Farmstand Hours:
Tuesday - Sunday
9am - 7pm
(Closed Mondays) |
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Produce
this week 
For Distribution:
Lettuce, Kale, Collards, Chard, Spinach, Raddishes, Hakurei Turnips, Pac Choi, Arugula, Asian greens
Pick Your Own:
Sugar Snap Peas, located in Plains Meadow
Thyme & Oregano in the front field, next to the farmstand.
Other Produce Available for Purchase |
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Upcoming Events
Week of June 16th - CSA Distribution Begins!
Thursday, June 26th at 6:30 Introduction to Holistic Nutrition with Shelley Ballantyne. $5 sign up at the farmstand.
Sunday, July 13th 2pm - 4pm
Saturday, July 26th 2:30 - 5pm
Saturday, August 16th, 5pm
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Fruit Shares
Fruit shares this season will begin approximately mid-August. The share will include 1/2 peck (about five pounds) of apples or peaches from Cider Hill Farm in Amesbury. The 11-week share is $95. Sign up in the farmstand with a check. Although not certified organic, they are locally grown using IPM (Integrated Pest Management) practices. Fruit shares are open to non-CSA members, too!
Blueberries and raspberries grown at the farm are included in the regular CSA share and you do not have to be a fruit share to pick your own fruit on the farm. |
Friend of the Farm Adspace
Giggles
Toys & Gifts
Your local source for fun, unique children's toys, games and more!
54 Railroad Avenue
South Hamilton
978-468-5800
For more information about placing an ad, call our office at 978-468-3720 | |
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| Farmer Andrew's Update
Distribution begins tomorrow! The seasons is here and the crew has been hard at work harvesting lettuce, spinach, kale, chard, radishes, turnips, and some other crops. Spring growing conditions have been very favorable so we should all feel optimistic. Thank you again for investing in Green Meadows Farm. Everyone on the crew feels a huge debt of gratitude.
Thanks for coming out to lamb day. It was great to have the spinners here to demonstrate how to take the raw fleece and convert it to clothes. Some of the lambs will be next to the stand for the rest of the week...parents remember to teach your children about eclectic fencing.
Because of the warm spring, some crops are a little ahead of schedule. Sugar snap peas (usually ready the last week of June) are ready for harvesting. They are located in Plains Meadow, our main growing field down the gravel road on your right off the parking lot. Please remember to hold the stem of the plant when you break off the pod. It's very easy to rip the entire plant out of the ground if the peas are harvested incorrectly. A member of the field crew will be in the PYO (Pick Your Own) peas all week to help with harvesting techniques or to answer any questions about the farm. One final reminder, dogs are not allowed in the fields. |
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Vegetable of the Week: Pac Choi
 If you're looking for a nutritious vegetable that is quick and easy to cook, Pac Choi is a great choice. Pac Choi is a plant that is in the cabbage (brassicacea) family. It originated in China, where it has been grown for over 1500 years. It was introduced into the US during the late 19th century by Chinese immigrants. Since then, it has gained popularity, though in most areas of the country, it is still considered somewhat exotic. Pac Choi has a delicious, buttery flavor. The green part of the leaves taste similar to Swiss chard and the stems (called ribs) are crispy and can be substituted for celery in recipes.
