The Weblog
This page contains news, event information, and other items added by the market managers.
Deforest Market Prepares for 2012 season
DeForest Locally Grown is gearing up for another season of providing fresh local veggies to surrounding communities. The Market is currently displaying most of the items that were offered during last season to give you an idea of what you can expect from this market. Most of the vegetables provided at this market are grown by Forest Run Farm. Sweet corn in season is provided by Ripp-N-Good Sweetcorn. And fruit preserves are provided by Julie’s Jelly. Deforest Locally Grown is a net work of small farms that combine their products together in one market with a common pick up site. They are looking for more growers or producers to provide to this market; if you know anyone that would be interested in selling meat, cheese or bread, please let them know about this opportunity or have them contact Farmer@ForestRunFarm.com.
This years pick up location will again be hosted by Forest Run Farm, 3757 Mueller Rd., DeForest. A mid-April opening is planned with pick up on Friday afternoon. Pick up hours have been modified since last year and will be 3pm until 6pm sharp. Due to the complexity of this market, we ask customers to be punctual and arrive before 6 o’clock. Ordering via this on-line market does require customers to set up a free account. With an account, you will receive weekly emails to announce the offerings of the week. Ordering begins Sunday and closes each Tues evening so that growers can pick and pack the orders by Friday. Customers can order as often as they wish depending on their needs. Farmers often have additional quantities of produce available at pick up for additional purchases or for walk-up customers.
Payment is to be made at pick up by cash, check, prepaid credit or FMNP vouchers (Forest Run Farm produce). Forest Run Farm also offers Farm Stand CSA which provides you with credit to use to purchase the items from the on-line market that you want each week. Read more about it at www.ForestRunFarm.com.
Check out previous notices from Deforest Locally Grown at their WEBLOG at www.DeForest.LocallyGrown.net.
If you would llike to see some of what has been growing at Forest Run Farm over the winter, you can check out the Facebook Album at
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150557070896988.409081.68330656987&type=1&l=d774152544
To be removed from this market email, close your account, or notify Farmer@ForestRunFarm.com with “remove from locally grown” in subject line.
Last chance in 2011 to order Fresh Local veggies
You still have time to order a few more veggies for your Thanksgiving Week. You can order as late as 11:59 pm tonight, maybe later if we forget to close the door.
After walking the fields of Forest Run Farm yesterday morning, I have choosen some special guests for this final week of offerings:
Prize Choy, which has survived several cold nights in the field and still looks great with its white stalk and green leaves, and Leeks, also in the field but will survive quite a while longer. From the Hoop House we have the Kaleidoscope carrots in yellow, red and orange, Kale because it is SO good for you, Red Head lettuce that is huge and my favorite—Spinach!
And please consider the Harvest Basket for delivery next week. This basket will include nearly all of the offerings from the Market listing. Harvested fresh and wrapped for careful storage these items will take you into the next few weeks. Some of the items will need to be used sooner, like the greens and herbs, but most, like squash, cabbage, shallots, carrots, will hold out. The Harvest Basket will be ready for pick up on Tues Nov 22 and be sure to include your pick up time on your order.
Once again, from The Market Managers:
Thank You for a great Farm Stand Season!
John and Dena
Final week to Order for Pick up Nov 18 and/or Thanksgiving week
To Contact Us
Contact info:
FARMER@forestrunfarm.com
See What’s Happening:
Forest Run Farm on Facebook
Recipes
Celeriac and Leek Soup
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 bunch leeks (white and pale green parts only), chopped
3 cups broth
1-2 celeriac bulbs, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
1.5 lb potatoes, diced into 1-inch cubes
2 cups milk
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley or chives
3 Tbsp minced shallots or red onion
2 tsp grated orange peel
Heat oil in a heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add leeks and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth, celeriac, and potatoes. Cover and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 45 minutes. Puree broth mixture in blender or processor until smooth. Return to saucepan. Add milk to thin the soup to the desired consistency. Serve, garnished with parsley, onion, and orange peel.
Colcannon (Kale & Potatoes)
2 lbs potatoes
3 Tbsp butter
1 tsp salt pepper to taste
3 cups finely chopped kale
a little milk or cream
1 medium onion
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook quartered potatoes in salted water for 20 minutes. Drain and mash. Cook kale in 1 inch boiling water until tender. Drain and set aside. Sauté onions in half the butter, combine the onions with potatoes, kale, and 2-3 Tbsp milk or cream. Put in a shallow baking dish, dot with butter, and cook 15-20 minutes.
