SUMMARY: SIXTH Week of Winter 2021! - IMPORTANT CHANGE DUE TO SNOW!! - EXTRA VEGGIES! - FARM CREW SPOTILIGHT - NEW* - NURSERY SPOTLIGHT- ACI DONATION UPDATE AND DONATE TODAY! - DID YOU KNOW? - LOCATIONS AND TIMES - WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEK - WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT WEEK
Week 6 - The SIXTH Week of WINTER CSA 2021!
HELLO DEAR CSA MEMBERS!
"Face-palm!" 🤦♂️ Oye, oye, oye, just when we thought things were starting to turn around and the veggies were starting pop, two feet of snow gets forecasted to shadow any hopes of catching up from the coldest February in Colorado history ! But it is not all doom and gloom 😉😉, truthfully, the shares have been really great for the winter. A little burning here and a little yellowing there - but for winter? OH - MY! The claytonia has been off the charts and the lettuce this week is incredible! Add in the tatsoi, radishes, carrots and the onions while chomping on a big sunflower shoot salad and you got yourself some really nice winter nom-noms 😋.
**Keep in mind that this storm WILL affect pickup times. See below for more info.**
So, yes, we are still behind and yes, the shares aren't as BIG as we would like, and they are very greens heavy, but that doesn't mean the nutrients, value or the deliciousness of it all hasn't been there - it has, and it's been as good as ever! The microgreens have been absolutely amazing and long-lasting, the nursery plants have been a treat and the greens have been delicious - a little freeze-burned, but delicious none-the-less. We have also had some wonderful-tasting carrots, radishes, turnips and some onions (even if our yield was almost 40% lost due to rodents 😮 ). Still to come will be scallions, beets, more lettuce, kale, tatsoi and radishes and more.
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:
So, as mentioned above there is an important change this week due to the weather: ALL DELIVERIES AND PICKUPS WILL BE ON THURSDAY. SAME TIMES, SAME PLACES - WITH ONE EXCEPTION. Colorado Springs door-to-door deliveries will take place on Wednesday afternoon. We will be sending out a separate e-mail with this information as well.
SOMETHING NEW: In the past we have had the "Volunteer Spotlight" this week we are starting something new: "The Farm Crew Spotlight"
PS. Please note that some of the veggies have burned tips. These are perfectly safe to eat or can be picked off, and are simply due to freeze burn.
See below for what's coming in your bags this week, and more updates!
Enjoy your share this week and don't forget to join the fun and share your recipes and pictures in the Facebook Community Group!
EXTRA VEGGIES FOR SALE
DON'T FORGET: SNAP MEMBERS ALWAYS RECEIVE 50% OFF!!
&
As always, all prices are
"Pay-What-You-Can-Afford."
See the weekly "What's in your Bag" e-mails that get sent on Wednesdays for your "extras" list.
For Payment: Cash or Check at the drops or the balance can be sent via PayPal to contact@ahavahfarm.com or via Venmo to 719-233-7828 or by paying with credit card over the phone.
Ahavah Community Initiative SPOTLIGHT 🔦
Help create access to the purest food on the planet and DONATE TODAY!
Last night, 3/8/2021 we had our board meeting and our board voted on all of the Spring time CSA donations. Including some subsidized shares and some personal donations as well as donations of garden seedlings...
We are proud to announce that we (Ahavah Community Initiative and Ahavah Farm and Ahavah Nursery) will be donating a total of 21 CSA memberships to 21 families who need it the most and we are also awarding 20 sponsored gardens to 20 families who applied! All seedlings will be coming from Ahavah Farm Nursery.
We are so blessed and honored that we can do this, but we CAN NOT DO IT WITHOUT YOU! We need your help, your donations and your support in spreading the word! Please consider donating NOW, below...
Please consider a tax deductible donation to ACI by clicking here and please consider making it a monthly donation by clicking the box:
Interested in making a tax-deductible donation? Ahavah Community Initiative is registered as a 501c3 with the State of Colorado as a non-profit organization and all donations are tax-deductible.
Want to get involved with either ACI or as a volunteer on the farm? E-mail us to let us know. We are always looking for volunteers and we would love for you to join the party!
