September 27, 2016 by kharner

Inborn Fondness

Often times, we are asked about working full time and doing the CSA. Many are surprised that we choose to use some of our free time in this endeavor. For me, I find myself returning to the phrase “inborn fondness” found in the FFA Creed and to the 4-H Pledge of pledging “my hands to larger service.”

So I reflected back on the FFA Creed and the phrase “inborn fondness.” The FFA Creed’s first few paragraphs read:

I believe in the future of agriculture, with a faith born not of words but of deeds – achievements won by the present and past generations of agriculturists; in the promise of better days through better ways, even as the better things we now enjoy have come to us from the struggles of former years.

I believe that to live and work on a good farm, or to be engaged in other agricultural pursuits, is pleasant as well as challenging; for I know the joys and discomforts of agricultural life and hold an inborn fondness for those associations which, even in hours of discouragement, I cannot deny.

To me inborn fondness means the love for what you do like the smell of the soil, the appreciation of nature, the wonders of miracles witness and a desire to give and do your best in given circumstances for the betterment of all. We try to instill this through action with our children.

Harner Brothers CSA donation for a local fundraiser for the boys’ schools.

One of those particular ways of sharing our inborn fondness is helping our children learn how to give back. This past week, the boys enjoyed making the box in the above photo and helping to assemble products from our CSA as a donation to the local Montessori fundraiser. It was a great way to give back to a community that has been so supportive of all of us.

We started a chick hatching project in the boys’ elementary school. Thank you to Mrs. Sasse for this photo.

We also had a fun opportunity to start a chick hatching project at their elementary school. Helping others to learn more about agriculture and to share our inborn fondness is a privilege.

We thank all of you for giving us the opportunity to share this growing season with all of you. No growing season is the same, as much as we try to maintain many consistencies, Mother Nature reminds us that she is always in control and keeps it unpredictable. Thank you for letting us share our inborn fondness of agriculture this growing season with all of you!

Note: A quick update as we close out the year, look for some Red, White and Blue popcorn later this fall. Once the popcorn has dried to the right moisture content to actually pop into the snack we all enjoy, we will contact you for a delivery.

Garden Science

The garlic bulbs were dug from the ground at the end of June. We then braided the tops together.

The garlic bulbs were dug from the ground at the end beginning of July. We then braided the tops together.

Then hung the braided tops up in one of our sheds to dry for a few weeks.

The braided tops were hung up in one of our sheds to dry for a few weeks.

Garlic bulbs can keep 68 months or longer. Store in cool, stable room temperature (about 6-65 degrees Fahrenheit) with some air circulation, moderate humidity. Store in a brown paper bag or in a hanging mesh bag.

Garlic bulbs can keep 6-8 months or longer. Store in cool, stable room temperature (about 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit) with some air circulation, moderate humidity. Store in a brown paper bag or in a hanging mesh bag.

Boxes of Produce

This list is prepared before we harvest your share. Some guesswork is involved! We do our best to predict which crops will be ready to harvest, but sometimes crops are on the list that are not in the share, and sometimes crops will be in the share even though they’re not on the list. Remember food safety in your kitchen when preparing, always wash your hands before working with your produce and always wash your produce before eating. Some of the crops are ran under cold well water to take the field heat off of them so they last longer in your refrigerators. They are not washed – just cooled. So remember to wash your vegetables before eating.

Thank you for your support of our CSA. Enjoy the produce!

Lettuce mix - a new crop of spinach along with Red Oak Leaf, Black Seeded Simpson and curly leaf kale.

Lettuce mix – a new crop of spinach along with Red Oak Leaf, Spinach, Black Seeded Simpson and curly leaf kale.

Black Seeded Simpson, Spinach and Red Oak Leaf Lettuce – I just love to have fresh lettuce and spinach from the garden this time of year. While I love the fall colors, this crop is a joy to bring in my lunch to work.

Kale – Brings beautiful color and more nutrients to the dish.

Beets – Detroit Dark Red Beets in your box. Boil on your stove top for about 1/2 hour – take them out of the water, using a paper towel gently rub the paper towel over the beet and the skins will come right off, slice into pieces and serve with butter. Slice them and freeze for an easy accompaniment to a meal this winter or cut into chunks and place in Ziploc bag to use in homemade soup this winter. Or blend them up, freeze in ice cube trays and use in smoothies or spaghetti sauce etc.

Carrots – Nantes carrots – Do you cook the carrots and the family doesn’t eat them all? I will place the left overs in the blender and then freeze that mixture in ice cube trays. Once frozen, store in a bag in the freezer. I will then use one or two “cubes” of frozen carrots in my spaghetti sauce.

Peppers – sweet cherry stuffer, sweet thunderbolt, green and hot dragon cayenne peppers.

