula, kale, snap peas, radish

• Please note that this is a tentative list and is subject to change.

weekly pick up locations 

For York Street members, the pick up location will be the same as last year, at the south end of the top level in the parking structure. Look for our signs and our friendly staff at the tables. Park in a spot at the south end. York street distribution will last from 4:30-7 p.m. every Tuesday.

For Chatfield members, we will be at the washstand building from 4:30-6:30 p.m. every Thursday.  Please park in the schoolhouse parking lot and follow the signs. You will have a short walk, so please remember to bring an adequate number of bags.

volunteer opportunities

Please keep in mind that we still need to fill crucial volunteer positions for our CSA. If you are interested, please email Josie Hart-Genter at

food safety note

Please note that although we have washed our produce once after harvesting it in the field, members should wash the produce at home again before eating. Our farm produce should be treated the same way as grocery store produce: always wash before eating! The best way to wash produce is by running it under cool water. Cleaning products are not necessary.