Nothing happens in living nature that is not in relation to the whole
--Goethe

This week and last the crew has been planting many of our fall crops: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, turnips, and carrots to name a few. Harvest has picked up in the last two weeks as well. Your boxes are filling out, and we are also sending more produce to area stores.
Today we are sending our fourth pallet of veggies to the Wedge Co-op in the Cities. This is a new venture for us. This is the first year we have had enough produce to sell by the pallet.
Entering a bigger market is both exciting and challenging. Our reputation is now on the line in a new arena. If Jack calls the Wedge buyer and says we'll have 14 cases of broccoli for delivery Tuesday, then we'd better have it. The buyer has made us his only source of broccoli for that week, and he can't afford for us to screw up!

For both Rhys and Jack, the move to wholesaling is a natural one. Rhys sold apples wholesale for years, and Jack apprenticed on larger- scale farms in both California and Pennsylvania. As Jack says, "I feel just as good about bringing a truckload of lettuce to Minneapolis as I do delivering our CSA shares. I am so happy feeding many people the produce we grow on our land."

This Week's Vegetables
Kohlrabi: This has got to be one of the most under-rated vegetables around. Not even Laurel's Kitchen, an encycolpedic vegetarian cookbook, has a recipe calling for this crisp, sweet, juicy root.
Never fear, however, because you don't need to cook kohlrabi. When they are fresh like these, just peel and slice them to munch on for snacks or to serve with your favorite dip. They taste something like a mild turnip, or a slightly spicy, not-too-sweet apple.
You can also add kohlrabi to soups or mash them with potatoes. Very versatile, very refreshing on a hot summer day.
Kohlrabi store well in your refrigerator in a plastic bag. You can trim the root and leaves off (if the crew hasn't already done that for you) before refrigerating.
Garlic Whistles: Last year's members will remember these fanciful curliques. When the garlic planted last fall almost reaches maturity, it forms garlic whistles (which would eventually become seed heads if not harvested in July).
If you are a garlic lover like I am, you will appreciate the opportunity to cook with fresh garlic flavor this time of the year. Use whistles as you did green garlic, in place of garlic cloves in recipes. Note that whistles are tougher than green garlic stems, so do better in soups, marinades, and dressings, than in something like an omelette. And, like green garlic, they are milder than garlic cloves.
Garlic whistles keep well. Store them in your fridge in a plastic bag. See recipe below.
Beets: This type of beet is called Detroit Red. To make storage easier, cut tops off beets and store in separate plastic bag. See recipe below.
Bronze Oak Leaf Lettuce: To make a beautiful salad Jack often lines a large bowl with the leaves of this lettuce. Separate leaves from head and wash and dry. Stand up in large bowl with thick end of stem down. Fill with other greens, or pasta, or other type of salad.
Choice of Greens: Leafy greens are some of the healthiest vegetables you can eat. We happen to have great growing conditions for them here at the farm--they love the foggy mornings in the valley. Here is a quick synopsis of the greens available today and some cooking suggestions:
Red Russian or Dinosaur Kale: Along with collards, kale is a traditional southern green. These varieties are relatively new, however. They are somewhat sweeter and more tender than green kale.
We like these plain and simple. Chop stems into small pieces and then chop leaves into strips. Bring and inch of water to boil in med-large saucepan. Add stems and cook, covered, for about 4 to 5 minutes. Add leaves and continue to cook, covered, until all is tender, about 4 minutes more. Drain and serve. Some folks like to drizzle a little lemon juice or vinegar over the cooked greens before serving.
Collards: This green is the big boy on the block. The round, flat leaves are packed with nutrients: betacarotene, vitamins C and B, and calcium.
The best way to cook collards is to cut them as you would kale (by separating stems and leaves) and then quick-boil them in a skillet with 2 cups of boiling water for about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the water and then saute the greens with olive oil and garlic. Save the water and drink if it sounds appealing. It's an awesome tonic.
Ruby Red Swiss Chard: Known also as "summer spinach" because of its high oxalic acid content, chard is the most tender of the leafy greens. It is high in vitamins A and C.
Prepare as a side dish by separating leaves from stalks: fold leaves in half and cut stems from leaf with sharp knife, running point of knife lengthwise from top of leaf to bottom. Chop stem into ¼ inch pieces and then cop leaves into strips. Saute with olive oil and garlic whistles. When chard is thoroughly cooked you should not experience the tang of the oxalic acid.
We will continue to feature greens in your deliveries. As the season continues I will include recipes that include greens prepared in a variety of ways.

Who's Who in the Crew
Patty Zanski has been working with plants for about five years now. She started out by planting a garden in her backyard and working for a greenhouse and landscaping service in Northern Wisconsin.
Now Patty works for Featherstone three days a week and continues to improve her garden. She uses the biointensive system which relies on healthy, organic soil and close plant spacing to produce abundant crops. As Patty wrote to us when looking to work on a farm two years ago, "I am excited about this work and feel a calling to being in the dirt."
Patty's "dirty work" this year includes managing the small greenhouse where all of our transplants are started and attending Rochester market every other week. As the senior crew member, she often finds that new crew members look to her for answers about daily tasks on the farm. Patty says this is somewhat stressful because she feels pretty new at farming herself, but also says it's good for her because it pushes her in new directions.
We are very grateful for Patty's presence at Featherstone. She has given the farm a great deal in her time here. She and her partner, John, have just bought a house in LaCrosse, so she may not be farming on her own anytime soon. But if she decides to walk that path, she'll do a great job.