June 1, 2016 by kharner

The Season Begins

I was reminded this morning why we do what we do. The boys were both up early as the sun was rising with smiles on their faces, eager to help and knowing what to do. We hope that the values learned with the CSA of teamwork, hard work, seeing ones hard work come to fruition and working together to get a job done will be characteristics that will last a lifetime.

Welcome

Welcome to all of our shareholders. We appreciate the opportunity to work with you and for you throughout the growing season. We work hard to earn your trust and respect in the food that we grow for your families and ours!

All of you should have received an email with more details of dates and specifics with the CSA. We are excited to see the daily changes and growth in the garden. Look for weekly blog posts for guidance throughout the season which will provide you with updates, ideas for your box of produce and recipes.

A lot has been done in the garden this past week including weeding, pest control and planting another crop of sugar snap peas, green beans, beets, carrots, radishes, lettuces and spinach. Sometimes a little stress relief is needed after all of this activity.

Steve was busy hilling the potatoes this weekend. The potatoes have enjoyed the weather and were already in need of being hilled. Hilling helps the potato growth to occur under ground vs. above ground (thus the greening of the potato). We feel we have a more plentiful harvest when this is done.

Steve hilled the potatoes this weekend. The potatoes have enjoyed the weather and were already in need of being hilled. Hilling helps the potato growth to occur under ground vs. above ground (thus the greening of the potato). We feel we have a more plentiful harvest when this is done.

Garden Science

Did you know that cucumber plants when they emerge from the ground smell just like fresh cut cumbers!

Did you know that cucumber plants when they emerge from the ground smell just like fresh cut cucumbers!

Pick-up and Delivery

Remember that pick-up and deliveries will be on the schedule you have arranged with Harner Brothers CSA – please note the exceptions to this which were in the email.

It is your responsibility to know that the pick-up or drop-off time will occur at the agreed upon time, and it is your responsibility as a shareholder to know this and be responsible for the produce at that time. If you are unable to utilize your share that week, it is still your responsibility: find someone else to pick it up or donate it to the food shelf.

Each box is labeled for each family. The same boxes will be used for your family throughout the season. Boxes and containers should be returned the following week. Bags will only be used once.

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.

The Harner Bros are the 5th generation to raise this rhubarb originally planted on our family farm and transplanted to this location.

Rhubarb – One pound equals about 3 cups. Wash, cut the ends off, cut off any bad parts damaged by wind, chop into 1/4 – 1/2 inch pieces. No need to peel. You can freeze it in a Ziploc bag (no blanching) and use for months to come. Our family loves it in muffins, breads, jam, pie, crisp, sauce and torte. Check out earlier posts on rhubarb for recipe ideas.

Asparagus – Fresh cut asparagus from the Chute’s Farm Fresh Gardens in Aitkin, Minnesota. These farmers are friends of ours who we know from Farm Bureau and also the Minnesota Agriculture and Rural Leadership Program. They had some extra they wanted to share with us, and the delivery time worked out well. They snap the asparagus vs. cutting so that you are getting all edible stalk and should have very minimal amount that you do not eat. Enjoy! See how asparagus is harvested in California.

Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce – love eating this in salads and on sandwiches.

Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce – One of my favorite garden crops. 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. See how lettuce is grown throughout the year so it is available in our grocery stores even on our cold Minnesota days.

Prizeleaf and Red Oak Leaf Lettuce – I love these beautiful lettuces – Prizeleaf is green with reddish tips and Red Oak Leaf is a red lettuce leaf. They add such a wonderful color to salads and sandwiches.

Spinach – remember to wash before eating. A combination of these vegetables will make such a wonderful meal! Check out some of Martha Stewart’s spinach recipes.

Beet leaves – good in your salad greens. Beets will be forthcoming later in June.

Beet/Beet Leaves – These are young plants that we are thinning out of the rows – eat the whole plant in a salad – delicious. It will add color and nutrition to your salads. Learn more here.

Herb – chives – wash then chop up chives into small pieces. I enjoy using them in potatoes on the grill.

Herbs, Peonies and Iris

Herbs pots – includes three of one of the following: thyme, rosemary, sweet basil, parsley, cilantro, arugula or sage.

Fresh cut arrangement – peonies and iris’

Recipe of the Week

Rhubarb Jam

Mix together and set aside until a juice forms

6 cups rhubarb sliced into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces

3 cups sugar

Add one can of pie filling (cherry, raspberry, blueberry, strawberry)

Cook these ingredients for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1 package of 3 oz jello (use Jello that is of the same flavor as the pie filling). Mix well. Pour into containers. Refrigerate or freeze.

Rhubarb jam – I make strawberry rhubarb, blueberry rhubarb, cherry rhubarb and raspberry rhubarb. Enjoy, it is a delicious treat!

May 26, 2016 by kharner

Signs of Spring

We have been busy planting, weeding, mulching and staking. Great news – there is a lot is growing, and we were blessed with rain last night. We anticipate that you should start enjoying garden produce very soon.

It is so fun to watch the crops that you plant sprout and grow. This is a young spinach plant. Do you know how long it takes for spinach to germinate? 7-14 days depending on growing conditions.

