Friday, December 9, 2011

Preparations for next years CSA

We are gearing up for next year during December and January.  The greenhouse is filled to the max with seed trays planted with various vegetables that we will harvest next February. The fields are all turned over and ready to be planted when the seeds sprout.  We have many new volunteers on the farm who are helping us get ready for next year during the winter.

LOTS of changes planned for 2012! We have been keeping the CSA small the past 2 years to figure out what was working and what wasn't.  We now have studied other successful CSA's and found what things will work for us and we are going to try them in 2012. 

We have also been working on expanding the CSA and we now are going to offer shares to Cambria, Cayucos, Templeton, and Paso Robles for 2012.

  • We now have a blog that is updated weekly with harvest and planting info and farm news.  The blog also has easy link buttons to all the new features listed below.
  •  Only 1 size share! Add more produce by going to our online farmstand store.
  • There is an online farmstand store on our blog where anyone can purchase produce and we will pack it for pick-up at the farm or one of our pick-up sites.  
  • Volunteers can sign-up to work on the farm in exchange for produce by going to our blog and selecting the volunteer button and they will be emailed an online calender where they can select the times they would like to work. 
  • We now offer the option to sign-up and pay online for the CSA with e-check, or mail in check. 
  • Sign up for the CSA before Feb. 15th and get 10% Off your CSA share.  The Cost is $20 per share. For the full season 2/23/12 - 11/21/12  it costs $800 for every week share or $400 for every other week share.  Enter the coupon codes earlybird80 or earlybird40 when signing up to get the discount. That is a month of free produce!
Have a Joyful Holiday Season, and we will keep you posted when the new year begins!

Clark Valley Organic Farm

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Week 41 CSA Newsletter

Happy Thanksgiving!

This week you can expect to receive:
Butternut squash, corn, spinach, romaine lettuce, red lettuce, broccoli, pok choior cauliflower, arugula, endive, kale medley, kohlrabi, celery, and napa cabbage.
Large shares get extra quantities of the above items.


This is the last week of the 2011 CSA! We will deliver as we usually do, just a day early because of the holiday. We will start back up with the CSA on Feb. 23rd, 2012. We will send out an email to you when we have the applications ready.

Sign-ups will be online for the 2012 season. We will have one size share for $20 and an every other week option for next year! We are also offering the option to buy produce from our online store that you can pick-up on thursday afternoons at the farm during Dec-Feb. You choose the vegatables you want from the list of what is available and we will pack it for you. We plan to have that up and running by the December 1st. We will send out emails when it is ready to go.

This has been a great year for us and we have learned alot about what works growing the vegatables. We finally conquered the aphids and the critters ate the corn, but left us lots of other yummy vegies. We have moved to taking sign-ups online and running the CSA through the computer, but we are still only a phone call away if you need to talk to a real person! Thank you all for your support this year and hope you join us for next years harvest.

 Thanks for supporting local, fresh organic produce.
Clark Valley Organic Farm
www.cvorganicfarm.com

dawn@cvorganicfarm.com
805-242-6789

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Week 38 CSA Newsletter

This week you can expect to receive:
Summer squash, cauliflower, green boston lettuce, red leaf lettuce, pok choi, broccoli, radish, beet medley and strawberries.
Large shares get extra quantities of the above items and tomatoes.

We have started a blog for our farm over the summer and have been posting the newsletters.  If you missed some, or want to read up on the farm go check it out. We also have a planting and harvest calendar on the blog, so you can see what will be coming in your produce bags. We will update the calender weekly. The month of October is available to view by clicking the back arrow on the calendar.  It can take anywhere from 60 to 90 days from planting to harvest time. Here is the link for the blog. http://clarkvalleyorganicfarm.blogspot.com/

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Week 37 CSA Newsletter

This week you can expect to receive:
Summer squash, cauliflower, arugula, green boston lettuce, red boston lettuce, light red leaf lettuce, pok choi, broccoli, endive, and strawberries.
Large shares get extra quantities of the above items.

We planned to offer pumpkins this week, but the squirrals have been feasting on them and there are only about a dozen intact pumpkins left! We grew sugar pie pie pumpkins, which are great for eating. Next year we plan plant the pumpkin fields away from the eucalyptus trees where the squirrals live.