DID YOU KNOW?
DID YOU KNOW that "Ahavah" means "Love" in Hebrew?
As most of you know, the name of our farm, "Ahavah," means "Love," but that's the English translation. So what does "Ahavah" actually mean and why did we name our farm this?
For many of us, when we say, "Ahavah means love" (which we say a lot), the idea that some conjure up immediately is an emotional, lovey-dovey, warm and fuzzy feeling of affection - and we get this reaction all the time: "Oh, that's so nice," we often hear, and I can immediately see in their heads that they are "feeling" the word, as opposed to "visualizing" the word and it's intended meaning.
So what is the intended meaning? The HEBREW word for "Love," which is "Ahavah" means "to serve," to "be kind" and "to give." This is the literal meaning of the word for love and it is broken up in the following manner: the word "ahav" literally means "to give" while the word "ahavah" literally means "I give." Imagine for a moment that when you kissed your children goodnight, or share a moment with your spouse, or tell a friend "I love you" that what you really meant was "I give of myself to you and will sacrifice my life for yours." This is the true meaning behind what the word Ahavah means and what Ahavah Farm stands for. When we say, "Ahavah Farm" what we really mean is "Giving of Ourselves Farm" but that just doesn't have the same ring to it 🙂 . As Jews, our family is called first and foremost to "be love," to "be ahavah": givers of ourselves. To be kind, to be generous, to be uplifting and encouraging, to serve others, to make a difference in people's lives, to be stewards of our earth and to our environment. We are called to give of ourselves to the world and community around us in order to make it a better, more caring place. If this is our family's mission, shouldn't it be the mission of everything in our lives as well...even this farm? As Jews we believe that nothing is ours, not even our own bodies, our time or our money...not even this farm 🙂! We believe that the earth was lent to us by an awesome Creator and it doesn't belong to us as individuals to do with it as we please. It is not my right to mine our land destructively for resources, litter our land, waste our resources or squander our health. It is not my right to treat animals without care, love and compassion. In fact, did you know that we (Jews) are required, in the Torah (the Bible) to feed our animals before we feed ourselves? This is the level of service and responsibility we are called to and it is a message that we try to drive home to our children on a daily basis: Kindness and sacrificial love, "Ahavah," is the most important thing in life! There is a concept in Judaism called "Tikkun Olam": Repairing the world. It's a concept that shouldn't just be for the Jews, but for all of humanity - whether you believe in a higher power or not. It's not just about the earth itself, though this is a huge part of it. It's about repairing our communities, our environment and our souls and relationships. To not just have a "feeling" towards these things, but to live them out in action, every single day and with every decision of our lives.
So if you say that you "love" something, then you have just called yourself to action: to DO something for and about it - for to love something is to give yourself to it. Do we LOVE supporting local food? Then perhaps we should think about not buying groceries at the local box-store and doing more planning. Do we LOVE our earth? Then why are we using mined chemicals and resources, wasting food, using plastic and not wrestling with our food choices and purchase decisions? Do we LOVE people and our community? Then why are we not serving them in at least a small, yet tangible way? To do Tikkun Olam, we must give of ourselves. We must be "Ahavah" to the world and sacrifice our own selfish wants and desires. THIS is what our farm is called to. THIS is what our family is called to. THIS is what every member of our amazing farm crew and team are called to. WE are called to bring kindness, sacrifice, service and giving to our world, to our communities, to our earth and to our own bodies and health - it's the meaning and purpose of life: to serve and to love in a real and tangible way.
This is the real meaning of the name "Ahavah Farm" and we are very proud of that mission and we hope you are too!
AHAVAH COMMUNITY INITIATIVE
BRING-A-BUCK!
Oh the amazing power of community and crowdfunding!
Every week, at all of the CSA locations, we have a bin or jar that looks like this. We ask all of our members to bring just $1 with them every week to help support their fellow-members and community.
Bring $1 every week and be a part of supporting, directly, families in need.
Don't say your $1 isn't important! The only way crowdfunding works is if we all participate. Therefore, your $1 is vitally important and it is directly through this program that we raise the majority of ACI's food donation funds than any other fundraising program, and yet it is the absolute easiest for all of our members to participate!
