The Benefits of Winter Growing, by Devorah

I'm continuing my theme of why it's a delight to grow vegetables in the winter. As we all know, winter is a time when natural processes slow down and we feel the need to rest. This slowing-down fosters a more relaxing, less stressful growing experience. The usual summer farmer's never-ending-to-do list simply doesn't exist in winter. (Of course, back in Angela's office, the never-ending to-do list continues to grow--let me not fool you. I'm referring to the lesser pressures of winter growing, not the ten-thousand managerial tasks that magically arise during the winter.) Not only are there fewer risks to vegetable health in winter, but the veggies end up tasting better due to the cold temperatures: less stressful to grow, better taste!

Broccoli Fractal

While not all vegetables can survive winter temperatures, many can, creating a diverse and tasty winter farm. Most fruiting vegetables--tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, and summer squash--do not tolerate cold temperatures. If we want to enjoy them in January, we have to freeze or can them before the temperatures drop. Obviously, the array of veggies at our Winter Market do survive relatively low temperatures. Yet some are more cold tolerant than others. Vegetables that can be grown down to 26 degrees include broccoli, collards, kale, mustard greens, parsley, peas, radishes, spinach, leeks, scallions, and carrots. Others that are less cold-tolerant but can withstand a light frost include beets, lettuce, chard, arugula, Asian greens, and cilantro. You may be wondering, "What will happen to our dear plants when it's 10 degrees outside this week?" Well, we can thank our hoophouses and row covers, which keep the soil and average air temperature warmer than the damaging outside temperatures.

Have you noticed that many of the vegetables you're getting this winter are a bit sweeter than the summer veggies? That's because many of the crops increase their sugar content when they experience cold temperatures. One study (click here) found that cabbage plants exposed to cold, non-freezing temperatures increase their sugar content, which is correlated with cold tolerance. It seems the increased sugars are part of what helps the plants survive the freezing temperatures. This physiological factor is also a real treat for us, because it makes the carrots, greens, and other vegetables taste a little more like candy!

Celeriac (yum)

As I mentioned, producing these sweet winter treats is far less stressful than in the summer. Water, weed, and pest pressures--the factors that keep farmers busy in hot weather--all decrease with the falling temperatures!! With the short days and cold temperatures, water evaporates at a very slow rate. When it does evaporate, it often stays in the hoophouse system, due to condensation on the plastic roof or the row cover; from there it "rains" back down on the beds. This means that once a crop is watered well in the fall, it may not need to be watered at all over the winter. Irrigation is a huge pressure during the summer, and it's a treat not to have to worry about it at all.

Weeding is an activity that could take up most of an organic farmer's time during the summer. But in winter, when the ground is not being watered and the cold temperatures mean plants grow slowly in general, the weed pressure almost ceases to exist! It takes almost no effort to keep the beds pristine, completely free of competing weeds.

Pests and diseases are another huge worry for vegetable farmers during the summer. While these pressures do still exist, there are fewer of them in the winter. I find myself battling slugs in the damp hoophouse soils, and some of the plants have suffered from diseases caused by over-watering in the fall; but overall, pests are close to non-existent. Many of the bugs die off or hibernate in the cold temperatures, and fungal diseases don't spread as rampantly in colder weather.

Fertility is another key to growing healthy vegetables. The goal is to start the plants in healthy, fertile beds in the fall, so that when microbial activity lessens in the soil in winter, there already are nutrients available to the plants.

All in all, the pressures to raise healthy plants are much less in winter. My main concern is planting them with enough time to grow to maturity and keeping them warm enough to survive! So I sincerely mean it when I encourage you to take this winter to slow down, kick back, and take your time enjoying your bites of sugar-loaded greens!

[Thank you so much for this wonderful essay, Devorah--it's a learning experience for all of us. Melinda]

New Farm Education Coordinator, and an Invitation to You, the Members, from Joanne

[The "backstory," from Melinda:  the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, who own our Farm, see the Farm as fulfilling part of their environmental goal of shepherding the land, which it does admirably. But  among their other goals are outreach and education. This led to the idea of finding someone already conversant in the hands-on life of the Farm, as well as versed in food science and the health sciences in general, who could guide and coordinate the Farm's educational mission(s). As is so often the case, the person we sought was right under our nose:  Joanne Rosenbaum! Many of you know her as a long-time workshare, but you may not realize that she has extensive professional experience in life sciences (biology and chemistry), health sciences, health administration--particularly but not exclusively in women's health--conference and workshop organizing, and new-program development in those areas. We're thrilled to welcome her as our new Farm Education Coordinator!  Below is Joanne's story in her own words.]

