Sorry for the late send of the newsletter last week. I didn't realize it wasn't sent until a member reached out letting me know they hadn't received it. I post the newsletter on our facebook page and website, in case you are having trouble accessing it, or I forget to hit send again!

Temps in the 80's later this week is a bit of a shocker for early April. It's nice to have some warm working weather, but the plants in the greenhouse aren't going to be thrilled. Spring greens like cooler temperatures, it keeps them sweeter, and even though it's a relief to have temps out of the teens and low 20's, it's a little early for nights in the 50's. I'll be watering often and keeping the doors and sidewalls open to keep the temperature down in the tunnels. Even so, on a hot day like is predicted for Friday, it'll be even warmer in the greenhouse.

The fields are drying up quick with the warm, dry weather, though! And our garlic (above) is starting to peek through the hay mulch! Such an exciting time! As you know, I'm a lover of all things garlic and it is one of my favorite crops to grow on the farm. That and onions, which we just moved out of the greenhouses to be hardened off for transplanting into the field. It's a good week for bringing trays outdoors with the warm weather.

We'll be in the fields soon enough. This is early for us. In the winter I don't plan to have anything ready to be planted until the first week of May. I hate driving the tractor on the fields when it is wet, and I'd rather just not have to worry about pushing it in the early spring trying to get crops in before the fields are ready to be worked. We'll start prepping fields even though there won't be any starts ready to go in the ground. It will be nice to have some time to be patient and do it right, instead of the mad dash in the last week of April when starting to get worried about being late and plants are wanting to get in the ground.

I'll be paneling at a movie screening for the MFCC next week if anyone wants to stop in and say hello. More on that, pluse shares for this week below

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR SUMMER CSA!

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR FALL CSA!

Spring Shares Week 5

I've been LOVING that baby leaf spinach all week long. I can't get enough. More of that to come in shares this week, as well as more delicious spring veggies!

Brassica Mix is cycling back into shares this week. Chard will get into baskets one last time before we pull the plants and reseed the bed. Lettuce Mix is going into shares for the first time this season. Microgreens are a weekly staple. Salad Turnips! These are the farmers' favorite vegetable. Forget everything you know about turnips, these are super sweet with a mild turnip flavor. They are delicous sliced up and eaten raw in a salad, or glazed and cooked with their greens (recipe below). The greens also make for a delicious addition to any salad. More of that tender, sweet, buttery Baby Leaf Spinach this week!

Spring Week 5
Brassica Mix
Chard
Lettuce Mix
Microgreens
Salad (Hakurei) Turnips
Spinach

Egg Share: Weekly + Every Other Week Eggs

RECIPE LINK:GLAZED HAKUREI TURNIPS

Ingredients

▪3 bunches baby hakurei turnips, baby turnips, or red radishes (about 2 pounds), trimmed, greens reserved

▪1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

▪3 tablespoons sugar

▪Kosher salt

Instructions

1.Place turnips in a large skillet; add water to cover turnips halfway. Add butter, sugar, and a large pinch of salt; bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is syrupy and turnips are tender, about 15 minutes. (If turnips are tender before liquid has reduced, use a slotted spoon to transfer turnips to a plate and reduce liquid until syrupy. Return turnips to pan and stir to coat well.) DO AHEAD: Can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm before continuing.

2.Add turnip greens to skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until just wilted, 2–3 minutes. Season with salt.

The Farm Store is OPEN!

We've got some new additions in the farm store freezer this week! Mark from Archway Farm brought by some Maple Breakfast Sausage, Uncured Smoked Kielbasa, and Nitrate and Nitrite free Pork Hot Dogs! I'm particularly excited about the hot dogs! Joe is a vegetarian, so times have changed a bit, but the farm used to be fueled by hot dogs!

Another addition is our own Basil Pesto! The pesto was made in collaboration with the Harvest Bridge program that takes excess produce from farms and processes it in a commercial kitchen for resale. Harvest Bridge is run by Jacob Sherwood and is an incredible resource for farms in the Monadnock Region. We sent over about 15lbs of basil last year for him to make pesto, and it is delicious!

We'll keep adding new products in to the store as spring carries on. This week available in the store is:

Spinach
Microgreens
Lettuce Mix
Arugula
Chard
Spicy Salad Mix
Radishes
Salad Turnips
Kielbasa
Maple Breakfast Sausage
Hot Dogs
Pesto
Ice Cream
& Eggs!

3rd Annual Monadnock Earth Day Film Fest!

JOIN us for the 3rd Annual Monadnock Earth Day Film Fest, FREE! Running Wednesday, April 19 through Saturday, April 22nd, I am very excited to be a part of this event bringing you award-winning and nationally recognized films that celebrate this wondrous planet we share! There are both in-person and virtual offerings.

The Festival is free but registration is required on Eventive - a free, online film platform.

I will be on a panel discussion for the film "DelMarVa and the Ground for Change" on Thursday, April
20th @ 6pm.

The Festival is brought to you by Dog Days Farm, MFCC, MONIFF, and the Mon Food Coop.

Thank you so much!

Interest in Pickup Location for Archway Farm Meat CSA?

When Mark was over the other week dropping off sausage for the farm store, we got to talking about using our barn as a potential pickup location for members interested in an Archway Farm Meat CSA Share. I have been a share member for about a year now and it is a highlight of my month every time I receive my share. I absolutely LOVE it and I'm pretty sure I have talked about it in the newsletter before.

So, if anyone is interested in getting a pickup location setup at Dog Days Farm, send me an email. I won't guarantee that it will happen just yet, but if we get enough interest, it is fairly likely.

Support the Fitzwilliam District Nursing Association!

Each year our farm provides CSA shares to the Fitzwilliam District Nursing Association for their food delivery program. The FDNA has been providing food for members of our community for decades, and Tracie's Farm, and now Dog Days Farm, has been providing CSA shares as a part of their programming for over 10 years. Last year we packed 8 baskets per week for their food delivery program. The FDNA is run by a group of volunteers that are passionate about not letting members of the Fitzwilliam Community go hungry. We are lucky to have them as our neighbors.

I am putting out a call for members or friends of the farm that would like to pitch in to help purchase CSA shares for the FDNA this season. I match shares purchased for the FDNA, so if we are able to get four shares paid for, we will be able to offer another 8 baskets per week for our community members in need. Shares can be purchased directly from the farm and receipts for your donation from the FDNA are provided upon request. Donations are tax deductible.

If you would like to help purchase a CSA share for the FDNA, please send me an email at jack@dogdaysnh.com. Additionally, if you are in need of food assistance and would like to be on the delivery list through the summer, please send me an email and I will put you in touch with a member of the FDNA.

Workshare with Us!

We are looking for workshares to come help out on the farm one day a week for the summer season in exchange for a CSA share. Workshares are one of my favorite parts of the farm. We often get returning workshares year after year, and they almost always become longtime friends of the farm. It's a great way for me to get to know our CSA members and for members to get to know their farm.

Physical labor is a given for workshares, but we are often able to find tasks that suit the abilities of those that are able to help out. We have seen workshares of all ages on the farm over the years. It is a full day commitment, and we ask that members pick one day out of the week and come in that day for the duration of the season. Workshares are allowed to miss up to three days during the summer to accommodate vacations. In exchange, you receive a full summer share plus bread and eggs, as well as lunch on the farm on the days you work and access to deals on bulk veggies.

If you are interested in worksharing, please email me at jack@dogdaysnh.com

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