Mulch and irrigation line was laid at the beginning of May for our tomatoes to provide regular moisture to the plants to provide more event growth opportunity for the tomatoes.

Mulch and irrigation line was laid at the beginning of May for our tomatoes to provide regular moisture to the plants to provide more even growth opportunity for the tomatoes. Note: We usually work with our shoes on for safety purposes. This job gets so much dirt in your shoes it’s difficult to work with them on.

Learning to fence is part of living at our place. We will use trellis fro our sugar snap peas and cucumbers.

Learning to fence is part of living at our place. We will use trellis’ for our sugar snap peas and cucumbers.

Planting of pumpkins and squash also occurred earlier in May and they are poking out of the ground.

Planting of pumpkins and squash also occurred earlier in May, and they are peeking out of the ground.

We utilize fence repurposed from my parents farm to use for our trellis for our peas. We are ready for these little plants to take off climbing.

Garden Science

We did have frost in mid-May. Notice the black parts on the leaves of the potatoes which were caused by the cold weather. Good news is that it didn’t damage the plant significantly, and it is growing out of the stress of the cold weather.

Agriculture in the Classroom

We were privileged to be part of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture’s Book of the Year project and were featured in their Ag Mag – great for students in 3rd -5th grade. The Book of the Year is First Peas to the Table which tells a story of President Thomas Jefferson and his farm.

We had a fun day with Miss America 2016 Betty Cantrell. She is a farm girl from Georgia. As part of my job with the Minnesota Farm Bureau, we were able to share Minnesota agriculture with her starting at Little Oscars and farm visits at FarGaze Farms and Wolf Creek Dairy. She also stopped by to see the national contest in action that she partnered with the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture on called First Peas to the Table Contest. The students have learned so much through this opportunity. Thank you to Betty for being such a great spokesperson for agriculture!

July 15, 2015 by kharner

Heat and Humidity

Introducing some more farm cats – taming has commenced.

This past week has been hot and humid! The plants are loving it!

On Saturday mid-morning some of the zucchini were about 2 inches long, and on Sunday evening they were about 9 inches long. It really is amazing to watch the growth.

Yes, the entire garden seemed to be growing as crazy as the zucchini, but unfortunately in the lead for growth were the weeds. Fortunately, we have been on top of the weeding so our crops are still thriving against the weed nemesis. We did get a fair amount of moisture on Sunday evening along with some wind. With this heat some more rain would be welcomed.

If Mother Nature continues to provide favorable conditions, we will be able to continue to have growing results in your boxes. Enjoy!

Garden Science

Carrot, onion, beet, purple kohlrabi ad green kohlrabi

Carrot, onion, beet, purple kohlrabi and green kohlrabi

Root or Tuber

All around the world, roots are basic sources of nutrition to people and many animals; a root’s nutrients are passed on to those who eat them. Sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, turnips and radishes are actually plant food-storage roots. The roots of the tropical plant cassava give us the tapioca we use in desserts, and cassava is a food staple in many tropical countries and in South Florida. Poi is a nutritious native Hawaiian food made from the root of the taro, which is cooked and ground to a paste then fermented. Carrots, ginger, jicama, parsnips, radishes, beets, rutabaga or Swedish turnip, and turnips are great-tasting, nutritious root foods .

Potatoes are tubers, not roots. What’s the difference? The roots mentioned previously are naturally modified root structures, whereas bulbs and tubers are modified stem structures. Bulbs and tubers are sometimes mistaken for roots because they also grow underground.

Roots and stems have different cell arrangements as seen under a microscope. That is how scientists determined that a potato is not a root, but actually a stem structure or tuber. Tubers are swollen, fleshy, usually oblong or rounded thickenings of underground stems, bearing tiny buds called eyes from which new plant shoots arise. Examples of tubers people eat are the potato, Jerusalem artichoke (not a true artichoke, but the tuber of a sunflower) and water chestnut. Bulbs are short, modified, underground stems. Examples of bulbs we eat are onions, scallions, leeks, garlic, kohlrabi and shallots.

Source: Project Food, Land and People

Boxes of Produce

Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce – 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 wash your vegetables before eating.

Red Oak Leaf Lettuce – Beautiful red lettuce leaf.

Spinach – Remember to wash before eating. A combination of these vegetables will make a wonderful meal!

Beets – A taste to start the season. We are also thinning out the rows so that the beet plants remaining can grow larger.

Just a few onions.

Onions – Learn more about onions on America’s Heartland.

Zucchini and Summer Squash

Cucumbers – These are the first of the season. We have two varieties planted.

Carrots – While we have the pleasure to pull the carrots right out of the ground…See how baby carrots end up on our grocery shelf so we have the pleasure to eat them all year-long.

Sugar Snap Peas – A garden favorite. Eat the pod and all. Enjoy this delicious vegetable! A new crop will come in next week. **Fun Fact – Did you know Minnesota is the number one producer of peas for processing in the United States.

Green Beans – This crop is bountiful. Be prepared for future weeks. We do have dill if you wish to pickle some.

Purple Beans – A taste of a new crop. Enjoy the fun color.

Kohlrabi – Here are some ideas of how to use Kohlrabi.

Cilantro

Cilantro – Enjoy in salsas, fajitas, eggs and more. Learn more about cilantro here.

