News from the Farm
By Jack Hedin

I am writing to introduce myself to you, our CSA membership. Some of you I have known since the program began in Winona in 1997. Others I have met on occasion in Rochester, in the days when Rhys and I assembled boxes ourselves at the delivery sites. Still others I have yet to meet- our new members in the Twin Cities. To all of you I bring a hearty spring welcome, and a big thank you for supporting our farm as CSA members. This promises to be a wonderful season for fresh, organic produce, and I am delighted you will be along to share the harvest!

Featherstone Fruits and Vegetables is a family farm partnership based at the Zephyr Valley Community Co-op in rural Winona County. Both the farm and the Co-op have been at the center of my life for the last eleven years, and it has been my pleasure to have worked with dozens of people- English, Spanish and Hmong speaking- who have made this home and farm what it is today. Rhys and I now manage about 90 acres of farmland on 5 sites in the Winona area, employing a dozen or so people producing fifty different crops in season. Neither of us grew up on farms, however, and our evolution to this point is a long and complex story. I intend only to give you the rough outlines at this time. For those of you more interested in our history, philosophy and agricultural methods at Featherstone, there is further information on our website. And we will be happy to answer any and all questions at our Strawberry Social in June.

Growing up in suburbia (Louisville) and a small town (Red Wing), I had little experience with growing much of anything outside a small flower garden. I have always enjoyed good food, however; and since my first days in the college apartment I’ve been an avid cook. I took a job in a natural food grocery with the first organic produce display in the state (CT in 1987), and an apprenticeship on a small CSA farm in the Berkshires the following year. I fell in love with growing vegetables at once. Jenni McHugh and I spent several years together working on farms from PA to CA, before we were married in the summer of 1994. We discovered the appeal of a co-operatively managed farm at Full Belly Farm near Sacramento, and decided to find or create such an arrangement closer to my family roots in SE Minnesota. Jenni and I were founding members of the Zephyr Community from its early meetings in 1992, and we moved to the farm in April of 1995. We have three sons, Emmet (10), Oscar (6) and Jasper (1.5).

I grow vegetables now for the same reasons I fell in love with it as a young adult; it is simply the most life-affirming and fundamentally creative work I have ever done. Farming so many different crops without the aid of shortcuts (i.e. chemicals) requires a huge range of skills, knowledge and resources. Managing them all in concert is a great challenge, and when it all comes together at harvest time, the results can be wonderful. Certainly there are frustrations and disappointments along the way, but these are the learning opportunities for the next season. Working with the earth, engaging mind, body and soul day-to-day in the field, feeding people good food; it is my joy and privilege to be an organic farmer.

Once again thank you for your support of our family farm. In this era of industrialized, mega-scale agriculture, everyone benefits from the close relationship between grower and consumer that the CSA idea represents. But this is a subject for future newsletters…I look forward to meeting all of you at the Strawberry Social in June.

By Sarah Libertus

Due to the nature of farming, the produce in the box may change with the weather. Please feel free to contact me if you need any additional assistance with what is in your box.
Swiss Chard- A green so chuck full of vitamins and important nutrients that they grow it in the space station. Cook up chard as you would any other green. It takes at least 10 minutes of cooking, but it has a rich earthy taste that is a great addition to soups, quiches and stir-frys. Some people remove the stem as it will take a long time to soften, but I like the variation of texture and use the entire leaf.
Green Garlic- Some people have asked why the green garlic is a bit dirty. There are some vegetables that do not sit well after being washed: they tend to get a bit slimy if washed and not used immediately. Green garlic is one of these. So, in order to keep the garlic crisp we have forgone a quick rinse. Rinse the garlic before you use it and it will be fine.
Green Romaine- Romaine is a hardy head lettuce that keeps well and stands up to the toughest of additions (e.g. salty croutons, fishy Ceasar dressing (recipe follows) or big hunks of cheese).
Bunched Spinach- Banish the last remnants of the winter blues with folic acid rich spinach. McGill University published a report that linked depression to a deficiency in folic acid. This bunched spinach is hardier than the baby spinach, which makes it great for cooking. So, cook some up and be happy!

Contributed from a CSA member, this variation of the classic Caesar dressing substitutes mayonnaise for raw egg for creaminess without the fear of raw eggs. A great partner for the Romaine.

JONNO’S CAESAR DRESSING
1 1⁄2 Tbsp of Anchovy paste
1 tsp of fresh ground pepper
juice of 1⁄2 of a lemon
1 Tbsp of mayonnaise
1⁄4 tsp of salt
Mix together above ingredients and then slowly mix in:
1⁄4 cup of olive oil
1/3 cup finely grated best parmesan cheese you can findThis is a great savory dish contributed by CSA member Judy.

SPINACH, NUTS & CHEESE
1 bunch of Spinach, coarsely chopped and washed.
2 slices of minced thick cut bacon (optional)
1⁄4 cup minced onion (red or white)
2 green garlics minced (or substitute 2 cloves)
1⁄4 cup walnuts
1⁄4 cup cubed feta or fresh mozzarella

Brown the bacon and drain off the fat. Add oil to pan on medium high heat and sauté onions, garlic and walnuts until softened.
Throw spinach into nut/oil mixture and cook down (approximately 5 minutes).
Add bacon and cheese and cover until warmed (approximately 3 minutes).
Add red pepper or chilies for added pizzazz.

I just pilfered this recipe off the internet, but it looks great and I always love the combination of flavorful meats with chard.
LENTILS WITH SAUSAGE AND SWISS CHARD
8 ounces sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed, finely crumbled
1/2 cup chopped peeled carrot
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves minced
1 1/3 cup dried lentils
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 1/2 cups water or more if needed
1 pound Swiss chard, thick ribs and stems cut away and discarded, leaves coarse chopped
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Sauté sausage in large deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Drain any excess fat from skillet. Add carrot, onion and garlic to skillet; sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in lentils, bay leaf, fennel seeds and rosemary. Add 2 1/2 cups water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer until lentils are almost tender, about 20 minutes. Place Swiss chard atop lentils; cover and cook until lentils are tender and chard is wilted and tender, adding more water if mixture is dry, about 7 minutes. Stir to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Discard bay leaf. 2 servings.

~from Ninasrecipes.com