Everyone can afford to Bring-A-Buck and if we ALL bring $1, the impact can be enormous - to the tune of feeding 1 family for an entire season for every single week we all participate!!!! WOW!!
The Farm Crew Spotlight🔦
Meet "Ms. Tess!" Tess came to us last year on a homeschool field trip and she fell in love with the place...or so we are told 🥰! When she saw an opening, she jumped at the chance and as soon as we interviewed her, the feeling was mutual and we fell in love with her too! And what a rockstar she has proven herself to be! Constantly kicking butt and taking names, she is a tone-setter for the crew! Not only is she a bad-woman in the field 😂, she has a wonderful personality, she absolutely loves her job, her teammates and her community. She gets along with all the kids, loves working hard, is passionate about farming and she brings so much to the team - it's absolutely impossible to say anything negative about Tess! Thank you Tess for being a part of our farm and for serving your community with consistency of character, morals, values, passion and hard work!
In Her Own Words...
How long have you worked for Ahavah Farm?
Since July 2020
What is your job title and what do you do on the farm?
Vegetable Production Technician and Enthusiast 😂! I help with...everything! Planting, harvesting, washing, packing, delivering, customer service, nursery...I do it all!
What do you like most about your job?
Definitely the people. I love the team and the community!
Can you share one thing you have learned by working for Ahavah Farm?
You sure can grow a lot of stuff in the winter time...and without heat!!
Do you have a favorite hobby?
Painting!
Do you have a favorite quote?
Off the top of my head? Lol. How about, "Don't worry, be happy!"
What is a fun-fact that only a few people know about you?
I can lick my nose.😋
What are three words that describe you?
Happy, Passionate and Fun
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Doing what makes me happy.
Anything else you would like to share with us?
I love Ahavah and seeing the members every week!!
NURSERY NEWS - IMPORTANT!!!
Attention Home Gardeners! If you are planning a garden this year, you MUST get your orders in soon! We will be cutting off all guaranteed pre-orders no later than April 1st!
Also, if you are planning on purchasing seeds from an online retailer or other retailer, be prepared that your desired seeds will be sold out. We have seen an over 500% increase in seed, seedling and gardening supplies and many retailers are ALREADY sold out! Place your orders today, as supplies across the globe, particularly here in the United States are running very tight and prices for seeds and seedlings are going through the roof! Don't worry though, our seedling prices are set in stone for 2021 and WILL NOT be increasing! In addition, you save 15% off all orders! See below...
PRE-ORDER TODAY AND SAVE 15%
Don't forget you can still save on all your pre-season seedling orders!
If you are planning a garden for 2021, why not save 15% on your garden seedlings and have them guaranteed to be available where and when you are?!
Pre-order all your garden seedlings today and save 15% (remember there is a lag time, so if you are wanting pre-orders for March, you must get on it right away. 6-8 weeks is the pre-order time for all seedlings)
Pre-Order all your garden seedlings for 2021 (over 70 heirloom varieties!) and have them
guaranteed to be available on your selected date in your selected location: Colorado Springs, Denver, Monument and Peyton.
DEADLINE TO PRE-ORDER IS APRIL 1ST!
Use Code NURSERY15 at checkout.
It’s never to early to plan a 2021 victory garden! Go to www.ahavahfarm.com/nursery for more information and USE CODE NURSERY15 at checkout!
INTRODUCING: A Microgreen CSA Share!
Love our microgreens!? Than this selection is for you! Receive 3 types of microgreens every week of the year and save 17% every single week!
Our microgreens are fresh and will last - unlike anything you can find in the store. We pride ourselves on our microgreen quality as being not only absolutely pure - grown without chemicals, fertilizers or inefficient energy (we grow with 100% solar, renewable energy!), but they are absolutely beautiful, long-lasting and delicious! We really can't rave enough, they are THAT good!
What's in a Share?