My flower picker tonight…Zinnias.

Fresh cut arrangement – A variety from sunflowers, zinnias, bee balm, lilies and more.

Recipe of the Week

Vegetables on the Grill

On double layered aluminum foil ( I cross the pieces so the vegetables are wrapped separately in two different pieces of aluminum foil) place:
*Variety of vegetables of choice ( I used pea pods, carrots cut into the shape I knew my boys would eat, green and purple beans cut into 1 inch pieces and broccoli cut into bite size pieces)
*Drizzle with olive oil
*Sprinkle with Romano and Parmesan cheese
*Flavor with herbs of choice

Place on grill for about 8 minutes flipping aluminum packet once which is filled with above vegetable mixture, olive oil, cheese and herbs. Unwrap and enjoy.

Vegetables on the Grill

On double layered aluminum foil ( I cross the pieces so the vegetables are wrapped separately in two different pieces of aluminum foil) place:

*Variety of vegetables of choice ( I used pea pods, carrots cut into the shape I knew my boys would eat, green and purple beans cut into 1 inch pieces and broccoli cut into bite size pieces)

*Drizzle with olive oil

*Sprinkle with Romano and Parmesan cheese

*Flavor with herbs of choice

Place on grill for about 8 minutes flipping aluminum packet once which is filled with above vegetable mixture, olive oil, cheese and herbs. Unwrap and enjoy.

July 8, 2015 by kharner

Thankful

The boys harvested a bounty of vegetables.

Thankful is what comes to mind this week after we returned home from a quick trip over Independence Day weekend. As we traveled the Midwest, we saw areas – particularly Indiana that have had way to much moisture.

We feel blessed to have been getting what our plants need in a timely fashion. We pray that this continues, and we also pray for the farmers who are struggling with challenging conditions.

For those that are wondering, we received about 2.5 inches of rain on Monday.

Science of the Week

The saying is – corn knee-high by the Fourth of July. Well, corn is not only knee-high, but it is tasseling. Our sweet corn is tasseling. Some of the field corn is nearly six feet and tasseling. The science that goes into selecting good seed provides the opportunity for the corn to be productive in a variety of weather conditions.

Question of the Week

Why do you thin the crops?

Thinning is done when crops are planted to close together. We try to space them evenly with the proper distance between each other, but with small seeds, this is sometimes difficult to do with our planter.

Thinning is the process of pulling out the extra plants so there is proper spacing between the plants so that they can grow to their optimum performance. We thin different crops such as the beets so that the root vegetable has more room to grow into a beautiful shape. If the vegetables are to close together you start to get the unique shapes or the vegetables that are wrapped together. We appreciate our shareholders that on occasion embrace the “ugly” vegetable and enjoy the still wonderful flavor!

Boxes of Produce

Red Oak Leaf Lettuce – Beautiful red lettuce leaf.

Spinach – Remember to wash before eating. A combination of these vegetables will make such a wonderful meal!

Comparing the size of the beets to the size of his head.

Beet Leaves – Great in your salads.

Beets – A taste to start the season.

Cherry Belle Radishes – Last ones for a while.

Zucchini and Summer Squash

Peas were bountiful this week.

Sugar Snap Peas – A garden favorite. Eat the pod and all. Enjoy this delicious vegetable!

Green Beans

Green Beans – This crop is becoming bountiful. Be prepared for future weeks. We do have dill if you wish to pickle some. Here are some recipes from Martha Stewart.

Purple Beans

Purple Beans – A taste of a new crop. Enjoy the fun color.

Check out the size of this onion.

Onions – Yellow to start the season

The boys were using a baseball as they “measured” the size of the kohlrabi for harvest.

Kohlrabi – Here are some ideas of how to use Kohlrabi.

Kale – Let us know what you think!

Fresh cut arrangement

Recipe of the Week

Lazy Tacos

This is a family favorite and a go to recipe in our house. Thank you to Steve’s Aunt Coleen for sharing this idea with us many years ago. This dish can take on many options depending on your family’s tastes.

Crush corn chips and layer taco favorites on top such as:

taco meat

onions

black olives,

tomatoes

lettuce

cheddar cheese

chilli beans

salsa

cottage cheese

salad dressing

Note: with all of the fresh produce I would also try a variety of vegetables.

May 5, 2015 by kharner

On the Move

We have been on the move at Harner Brothers CSA. Moving our garden from its original space to our field. We have divided the field into our own “mini-fields.” We hope this will allow us to more efficiently manage the soil health, insects and plant health. In the meantime, the old garden area is being planted with a cover crop. Using moveable pens, we will be putting some of our younger hens that are not laying yet and our roosters on that land area with the hope that they will eat some of the bad insects such as potato bugs and squash bugs.

As usual, there will be a lot of science projects going on this summer. Stay tuned. As usual, agriculture is always interesting! Enjoy a quick glimpse into what we have been working on.

This past fall, the boys used profits from the extra rhubarb sales to send in a donation to Gillette’s Children’s Hospital and the American Red Cross. Let us know if you are in need of any rhubarb ($3 per pound) before the CSA starts, or if you would like extra during the season. We use this as an opportunity to teach the kids the importance of giving back.

In early April, we started the herbs. Seeds come in all sizes. The herb seeds are particularly tiny.

