On behalf of the whole crew at Sandhill Family Farms, I'd like to extend a warm welcome to all of our new members. I also want to thank those of you who've been with us for years. It's been quite a journey, and we're glad to have shared it with all of you. Last year Matt and I began working out a partnership with Jen and Jeff Miller. We are so happy to be working together with another farm family. Being able to share the highs and lows of the farming lifestyle with Jen and Jeff has been a really positive experience. As we start this new season, we are full of renewed enthusiasm for our work.
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| Your farmers, from left: Jeff Miller, Jen Miller, Peg Sheaffer, Matt Sheaffer |
Crop Report
Many of our crops are a couple of weeks behind schedule due to the cool, wet spring. It's pretty much the exact opposite of the start to last year's season. After the huge rains two weeks ago, we were afraid that it would be a couple more weeks before the fields would be dry enough to plant. Fortunately, the soil at both farms has dried out more quickly than anticipated, so we've been busy planting all sorts of wonderful spring and early-summer crops--spinach, lettuce, chard, onions, peas, beets, broccoli, cabbage and more.
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| Here's a shot of Matt using the field cultivator to prepare a field for planting. |
This Week's Vegetable Share
- Lettuce Mix
- 'Cherriette' Radishes
- 'Superior' Potatoes (from Vermont Valley Farm, Blue Mounds, WI)
- Chives
- Crimini Mushrooms (from River Valley Ranch, Burlington, WI)
- Tomato Puree
Vegetable Notes
Each fall, Contract Comestibles, a small food-processing company in East Troy, Wisconsin turns our less-than-perfect tomatoes into tomato puree. This week's share contains two jars. As it says on the label, our tomato puree makes a great soup by itself or with the addition of a little cream. You can also use it as a base for heartier soups, chili and pasta sauce. I like to use it as a basting liquid when roasting meats, as a replacement for water or broth when I'm making risotto, or in the crockpot when I'm slow-cooking a beef roast. The puree is shelf-stable, but should be refrigerated after opening.
These baby portabellas, also known as crimini mushrooms, were grown by our friend, Eric Rose. His farm, River Valley Ranch, is a short drive from our old farm in East Troy. For over twenty years he has been growing mushrooms without the aid of aerosols, fungicides, or chemical fertilizers, practices that are common among conventional mushroom growers.
A Word on Vegetable Storage and Preparation...
Most spring vegetables must be refrigerated in a plastic bag. Some items (such as the lettuce mix) are bagged by us at the farm. You will need to supply plastic bags for other items such as the radishes and chives. Keeping these items in plastic helps prevent wilting. If you’ve got lettuce or some other tender vegetable that appears droopy, soak it in cold water for a few minutes, shake off the excess water, and refrigerate in a plastic bag until it perks up. On another note, we rinse all the vegetables here at the farm, but you should always wash them thoroughly prior to eating.
This Week's Dairy Share
Dairy shares are delivered every other week. Each dairy share is accompanied by a mini-newsletter with information about the week's featured dairy artisans and one or two recipes. Here is what's in this week's dairy share:
- Handmade Cultured Butter with Sea Salt from Nordic Creamery in Westby, WI
- A Selection of Two Cheeses from Nordic Creamery
- Lowfat Creamline Vanilla Yogurt from Sugar River Dairy in Albany, WI
This Week's Meat Share
Meat shares are delivered once a month. Like the dairy shares, meat shares are accompanied by recipes, cooking tips, and information on our partner farms. This month's meat share includes:
- Ground Beef and a Beef Roast from Riemer Family Farm in Brodhead, WI
- Italian Sausage and Bacon from Byers Family Farm in Brodhead, WI
- A Whole Chicken from Lange Farms in Platteville, WI
Coming Up...
Next week is a Vegetable Share week. Our best guess for next week's vegetable harvest is bok choy, parsnips, arugula, popcorn, lettuce, spinach and more.
And Finally...
Many apologies for not posting recipes this week. The past few days have been pretty hectic on the farm, but I'll make sure to dig up some good recipes for next week's newsletter.
Cheers,
Peg