Joanne's Story

Joanne, photo by Melinda

"Back in the day when I was working full-time and had five weeks' vacation, I spent Fridays at the Farm doing my workshare. I came home sweaty, smelling of the earth and whatever veggies I harvested that day. Since then, Red Hill has become my sanctuary for peace, relaxation, introspection, and meeting new and like-minded friends.  Oh, and how could I forget?--the most beautiful, luscious veggies ever! (See my essay on why I love my CSA on the Sisters' site--click here.)

So, one might ask, how and why did I end up taking the Red Hill Farm Education-Coordinator position?

I loved my previous job:  working in women's health had always been my dream. But after sixteen years and many difficult life events, I started thinking that I wanted to work in the community where I live and try to make a difference there in people's lives. I am passionate about "health promotion and disease prevention," especially the importance of good nutrition and the prevention of childhood obesity.

Angela Kidder, our Farm Manager, mentioned that the Sisters wanted to get back to one of the core missions of the Farm, "education."  To make a long story short (as I usually do), I quit my job and here I am!

The Invitation

Part of my charge is planning events and programs for our CSA members and community. I also want to build on the existing farm tour and develop at least two further age-appropriate tours.  Please let me know as soon as possible if you are interested in joining a "working committee" to plan the two tours.  Now please don't be frightened by the term "working!" I will do the leg-work for support materials, contacts, or other things that need to be done during the working day. Ideally, we'd have a group working on each topic of the tour:  e.g., bees, soil health, compost tea, weeds, etc. I'd like to have our first meeting at the beginning of February.

It is also very important to the Sisters, to Angela, and to me to develop relationships with local schools, including Drexel Neumann Academy (see here). I will be planning interactive lectures to take into the schools, in turn supporting them with tours of the Farm.

The most important part of this plan is to include as many members of the community as possible:  school students and teachers, dietitians, clinicians, farmers, Sisters, and of course, YOU, the CSA members!  You can call me at 610-558-5396; or email at Jrosenbaum@osfphila.org. Looking forward to seeing you all again!"

Winter Market Postponed

Just a quick note that the Winter Market planned for tomorrow, January 25th, from 4 pm to 6 pm in the barn, has been moved ahead to Tuesday, January 29th, also from 4 pm to 6 pm in the barn, rather than in the hoophouse.  This temporary shift to the barn is because it will be dark by about 5:30 pm.  The change of date is due to the extreme cold and the threat of snow on Friday afternoon into the evening.  So we'll see you Tuesday the 29th!

Oriental Greens, by Melinda

Tokyo Bekana leaves

We're getting three types of wonderful Oriental greens from our hoophouses this Friday the 25th, though you may or may not be familiar with them already, depending on whether you tried them this past summer. (My, how long ago that heat seems on a frigid day like today!)  But they are *delicious*!  The first one is Tokyo Bekana (see left) a mild-tasting member of the mustard family (as many Oriental greens are); it's related to Chinese bok choi but is even more tender.  In fact, it's so tender that it's quite suitable in salads, yet it also can be used in quick stir-fries or chopped into soups, stews, and so forth.  When Tokyo Bekana is mature, it looks something like a head of celery, with stalks and leaves, but when it's "baby," you get primarily the super-tender leaves.  Yum!

Komatsuna

Like its cousin, Tokyo Bekana, our second green, Komatsuna (aka Japanese Mustard Spinach) is also related to mustard (but milder) as well as to the common turnip. It can be used in salads and smoothies, or sauteed, stir-fried, steamed, boiled or pickled.  It too has both stems and leaves at maturity, but more leaf than stem when young.

Yukina Savoy

The third of our greens, Yukina Savoy, shares all these traits, though it looks more like a Tat Soi with a savoyed (crinkled) leaf.  (It becomes more crinkly as it matures--don't we all??!!)  It too can be eaten in salads or in all of the other ways listed above.