The boys helped to prepare the herb pots by using the cordless drill to ensure their is a drain hole in the bottom of the pot. Much like tile drainage systems in a field, the drain hole in this pot helps to keep the roots of the plants healthy by draining any extra water that seeps through the soil to the bottom of the pot. If the hole was not there for the access water to drain out the plant would not be healthy.

The boys helped to prepare the herb pots by using the cordless drill to ensure there is a drain hole in the bottom of the pot. Much like tile drainage systems in a field, the drain hole in this pot helps to keep the roots of the plants healthy by draining any extra water that seeps through the soil to the bottom of the pot. If the hole was not there for the access water to drain out, the plant would not be healthy.

Don’t let my photo bomber fool you…they worked mighty hard this day in April. Thank you to FarGaze Farms for the use of the tillage equipment to work up the ground to prepare it for planting. We worked up our old garden to plant a cover crop to add fertility to the soil and provide additional area for our chickens (non-laying hens such as roosters and pullets) so they can eat bad insects such as potato bugs (insect control). We are utilizing our field which will allow for more room for growing vines. Look for us to sell pink pumpkins this fall with proceeds going to Breast Cancer Research.

At the end of our first work day in the field, we had accomplished a lot: working up the old garden and the field and building and painting a new moveable chicken pen. It was a great day for teaching work ethic and the need to work hard when Mother Nature allows you the opportunity.

Picking rock is part of preparing the field so we don’t ruin our tiller or other equipment.

We have planted five varieties of potatoes. They weren’t in by Good Friday, but they were in on April 18. The spring has been cooperative as far as temperatures, but we sure could use a good rain.

We also planted several cold season crops on April 18 including a few different varieties of lettuces, spinach, radishes, sugar snap peas and beets.

We preplanted our large pumpkins. We are excited to have a larger area for vines as part of our experiments including three varieties of giant pumpkins. We thought these "natural" pots looked interesting. They are made of sterilized cattle manure and should break down nicely in the soil as the pumpkins grow.

We pre-planted three varieties of large pumpkins. We are excited to have a larger area for vines as part of our experiments. We thought these “natural” pots looked interesting. They are made of sterilized cattle manure and should break down nicely in the soil as the pumpkins grow.

The giant pumpkins have begun to emerge with the first set of leaves – the cotyledons. I always think it is fun to see the seed pod still attached to these emerging leaves. The pumpkins are planted in the field waiting for a good drink of rain.

At the end of this past weekend, we had over 50 varieties of vegetables and flowers planted. The boys commented that they way we have laid the field out into its own mini-fields that it will look cool when everything is growing. This weekend was beautiful with it warming up to about 80 degrees F. We did not receive much rain on Sunday but were thankful we missed the large hail that came with that storm.

At the end of this past weekend, we had over 50 varieties of vegetables and flowers planted. The boys commented are excited to see how it all looks when the mini-fields begin to grow. This weekend was beautiful with it warming up to about 80 degrees F. We did not receive much rain on Sunday but were thankful we missed the large hail that came with that storm.

August 27, 2014 by kharner

Mother Nature keeps us on our Toes

Tomatoes are maturing like crazy – all shapes and colors. Let us know if you are interested in buying any for canning. Enjoy!

As many of us prepare for school to begin, we are preparing for the growing season to come to an end before we know it. Mother Nature keeps us on our toes, and we must be prepared for what will occur. While some of the produce is hitting their peak. Others are on the decline, and we are starting to see “gaps” in the field as we clean-up and feed garden scraps to the chickens.

You also may be wondering, when is our last box? We are anticipating that the last box will be the last week of September. Which will be slightly longer then what your contract stated, simply because of the growing season, and how the crops worked out. We will keep you posted as we proceed through September.

We are busy with garden clean-up pulling up old vegetables that are no longer producing and feeding them to the chickens.

Part of the garden clean-up includes driving the lawn tractor. Keith enjoys this task.

Part of the garden clean-up includes driving the lawn tractor. It makes this task a lot easier!

Boxes of Produce

Remember food safety in your kitchen when preparing, always wash your hands before working with your produce and always wash your produce before eating.

Sweet Corn – Yeah for sweet corn! Thank you to FarGaze Farms, our neighbors, for providing the sweet corn for your boxes this week. We hope you all enjoy it. We appreciate this partnership!

Salad Mix – A mixture of Black Seeded Simpson, Red Oak Leaf, beet greens and spinach. Here are a few salad ideas. I planted a new crop of lettuce about 5 weeks ago and very little grew because we had such a dry July. After the rain last week, I planted another round and four days later the seeds have germinated and are peeking out of the ground. I am hoping for a new crop of the lettuces in the near future.

Beets – The whole plant is edible.

Green Beans – We are at the end of this crop and should have a small crop towards the end of the season.

Broccoli – Great to enjoy in your salads or cooked with some cheese sprinkled over it.

Cucumbers – Nearing the end of this season as well.

Peppers – Jalepeno peppers – see how peppers are grown in America.

Tomatoes – Baby Boomer cherry tomatoes, Big mamma, Sunny Boy (yellow), Honey Delight (small yellow) and Fourth of July (medium red) – Learn more about tomatoes are grown across the U.S. on America’s Heartland.

