We welcome you to the adventure that is The Good Earth CSA! Jeff and ... While
their cooking classes are open to the public, as a Good Earth member, you.
A Guide for Enriching your CSA Experience
Welcome to The Good Earth CSA We welcome you to the adventure that is The Good Earth CSA! Jeff and Nancy have dedicated all of their time and energy to growing, harvesting and delivering you the freshest fruits and veggies they can grow in South Dakota. Being Midwesterners, we all know that the weather can turn on a dime—100 degrees one day and 40 degrees the next; extreme drought one year and floods the next. While we use every means possible to grow the best food for you, we also want you to realize that every year is different and some crops will flourish (remember the melons in 2012?) and some will not(most everything else in 2012). But that is all part of the CSA experience and the risk and reward that we all share. We hope that your weekly CSA pick-up or delivery will be one of your spring, summer and autumn highlights. Being a member of a CSA is a unique opportunity for you to become involved in every aspect of the vegetable food chain. And we invite you to be as involved as you want to be. More importantly, we want you to enjoy and have fun with your CSA experience. Food is fun and should not create any stress in your life. I put together this little guide to help you enjoy your weekly share. In addition, I will send out weekly emails to let you know twhat is coming in your share and one of our fabulous shareholders will also provide some recipes and nutrition information. Thanks Cindy!
We have also set-up classes with Plum’s Kitchen in Sioux Falls to help you with your CSA shares. While their cooking classes are open to the public, as a Good Earth member, you get a discount on classes. We will be providing the veggies to Plum’s, so what they are using that week will also be what you have received. The classes will be Thursday evenings starting the 2nd week in July. Check out their website for more info: http://www.plumscooking.com/
A little bit about us: Jeff and Nancy became owners of The Good Earth in April of 2011—April Fool’s Day to be exact. Some days that is a little more fitting than others. We started out with more heart than experience and so far that has worked out. We have grown each year, adding employees, expanded the charitable aspect of the farm, and we are always looking for more ways to grow. We are the second family to own this property. The Adcock’s settled on this piece of land as fur trappers in the late 1800’s. Adrian, the grandson, was born in the house and died in the house. He was 80 some years old and had been a bachelor his entire life. From the moment we stepped on the property, we knew that it was the perfect place to start our version of a farm. We quickly added several animals: T-Bone, Rex, Felix, Buck, Reinhold, Pearl, the chickens and this year 14 Bourbon Red turkeys. They will hopefully make someone a nice Thanksgiving turkey. On the farm this year we will grow 10 acres of vegetables. This does not include the 2 acres of sweet corn that is being grown for us near Beresford or the strawberries that we get from Hebda Family Produce and Berrybrook Organics. All of our produce is grown using organic standards. This year we are starting the process of making the farm Certified Organic. It is our 3rd year and the first year we are eligible to apply for certification. We could not do this alone! We are happy to have 2 part time employees, several volunteers, and a delivery driver for those early morning deliveries. These guys and ladies are more than we could ask for and their help is crucial to the farm and our sanity.
Included here are guidelines and instructions to help clarify the CSA process and how to care and store your produce upon delivery. Please don’t hesitate to email or call with any questions that you might have. Picking up your Share At the pick-up location you selected during your sign-up process, there will be a friendly Good Earth volunteer or farmer to help you along the way. The farmers will be easily identifiable--they will be tan, tired and hard of hearing. The volunteers are a little more spunky and generally have great recipes to share. You can look for us at the following spots: Dakota Dunes General Store--near the little shade tree on the west side of the parking lot Great Outdoor Store- on the east side of the building. Parking in that lot is free. The Natural Food Co-Op- In the south parking lot We greatly appreciate these businesses allowing us to be in their space. While they know we are there, they don’t know much other than that, so please don’t call them asking about the CSA. Once you get to the pick-up, find your name on the clipboard and check it off. There will also be a chalkboard with the week’s bounty for ¼, ½ and Full shares. Bringing your own bags is great and helps us keep costs low. If you are unable to pick up your share, you can certainly have someone else pick it up in your place. If you forget (!), your share will be donated to the food bank once we pack up for the day. If you share a share with someone, we will do our best to divide the week’s bounty equally, but there may be some items that you have to arm wrestle for. Home Delivery of your Share Home deliveries in the Sioux Falls area take place between 3:00- 7:30 AM--they day of the week depends on the route, but it will be on a weekday . In the Dakota Dunes area home deliveries will take place between 5:00 and 6:00 PM on Tuesdays. We will leave the box or bag of veggies on your doorstep unless you specify otherwise. During times of extreme heat, we ask that you leave a cooler out so we can place items that are temperature sensitive in there. Some items, like melons we will try to place so they don’t end up rolling down the street. Please let us know if you will be away so you don’t come back from vacation to rotten veggies on your doorstep! You can place your order on hold by going to the membership page and clicking on the Vacation Hold button under the Membership Actions on the left side of the page.
