Greetings and welcome to the rainiest start to the season we have had, ever!

Andrew and I have been farming for 10-12 years, depending on which person you’re talking to, and have not seen a spring this wet since we can remember. Some things didn’t make it to the box due to the rain. These include, radishes and peas. Don’t worry though, those crops will come in due time.

Other fun events this season are the deer fence we had installed with the help of the MN DNR and a grant from Mill City Farmers Market. Secondly, we had a great plant sales which helped pay off our tax debt early this year. Thanks to everyone who continues to support the farm, including you. The support we receive keeps the farm chugging along.

A not fun event was cleaning up our chicken yard after a fox attack. I cried over the loss while also realizing we share this space with so many wild animals, and it is truly their space. I can still be mad about it though and it’s a memorable event. The fox took 5 chickens and our eldest duck, batman. Batman was the cutest as a duckling, she had special spots that looked like the bat symbol from the movie Batman, so that’s how she got her name. We have new chicks now incubating in our garage. They are a delight but I am excited to get them in the chicken tractor and ready to enjoy their fresh eggs. It’s a little sad still to only have 3 hens , one rooster and 2 ducks! A farm definitely is more vibrant with livestock.

The first box is full of delights, such as green garlic, fresh thyme, kale, baby bok choi, rye berries (edible grain) and more. Let’s talk about the rye berries since you’re probably unfamiliar with them….If you’re gluten-free, these are not for you. While they were grown on the farm and have not been sprayed with glyphosate, beyondceliac.org says nope, don’t eat them. You can swap these out at either pick up site if you need to.

How to prep rye berries for a meal: Wash and soak in cool water, any impurities will float to the top. You can skim these off or strain out. Here is a recipe to try with them. Another option is to cook them and have them as part of your oatmeal or as part of a salad, or incorporate them cooked into a burger or a baked item (biscuits, cookies, etc.). In this article Martha Stewart explains how to cook them and how they used the rye berry.

More Recipes (underlined text is a link):

Baby bok choi and shiitake stir fry (use tofu, egg or chicken for your protein and rye berry instead of rice!)

2024’s Best salads by Food and Wine magazine

Fennel pairs well with kale, pasta, tomato and this recipe is a good example of how to use it. It calls for Kale Pesto, here is a recipe for that. We also like our tender, small fennels chopped into a salad paired with an orange or lemon dressing.

Box/pick up List:

Baby bok choi, 3-4 heads

Thyme, 1 bunch

1 bunch mixed kale

3-4 Summer Squash

Fennel, 2

Rye Berry bag-1#

Green Garlic, 1 bunch

Head Lettuces-2-4

Scallions (green onion)

Kohlrabi-1 small or medium

NEXT Pick Up: Mill city, Saturday-6/29

On Farm, Monday-7/1

Going on vacation? Send us an email: cloverbeefarm@gmail.com

2024 CSA #1

CSA Week #2