Onions – Walla Walla, Snow White, yellow Candy and Giant Red Hamburger (purple)

The Purple Majesty potatoes need to be dug during the daylight. They blend right in with chunks of dirt.

The Purple Majesty potatoes need to be dug during the daylight. They blend right in with chunks of soil.

Potatoes – Red Pontiac – the link is to more potato basics and recipe ideas. Purple Majesty potatoes – fun as French fries or mashed potatoes.

Butternut Squash – Choice of squash tonight. For those of you that chose this squash, it is one of my favorites. Here are a few recipes from Martha Stewart.

Spaghetti Squash – Enjoy this as spaghetti. Here are different ways to cook it: by boiling or by roasting.

Fresh Arrangement – Zinnia or Sunflowers – Here are a few tips to try to keep your fresh-cut flowers fresh longer. I have tried the bleach trick, and it has worked for me.

Garden Science

We found cabbage loopers this weekend. Check out how small this one is compared to the thumb.

We found a larger cabbage looper.

This cabbage is being eaten by the cabbage looper but the boys want to see how many cabbage heads this one forms during the growing season.

Insects, insects every where including this green tomato worm.

The Red Pontiac potatoes were huge. These three were from the same plant.

Recipe of the Week

I thought you would like to know what I do with all of the produce. See the links below the recipes and photo how to enjoy your produce throughout the year.

Lettuce and Spinach – I enjoy a variety of salads. Give Lazy Tacos a try – super easy and delicious.

Green Beans – I freeze or can my green beans.

Sweet Corn – I keep freezing sweet corn simple. I don’t have time for a lot of preparation so keeping it simple is my style. Here is Martha Stewarts tips on preserving corn.

Onions – I have had the best luck chopping and freezing onions to be used in recipes throughout the year. Less mess and more time efficient.

Butternut Squash – I cook and freeze the squash to be used in smaller portions and perfect substitute for a recipe that calls for canned pumpkin. Give these Squash/Pumpkin Donut Drops a try – fun for a long weekend.

Potatoes – I enjoy making into Lefse and Potato Bread.

Tomatoes – We plan to can some tomato juice and salsa this fall.

August 5, 2014 by kharner

Priceless Moments

The corn has gotten so tall. The boys are standing by the blue popcorn.

After our CSA pick-up, we enjoy sharing about our evening and the conversations we had with all of you. We learn a lot from the time spent with each of you and appreciate the conversations and time more than you will ever know.

In fact, during each season we ask the boys what they enjoy most about the CSA. Their number one response is when you and your kids come out, and they have the opportunity to show you what is “growing on” and to teach and show what they have been seeing and learning that week. I know at times some of you may wonder if it is an intrusion of our time – I am telling you that it is not an imposition but rather a great opportunity for all of us to learn together.

Priceless moment examples – there are too many to list:

Last week seeing a few of the boys pull and eat carrots with our kids and to see their mouths covered with dirt.
One of our youngest shareholders, wandering through the garden and teaching her the vegetable, the color, the different way they all felt and teaching her how to harvest them…and then to watch her eat all of them like they were an apple – including a pepper! Then the look on the boys’ faces when I told her how this nearly 2 1/2-year-old had enjoyed eating everything including the pepper – simply priceless.
The joy of assisting a shareholder to harvest additional zucchini – one of her favorites.
The excitement on some of the kids faces when they dig potatoes or pick a vegetable for the first time.
Or learning from all of you the favorite ways you enjoy the produce.

These priceless moments provide us with renewed energy and excitement. Sometimes the growing season can be challenging whether it is weather challenges, insects or weeds. But remembering some of these priceless moments brings smiles to our faces and renews our enthusiasm for the project at hand. Thank you!

Garden Science

It has been dry, and we have been irrigating and watering the different crops. The boys have been watering our Big Moon pumpkins, and we also measured them this week. We are watching how much they grow in one week. Stay tuned.

The broom corn is also growing tall. Notice that the different varieties of corn have differences in their stalks, tassels etc.

Boxes of Produce

Remember food safety in your kitchen when preparing, always wash your hands before working with your produce and always wash your produce before eating.

Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce – Wash your vegetables before eating – I love to use my salad spinner after washing the lettuces.

Prizeleaf Lettuce – A beautiful colored lettuce to add to the salads. Try adding some fresh berries or dried fruit to your salads.

Red Oak Leaf Lettuce – Wonderful color to your salads.

Spinach – Remember to wash before eating.

Beets – One of my very favorite vegetables. The whole plant is edible.

Sugar Snap Peas – This crop matured quickly this week with the heat. Some of them may be quite large – you may want to peel the pod off and just eat the peas inside on the larger ones.

Green Beans – Try freezing or canning some of your extras or simply eat them raw. Learn more about this crop and a few recipes at America’s Heartland. Let us know if you would like any to can or to pickle. We donated 20# of green beans this week to the food shelf.

We were curious as to how much the cucumbers would weight. The cucumbers weighed 95 pounds.

We were curious as to how much the cucumbers would weight. All of the cucumbers weighed 95 pounds.

Cucumbers – If you would like to can any pickles let us know. We also have dill for you to use as part of your share.

Peppers

Picking the first tomatoes of the season.