Courtney is a Los Osos local who offers cooking classes for vegetarians. She has lots of yummy ways to cook up some of the more unusual vegatables that we can grow on the farm. She offers classes at New Frontiers and will also teach private classes to a group of friends or an individual.

Here is her newsletter for this month.

Hey beautiful people! Don & I hope things are well & wonderful with you, and that you’re looking forward to the holidays. Just living here on the Central Coast feels like a huge blessing to me, especially with such a friendly, conscious community which includes people like you. Thanks for being a part of it with us!
 In this newsletter, I’ve given you the symptoms lists for gluten intolerance, lactose intolerance and casein allergy, so you can decide whether you or a loved one needs to steer clear of these foods. I’ve listed our Nov/Dec CookWell class schedule (note the new time for session #1 at New Frontiers Sat, Nov 5th AND our new whole foods grilling class at Sage EcoGardens Sat, Dec 3rd). And, of course, I’ve included two of our favorite recipes: chipotle beans with sea veggies, and sugar & gluten free, sweet cultured coriander cornbread - participants in our CookWell series at Cal Poly LOVED these recipes!
 Whether you want to have both Don & I, or just me (Courtney), come to your kitchen for a private or small group CookWell session, OR if you just want to show up to one of our group classes listed below, we look forward to meeting you and helping you incorporate the whole foods diet & lifestyle that works best for you. We’re now offering out entire series with hands-on practice in the teaching kitchen at Cal Poly each spring and fall - stay tuned to these newsletters for registration info if you’d like to join us. An outline of exactly what you’ll learn and what we can cook together in each session is posted on The Course page of my website www.cookwell.org.

Nov/Dec CookWell Class Schedule

classes in the demonstration kitchen at New Frontiers, SLO
please RSVP with Dusty: 785-0106 x125 or marketing@newfrontiersslo.com

CookWell Session #1: Whole Foods Cooking for Health & Happiness at New Frontiers SLO
Sat, Nov 5th, 2-4PM cost: $30 per person (includes meal!)
We’ll discuss: 1) whole foods diet, cooking and lifestyle as preventative medicine, 2) the basics of macrobiotic theory and individualizing your diet, 3) sprouting & simmering the nutrient-dense whole grains, 4) better digestibility of beans, 5) the CookWell list of wholefoods preparation staples for your kitchen including the best cooking oils for various temperatures, 6) the importance of drinking enough re-mineralized water daily, and 6) blood type basics
We’ll demonstrate cooking then eat together:
 beautiful pot of black beans with cumin, coriander & ginger
 sprouted then simmered whole grain millet & amaranth
 ghee to use as a stable cooking oil
 dark leafy greens & seasonal veggie stir-steam
You’ll get 4 handouts for reference:
 list of whole foods preparation staples
 recommended reading list
 blood type basics
 fantastic recipes #1

Whole Foods Cooking For The Holidays at New Frontiers SLO
Sat, Nov12, 10AM - 12noon cost: $30 per person (includes meal!)
We’ll discuss food combining principals for better holiday meal digestion. We’ll explain why a whole foods diet & lifestyle acts as preventative medicine, and how to discover your unique needs to maintain personal balance. We’ll talk about emotions as they relate to food and how to become more mindful of why we make the choices we do, as well as how to be gentle with ourselves in incorporating whole foods diet and lifestyle practices.
We’ll demonstrate cooking then eat together:
 yam & portabella mushrooms with ginger, coriander & nutmeg (better than candied yams!)
 ginger-orange-cranberry relish (with maple syrup & stevia instead of sugar)
 delicious dark leafy greens to alkalize and balance heavy holiday meals
You’ll get 3 handouts for reference:
 whole foods recipes for the holidays
 whole foods staples for your kitchen
 recommended reading list


Whole Foods Grilling For Health and Happiness
at the beautiful Sage EcoGardens,1188 L.O.V.R., Los Osos

Sat 12/3, 11:30 - 1PM $35per person
We're excited about teaching a new technique in a great new location, and we hope you'll join us to learn how to make healthy marinades for grilling grass-fed meats and seasonal veggies. We'll review the fundamentals of whole foods diet & lifestyle, eat an amazing lunch together in the gardens, and you'll return home with several fantastic recipes!
PLEASE RSVP with me by 11/29: courtney@cookwell.org or 528-8837 Thanks!