Office Deliveries: We will be at your office mid to late afternoon so you can take it home with you. Sioux Falls office days are Wednesdays or Fridays Dakota Dunes office day is Tuesday Storage of your Share (quick reference) It is best to wash all of your vegetables right before using. We attempt to get the veggies and fruits as clean as possible, but many fruits start to deteriorate once they have been washed. Greens will be rinsed, spun and placed in plastic bags. We find they keep for well over a week when stored this way in your fridge. Tomatoes will ripen on a windowsill. Tomatoes should not be refrigerated--they will keep longer in mesh bags on your countertop. Potatoes, onions, winter squash, watermelons, and eggplant do well in a cool dark place. Be especially careful to keep potatoes away from the light. If they are exposed to light, the flesh may turn green near the surface. Do not eat this part; it is toxic! Honeydew melons and hybrid melons do well in the fridge. I find that cutting them up and eating them the next day brings out the flavor. Beets, carrots (without the tops), rutabaga, kale and swiss chard need to breathe--so a perforated plastic bag works well or the mesh storage bag works well also. Visiting the Farm We love to have visitors out to the farm! Please keep in mind that we are a working farm, while visitors are an excellent excuse to take a break, that isn’t always possible. We may ask you to walk along with us or help with what we are doing. There are no set hours for the farm and Buck, T-Bone and the rest of the animals are always there even if Jeff and Nancy are not.
Kids love to eat their vegetables once they have visited the farm. There is something about pulling a carrot out of the dirt that makes it that much more delicious. We also plant a rather large pumpkin patch and will have a harvest day the first part of October so you can come out and pick your own. Nancy also loves decorative gourds, so she is planting a few of those too. Here are some tips for planning your visit: Wear comfortable clothing that you don’t mind getting dirty. It is always hotter, colder, windier, and sunnier in the country--so dress in layers.
In the event that it rains, everything will be muddy including Buck and Conrad’s paws. If you want to help out in the field, bring some gloves so your hands don’t end up looking like Jeff’s. We are early to bed and early to rise. FREEZING: Can’t get through all of your produce during the week? Freeze it for fresh veggies throughout the winter. Freezing peppers, basil, tomatoes, carrots and just about anything else you can think of will freeze pretty easily. This is a great guide from the Colorado State University Extension service: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09330.html CANNING: We will let you know throughout the season if we have an abundance of tomatoes, basil, cukes, or anything else you may want to can. We just ask that you swing on out to the farm to pick them up!
Storage of your Share in a little more detail with pictures! When you get your share, there will be some work to do. With so many new greens and vegetables to try each week, it is likely that you will need to store them until you are ready to cook/prepare and eat them. While most produce benefit from refrigerator time, there is a big difference in shelf life when you store items washed or unwashed, in plastic, paper bags or just loose. This is just a partial listing of the veggies that we are growing. Each week we try to introduce you to something new!
See Lettuce
Arugula
Bok Choy—we grow Red and White
Store in a seal plastic bag in the refrigerator. Do not wash until ready to use.
Store in a seal plastic bag in the refrigerator. Do not wash until ready to use.