Tomatoes – A taste of tomatoes this week cherry and Fourth of July tomatoes. Looking forward to this crop maturing.

Summer Squash/Zucchini – Here is a recipe for you to try.

Onions – Yellow, white and purple onions.

Kohlrabi – In addition to eating the bulb – similar to a cabbage. The leaves are similar to kale. Here is more information from Martha Stewart.

Cilantro – Here are a few ways to use this herb.

Fresh Arrangement – Hosta leaves and a Rudbeckia, Zinnia or Sunflowers.

Lemon Queen Sunflower

Recipe of the Week

Garden Omelet

I chose a variety of vegetables and herbs from the garden to use in the omelet: green beans, cilantro, yellow and purple onions and tomatoes. You could also use squash and additional herbs.

Next I washed and chopped all of the vegetables up.

Next, I washed and chopped all of the vegetables. Before any cooking begins for this meal, everything is mixed, prepared and the table set because it all moves very quickly.

One omelet: mix 3 eggs, 1 Tablespoon milk, 1/4 teaspoon salt, dash of pepper, and herbs of your choice that have been washed and torn into smaller pieces.

Place about a Tablespoon of butter in your pan. Melt the butter and coat the inside of your fry pan with the butter. Next place your egg mixture into the fry pan at medium low heat. Gently push the sides of the egg mixture up as it cooks allowing the uncooked egg to run into the area you just pushed towards the middle of the pan. Continue to do this all the way around. Once most of it is cooked, place your ingredients onto the egg mixture and place cover over it. Turn to low. Cook until egg is firm and cheese is melted – about one minute.

Then gently roll out of pan onto your plate. Garnish with your parsley from your herb pots and a little cheese. I learned in 4-H foods project that a garnished dish will always taste better to the person consuming it, simply because of the way it is presented.

Then gently roll omelet out of pan onto your plate. Garnish with your parsley from your herb pots and a little cheese. I learned in 4-H foods project that a garnished dish will always taste better to the person consuming it, simply because of the way it is presented.

Garden Omelet

With a fork, beat:

3 eggs

1 Tablespoon water

1/4 teaspoon salt

Dash of Pepper

Add herbs of your choice that have been washed and torn into smaller pieces.

Heat skillet. Butter pan with butter. Place egg mixture in skillet and cook slowly. Run spatula around edge, lifting to allow uncooked portion to flow underneath. Place choice of filling inside. I included vegetables, a couple of our favorite cheeses (mozzarella and sharp cheddar). Turn off heat or place on low. Place pan cover over the mixture for about a minute allowing cheese to melt. Fold sides over as you flip it onto a plate. Garnish with parsley and cheese.

June 11, 2014 by kharner

First Delivery

Welcome to our CSA! Yes, the boys do help in fact they were out before 7 a.m. picking your rhubarb. The leaves are so big on these plants. I remember as a child using the leaves to make “clothes.” They definitely would not work as a prom dress!

How Does this Work – Few Reminders as we Begin

Welcome to all of our shareholders. We appreciate the opportunity to work with you and for you through out the growing season. We work hard to earn your trust and respect in the food that we grow for your families and ours!

Pick-up and Delivery

Remember that pick-up and deliveries will be on the schedule you have arranged with Harner Brothers CSA with harvest on Wednesday evenings – please note the exceptions to this which were in the email. The first exception is next week which will be TUESDAY night. It is your responsibility to know that the pick-up or drop-off time will occur at the agreed upon time, and it is your responsibility as a shareholder to know this and be responsible for the produce at that time.

If you are unable to utilize your share that week, it is still your responsibility: find someone else to pick it up or donate it to the food shelf. Each box is labeled for each family. The same boxes will be used for your family throughout the season. Boxes and containers should be returned the following week. Bags will only be used once.

Garden Science

A lot has been done in the garden this past week including weeding, insect control and planting another crop of snap peas, green beans, beets, lettuces and spinach.

Our biggest challenge this week are potato bugs! We have done a lot of research over the last few years and will keep you posted as we work through this. Last year, we planted dill and marigolds with the hope that these plants would draw in beneficial insects to eat the potato bugs and the potato bug larvae. To say we were surprised and disappointed that the potato bugs survived the winter, well that simply is a gross understatement. Every night, we are out there picking potato bugs and their eggs off of the potato plants. What is even more frustrating is how they eat the potato plants as they emerge from the ground, and before the potato plants emerged, the potato bugs were eating the tomato plants.

Just a few of the potato bugs from one of the nights pickings.

The potato bugs must taste so bad that the chickens won’t even eat them. So how much do we dislike them…the boys smashed them with a hammer, if that gives you any indication.

Keith and Sam assisted Steve in putting up a fence for the peas to grow on. Yes we are upcycling an old child gate for this purpose.

Other garden activities included installing a fence for the peas to grow on. Yes, we are upcycling an old child gate for this purpose.

Boxes of Produce

Remember food safety in your kitchen when preparing, always wash your hands before working with your produce and always wash your produce before eating.

Rhubarb – one pound equals about 3 cups. Wash, cut the ends off, cut off any bad parts damaged by wind or hail, chop into 1/4 – 1/2 inch pieces. No need to peel You can freeze it in a Ziploc bag (no blanching) and use for months to come. Our family loves it in muffins, breads, jam, pie, crisp, sauce and torte. Check out earlier posts on rhubarb for recipe ideas.

