10th Harvest Week Live Earth Farm’s (Com) Post

Debbie is on vacation, which means this weeks newsletter won’t have it’s familiar (Com) Post format and I‘ ll have to do my own editing. Also, there are no recipes in this week’s newsletter, however, look up the recipe section on our website: www.liveearthfarm.net. it lists recipes compiled over the last three years and you can search by crop type.

In the box this week: Lettuce, Radishes, Cucumbers, SummerSquash, Sugar Snap Peas, Asian Braising Mix, Cilantro, Chard/Kale/or Collard Greens, Beets, Carrots, Celery, Strawberries.

New Fruit and Vegetables coming the next couple of weeks: Plums, Apricots, Blackberries, Red Potatoes, Green Beans

This Week’s Extra fruit share: 1 basket of either raspberries or blackberries 3 baskets of strawberries

“ Mankind and the planet are still best served by the social model constructed from the fabric of small independent farms, businesses, and communities interwoven into a social blanket of magnificent diversity and great natural strength.” L.R. Miller

Reaching out to YOUNG FARMERS
Did you ever think or dream about farming as an alternative to your current career and lifestyle. Or is this back-to-the land mentality just something that happens when you’re young and idealistic, when we explore alternative paths, rejecting the social pressure of money and status. As a city boy gone farming I consider myself one of those dreamers and ever since we started Live Earth Farm I have immensely enjoyed the presence of interns who explore their own dreams of working and living on and from the land. Every year we host interns and visitors interested in farming, some as far away as Germany, Ecuador, and France and/or with backgrounds ranging from civil rights law and surfing, to Rave music. This year we were asked by a Non-Profit Organization called Global Routes to host a group of 13 highschoolers for one week, to experience life on an Organic Farm. We are excited to get the extra help and share our experience to encourage ways in which young people can get more involved in farming and areas of alternative food production. Living in urban centers often gives us skewed ideas about life outside the city. Some may have the false romantic idea that farming is a gentle, serene, sane, stress-free way to earn a living. I remember during a conversation a farmer once saying:” One of the best training for farming life that I had was to run-cross-country. Lungs, legs, and lots of determination.” The average age of farmers in America is over 50 and only 2% of the population grows the food for the remaining 98%. Looking at these statistics it almost seems that farmers belong on the endangered species list. Opening our farm for young people to experience first hand what life on a farm is like, is a valuable method to encourage new farmers. With this in mind we also want to remind you that every year we organize a Children’s Mini-Camp for our budding young farm boys and girls within the CSA community. Please Constance’s announcement below if you are interested:

MINI CAMP ANNOUNCEMENT - AUGUST 2 (7PM) TO 4TH (NOON)
Mini Camp is around the corner and we are taking in registrations for this year! As we did last year, we will have a limit of about 12 families for this
farm event.
The journey starts on Friday evening, August 2nd, with a pot-luck at around 7pm. The first evening is a time to relax into the peacefulness of the farm and to set up tents around the fire. For the more adventurous ones, you can wander out and set tents hidden among the tomatoes and the flowers. Saturday is dedicated to harvesting and cooking together everything edible on the farm for our lunch and dinner. As you can guess this goal is at the same time ambitious and fun, bringing us to explore all corners of the land equipped with harvesting baskets (sized to the harvester's eating capacity!), water bottles and hats. It is a time to enjoy being together, to meet other CSA members, and to allow the children to set the pace....it is great fun and we hope that you can join us!!!!! Saturday evening is spent around the fire and if the mood is right and the moon shines on us, we have in the past gone for night walks in the fields. Musicians are called to duties, so bring your guitars, drums, flutes and don't be shy with your voice!! Sunday morning is leisurely and may be spent making and eating breads with berries and freshly made goat cheese. Somewhere along the journey, we will try to give space to some artistic activities so that both children and adults may express some of the many earthly impressions that continuously feed our senses on the farm. Visits to the farm animals (chickens, goats and pony) is a must to make sure that no living creatures is left out of the party! Also after a haaaaaaaaard day of harvesting, be prepared to jump in the pool...
The cost is $40/person and $20/ child with a maximum of $100 per family, and includes all the meals except the Friday evening pot-luck. If you want to accompany your meals with a glass of beer or wine, please bring it with you as we will not provide any alcohol. Register with Constance at (831) 763 2340 to reserve your place and to give your input. We are always looking for ways to make our farm events an expression of the community's inspiration.
See you soon...... Constance

SCHEDULE CHANGES FOR WEDNESDAY’s PICK -UP
We have changed our delivery schedule which for many of you will mean that you can pick up your produce much earlier than under the current schedule. The new pick up times are as follows:
Aptos: 10AM -8PM; Live Oak: 10:30 -8PM; Downtown Santa Cruz: 11AM-8PM West Side Santa Cruz: 11AM-8PM; Scotts Valley: 11:30AM - 8PM Ben Lomond: 11:30 AM-8PM; San Jose Downtown: stays the same Gilroy: 2:30- 8PM; Prunedale: 3:30-8PM; MBARI: starting 3:30PM - Moss Landing Marine Labs: 3:45PM -; Monterey Aikido Center: 4:15 PM -

Crop of the week: Summer Squash comes in a delightful variety of shapes and colors, with new varieties appearing almost every year. Here on the farmwe are currently growing 4 different types: Costata Romanesco has an excellent taste. This distinctive Italian zucchini is prominently ribbed and striped. It is open pollinated, starchy, nutty in flavor, and delicious both raw or cooked. Scallopini or pattypan squash, sometimes called sunburst, is deep yellow in color, with a wonderful ribbed round shape. It is good for grilling. Zephyr is a green-tipped yellow squash; a distinctive slender fruit that has a delicious nutty taste and firm texture. Magda is pale green in color, and also known as a mid-eastern squash. It also has a sweet, nutty flavor right up there with Zephyr. They are great for stir frying, stuffing and pickling. Two other types of summer squash you will find in your share periodically are the standard yellow and green zucchini. I hope you have fun trying them all and discovering their subtle differences. In your box you may not get all types at once, however you will most likely experience them all over the next few weeks or months.