Carrot Soup
from Ruth Meier
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 1/2 cups shredded carrots
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup shredded celeriac
1 Tbsp flour
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp pepper
4 cups stock
Melt oil in soup pot, brown onion, stir in flour, and add broth. Stir while heating to boiling and cook for two minutes. Add remaining ingredients and let simmer one hour. Puree in blender. Serve hot.
What is available?
Maybe you have heard that November 26 is Small Business Saturday. Although Deforest Locally Grown is not technically open for sales on Saturday, you can still remember us by making a purchase today that will nourish your body until November 26. Many of the items on the market will last more than a few days, so be sure to stock up on the fall items that you can use next weekend and beyond. For the first time, we’ll offer a Harvest Basket that will provide veggies for the Thanksgiving meal and supplement the holiday leftovers.
Speaking of Small Businesses, November 18 will mark the 32nd week of the 2011 season for the Deforest Locally Grown Farm Stand. Thank yous are due to all our customers that have supported our On-line market. For this week, we will operate as usual with ordering for Friday pick up beginning today and ending Tues at Midnight. This will be the final Friday Pick up and will run from 2-6 as usual although it does get dark prior to 6 o’clock so early arrivals will be appreciated.
In addition to the regular orders taken for this week, Forest Run Farm is also offering a Thanksgiving Week Harvest Basket that will only be available for pick up on Tues, Nov 22 or Wed, Nov 23. The Harvest Basket, priced at $35.00, will contain many of the items already displayed on the market, including but not limited to:
0.5 # of garlic,
1 bunch of red radishes,
1 bunch of Daikon radishes,
1 bag of spinach,
1 green cabbage- about 2#,
3 # of carrots,
2 bunches of leeks,
2 bunches of kale,
1 celeriac,
1 large bunch of celery,
1 buttercup squash,
1 bunch of shallots,
1 bunch of Tat Soi,
1 bunch parsley,
1 bunch sage,
1 bunch thyme.
The Basket may also include at no additional cost: Bok Choy, Swiss Chard, Lettuce, Napa Cabbage, Beets, Kohlrabi, Pie Pumpkin, and or Potatoes. Total value if purchased separately is over $50. We are unable to make substitutions, so if it includes something you are not interested in, please find a home for it.
Important!! This basket will be the only offering for the week of November 20 and must be ordered this week before the market closes on Tues, November 15th. All pickups must be made Thanksgiving week during the following times: Tuesday Nov 22 from 4-7pm or Wednesday Nov 23 from 3-5pm. Please schedule a time during this range that you will pick up your order and place that time in the comments section of your order. Remember to bring enough containers/ bags to repack your share to take home.
Thank you again, for your ongoing business. We have met some great customers this year and look forward to Growing next year. Look for the Market opening as early as April—dependent on the weather of course—and keep up to date with these blogs.
We thank you for your interest and support of our efforts to bring you the healthiest, the freshest and the most delicious locally-produced foods possible!
Availability for week of November 6
Once again the weather has been interesting. With all the rain last Wednesday, it was a challenge to get all your orders harvested, washed and packed in time for Friday’s pickup, but we got it done.
This week the cooking greens again are looking great. There is still butternut and buttercup squash that you can add to your order at pickup. With the herbs that are available, you could be looking towards your Thanksgiving menu to be prepared. The garlic and squash will keep for weeks or a couple of months if stored properly so stock up.
For those of you that have used up any Farm Stand Credit you had, you can still order and pay for it at pickup.
Thanks for supporting local farmers!
Availability for week of October 30
New this week online— although they were offered at the market last week— are daikon radish, leeks, cabbage and celeriac. This week the market will still have Squash—butternut or buttercup—will be available in varying sizes and can be added to your order. That way you can choose exactly what you are going to use. Since there are so many sizes to choose from we are not putting up every available size on the Market list. Stock up now and freeze or can some squash.
Depending on the weather, this could be the last of the lettuce till spring. The hoophouse that the lettuce is growing in needs to have the plastic taken off before a snowfall, so if you know when that will be, you will know how long we will have lettuce available…
We are hoping to sell until the Friday before Thanksgiving.
Availability for week of October 23
To Contact Us
Contact info:
FARMER@forestrunfarm.com
See What’s Happening:
Forest Run Farm on Facebook
Healthy Carrot Cake
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups grated carrot
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
Frosting:
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 ounce fromage blanc
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Preheat oven to 350°. To prepare cake, weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ground cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add 2 cups grated carrot, tossing to combine.
Place granulated sugar, brown sugar, and 6 tablespoons butter in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Spread batter into a 13 × 9-inch metal baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake completely on a wire rack.
To prepare frosting, place softened cream cheese and next 4 ingredients (through 1/8 teaspoon salt) in a medium bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at medium speed until combined (do not overbeat). Spread frosting evenly over top of cake. Sprinkle evenly with toasted pecans.
What is available?
The Market will have various sizes of Pumpkins available Friday at Pick-up. Although they are listed at $1 or $4, you can order and upgrade to something bigger or smaller—whatever works for what you are looking for. Squash—butternut or buttercup—will also be available in varying sizes and can be added to your order. That way you can choose exactly what you are going to use. Since there are so many sizes to choose from we are not putting up every available size on the Market list.
Carrots are great this year. Check out the Healthy recipe for carrot cake—it uses less fat than some of the standby cake recipes!
Lettuce is also doing well in the hoop houses. There are many choices so be sure to choose carefully and be sure to order enough for all week. And the Bok Choy!! It is beautiful and each stalk is plenty for two meals. I stir fry with garlic and onion, serve with chicken over rice with parmesan. This will be one of the last weeks of Green Peppers, we are taking them from the hoop house as the field varieties are pretty much done with the cold weather over night. Spinach will be coming for several weeks, it is the large leaf variety and great texture for stir fry or salad. You wil also find the radishes, green onions and herbs at the market.
Forest Run Farm is continuing their sign-up for Winter Egg Shares. If interested please email or talk to Farmer on Friday. Prepaid Winter Egg shares are available as Every Week or Every Other Week, pick ups are on the honor system on Friday usually after 10am.
We thank you for your interest and support of our efforts to bring you the healthiest, the freshest and the most delicious locally-produced foods possible!
Availability for the week of October 16
To Contact Us
Contact info:
FARMER@forestrunfarm.com
See What’s Happening:
Forest Run Farm on Facebook
Veggie Soup Stock
8 cups coarsely shredded lightly packed greens (best if using 2 types: kale/lettuce, mizuna/collards, spinach/broc raab)
1 cup parsley sprigs
2 large stalks celery, chopped OR use Lovage include leaves
1 large onion OR use equivalent volume on Leeks chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
15 whole peppercorns
12 cups water
Combine all ingredients. Bring to boil over high heat; reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 hours. Let cool. Pour stock through a wire strainer and discard vegetables and seasonings. Cover and refrigerate up to 4 days OR freeze and keep up to 6 months.
Eating with the seasons and beyond
I was reading the blog SimpleBites.net which led me to SimpleOrganic.net which led me to Keeperofthehome.org. The particular reading I enjoyed was about Preparing for Seasonal Fall and Winter Eating. Author Stephanie Langford, has challenged herself and her readers to eat seasonally and locally all year long, even in the winter when home gardens and farm fields are under several inches/feet of snow. Part of this challenge means that you have to forego some foods during the winter—like fresh tomatoes, which in most cases are transported 100’s of miles to get to Wisconsin during the cold winter months. That will not be hard for me, I seldom purchase tomatoes out of season because the flavor just isn’t what I’m looking for.
Hopefully you have heard one of us say, freeze the extras! That allows the extension of eating seasonally into the next season. We canned dilly beans on Dilly Day, made Pesto (which I froze and still have available), froze zucchini and patty pan, and canned tomatoes. We’ll store our potatoes and garlic and carrots as long as we can. I’m considering dehydrating some cherry tomatoes this weekend (they are still producing in the hoop house). Some of the root crops we are harvesting will last a while in your fridge (remove any greens first). Squash should be kept in a cool dark place as well as your garlic. Even Broccoli Raab and Turnip greens and kale can be made into veggie stock and stored frozen for several months.
Now, obviously here in the DeForest area, the growing is not over. We have lettuce and kale, green onions, beets and bok choy all growing in the field with leeks, celery and celeriac and yes some tomatoes are still going! Anyone can set up an account and we expect to have offerings through Thanksgiving. Many other local Farmer’s Markets will be open through October while the Orchards and Cornmaze Tours also have local produce available. So, in the final months of this fall harvest be thinking of ways you can extend your local eating habits. Enjoy your veggies!
Forest Run Farm is also starting sign-ups for Winter Egg Shares. If interested please email or talk to Farmer on Friday. Prepaid Winter Egg shares are available as Every Week or Every Other Week, pick ups are on the honor system on Friday usually after 10am.
We thank you for your interest and support of our efforts to bring you the healthiest, the freshest and the most delicious locally-produced foods possible!
Availability for week of October 9
To Contact Us
Contact info:
FARMER@forestrunfarm.com
See What’s Happening:
Forest Run Farm on Facebook
Veggie Soup Stock
8 cups coarsely shredded lightly packed greens (best if using 2 types: kale/lettuce, mizuna/collards, spinach/broc raab)
1 cup parsley sprigs
2 large stalks celery, chopped OR use Lovage include leaves
1 large onion OR use equivalent volume on Leeks chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
15 whole peppercorns
12 cups water
Combine all ingredients. Bring to boil over high heat; reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 hours. Let cool. Pour stock through a wire strainer and discard vegetables and seasonings. Cover and refrigerate up to 4 days OR freeze and keep up to 6 months.
Market News
The market availability will be very similar to last week. Keep in mind, the weather of today, high 70’s, will drift back to more normal weather by Friday with a high in the 50’s and perfect weather for soup! Forest Run Farm offers several varieties of greens that would make a great veggie stock for use this weekend and for the freezer. Check out the recipe here as well as recipes from earlier blogs under the WEBLOG section of Deforest Locally Grown. In addition to squash and pumpkin available in limited quantities on-line they will also have 2nds available on Friday. These will be offered at a reduced price to reflect size and blemishes.
Forest Run Farm is also starting sign-ups for Winter Egg Shares. If interested please email or talk to Farmer on Friday. Prepaid Winter Egg shares are available as Every Week or Every Other Week, pick ups are on the honor system on Friday usually after 10am.
Note to Farm Stand CSA members: Please keep an eye on your credit available. We will continue to have greens, lettuce, green onions, radish, carrots, garlic, and Asian greens to name a few till Thanksgiving. But some things like potatos and squash and pumpkins will eventually sell out. Don’t wait too long to spend your credit while the picking choice is wider. Credit purchased as CSA that is remaining on account at the end of November will expire and be turned over to our community share fund. If your credit is used up, please support your local farmer and continue to visit the Farm Stand for weekly purchases. The more fresh local veggies we can sell at Deforest Locally Grown, the better we can serve you next year. Thank you for eating local and see you again on Friday!
We thank you for your interest and support of our efforts to bring you the healthiest, the freshest and the most delicious locally-produced foods possible!
Availability for week of October 2
This week the market isn’t offering many of the “warm weather” crops like tomatoes and beans. The farmers may find some, but the frost early Saturday and Sunday mornings did them in and we don’t expect to see them again until next summer. For those of you that picked up extras on Friday, good move. There are some hoophouse peppers, but they will be ending soon too. The peppers freeze well, so stock up to use in the winter.
But, there are pie pumpkins and winter squash and the hardy lettuce and cooking greens along with the root crops. Also a new listing this week is red delicious apples. What a treat. The farmers have been testing them for 7 or 8 weeks, and finally they are ready!!
Don’t forget to pick up your favorite herbs. They can be dried or frozen in ice cube trays to use throughout the winter.
Remember, the farmers harvest until the market opens, so you can almost expect to see some surprises.
Enjoy seasonal, fresh, local produce from farmers you know.
Availability for week of September 25
We worked on getting the Market open much earlier today, but the wonderful world of internet just didn’t let that happen—things were moving so slowly that we thought we would hold off the opening so that you wouldn’t also be frustrated. Now, the Market is open!
At this time of year, with the shortening daylight hours and cooler temps, it is definitely feeling like fall. All of these changes also bring surprises to the market. The farmers, depending on the weather, will find veggies that they thought wouldn’t be ready; with the weather roller-coasting between really warm and really cool it is a challenge to know what will be over ripe by Market pick up and what will be under ripe. It is because of this that some of the items are starting out as sold out such as spinach and head lettuce. This means that the farmers are planning on harvesting them, but it will depend on the weather how much will be available. Despite which items make the Products list on Sunday, more items usually become available by Friday’s pick-up.
Speaking of the weather, we got home from a cross-country meet Saturday afternoon (Rissa ran a lifetime PR) and made some tomato soup to warm up. We just started with about 2 quarts of fresh cored/peeled/ pureed tomatoes. We added a green pepper, onion, a small hot yellow wax pepper, a small jalapeno pepper, about 4 cloves of minced garlic, a dash of McCormick Montreal chicken seasoning and half a teaspoon of cumin. The last time we made this we added some fresh potatoes too. We then simmered it for about half an hour and ate it with crackers and shredded cheese on top.
If you don’t have a recipe for your veggies, soup is often the perfect answer! Whether it is potatoes, onion, pepper, squash, tomatoes or greens; fall temperatures always welcome a pot of soup. Check out the Market for pre-orders by Tuesday. But if you forget to order online, just come to Forest Run Farm on Friday 2-6pm and see what the Farmer has to offer.