November Recipes:

Chipotle Black Beans with Kombu or Hijiki Sea Veggies: Soak 2 -3 cups dry black beans overnight under 3-4 inches filtered water (they'll swell to twice their size). The next day, in a bowl on the side, combine 2 cups of hot water with 1/4 cup dried hijiki and/or 1/4 cup dried and chopped (into 1/8" pieces) kombu sea veggies - let soak for 30 minutes. OR, to incorporate sea veggies which don't require soaking, just throw in a handful of dried arame sea veggies with the ground spices near the end of cooking. Any of these 3 kinds of sea vegetable are 1) full of trace minerals, 2) help tenderize beans when cooked into them for 20 minutes which makes the beans more easily digestible, and 3) bind and remove both heavy metals and radioactive substances from the body. Amazing, right? Okay. Rinse off the old soak water from the beans and replace with fresh filtered water (enough so the beans are covered by at least 2 inches of water) in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, skimming excess foam off the top for the first few minutes. Reduce to simmer, then after 40 minutes of simmering, drain the sea veggies if soaked, and add them to the beans. Stir, put the lid on at an angle, and simmer another 20 minutes. When beans have simmered for 1 hour total and are soft, add 1 tsp each ground spices: chipolte, ground ginger, cumin, coriander, granulated garlic and 1/2 tsp cayenne. Stir and simmer another 7 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in 1 bunch bite size chopped collard greens or kale, 1 tsp ground sage, ½ tsp marjoram, and 2 tsp dill or chives. Stir and simmer 2 more minutes then turn off heat. Add 3 Tbsp ghee, butter or olive oil, 3 - 4 Tbsp shoyu or tamari soy sauce to taste, and 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar. Garnish with lemon or lime juice & Enjoy!

Sugar & Gluten Free Sweet Cultured Coriander Corn Bread: Combine 2 cups fresh ground amaranth OR millet flour AND 2 cups organic corn meal with 1 cup plain, cultured yogurt and 1 cup water (OR, for a dairy free alternative to yogurt, mix 1.5 cups water with content of 2 capsules any live probiotic). Mix flours, water and cultures until just blended and let sit covered at room temperature for 24 hrs. You see, the probiotic bacteria neutralize the phytic acid in the whole grain flour so it can't bind with minerals in your intestines & inhibit their absorption. Another benefit is that the bacteria break down the complex carbohydrates, making the grain's nutrients more assimilatable and much easier to digest. Okay, the next day, in a separate bowl combine 1 cup melted butter, ghee or coconut oil, 2 eggs, and 2 tsp Nu Naturals brand liquid vanilla stevia OR 2 tsp Nu Naturals brand non-bitter stevia powder OR 1 tsp of each kind (best!). Then mix in 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 2 tsp ground coriander, 1tsp nutmeg, and 1tsp whole sea salt. Mix well and stir into cultured flour mixture. When the two are mixed until smooth, add 1 cup fresh, canned or frozen organic corn kernels and stir. Pour into 2 buttered loaf size baking pans or a buttered casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 -40 minutes (the deeper the dish/pan, the more time needed to bake - when a wooden skewer stick comes out dry, it’s done). This cornbread goes great alongside beans, and it’s so sweet & moist I almost called it "Corn Cake".

As always,
 Don and I welcome any questions you may have via phone or email. For more information on the ancient whole foods philosophies we teach about, see the “about the food” page of my website www.cookwell.org.
 We hope to see you sometime soon to share lots of learning, laughter and incredible food!

Namaste ~
Courtney & Don

 Thank you all for your support this year.

 Thanks for supporting local, fresh organic produce.
Clark Valley Organic Farm.
clarkvalleyfarm@gmail.com

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Week 36 CSA Newsletter

This week you can expect to receive:
Summer squash, cauliflower, lemon basil, cherry tomatoes, boston lettuce, red lettuce, baby pok choi, curly leaf and dino kale, swiss chard and strawberries.
Large shares get extra quantities of the above items and brocolli.




We are having a special promotion for the rest of the CSA season where people can give the CSA a try for just one week!  They can decide if it will work for them and if they want to sign up for next year. Let your friends know they can try the CSA for just one week by going to the website and signing up. cvorganicfarm.com.
 

