8/22/12

August 24 – From the Farmer……..
Another quiet week at Nitty Gritty Dirt Farm and the dry weather continues.  It is certainly looking and feeling like fall at the farm.  Even the dry beans are getting the dry pods and yellowed mature leaves of the end of the harvest – even though it is only state fair time.

The tomatoes are coming in fast and furious – with yellow and orange, pink are red – now is the time to make some multi-colorful salsas and salads.  Add some of the red, yellow and orange peppers – also abundant! -  and your rainbow salsas will wow your eyes as much as your tastebuds.

If you have not yet found your way to the internet recipe sites, this is a really good time to seek them out.  I usually just go to my browser, type in two or three fresh ingredients found in the share each week – then whatever category of cooking (salad or casserole or bread or???)   I love searching out new ways to prepare farm fresh seasonal veggies.   You can also add the ethnicity you might like to try – like Mexican, Asian, Indian, etc.  This is a great way to use technology to maintain a sustainable lifestyle. 

All of the farm babies are growing up.  Even the new baby bunnies have all their fur and are a wiggling, jumping mass in the nest box whenever anyone opens the cage.  New mom Cheyenne is a recent new addition to the farm and seems to be settling in well.  The other two new rabbits, Peaches (the buck) and Palmolive (a doe) are also doing well and by fall will hopefully be ready to produce a litter of babies.  

The baby turkeys, baby chicks, teenage turkeys, teenage pullet chicks, teenage pigs, and teenage calf are all doing well, growing well and getting bigger by the day.   I’m hopeful that by the end of the month our new pullets (teenage hens) will begin laying eggs. 


We stopped milking all the goat does.  They were not happy with being cut off from grain and attention, but as our summer got crazy and busier, we not only didn’t have time to milk them seven days a week, we also didn’t have time to use all the milk to make cheese and butter and yogurt – so we dried them off.  We plan to breed them all to our beautiful Saanen buck Oberon this October so they will give birth the beginning of March and we will be back in the milking business.  

All is well at the farm…. until next week….. Robin

What’s In Your Share this week:

Watermelon                  Sunshine (yellow inside), Starlight (red), New Orchid (orange),
Cantaloupe                   Classic (heavy netting), Sarah’s Choice (smooth netting)
Honeydew                    Diplomat (yellowish, smooth netting)
Kohlrabi                       Kossack
Carrots                         Forto
Potatoes                       Norland
Sweet Pepper               Gypsy (yellow), Carmen (long red or green Italian frying)
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DROP SITES

Use the addresses to google or mapquest or look up the drop site from your particular location. Keep in mind that the folks at the drop sites are volunteers, allowing us to use their space (and in some cases, their homes) as drop sites. Be nice to them. We couldn't do this without them. If you have any questions about your share etc., you should ask us, not them. They have enough to do....as do we all. All deliveries occur on Thursday afternoons. Approximate drop site times are listed below each location. The end times vary but you should pick up your share as early as possible. Look for the NITTY GRITTY DIRT FARM DROP SITE signs at your delivery locations along with lists to check your name off when you pick up, and a description of exactly what you should take.

Nitty Gritty Dirt Farm
10386 Sunrise Road (Cty Rd 9)
Harris MN 55032

35 north past North Branch to the Harris Exit. Turn Right.
Go into Harris, cross RR tracks to stop sign. Turn Left
Go 2 blocks to County Rd 9, also called Sunrise Road. (at Heartbreakers Bar) Turn Right. Farm is 4 1/2 miles out on left side of road. Look for Nitty Gritty Dirt Farm sign.
Shares available from 3:00 to 6:00

United Theological Seminary 3000 5th Street NW, New Brighton MN 55112
694 to Silver Lake Road exit. Go south to 5th and turn west (right). Go three blocks to UTS. Follow driveway (left) to the maintenance garage at the far north end of the parking lot. Shares available after 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM.

Pilgrims United Church of Christ
8801 Rice Lake Road, Maple Grove MN 55369
Just off of Weaver Lake Road across from Rice Lake Elementary School. Use main church door. Shares available from 3:30 to 6:00.

Acadia Cafe
329 Cedar Avenue South, Minneapolis
NW corner of Cedar and Riverside. Park on Riverside or
in lot behind the cafe.
Shares available after 3:15 PM until 6:00 PM

Vincent Avenue
3646 Vincent Avenue North, Mpls MN 55412
1/2 block north of 36th Ave N, and 2 blocks south of Dowling. Park on the street. Shares available after 3:30 until 6:00 PM

Additional drop sites may be added as shares are sold. Drop Sites are subject to change but plenty of notice will be given and alternate sites will be within close proximity to the original drop site.

FARM CONTACT INFORMATION

Robin Raudabaugh & Gigi Nauer

Nitty Gritty Dirt Farm

10386 Sunrise Road

PO Box 235

Harris MN 55032


(651) 226-1186


nittygrittydirtfarm@gmail.com

Also Nitty Gritty Goods Wool CSA
Robin Raudabaugh
651-216-9012
nittygrittygoodswool@gmail.com

We are a 15 acre Community Supported Agriculture farm providing a wide variety of fresh, organically and sustainably grown vegetables, fruit, lamb, pork, turkey and chicken. Located one hour north of the Twin Cities, we deliver to several metro locations. We are intentional about our organic and sustainable farming practices which include (but are not limited to): maintaining soil health through green and animal manures, compost, mulch, cover crops and crop rotations; Organic Pest Management to naturally monitor, prevent and control insects and other pests; maintaining animal health and well-being through the use of portable and loose housing and pasture rotations. Owner/operators Robin Raudabaugh and Gigi Nauer provide over 30 years experience in fruit, vegetable and livestock production, education and customer service. Our primary goal is to build community, relationships and personal health and well-being around good food and the intentional living that creates it. We’d love to have you join us.

Not every day is like this but we try.

Not every day is like this but we try.

Not every day is like this either.

Not every day is like this either.