All three of these greens are cold-weather growers and don't do well in summer heat.  So hooray for the hoophouse!  There are all kinds of recipes for these greens, savory or sweet, raw or cooked, vegan, vegetarian, or carnivorous.  Also some gluten-free recipes.  Devorah was right:  Google Search is your best friend when it comes to finding such recipes.  Meanwhile, here are a few that exemplify different treatments for the various greens.

Hot Poppin' Tokyo Bekana--vegan and gluten-free (source)

• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 small pieces chopped fresh ginger
• a mound (or mounds) of Tokyo Bekana [you can supplement with other greens if you wish]
• 2 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce
• 1 tbsp brown rice vinegar [or regular rice vinegar]

In a wok, warm sesame oil on medium heat. Add sesame seeds & stir till you're overwhelmed w/ the nutty fragrance & the seeds darken [but don't burn!]. Add garlic & ginger, but be careful of the popping, shooting sesame seeds when you add the moist ingredients. After a minute, add the greens by the handful, cooking them down. In 3-5 min. they will still be beautiful, light spring green.  Serve warm.   For more greens recipes, including Tokyo Bekana, click here.

Komatsuna Smoothie--vegan and gluten-free (source)

• 1 banana
• 1 pear, cubed
• small handful flatleaf parsley
• handful of Komatsuna leaves
• 8 ice cubes
• 1 tbsp flax meal
• hemp milk to cover

Put all ingredients in blender and whiz till smooth.   For more Komatsuna and other Asian-greens recipes, click here.  If you're an omnivore, check out this recipe for a Komatsuna Souffled Omelet.

Moroccan Yukina Savoy Red Quinoa Skillet--serves 6; vegan and gluten-free (source)

• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
• 2 cans white cannellini beans, drained & rinsed (or equivalent of dry beans, cooked)
• 2 bunches Yukina Savoy or 4 cups of another green (kale, spinach, bok choi)
• 1 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1 cup red quinoa
• 3 cups gluten-free veggie stock
• 1 handful chopped parsley

Put red quinoa in a bowl of water and soak while preparing the next four steps.  1) Combine paprika, cumin, salt, & pepper in small bowl; set aside.  2) Zest the lemon, juice it, and set them aside separately.  3) Chop Yukina Savoy and set aside separately, along w/ chopped onion and carrots.  4) Heat olive oil in a large skillet or wok on medium heat & saute minced garlic till it's lightly browned. Add onions, lemon zest, & apricots & cook till onions are soft. Drain & rinse the red quinoa & add it to the skillet. Then add lemon juice, carrots, beans, spices, and stock. Raise heat & bring mix to a boil; stir for 3-5 min. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 min. or till the liquid is absorbed. Add chopped Yukina Savoy (or green of your choice), stir to combine, and cover for 5 min. or till the greens have softened. Keep covered, remove from heat, and let it sit for 5 min. Gently stir and serve; garnish with parsley if desired. For two more Yukina Savoy recipes, one vegetarian and one for the carnivores, see here.  For the steak-based recipe of the two, you can also see here.

Blogulations, by Farmer Angela Kidder!

Angela (photo credit)

The thrill, desire, and hunger for fresh winter vegetables is more than apparent in the Winter Market's sustained clearance record.  The experience, and stories thereof, are reminiscent of a rally for "no vegetable left behind!"  I cherish that your meals may now include luscious, nutrient-dense, local greens throughout the winter months.  Devorah is doing a wonderful job with this project, shining her bright green thumb every other Saturday upon the bounty displayed on the tables.  Our plan is to continue the markets through the month of May, which brings us right up to the beginning of the CSA season. (2013 CSA memberships are still available; you can email us at redhillfarm@osfphila.org for a registration form or more information.)

Our Winter Market is raising funds for a flock of chickens.  After a good portion of last year spent requesting an exception to local ordinance restrictions, Red Hill Farm was granted permission by the Township of Aston to welcome up to twenty-four chickens to the property this coming spring.  The chickens will be aiding in the conversion of our compost, the sustainability of our crop rotations, and the overall diversity of life on the Farm.  Thank you for helping fund this venture through your support of our Winter Markets, and thank yourselves for nourishing your bodies with fresh, local food.