Beets Bull’s Blood
Touchstone
Beet Greens—The Edible tops of the beets Braising Mix—One of our lettuce mixes Broccoli Cabbage
Carrots We have purple and Orange carrots this season Cauliflower
Corn
Cucumbers: Lemon, Diva, and Salt and Pepper
Wash and store loosely wrapped in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Will keep for several days. Wash and store, loosely wrapped, in the refrigerator. Will keep for several days. Do not wash until ready to use. Store in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator. Store in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge. Wash cabbage when ready to use. When storing cut cabbage make sure the cabbage when ready to use. When storing cut cabbage, make sure the plastic wrap is tight over cut leaves. Wash carrots and store them in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. They do best in a plastic bag, which keeps them from getting dehydrated. They will last for 2 to 4 weeks. Store the whole cauliflower in a loose plastic bag in the refrigerator. If desired, this can be cut down into florets and stored. Seal florets in a plastic bag, removing most of the air. Corn is best eaten the same day it is picked and/or purchased. If you need to, store it for a day or two in a plastic bag in the fridge husk on. Peel when ready to use. Unlike cucumbers sold in the grocery store, these don't come waxed. This waxing is done to prevent dehydration, so keep that in mind with your fresh cucumbers. Store them, wrapped in plastic in the crisper drawer of the fridge. They should keep this way for a week. Keep them away from bananas, melons and tomatoes.
Eggplant: Calliope, Clara, Nadia
Best stored at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. Can also be stored in the crisper drawer of the fridge. Wrap in a paper towel to absorb moisture.
Herbs: Basil
There are a few different methods for storing herbs. One is to wrap them in damp paper towels, seal in a plastic bag and then store in the refrigerator. Another method is to place them in a glass of water, much like a vase holding flowers. These can be left on the counter.
Kale
Do not wash until ready to use. Place in a plastic bag and keep it in the refrigerator for up to a week. Taste becomes stronger with prolonged storage. Snip leaves off of bulbous stem and then store in a loosely closed plastic bag. Keep in the refrigerator.
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
For heads of lettuce, wrap them in paper towels (to absorb moisture) and store in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. It is easiest to wash the lettuce as you use it, especially if you are only using a few leaves at a time. For salad mixes and loose leaf, wash them thoroughly and then dry completely. Wrap in paper towels to absorb moisture and then place in loose plastic bags (not sealed).
Melons—We grow a variety of cantaloupe, watermelons and muskmelons
Can be kept on the kitchen counter for storage. Will keep for three weeks if refrigerated. After cutting melons, wrap cut side tightly with plastic. Melons, peeled, seeded and diced, freeze exceptionally well in freezer bags. Store onions in a paper or mesh bag that allows for plenty of ventilation. Keep them somewhere cool and dark as warm air can cause them to sprout and/or get mushy.
Onions
Parsnips
Wash, dry and store in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. They do best in a plastic bag, which keeps them from getting dehydrated. They will last for 2 to 4 weeks.
Peppers: we grow a variety of bell, banana and hot peppers. The rule of thumb with peppers, the smaller the hotter! Potatoes
Wash peppers and store them loose (no bags) in the refrigerator. They should keep three to five days before starting to wilt and loose their flavor. Store dry (not washed) potatoes in a paper bag that is well ventilated and placed in a dark, cool location. Place them in a pantry but remember to keep them separated from the onions and garlic. Wash and store in a loose plastic bag. Keeps 10 - 14 days in the refrigerator.
Radishes Snow Peas/ Beans
Swiss Chard: Red and Rainbow
Store loose peas/beans in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator, only washing them when you are ready to use them Swiss Chard Do not wash until ready to use. Store dry, in the refrigerator, in a plastic bag. Keeps for 2 - 3 days.
Sweet Potatoes Summer Squash: Cash Flow, Eight ball and Peter Pan are just a few varieties that we grow.
See Potatoes Wrap well dried squash tightly in a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator. Wash before using - putting wet squash into the refrigerator will cause it to spoil faster.
Tomatoes
Ripe tomatoes are best stored loose at room temperature and eaten within a few days of harvest.
Turnips
Wash, dry and store in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. They do best in a plastic bag, which keeps them from getting dehydrated. They will last for 2 to 4 weeks.
Winter Squash: Butternut, Carnival, Delicata
Winter squash can be stored on the counter at room temperature, but only if you plan on using them in the next two to three weeks. Otherwise, store them in a cool dry, dark spot away from freezing temperatures. Properly stored, they can keep for months