In your share you will receive a combination of 3 microgreens every week with the option to purchase add-ons and extras when available. Every week we will be growing a mixture of microgreens and you will receive 3 selections of the following: Sunflower Shoots, Pea Shoots, Radish, Kale, Kohlrabi, Basil, Cilantro, Lettuce, Brocolli and more.
Pickup locations and times are the same as Ahavah Farm Veggie Share CSA but you do not have to be a veggie-share member to be a microgreen CSA member - these are two independent programs combined into one.
Go to https://www.ahavahfarm.com/microgreen-csa to learn more and to sign up!
COMPOST
Be a part of our ZERO-WASTE mission here at Ahavah Farm and bring us your compost! PLEASE REMEMBER - NO PLASTIC BAGS. Want more information? CLICK HERE to learn about the program. Thank you everyone who has been bringing their compost! We are so excited that we can help on your mission to become Waste Free!
CSA PICKUP LOCATIONS AND TIMES
NOTATE TIMES: Times are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances. Please be aware that it is your responsibility to check Facebook and this blog on ahavahfarm.com for updated information and changes. - PLEASE SEE ABOVE FOR CHANGES FOR SNOW STORM!
THURSDAYS:
COS North / Monument @ Beasts and Brews (7 Spectrum Loop, Ste. 140)
12pm to 1pm (Drive Thru)
Denver @ JCC (350 S. Dahlia St.):
2:30pm to 4pm (Drive thru)
FRIDAYS:
Colorado Springs @ Ranch Foods Direct (4635 Town Center Dr.):
1pm to 2:30pm (Drive Thru)
2:30pm to 6pm (Inside store)
Peyton @ Ahavah Farm (7545 Log Rd.):
10am to 11am (Drive Thru)
BAGS! We need your bags!!
Thank you everyone for recycling your LARGE bags with us (thank you, but we do not need the small ones, only the large ones)! When we receive your bags we immediately quarantine them for 2 weeks before reusing them to ensure they are safe of any yuckies. Thank you for bringing them and any others you may have!
This Week's Harvest
As always, nothing is guaranteed. These are the items that are "in season" and are anticipated to be ready this week (which may or may not be available at the CSA):
Small = 4-6 items per week
Medium = 7-9 items per week
Large = 10-12 items per week
Radishes - Only the best tasting and incredibly beautiful radishes ever! Roasting. Hands down is the best way to eat these! I literally cannot get enough of these roasted radishes 😋!
Cilantro - Nommies! We love our cilantro - especially after the harvest, we sniff our hands all day long!😂
Tatsoi Florettes (AKA Tatsollini!)- You've had these once already and we have received lot's of positive feedback. We tend to not give too many of these, so when they are available, they are a real treat. Here is an article with a delicious-looking recipe: https://healmedelicious.com/aip-tatsoi-flowers/
Lettuce - OMG - the lettuce this week is UN-BELIEVABLE 😮😮😮!
Spinach - The best tasting thing in the universe during the winter just might be this spinach! It has some burned tips, like the rest, but it is DE-LICIOUS!!! - A much better cut than last week and less buggy!
Onions - Red, white and yellow onions! The last of the year! 😥
Radish Microgreens - Next to the barley grass and the sunshoots, radish microgreens are some of the most nutritiously-dense items we grow on the farm and not only that, but during our annual survey last year, they ranked as the #1 most requested and love item we grow! They have a fantastic bite to them, last considerably long in the refrigerator and are beautiful in appearance.
Sunshoots - Our sunshoots are certainly some of the nicest, most high-quality sunshoots you will ever find (that actually goes for all our microgreens). They are one of the most beloved items we grow as well and a regular staple to our CSA. Here are some ideas to use your sunnies this week: https://www.martinsgardenacf.com/sunflower-shoots-recipes
Red Russian Kale - Yay! We haven't had this in a while and it is a staple. The cold weather has turned it dark purple and red and added a wonderful sweetness to it.
Is that it? I think so! We may have missed an item or two, and you never know what the harvest will actually look like in the end, but that should be the most of it! Have a great week!
That's it for this week! We love you to pieces, are incredibly grateful for each and every one of you and we are blessed to the core to be YOUR farmers!! Yosef, Havah, Kids and Team The Camire Family
Comments