The Market schedule for the remainder of January and February:

• Friday, January 25th, from 4pm to 6pm (this market will be held inside the barn to provide lighting for the dark part of the evening)
• Saturday, February 9th, from 10am to Noon (like all of our other Markets, except January 25th, this one will be held inside the hoophouse closest to the barn)
• Saturday, February 23rd, from 10am to Noon (likewise, in the hoophouse)

Food Safety Modernization Act, Part II, by Melinda Parsons

Photo Credit

The Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences has a blog, for which I have included a link in our blog list (bottom of lower left column on this page). Their current post is a summary of FSMA--and frequently asked questions about it--written by Dr. Luke LaBorde of Penn State's Department of Food Science.  To read his summary, click on this sentence or click on their blog in our blog list.  It includes information--for instance about the status of CSAs--that was unavailable to me when I wrote the first post on FSMA.  After all, inquiring minds want to know!

The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, by Melinda Parsons

Well, "it's been a long time comin" (as Crosby, Stills, and Nash sang in 1969), but the FDA's Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is nearing actualization.  Work began on the act in early 2009, after years of serious outbreaks of food-borne illness that hospitalized many people and even killed some (you probably remember the food recalls then and even more recently). The basic idea was to craft guidelines for food safety to work proactively to prevent such debacles, rather than only to react after the fact, the FDA's previous modus operandi.

The FSMA finally was passed by Congress in 2010 as food-caused illnesses increased, but it took two more years to work out the details, coordinating the desires of multiple participants through various governmental groups.  As Margaret Hamburg, FDA Commissioner remarked, "The FDA knows that food safety, from farm to fork, requires partnership with industry,  consumers, local, state and tribal governments, and our international trading partners."  The new rules reflect that cooperation, as well as input from farmers' groups like our own Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, who have worked with the FDA since 2009 (PASA).  (There are other rules coming, too, that will regulate the safety of imported foods.)

The FSMA addresses two different aspects of food production.  The first, aimed at food-processing companies, does not affect Red Hill Farm directly: Current Good Manufacturing Practice and Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food (boring but necessary for helping ensure our safety, with thanks to PASA for providing the link).  The other aspect of food production concerns the farm directly, the Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption (that's the complete document, again thanks to PASA).

Fortunately, the FDA has provided a shorter summary of the new rules and regs that will affect the farm (see here).  As the New York Times notes, this second component of FSMA addresses "the four Ws" of life on a produce farm like ours:  water, waste, workers, and wildlife.  These are the elements of farm life that, if handled incorrectly, can spread food-borne problems, the most common being the bacteria E. coli, Salmonella, and Shigella; the virus Hepatitis A; and the parasite Cyclospora.

Photo credit

Regarding water, the new rules require farms to test their water source at the start of each growing season, though distinctions are drawn between water used for irrigation, which only affects plants through their roots, and water used for washing produce, which obviously must be purer.  Equipment for delivery or use of the water must also be inspected to identify potential problems. Rules are more stringent for produce likely to be eaten raw (e.g., lettuce) than for produce like potatoes, artichokes, or corn, which are cooked.

"Waste" refers to two aspects of farm practice, both of which we've got covered.  One is making sure workers have a lavatory and hand-washing facility available, as opposed to none, which leads to, you know... (fill in the blank); sadly the lack of sanitary facilities is common for field workers on large industrial farms.  The other "waste" concern is assuring that compost which includes manure is sufficiently aged and dried before it is applied as fertilizer.  (We don't use fresh manure; we purchase our well-aged compost from the Vermont Compost Company.)

Photo credit

Regarding workers, the rules seem like no-brainers to farmers like us. Workers must wash their hands after handling unwashed produce and before washing produce or handling already-washed produce (duh!).  Washed produce must be kept separate from yet-unwashed food.  Produce must be stored at safe temperatures (thank goodness for our wonderful refrigeration system!).

Finally, concerning domestic animals and wildlife, the rules also seem obvious; many farms already follow them, though they haven't been required to until now:  "the rule proposes farms...take reasonable measures to prevent pathogens from being introduced onto the produce [by animals] and not harvest produce that is visibly contaminated...."  Wow, what a concept (!!).