Red Oak Leaf Lettuce – I love this beautiful red lettuce leaf. It adds such a wonderful color to your salads.

Spinach – remember to wash before eating. A combination of these vegetables will make such a wonderful meal! Check out some of Martha Stewart’s spinach recipes.

Beet/Beet Leaves – Many times I have seen in high-end restaurants beet leaves in my salads. Well here is your opportunity. These are young plants that we are thinning out of the rows – eat the whole plant. It will add color and nutrition to your salads. Learn more here.

Radishes – wash, cut off the tops and also the bottoms, slice and enjoy in salads. Some enjoy dipping in salt.

Herbs – chives – wash then chop up chives into small pieces.

Eggs – from time to time we will provide a few fresh eggs in your box from our chicken flock. We hope you enjoy them!

These eggs were all collected this week. Talk about variety from pee wee to extra-large.

Fresh cut arrangement – Peonies and Hosta leaves…these last forever in a vase of water. After a week, give them a fresh-cut, and they will last longer. The greenery in the house is a day brightener.

Recipe of the Week

Rhubarb Torte

One of Sam’s favorites from a dear friend from Wisconsin. We hope your family also enjoys this super easy quick rhubarb dessert.

Wash your rhubarb cutting off the end where I pulled it from the ground and give a fresh-cut to the top. No need to peel. Simply cut into small 1/4″ to 1/2″ pieces.

Combine 2 c. flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 2 tablespoons milk, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 cup butter. Cut it together using a pie cutter.

After you have combined the crust ingredients spread it out in the pan and gently pat it.

Place 6 cups of cut rhubarb on top of crust. Sprinkle 6 ounce package of strawberry or raspberry Jello over the rhubarb. Next in a separate bowl combine 2 cups sugar, 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup butter and cut together using your pie cutter. Gently spread over your rhubarb and Jello. Place in 375 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Top with ice cream or Cool Whip. A happy kid is my result. Hope it is yours as well…Enjoy!

Rhubarb Torte

Combine using a pie cutter:

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 Tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup butter

Mix above ingredients and pat into a 9×13 pan.

6 cups cut rhubarb, cut into about 1/2 inch pieces
6 ounce package of strawberry or raspberry Jello

Place rhubarb over crust then sprinkle Jello over the rhubarb.

Top with:

2 cups sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter

Mix and put on top of Jello.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

May 28, 2014 by kharner

Window of Opportunity

When planting season rolls around it feels somewhat like ABC’s Wide World of Sports would say, “The thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat.” Meaning if you can beat the weather and get your crop in the ground, you feel victorious, thankful and relieved. Where as, if Mother Nature is relentless with poor weather conditions and the window of opportunity to plant is slim to none, it definitely feels like the agony of defeat. But in agriculture, you can’t give up. Persistence and optimism is a must to complete the task at hand.

The weather has definitely jumped from winter to spring. The plants are growing like crazy with the highs in the low 80s with humidity. If this weather continues, it is likely that the first delivery will be the first week of June. Look for additional details in your email box this weekend.

Here is an update on what was accomplished this past week. A lot of crops are growing and changing. Pray for cooperative weather throughout the growing season. After all, we can’t control Mother Nature. We can only control our attitudes and positive outlook.

What’s Growing

The rhubarb is ready to be harvested. We do sell additional rhubarb throughout the growing season for $3 per pound. Part of the proceeds is donated to charities the boys have chosen: American Red Cross and Gillette’s Children’s Hospital.

Great news, the soil was dry enough this weekend to complete 90 percent of the planting. Here you see us planting purple cabbage. All that we have left are the tomato and pepper plants.

Here is a carrot that emerged from the ground this weekend. The white root is what will grow into the carrot.

This is a small radish. The red root will grow into the delicious vegetable, or as the boys say, “the hot and spicy vegetable.”

In addition to the radishes, the spinach, peas and some lettuce varieties are growing in the new raised bed.

The crops we planted the weekend of May 18 emerged from the ground today. Here Sam is examining a green bean plant. Note the brown part by his fingers is the seed pod that is still attached to the plant.

Planting Update

5-24-14 Keith, Steve and Sam measuring between mulch rows

The boys learn a variety of skills while in the garden. Here they are learning how to read a tape measure as Steve measures the distance needed between the rows that have mulch.

Underneath the mulch, we installed a drip irrigation system so that we can supply the vine and tomato crops with a more consistent water supply. Throughout the season, I have the boys researching the crops to learn more about their water and nutrient needs. Look for the kids’ updates in future blogs.

There is a mulching machine on the market, but we have not yet invested in it. Instead we are building strong boys. They like to pull the roll across the field to help build their strength for the sports they enjoy playing.

After transplanting our vine plants and planting some seeds, we watered and fertilized them.

We also planted a few more seeds including cucumbers, several pumpkin and gourd varieties and broom corn.

Of course, all work and no play doesn’t work well. The boys again found great joy in looking for worms and creating their own “pool.”

