Stock Up + Spring CSA

Last night, as advertised below, Farmer Vicki presented in Oak Park. Vicki stated something that should be obvious, but perhaps is not. She told us that each week's CSA in the summer is supposed to contain too much food. In other words, put aside some of each week's harvest for the late fall, winter and early spring. Vicki also impressed on us, how good a canned peach could be when it was a local peach, picked at the peak of ripeness and canned in good time. If that was not enough to inspire me to try even harder to stay local all the time, Vicki also told us about the Florida gas chambers, how Florida oranges are picked goblin green, kept like this for ages, and the gassed when needed to look right for the market. Makes me want to give up on my citrus exception. And to help us all stay local, Vicki mentioned that she might give canning classes this summer to her CSA members. Beyond, Vicki, I am working with a LTHForum participant to set up some canning classes. Canning, freezing, drying, storing in a quasi-root cellar, now is the time to start planning how to take care of the harvest's excess.

On a different but related subject, for those like me, with bare larders, help is finally on the way. Vicki's spring CSA starts in two weeks. As she told us last night, her greenhouses are brimming with food to sell in the next 8 weeks, including tomatoes, peppers, assorted lettuces and greens. In addition, things are sprouting at her fields, and we can expect broccoli raab, rhubarb almost for sure, and maybe, maybe sugar snaps and early seasons strawberries. Like I say, if you are like me, and long for local produce (and have none left), the spring CSA is a godsend. Sign up now! For more information contact Vicki at 815 427-6617 or at genesis_growers@hotmail.com