Kretschmann Farm Aug. 4, 2009
don@kretschmannfarm.com www.kretschmannfarm.com
Greetings from the Kretschmanns,
Water, water. We’ve had over 3 inches of rain in the last
two weeks. Especially last week, this
put a real crimp in our daily plans.
Luckily, three weeks ago, we had planted a tremendous number of
different veggies—carrots, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, beans… or we
would have been seriously behind with the seeding. But all the rain has given us a rare chance
to hand weed some things which had gotten out of hand--only because weeds pull
out so easily when the ground is moist to a good depth. But enough already!
You’ve surely seen news of late blight which
is affecting potatoes and tomatoes in our region. It’s a fungal disease which is airborne and
thrives in warm and
humid conditions. We’ve had both and are
alarmed to see the first signs of the disease in one field of tomatoes just as
they are beginning to ripen. Luckily,
the second field on the hill on the other side of the pond shows no signs.
We’ll have to figure out
a way to keep field workers from contaminating the healthy
field. Potatoes haven’t been impacted as
yet. The early potatoes were fully
mature, vines dying anyway, and the late spud field on the other side of the
pond is healthy. We’re crossing our
fingers.
We’d like to make mention of a bill slowly
making it’s way through the U.S. Congress-HR 2749 –
the so-called “Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009”. Over the years there have been various food
contaminations resulting in sickness and worse—the latest big ones being with
peanuts and spinach. This bill is
intended to once and for all “fix” the food supply system so this doesn’t
happen. The problem is that, like with
most things, one size doesn’t fit all.
When one looks at the food safety issues which rightfully make national
news, they are a direct result of an overly concentrated food supply system
with very long supply lines to nearly every part of the country. One contamination in such a system can affect
millions of eaters in a myriad of venues and locations across entire regions or
even nationally. In the well intentioned
and needed effort to regulate this system, the congress nearly drove a stake
through the heart of thriving small farms
who, like we do, sell to the public (and even those who don’t). A concerted effort on the part of several
sustainable farm organizations (notably Pennsylvania Association for
Sustainable Agriculture) has greatly improved the bill by recognizing small
farms need different rules. It’s not a done
deal and there’s lots of room for improvement (they’re still proposing a fee
which is the same for multinational corporations and small farms) but the good
news is that Big Agriculture, national food corporations, and their lobbyists
have found that advocates of sustainable ag are too numerous to limit debate and quickly enact
legislation without their support. This is you!
Thank you for helping to reclaim our tables. This is a lot more than just an economic
choice. It’s a
reclamation of our connections to our food, to our health, our planet
and environment, and to our families.
Every time you “graze” the local fare, prepare it for your family, and
enjoy your food, you reconnect to the goodness God has blessed us with. If you’d like to keep the ball rolling, let
your legislators know how you feel.
Hoping you are enjoying the ride, we are,
sincerely,
Don, Becky, & The Kretschmann Crew
Thai Mixed Veggie Crockpot Curry: Combine 3 T. yellow curry paste (available at Asian
stores) with 2 c. coconut milk in crockpot. Add about ½# chicken, lamb, or beef chunks,
2-3 cubed potatoes, 1 small roughly chopped onion, and 2 cubed carrots. Cook until everything is tender. One can add nearly any vegetable you have on
hand—green beans, zucchini, (fennel is excellent)…. Top each serving with chopped fresh cilantro
and/or thai basil. Reheat
adding more veggies to the leftovers.
Elote Mexicano- After steaming or roasting the ears of corn, coat with mayonnaise then sprinkle liberally or roll in a dry cheese like romano or parmesan. Salt, lemon, and spice with hot pepper to taste if desired. (Salsa on a stick?)
Linguine with Fennel and Tuna: Quarter, core, and thinly
slice fennel bulb crosswise; cook in 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over
medium high heat until golden, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Meanwhile
cook 1/2 pound linguine. Drain and return to pot; reserve 1/4 cup pasta
water. Add fennel to pasta along with 1/8
c.fronds, 1-1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon
each capers and olive oil, and reserved pasta water. Season
w/ salt/pepper. Flake in can solid light tuna. Toss/serve.
Recycling Note: We greatly appreciate everyone’s effort to
reuse and recycle. We’ll gladly take containers which we
use—strawberry quarts and blueberry pints.
But, please, no odd size containers from elsewhere. We don’t reuse plastic bags, rubber bands, or
cider containers.
Special
Orders: Basil--$12/half bushel