- Cilantro
- Head Lettuce
- Asparagus
- Rhubarb*
- Fresh Dill
- Japanese Turnips (farm-pickup) or Radishes (off-farm pickup sites)
- Red Bunched Onions
- Baby Arugula
Farm Journal
Saturday 8 p.m.
I am sitting under a large, elegantly-appointed canvas tent with several hundred people who have come to take part in the annual Smith Nature Symposium, an event that raises funds for educational programs at Ryerson Woods Forest Preserve. We have just finished our dinner as waiters begin pouring coffee and passing silver trays of delectable little pastries. I settle back in my chair to listen to Bill Browning, the evening's keynote speaker and expert in green building systems. The event host begins her introduction of Mr. Browning by making reference to his groundbreaking work in the area of green building and design. Suddenly the gentleman next to me leans over and whispers in my ear, "Notice how everybody uses the word groundbreaking as if it's a good thing." I pause for moment, puzzled, not quite sure what to say in response. "Groundbreaking," he says again with more emphasis on the second syllable this time.
And then I knew exactly what he was talking about. The man sitting next to me is Wes Jackson, founder of the Land Insitutute, MacArthur fellow and recipient of the prestigious Right Livelihood Award. Mr. Jackson's mission in life is nothing less than to reinvent the way we farm in the United States and around the world. For the better part of his professional life, he has pioneered the breeding of plants that can be grown in perennial polycultures and harvested for food production. The current model used for the vast majority of agriculture around the world is the planting of one annual crop on a large number of acres. At the end of the growing season, the crop is harvested and the field is tilled up prior to planting the next year's crop. Growing annual crops and tilling the soil each year takes a significant toll on the soil, primarily in the form of erosion and loss of soil biodiversity. Mr. Jackson envisions a type of agriculture that uses nature as its model by planting multiple species of perennial plants together in the same field and keeping the soil intact by not having to till, or break, the ground every year.
Wes Jackson and the folks at the Land Institute have been working diligently for decades to develop plants that will work in these kinds of systems, and even one-time skeptics are starting to acknowledge the importance of their work. While Wes cringes at any use of the word groundbreaking to describe their work, it is an incredibly important part of the solution to some of our biggest environmental challenges.
Wes' comment that night reminds me that high-heeled shoes and fancy dinners notwithstanding, my job is about dirt. Specifically, the care and conservation of dirt in this tiny part of northeastern Illinois where we grow our vegetables. I can't say that here at Sandhill Organics we've figured out how to fully heed Wes' imperative, but we sure are trying. Thanks to all of you for supporting us as we attempt to put these ideals into action.
Have a good week! -Peg
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Crop UpdateIn general things look really good around the farm. Most of our spring and early summer crops have been planted, and we'll be planting mid-summer crops such as tomatoes, peppers and potatoes in the next week or so. Lower-than-average temperatures throughout most of the spring have resulted in most crops being about 2 weeks behind on average. We have done very little field harvesting at this point (this week's arugula being an exception), and most of your CSA vegetables are still coming from the hoophouses. God bless those hoophouses! Matt and I are looking forward to warmer days (and nights) as it means that all of those hundreds of thousands of little seedlings out in the fields will start to put on some good growth. In the meantime, you can continue to look forward to lots more of those delicious cool-weather crops--lettuce, asparagus, spinach, green onions, etc.
Jeff moves tomato plants from the greenhouse onto a trailer in preparation for planting.
Food Notes
Arugula, also known as rocket or roquette, is a peppery salad green that seems to grow particularly well on our farm. Because arugula is closely related to the radish, it has a mild kick but is not bitter. Because of it's tender texture, we prefer to enjoy it in salads rather than to cook it. We also love it on sandwiches in place of lettuce and as a pizza topping. Try strewing a large handful of arugula leaves on top of a pizza as soon as it comes out of the oven. Put it back in the oven for 30 seconds--just long enough to wilt the arugula slightly--and you've got yourself one gourmet pizza!
This Japanese turnip variety, called hakurei, is very mild and sweet and is easily mistaken for a white radish. Japanese turnips are delicious eaten raw, and we’ve found that our kids even enjoy them straight from the field, dirt and all. These little turnips are also tasty sautéed in a little butter and sprinkled with salt. Like bok choy, turnips are a good source of Vitamin C, and rich in the minerals potassium and calcium. And don't forget the greens! Turnip greens top the charts as an excellent source of Vitamins A, C and B complex.
This week’s rhubarb comes from Mick Klug, the Michigan farmer who grows all of the fruit for our fruit share. Rhubarb rivals asparagus as the quintessential spring food. Rhubarb is believed to have originated in China over 4000 years ago, where it was widely used as medicine, but was not eaten in Europe until relatively recently. Rhubarb’s slow takeoff as a popular food may be due to the fact that only the stalks of the rhubarb plant are edible; the leaves are highly toxic due to their significant oxalic acid content. Rhubarb is high in vitamins A and C and a variety of minerals, particularly calcium. It may be refrigerated in a plastic bag for up to 2 weeks. For long-term storage, wash rhubarb, chop it, then put in freezer bag and freeze it. It will be soft when thawed, but will still work beautifully in most recipes.
This Week's Recipes
Arugula Salad with Cilantro, Black Beans & Lime Dressing
Asparagus & Avocado Guacamole
Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Dill Spread
Rhubarb Crisp
Old Fashioned Rhubarb Custard Cake
Next Week's Harvest (our best guess)... asparagus, white Japanese turnips, head lettuce, spinach, onions, green garlic, arugula and more!