Thank you all for your support this year.

 Thanks for supporting local, fresh organic produce.
Clark Valley Organic Farm.
clarkvalleyfarm@gmail.com

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Week 35 Newsletter

This week you can expect to receive:
Butternut squash, yellow corn, brocoli or cauliflower, arugula, thai basil, burgandy tomatoes, baby romaine lettuce, red leaf lettuce, baby pok choi, curly leaf and dino kale, and strawberries.
Large shares get extra quantities of the above items, and cucumbers


Thank you all for your support this year.

 Thanks for supporting local, fresh organic produce.
Clark Valley Organic Farm.
clarkvalleyfarm@gmail.com
cvorganicfarm.com

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Week 33 CSA Newsletter

This week you can expect to receive:
Summer squash assortment, purple and orange carrot bunch, kohlrabi, arugula, lime or thai basil, burgandy tomatoes, green onions, baby romaine lettuce, red butter lettuce, swiss chard, curly leaf and dino kale, and strawberries.
Large shares get extra quantities of the above items, cucumbers and parsley.

We would like to announce an event coming up soon

Bioneers conference is coming to SLO

Ecologistics is very excited to be bringing the very popular Marin County Bioneers Conference, to the Central Coast, for the 2nd annual Central Coast Bioneers (CCB) event, Oct. 14-16 at the San Luis Obispo Vets Hall.

Bioneers is a gathering of scientific and social innovators who have demonstrated visionary and practical models for restoring the Earth and communities. CCB is a beaming site for the N. CA conference and presentations will be transmitted live to Central Coast attendees.

Sixteen of the world?s brightest innovators presenting include: Philippe Cousteau, Gloria Steinem, Chinese journalist and award-winning filmmaker John Liu, and Amory Lovins, Chairman and Chief Scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute. Presenting brand new, cutting- edge ideas for making communities strong and resilient, attendees will be inspired, informed and given tools and ideas to take action.

Central Coast Bioneers will host local on-site speakers, hands-on workshops and local field trips designed to address regional interests. Best-selling author Gail Sheehy and Jason McClennan, international thought-leader in the green architecture movement will be speaking and available for book signings.

Twenty five Central Coast pioneers and innovators from the will share their expertise at local afternoon workshops and presentations. Topics include green gardening, the dangers of water privatization, keeping our food supply local and sustainable, lessons to help consumers & green business owners avoid ?greenwashing,? conservation of the Salinas River corridor, and many more. The conference will also feature music, organic, locally and sustainably grown food and a Green Marketplace. This year the conference is also a gallery stop on the annual Open Studios Tour.

Attendees can register for the entire 3 days or pick and choose between workshops. Student prices are also available. Registration and more information about Central Coast Bioneers, speakers and topics is available at their website, www.centralcoastbioneers.org or by calling (805) 548-0597.



Thank you all for your support this year.

 Thanks for supporting local, fresh organic produce.
Clark Valley Organic Farm.
clarkvalleyfarm@gmail.com

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Week 30 CSA Newsletter

This week you can expect to receive:
Summer squash assortment, purple cauliflower, lots of broccoli, arugula, green leaf lettuce, tomatoes, swiss & rainbow chard, kale medley, & flower bouquets
Large shares get extra quantities of the above items.

We are excited to announce that we now added locally caught and canned tuna fish as an option to add to your CSA bags from www.eatalbacore.com! These albacore are individually caught by local commercial fisherman Wayne Moody who uses a sustainable hook and line method. Each fish is handled with special care to ensure the finest quality product for you. The fish are carefully loined, hand packed, and pressure cooked, ensuring the nutritional quality is maintained. This premium Albacore Tuna is rich in Omega-3s.

Smoked is $6/can and regular is $5/can. There are also case discounts.
Product: 7.75 oz. cans of Premium Albacore

 Price: ¼ case, $28.80 (6 cans)

 ½ case, $56.40 (12 cans)

 1 case, $108.00 (24 cans)

 Smoked Custom Canned Albacore
 Ingredients: Albacore, salt, sugar, olive oil, and spices.