As to compliance with these rules, small farms like ours, while not totally exempted (would we really want to be?), are cut some slack in terms of time to reach compliance.  "Very Small Businesses" (average monetary value of food sold annually to be no more than $250,000 and sales made only to individuals or retailers no more than 275 miles from the farm) have up to six years to comply with water regulations and up to four years for the others.  Obviously we won't need that.

Meanwhile, PASA will be offering a workshop at their annual conference at Penn State on  Saturday February 9th (the conference runs from the 6th to the 9th, and anyone can sign up to go; you don't have to be a farmer!--see here).  Further, Peggy Fogarty-Harnish, of the Penn State Extension Service in Lancaster, PA, is offering workshops to help farms understand the new rules about Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). (I know this through an email I received from PASAEastern, so I'm sorry I don't have a link to the information.)  All in all, I think we're in great shape!

If you'd like to comment to the FDA, here's the site; just search for Food Safety Modernization Act.

No-Till Growing, by Devorah Ketai, Our Winter Farmer

One exciting aspect of the winter-growing project is its small scale.  Organic standards of farming can be achieved on many scales, from a quarter acre to a thousand. Generally, though, it is easier for us to be friendly to our soils on a smaller scale.

Moldboard plow

Let's consider, first, less soil-friendly methods of preparing the ground, then move on to more eco-friendly processes. One way farmers affect their soils is through tillage.  Tillage is simply "the preparation of the land for growing crops." This preparation generally includes disturbing the soil in order to aerate it, loosening compaction and incorporating into the soil other plants that previously grew there.  Often, large-scale operations use a tractor for tillage.  The implements attached to the tractor vary, as well as consequences they have on soil health.  Traditionally, many farms used a moldboard plow (see above), which completely flips the soil upside down.  Today, many farmers realize that such a strategy is not very healthy for the soil's ecosystem!  Imagine going about your day, when suddenly everything that was once below you is now above you, and you are completely lost!  This must be how the soil's microorganisms feel when their world is turned upside down.  Flipping the soil severely disturbs its ecosystem, slowing the natural processes that break down soil nutrients and lead to successful plant growth.

In terms of large-scale soil preparation, many farms--including Red Hill--have turned to less damaging methods, particularly the use of a Spader (essentially several flat, sharp, digging shovels attached to a turning mechanism).  Spaders are great for many reasons. They're much more efficient than other plows in breaking down field residues, so the tractor to which the Spader is attached doesn't have to cross the field so many times and compaction is reduced.  This is one reason we love our Spader!

Broadfork

But the ultimate in eco-conservation of soil is the "no-till" process.  In the hoophouses, we grow on such a small scale that no mechanical cultivation is necessary--in other words, we're using a no-till method.  We loosen the soil with a tool called a broadfork, basically a giant fork we stick into the soil and tilt back and forth like we're trying to loosen a nice big piece of chocolate cake.  (See right; that's *not* Devorah!)  The use of the broadfork has two huge advantages:  1) we are not flipping the soil, and 2) there is no compaction caused by tractor weight.  We're simply loosening the soil so oxygen and water can enter and plants can send their roots down easily.  So why don't all farms use broadforks?  The answer is that it's extremely time-consuming, especially on a large scale; tilling a whole field with a broadfork would take many exhausting days, while with a tractor it takes half an hour.  A broadfork also doesn't incorporate the older plant material back into the soil, so it would have to be hand-pulled (difficult on all but the smallest fields).

I first mentioned it's exciting to work on small-scale, winter growing.  I'm grateful for the tractor we have on a 5-acre farm like Red Hill because it saves a lot of back-breaking work and makes growing more efficient.  However, being able to spend my time using a broadfork in the small space of our hoophouses is greatly rewarding.  Instead of bringing out the noisy tractor, I get to spend quiet time observing the detailed changes I am making while aerating the soil.  Instead of breathing the tractor's fumes, I feel myself sweating as I make a suitable bed for growing vegetables.  I also know the beneficial effects of this type of soil preparation greatly outweigh the negative ones, of which there are few.  The broadfork is great for small-scale farms and gardens alike.  If you are ever thinking of preparing a bed, be sure to inquire about this wonderful tool! It's been so great to be on a farm where the growing strategies and tools vary so much depending on the crop and time of year!