CSA Newsletter #15, Sept. 18, 2021

SWEET POTATO TIME!

Edwin at the head of the sweet potato line

Yes, we started to dig the sweet potatoes this week and no, you will not find them in your shares this week! Yes, that's kind of mean, but no, you don't really want freshly dug sweet potatoes! They sweeten in curing so we are tucking them away in the pole barn for two weeks and, if all goes well, they will star in your final two boxes. 

Digging sweet potatoes is one of the last "whole harvest" tasks of the season. We plant the sweet potato "slips" in the spring after the ground has warmed.  Since this veggie did originate in Central and South America, it likes its soil and growing conditions on the warm side. The sweet potato vines grow all summer, covering the patch in lush greenery. One market customer told us that the sweet potato vines were preferred for eating in her native Costa Rico.  We occasionally take vines to market upon request but we mostly wait until the fall to dig the brightly colored spuds from the earth.

Digging is a process. First the lush vines must be removed so that we can find the rows of sweet potatoes. Then the "landscape fabric" that has been keeping the weeds at bay must be removed and saved for re-use. Then we can start the digging, which must be done rather carefully. The sweet potatoes spread out underground as they grow and the clumps are really not visible when they are mature. It's important not to spear a spud with the digging forks; that results in a sweet potato that won't keep. So it's a combination of proper angle of the digging fork, getting a feel for where the clumps of potatoes have spread from the initial "slip", and yes, some good ol' muscle! Here is a quartet of sweet potato diggers bringing up the harvest. On your left, you can see the vines that are rolled back to reveal the rows, and on the right, the mass of vines yet to be addressed. 

The crew put in a good morning's work and will finish the job in the next session. Here is a sample of what we have so far. Aren't they pretty!?

Off to be washed, dried, cured and sweetened!

And here is a closer shot of the sweet potato digger you saw at the end of the digging line: Sam Robyn Walker, our featured crew member for this week! (If you missed our feature on the other two-thirds of the crew, revisit our soon-to-be travelers, Ashleh and Cale, in last week's newsletter.)

Sam with spud

Sam literally swooped in at the end of July, flying in from Germany to spend a few months with family in the area. Sam had originally worked at Frog Holler in the summers of 2018 and 2019, while on break from Grinnell College. Grinnell has a very strong study-abroad program, and after an initial summer course in Leipzig, Germany, and with encouragement from a Grinnell advisor, Sam returned to Germany, completing junior and senior years and graduating in 2021 with a degree in German from the University of Freiburg.

But Sam also worked on a large organic farm in Germany: Klosterhof - Gundelfingen. "Kloster" is related to our word, "cloister", and denotes that this was once a monastery garden, as many of the farms were in Europe. "Hof" means "court" or "yard". There is no longer a monastery at Klosterhof - Gundelfingen but the present owners kept the name, with "Gundelfingen" denoting the village that this particular "klosterhof" is situated near.

This is a large farm, serving 6-7 markets and several restaurant accounts. According to Sam, efficient organization is key when managing so much harvest and crew; systems and tasks are designed for maximum production in the time allotted. Of course we asked how they pick beans!

Beans are picked by hand, but using two hands, sort of like milking a cow. The crew moves through the patch only once so any bean close to maturity is picked. This results in variably sized beans but apparently most efficient use of the time, especially when, with a large acreage at Klosterhof's disposal, it's easier to move on to a new patch than keep milking an old patch with steadily decreasing productivity. Are we going to adopt that method at Frog Holler? Probably not! Our limited space demands use and re-use of each patch - but it's always interesting to hear how other farms manage their harvest.

Some of the Klosterhof crew harvesting Celeriac. Sam in the colorful hat on the left

Apparently Celeriac is a very popular root vegetable in Germany, especially as a storage crop for winter use. It's not so popular in the US, but we are fans of celeriac and always offer seedlings in the spring and plant some ourselves. But we plant a row, whereas you can see that Klosterhof plants a field!

The Celeriac harvest is finished. You can see the trailer piled high. And the crew looks happy!

Often European exchange students come to the US and are surprised by two staples of the American diet: peanut butter and sweet corn. Apparently corn has been considered mainly as animal feed in Europe. But perceptions and diet choices change and here is a very small portion of the sweet corn harvest at Klosterhof:

Sam with co-worker Ajmad

Sam also helped at the markets in nearby villages and in Freiburg. The marketing system is very different from our farmer's market - veggies are displayed in bulk and everything is weighed out "by the pound", but what stands out is that there are no plastic bags - ever. Klosterhof might supply a few paper bags since they also sell mushrooms and baked goods, but they hardly ever need them. European shoppers have long been trained in bringing their own bags to any market. Grocery stores will supply bags, but they charge for them, which has apparently provided a good incentive to shoppers to bring their own!

A beautiful bulk veggie display. No plastic bags in sight!

At Frog Holler, we regularly assess our use of plastic and, given that we offer so many fresh, but wet, greens at market, have accepted the use of plastic bags - for now. And at least we are able to offer biodegradable bags and compostable bags.  We appreciate shoppers and members who bring their own bags!

Freiburg, where Sam studied and now resides, is one of the "greenest" cities in Germany. Sam reports that it is easy to reach anywhere in the city by bicycle in 15-20 minutes. Bike lanes are integrated parts of the roads, not afterthoughts on the street's shoulder. Emphasis on accessibility via bicycle, walking and public transport have all contributed to preservation of natural beauty, better air quality, and dynamic urban community spaces in the city. Situated in southwest Germany, Freiburg is close to the Black Forest, which Sam visits regularly - by bicycle.

Sam's trusty steed for bicycling to farm, forest and Freiburg fun!

Sam returns to Germany on October 7. Sam has been hugely helpful at the farm and market and we definitely appreciate being included in this stateside visit.  We look forward to keeping in touch with our European farm correspondent!

And here goes Sam!

And while we're being international - look who showed up this week! Emily is just back from her summer-long project "on location" in Ontario. Emily was on the production team for Francis McDormand's latest film project which now moves into editing, so you won't see it for quite a while. But you can see Ms. McDormand in The Tragedy of MacBeth, premiering at the New York Film Festival on Sept. 24, and then available on Apple TV+. Ms. McDormand plays Lady MacBeth opposite Denzel Washington as Lord MacBeth, and directed by Joel Coen. And that's the scoop from your Hollerwood reporter!

Emily reunited with her animal companions - Kali in arms, and Freya close behind

Have a great week everyone!