Farm Day!

A CSA?
Farm Day! That’s what my family grew to call every Tuesday this summer as we looked forward to our weekly produce boxes overflowing with veggies and herbs and fresh cut flowers from Bloody Brook Farm. This was our first experience with a CSA share, and I could not have imagined that such a variety of just-picked vegetables, packaged so tenderly, would be ours to enjoy in such abundance.

Generations of farmers
I wanted to participate in the Consumer Supported Agriculture to support local farms, yes, but more truly because I do not have a green thumb and I love summer greens - and reds and yellows and purples and oranges. I mentioned my desire to find a CSA to a friend who told me about Poppi and Kelly’s plan to offer farm shares at Bloody Brook Farm. I didn’t even know they were farmers. I knew them as bikers, photographer, teacher, restaurateurs…farmers? When Poppi invited me to her family’s farm and I met her mom, her dad, and her brother then toured the land that had been her life, I knew we were in good hands, good, strong, green hands. My son agreed to share the share with me and we were in.

Abundance and freshness
Our first pick-up was a huge surprise -we put the produce box filled with greens of many varieties from baby beets to Swiss chard in the car, quite satisfied, but there was more. In a cooler, lettuce and herbs were kept cool, fresh, and crisp, cleaned and packaged carefully in plastic bags waiting for us, too. I had envisioned the lettuces of many a farmer’s market that needed multiple washings and careful grooming before being eaten, not with Bloody Brook Farm’s greens. They were ready for us to enjoy. And just for pure pleasure, we got a weekly bouquet of fresh cut flowers.

As newcomers, the hardest job was now identifying the greens, learning the difference between the mustard greens, turnip greens, and the kale. We had good fun gathering recipes from neighbors and friends. We made pesto from the basil, put mustard greens on sandwiches, sautéed kale in bacon and onions, and shared steamed young beets and their greens with an appreciative neighbor.

Unusual variety, unusually good taste
Following the early season greens, were weeks of tomatoes - big, red, and sweet; small orange, and sweet; tiny cherry, and sweet; and even tomatillos, green and … mildly tart. Traditional summer squash, zucchini, and eggplant were welcomed fare. Seasonal berries were part of our packages. We enjoyed juicy strawberries all through July, and then quarts of plump blueberries were ready for us.

As September approached, the lightness of summer greens gave way to winter squashes and potatoes- reds, whites, and blues. Leeks, onions, and parsley added interest and zing to soups and other meals.

And the corn! Wonderful corn! Eating a fresh picked ear on the way home became a weekly tradition with my 5 year old grandson and me. Even to the end of the season, the corn was everyone’s favorite. Bloody Brook Farm’s corn is especially sweet, especially tender, especially good tasting. And we always were given plenty of ears.

Hearty recommendation
My extended family all agree that our summer eating pleasure was assured because of our involvement with Bloody Brook Farm. Each week, we knew we would find many familiar favorites and be startled by something new to try. The cost of our share was met many times over by the value of the produce we received. We heartily recommend a family’s participation in a CSA, especially if it is Bloody Brook Farm. The abundance, freshness, variety, and taste are sure to please all.

Linda Sarage and family
Jeff, Marcia, Jonathan
Craig, Michaela, Meckenzie
Shirley Barrows

Bloody Brook Farm: Our First Community Supported Agriculture Experience

Having lived in the Western Mass area most of my life, I had a general idea of what it meant to be a member of a CSA. There were a few reasons I had never joined one: too little time, too little money, too small a family size… On the other hand, many factors motivated me too. At about the same time I began to consider finding a CSA, my friends Poppy and Kelly announced they would be starting one at the Bloody Brook Farm. What perfect timing!
In the beginning of the season, we got many greens, herbs, peas, and flowers. It was a good assortment, given the early date. I found that with a little flexibility, I could stop buying vegetables at the supermarket, and still create well-balanced meals. When I had more than I could feed my small family, I could freeze, can, or juice the leftovers.
As the season progressed, we began to receive a greater variety of vegetables. Some of these included broccoli, cauliflower, beats, beans, lettuce, squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, and leeks. In addition, we got herbs, berries, and flowers. Each week, our share was ready for pick up when we arrived. When it was hot, the food was left in coolers to keep it fresh.
I was pleased with my first CSA experience. Given the exorbitant amount of rainfall we had last summer, I was impressed with the variety and quality of products. I will remain a member of Bloody Brook Farm CSA primarily because I love the food, but also because I am supporting the local economy, preserving the environment, and practicing healthy eating habits. What is better than that?

To your health,
Aimée St. Hilaire