Pac Choi is:
High in Vitamins: A, C & B- complex vitamins
High in Minerals: Calcium
Good Source of: Dietary Fiber
Low in Calories: Only 24 per One-Cup Serving
Basic Cooking Tips:
Remove the leaves from the stalk. Remember, the stalk will require several minutes more to cook than the leaves do. Steam or sauté stalk pieces first, and then add leaves just minutes before finishing. Add to any stir-fry dish OR make it the main part of one, as in the
recipes links below:
Sweet and Sour Pac Choi
Try it with our great new organic tofu! |
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Crew Spotlight: Farmer Andrew
 For those of you who are new members, we thought it would be appropriate to begin the CSA season giving you some background on who your farmer is. Andrew Rodgers is 34 years old and grew up in Newton, Massachusetts. He was an English major at UMass, Amherst (where he met his wife, Diana) then worked for The Gartner Group, conducting market research focus groups for the high tech industry. Not satisfied with an office job, Andrew tried to figure out how to incorporate his passion for the outdoors and environmental issues into a career. He visited a CSA and decided this would be a great way to save farmland from becoming developed, and to work outside instead of in an office. He decided to return to UMass, this time for their Master's Degree program in Soil Science through the Stockbridge School of Agriculture. At the same time, he took a job working on a small CSA farm in Sudbury, MA (now called Siena Farm). His next farm job was the assistant farmer at Sterns CSA in Framingham. Six years ago, he became the farm manager at Green Meadows Farm. Since then, the farm has grown. He's increased the crew, and the farmstand is now open six days a week to the public. He believes it's very important for people to know who grows their food, so feel free to say "hi" to Andrew when you see him at the farm. He welcomes questions and suggestions on how to make Green Meadows a better farm and community asset. He is also training his two young kids, Anson and Phoebe to become future farmers. |
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Share a Share
 This year, we are going to be donating a share to the HAWC (Help for Abused Women and their Children) Shelter. In addition, one of our generous CSA members kicked off a lower income donation fund with a $2,000 gift. Many of you have chosen to add an additional $35 to your bill in order to donate a one week distribution to a lower income family. Because this was so popular, we have decided to keep the collection box available at check out. Scholarship candidates are being chosen by a third party and mostly include families from the Lynn area. We are so excited to be a for profit business with such a supportive customer base willing to share their experience with those who would otherwise not be able to visit the farm. Another exciting project we're working on is the ability to accept food stamps at the farmstand. When we have the capability to accept them, we'll mention it in the newsletter. |
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New Farm Events
Introduction to Holistic Nutrition: Thursday, June 26th at 6:30pm. Shelley Ballantyne, Certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and fellow CSA member, will discuss the basics of Holistic Nutrition, an approach to health that encompasses food, supplements and lifestyle. Pre-registration is requested, please sign up at the farmstand. The class is $5 and includes healthy food samples.
 Alfalfa Farm Winery Open House for Green Meadows CSA Members: Sunday, July 13th from 2pm - 4pm. Tour the Topsfield winery, sample their wines and receive a case special discount on wine purchased that day. Tours are: 2:00,2:30,3:00 and 3:30pm To sign up or for more information please email: alfalfafarmwinery@gmail.com or call 617-875-1215. $5 per person includes a glass wine taster,4-6 samples of wine and a selection of cheeses for your enjoyment.
 "Friday Farmer Feasts", each Friday at Noon. Stop by the tent behind the farmstand any Friday with your home cooked potluck dish and enjoy a communal lunch with the farm crew. The crew breaks for lunch each Friday from Noon until 1pm, and encourage anyone to join in. See you there! |
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CSA Member Essentials
For those of you who missed the CSA Orientation, there are a few changes for the 2008 season. You are now welcome to visit the farm between 9am and 7pm on the day you have signed up for. Please call our farm office at 978-468-3720 if you have forgotten your day. If it's raining, too hot, or if you simply do not have time to do your pick your own on your pick up day, you are welcome to return any time that week to do the pick your own. Because organic farming practices include crop rotation (so the same crop is not grown over and over in the same spot), we have changed where some of the crops are growing this year. Cherry and plum tomatoes, for example, will be located in our main growing field, Plains Meadow. Understanding that all members might not be interested in the hike to Plains Meadow every week, we have hired "pickers" - local high school students to pick produce. If you choose to purchase already picked produce, you will pay for the labor, but it will save you a trip if you're short on time.
 There are two cookbooks that we highly recommend for those who eat locally. "Asparagus to Zucchini" and "Farmer John's Cookbook" are both excellent cookbooks written for people who belong to CSAs. They focus on unusual vegetables like kohlrabi, and have great tips on preparation and storage. Many copies are available for purchase in the farmstand.
 Green Meadows Farm "Garden Hods" are also a great tool for gathering your pick your own crops, or simply as a shopping basket for your share. They are made in Maine of wire and wood, can get wet, and in the winter, they make excellent firewood baskets.
Other items worth keeping in your car include: reusable shopping bags to collect your share, scissors (for pick your own herbs), bug spray, sunscreen and a hat. | |
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