Peppers – The peppers are really starting to come in. You have sweet cherry stuffer hybrid pepper, sweet thunderbolt hybrid and green peppers in your box. You also have the option of some hot dragon cayenne peppers. Cut up the extra peppers and place in a bag then place in freezer for use throughout the year.

Garlic – Enjoy the fresh garlic. I use a hand-held garlic press to crush and peel my garlic. It is awesome and definitely the tool of the week! Here are some garlic recipes to check out.

Onions – Walla Walla Onions

Butternut Squash – My favorite squash. Check out the recipes from Martha Stewart. Refer back to last week’s blog on my how to cook in the oven and freeze for use throughout the year.

Red Norland Potatoes – Red Norland potatoes are versatile potatoes – great for boiling, potato salad, and I have had success with them as French fries.

Blue Potatoes – check this link out to learn more about different potato varieties.

Masquerade Potatoes – We love the taste of this variety. The outside color makes this a fun and beautiful variety to have in the kitchen.

Kennebec Potatoes – Great baking potato. Check out harvesting potatoes in Idaho.

Cilantro, Basil and Parsley – Plenty to share – take a snip or a plant home and freeze or dry the herb for use in stews, etc during the rest of the year. Here are some more ideas on how to preserve herbs.

Corn Shock – If you didn’t get yours last week do to the rains, please let us know.

Fun colors of pumpkins this year!

Pumpkins and Gourds

Recipe of the Week

Potato Bread Cinnamon Rolls

Wondering what to do with your leftover mashed potatoes? I use them in this potato bread dough . and either make buns or cinnamon rolls.

This is one of my favorite bread recipes and was discovered after a summer of trying different recipes to bring to the fair for one of my 4-H projects which eventually earned a purple ribbon several year ago:)

I freeze the mashed potatoes in 1 cup quantities for a double batch of the recipe. I also freeze the bread as buns or cinnamon rolls. After forming the bread into buns or cinnamon rolls, I let them rise the second time and then I freeze them. When I want to bake them, I simply place the frozen rolls in the oven, turn the oven on to preheat, and once the oven is preheated allow them to cook for the alloted time. Steve has commented several times that he is so glad I figured this out.

Pickled Beets

In your boxes this week. So we decided to try these – Steve does not like beets and I do not like pickles. But this combination was ok by both of us. Please note that there are recipes for refrigerator pickled beets that do not require any canning.

7 pounds of 2 to 2 1/2 inch diameter beets

4 cups vinegar (5 percent)

1 ½ teaspoons canning or pickling salt

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

2 cinnamon sticks

12 whole cloves

Sliced onion (optional)

Yield: About 8 pints

Store jars in a cool, dark place and let set for 6-8 weeks before opening.

First wash the beets, cut the tops off leaving 1 inch of stem and root on. Boil for about a 1/2 hour or until you can stick a fork easily into the beet. Remove from boiling water and gently rub the skin off.

Slice the beets. Small beets can be pickled whole. Larger beets can be sliced in ¼ inch slices or diced.

To make pickling brine, combine 4 cups vinegar, 1 1/4 teaspoons canning or pickling salt, 2 cups sugar and 2 cups water in a stainless steel, enamelware, or glass saucepan. Put spices (2 cinnamon sticks and 12 whole cloves) in cheesecloth bag and add to vinegar mixture. Bring to a boil, add beets (and onions if desired) and simmer for 5 minutes.

Fill jars with beets and onions, leaving ½ inch headspace. Add hot vinegar solution, covering beets, and allowing ½ inch headspace.

Run a thin spatula through jars to remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rims with a damp paper towel. Add caps and bands. For more information on canning, go here.

Place filled jars on a rack in a water bath canner. The tops of the jars should be covered with 1 inch of water. Process for 30 minutes. Begin timing as soon as the water begins to boil. After processing is done, place jars on a towel on your counter leaving a few inches between jars to allow them to cool.

Source: University of Minnesota

September 23, 2016 by kharner

Mad Dash

Last night, sure was a mad dash around the storms. At least now that we are dry and warm, we can look back and chuckle at how dripping wet we all were. In the end, the rain gauge read 4.8 inches early this morning.

The end of the year harvest has also been a mad dash, and judging by the forecast, we will continue to have a mad dash to get the crops out around the weather.

We are thankful that the vines and corn crops were harvested and those areas mulched. We still have to wait for those areas to dry out before we can complete our fall field work, but we are thankful for what has been accomplished.

We are thankful that this weekend the vines and corn crops were harvested and mulched. We still have to wait for those areas to dry out before we can complete our fall field work of tilling and planting a cover crop. But we are thankful for what has been accomplished.

Next week will be the final CSA for the year. Look for your share of red, white and blue popcorn to come later this fall after the kernels have dried down. We have to dry the kernels down so that the moisture content is not to high. If there is too much moisture in the kernels, the kernels will not pop, and they will also not store well. Look for your popcorn share to be delivered later this fall.