 Product: 6.5 oz. cans of Smoked Albacore

 Price: ¼ case, $34.20 (6 cans)

 ½ case, $67.20 (12 cans)

You can get it by logging in to your account and going to our online store. It is open Friday through Tuesday, closed Wednesday and Thursday. The payment for the fish is taken out of the existing balance in your account. Here is the link to the store. [Link to Web Store]

The tuna is available through S.L.O. Fresh Catch which offers a Seafood CSA to our county. Our farm is a pickup site for the weekly fish share on thursdays. If you would like to join and receive delicious local fresh fish every week, here is the link to the website to get more info and sign up: www.slofreshcatch.com


This weekend we are delighted to be at the North County Home, Garden, and Gourmet Expo at the fairgrounds in Paso Robles. We will have a booth for the farm, and feature our local, organically grown produce. We hope to get the word out about the farm and attract restaurant buyers and more CSA members for the 2012 CSA season.



Thank you all for your support this year.

 Thanks for supporting local, fresh organic produce.
Clark Valley Organic Farm.
clarkvalleyfarm@gmail.com

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Week 29 CSA newsletter

This week you can expect to receive:
Fingerling potatoes and red potatoes, 2 radish bunches, rainbow chard, tat soi, brocolli, tomotoes, runner beans, pear tomatoes, and 3 kinds of basil, lemon, thai, and broad leaf.
Large shares get extra quantities of the above items and spinach.

This has been an eventfull week at the farm. Last week Jim was given a brand new little puppy! It is a Jack Russel Terrier and he has chosen the name Rusty. He keeping Jim busy and follows Jim everywhere! Here he is resting while we were picking strawberries.


The first crop of corn was eaten this week by the squirrals! They demolished it in two days, so we are resorting to putting out some humane traps and relocating them. We would like our share of corn too!

We also had a film crew on the farm on Wednesday to make a video for Savor the Central Coast Event. They interviewed Jim and took some footage of the farm. As soon as the video is available on youtube, we will share the link so you can see it.




Thank you all for your support this year.

 Thanks for supporting local, fresh organic produce.
Clark Valley Organic Farm.
clarkvalleyfarm@gmail.com

Friday, August 26, 2011

Week 28 CSA Newsletter

This week you can expect to receive:
Beet bunch,english breakfast radish, rainbow chard, tat soi, brocolli, tomotoes, bean medley, and strawberries.
Large shares get extra quantities of the above items and spinach.


We are starting to plan out next year's CSA and we have decided that we are going to recruit more people to work in exchange for a share of produce. In this day and age with job losses, some folks have time more than money. We need help in many areas on the farm. Specific areas we need help in are working in the fields/greenhouse, selling at farmer's markets, and thursday afternoon deliveries.

 We also are looking for a few people to help with implementing some marketing ideas, and to get local community organizations involved with the farm. We are open to hearing any ideas about how to make the farm more community oriented and how to market it.

If you or anyone you know is interested, please have them give us a call or send an email our way. We ask a minimum commitment of 4 hours a week to get a share of produce.

Thank you all for your support this year.

 Thanks for supporting local, fresh organic produce.
Clark Valley Organic Farm.
clarkvalleyfarm@gmail.com

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Week 26 CSA Newsletter

This week you can expect to receive:
romaine lettuce, baby swiss chard, spring onions, carrot bunch, beet bunch, baby basil, tomatoes and strawberries.
Large shares get extra quantities of the above items and cilantro and fava beans.


Friday, July 8, 2011

Week 21 CSA Newsletter

This week you can expect to receive:
Spring onions, carrots, red potatoes, yellow banana potatoes, oak leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, mustard greens, english breakfast radishes, and strawberries.
Large and host also get Spinach.

This Sunday the 10th we are having a farm work day from 10 to 12 in the morning. You are welcome to bring family & friends and come see what we are doing out on the farm, and maybe even get your hands a little dirty! RSVP by emailing us back, or calling Jim at 540-0367.

The bread orders are on hold for the next 3 weeks since our baker is out of the country, and our backup baker needs a minimum of 10 orders. We will let you all know when the bread is back!

We have 6 rows of squash planted in the ground, and it is beginning to sprout, and so are the the peas and bush beans. We put in 3 rows of asparagus this week, which is an annual, and produces year after year without replanting. We expect to see some new asparagus shoots next spring.


Thanks for supporting local, fresh organic produce.
Clark Valley Organic Farm.