January 4, 2014 by kharner

Pop into the New Year

Thank you for everyone’s patience as we waited for the popcorn to dry down. As we reflect on 2013, the spring planting was late and the fall conditions were not conducive for additional drying to occur in the field. The last of the popcorn was harvested October 21. The blue popcorn was actually planted a month later than the strawberry and white popcorn varieties and matured quite quickly. But drying down for the right moisture content so the kernels would actually pop is another story. Thus the delay.

Well, we shelled some of the strawberry, blue and white popcorn. Every variety needed to dry some more especially the blue and the white. There was simply to much moisture in the kernels. They wouldn't even pop. You could tell they were planted later than the strawberry variety. So we had a fan blowing on the ears to dry down the kernels.

In late October, we shelled some of the strawberry, blue and white popcorn. We wanted to see how they would pop. Every variety needed to dry some more especially the blue and the white. There was simply too much moisture in the kernels. They wouldn’t even pop. They would simply burn. You could tell the white and blue popcorn was planted later than the strawberry variety simply because of the moisture content in the kernels. So we set up our own make shift corn dryer and had a fan blowing on the ears to dry down the kernels.

Here is a look at the varieties. They are really beautiful kernels. You will see in the white kernels that there was some cross-pollination that occurred on the ears. You can tell this by noticing the few blue kernels amongst the white kernels. The Popcorn Board is a great source of information to learn all you wanted to know about popcorn and more.

: Strawberry Popcorn

: White Popcorn

: Blue Popcorn

The popcorn is shelled using Steve’s Grandpa Gifford’s corn sheller. An ear at a time is placed in the top. This is a view as the ear goes into the sheller. We are so blessed to be able to use all of Steve’s grandparent’s cool garden and canning gadgets. So thankful they shared them with us to share with the next generation of the family.

This is a view of how the kernels are stripped off the cob as we crank it through. The pointy parts are for taking the corn off the cob so no hand shelling needs to occur. Needless to say this is a miniature corn combine for us.

The ear comes out the bottom of the sheller with the kernels separated from the cob. The kernels fall into the box. The cob is given to our chickens and/or added to our compost pile.

After the kernels dried down, we tried to separate the kernels, chaf and the silks. We tried a variety of methods including shaking method which reminded me of how we separated weed seed from the kernels when I worked in the seed house at South Dakota State University.

After the kernels dried down, we tried to separate the kernels, the chaff and the silks. We tried a variety of methods including the shaking method which reminded me of how we separated weed seed from the seed kernels when I worked in the seed house at South Dakota State University. The method wasn’t perfect. I attribute the additional chaff and silks with the kernels to how wet the ears were when we removed the husks to prevent molding of the kernels and the moisture in the kernels and cobs this year.

In the end, we hope that you enjoy the popcorn. I know we enjoyed growing it for all of you, and it was certainly fun to watch your families get excited about the possibilities.

Recipes

Here are a few more links for recipe ideas from Simply Recipes and Taste of Home.

Some of you may be wondering how do I pop this popcorn? I have always bought microwave popcorn. Great news...simply put some popcorn in a Pyrex bowl and cover with a plate and pop for about 3 minutes or about the length you usually pop microwave popcorn in your microwave (seems every microwave varies a little). Once you hear the kernels stop popping - its done. Another option is to use a brown lunch bag, fold over the top about 3 times and place in microwave for about 2-3 minutes. Remove when you hear the kernels stop popping.

Some of you may be wondering how do I pop this popcorn? Maybe your families have only used microwave popcorn. Great news…simply put some popcorn in a Pyrex bowl and cover with a plate and pop for about 3 minutes or about the length you usually pop your microwave popcorn in your microwave (seems every microwave varies a little). Once you hear the kernels stop popping – its done. Another option is to use a brown lunch bag, add some popcorn, fold the top down about 3 times and place in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes. Remove when you hear the kernels stop popping.

I melted about 1 Tablespoon of butter and a little bit of salt. The result a happy boy. We also enjoy "treasure hunt" popcorn which is simply a few M&Ms sprinkled in to the popcorn. This is a family favorite for movie night or watching football games.

I melted about 1 Tablespoon of butter and added a little bit of salt. The result was a happy boy. We also enjoy “treasure hunt” popcorn which is simply a few M&Ms and/or chocolate chips sprinkled in to the popcorn. This is a family favorite for movie night or watching football games.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

We hope you enjoy this taste from the garden during these cold Minnesota winter days. From our home to yours, wishing you all a Happy New Year!

Garden Science

Pick-up and Delivery

Boxes of Produce

Recipe of the Week

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Garden Science

Root or Tuber

Boxes of Produce

Recipe of the Week

Vegetables on the Grill

Vegetables on the Grill

Share this:

Like this:

Science of the Week

Question of the Week

Boxes of Produce

Recipe of the Week

Lazy Tacos

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Boxes of Produce

Garden Science

Recipe of the Week

Share this:

Like this:

Garden Science

Boxes of Produce

Recipe of the Week

Garden Omelet

Share this:

Like this:

How Does this Work – Few Reminders as we Begin

Pick-up and Delivery

Garden Science

Boxes of Produce

Recipe of the Week

Rhubarb Torte

Rhubarb Torte

Share this:

Like this:

What’s Growing

Planting Update

Share this:

Like this:

Recipes

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Share this:

Like this: