Week 17 - Late Introductions

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What's in the Box?

​From The North Farm
Carrots
Rutabaga
Purple Potatoes
Yellow Onion
Zebrune Shallot
Broccoli
Lettuce
Arugula
​Sweet Pepper

From Bean Pole Farm
​Parsley

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Notes From the Field

As we wind down to the end of this year's CSA, I realized something. We went through introductions in the first few newsletters, but I did not provide much of an overview of the farm as a whole. You have met all the farmers involved in the production of your food, but I wanted to take a moment before the end of the program to give you some of the details on why The North Farm is so unique - better late than never!
The North Farm sits on the original site of the UP research station, which is the longest running experiment station in the state of Michigan. It was established in 1899 as a location for researchers and the public to explore agricultural production in northern climates. It has a long, winding history that includes cattle, poultry, vegetables, fruit, and much more. In the more recent past (mid-80s), the research station, now named the UP Research and Extension Center (UPREC), was relocated to a new farm site, about a mile south of the original site. This left the original site vacant, still under university management, but mainly used as pasture and storage.
In 2014, the farm was reopened as The North Farm, an education, research, and production farm focused on small scale, diversified, organic vegetable production. Our main goal is to help beginning and experienced growers build and improve their production systems through relevant research and educational opportunities. The production that we do (of which you are part) is used to support the ongoing programming at the farm, which includes:

• ​The Apprentice Farmer Program
  • The AFP is our on-farm incubator, in which beginning growers build their farm businesses. They are able to access resources from the farm while they fine tune their operations and build capital over a five year periods. Landen and Treasa, the two participants in this year's cohort, have been providing many of the items in your CSA shares.
• Skill Seeker Short Courses
  • These five hour workshops provide the public an opportunity to learn about agricultural skills and concepts through on-farm experience. The topics vary from year to year, but focus on the farm and garden ecosystem and aim to help improve skills and understanding of production systems.
• MSUE Internships
  • Each year, we host a MSU student for a 12-week summer internship in which he or she gains experience working on a vegetable farm and participating in Extension outreach programming. You may remember Morrison from this year, who spent her summer planting, harvesting, and working with Extension staff on programming.
• School Outreach
  • We offer school tours and programming to engage students with food and food production. By using the farm as a living laboratory, we can expose students to agriculture and link it back to the science, math, and social studies classrooms.
• Teacher Training Institutes
  • We are developing teacher training opportunities to equip teachers with the skills and knowledge necessary to build a strong agricultural curriculum for UP schools. With limited access to formal ag programs, UP students haven't had great entry points to the agriculture industry. We are working with teachers to help develop these curricula and create opportunities for students interested in agriculture.
• Ongoing Production Research
  • We work with various organizations to develop on-farm research in organic production systems. We have ongoing research in organic grains, beekeeping, and northern climate berry production. We are also looking at developing studies to focus on tillage practices in northern organic vegetable systems. There are ongoing variety trials at the farm, as well as continual data collection in our season extension systems to better understand the limits and opportunities for UP farmers.

The reason I wanted to share all of this is because the share that you purchased not only goes to support the production of local food, but it also helps us offer other resources to the community and local growers. If you have any questions about the work we do at the farm, please feel free to get in touch. Thank you for continuing to support local UP agriculture!

Collin Thompson
​Farm Manager

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​Recipes and Resources

Asian Roasted Carrots and Broccoli

• The sweet and tangy flavors of brown sugar and soy sauce pair wonderfully with carrots and broccoli. Try this over rice or on glass noodles.

Roasted Potatoes and Shallots

• As the temps drop, I love roasting vegetables. The mild shallot works wonders on potatoes, dressing them up with full flavor. Enjoy this next to your favorite roast.

Arugula Salad with Parmesan, Lemon, and Olive Oil

• Even though summer is fading, we can still enjoy fresh salads. This arugula salad has a nice bite that can help warm you up for a fall lunch.

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​Featured Item

Carrots
This is my favorite crop. It could be because it is quite a challenge to grow, so when it goes well, I feel accomplished, but I think it is more due to the fact that harvest feels like I'm digging up buried treasure. We never fully know what the carrots will look like as a whole until we harvest them - we pull samples throughout the season to see progress, but it is never fully illustrative. But at harvest, watching the bright orange carrots emerge from the ground is quite the treat.

In addition to being a lot of fun to grow, they are versatile and good for you! Due to their high levels of beta-carotene, vitamins A, C, K, and B8, and antioxidant agents, carrots can help reduce cholesterol, lower the risk of heart disease, and boost your immune system. They are jam packed with goodness and excellent flavor - what's not to love!

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​Storage Recommendations

In the Fridge:
Carrots
Rutabaga
Broccoli
Lettuce
Arugula
​Sweet Pepper
Parsley

​On the Counter:
Purple Potatoes
Yellow Onion
Zebrune Shallot

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Have feedback? Let us know what you think!