We've made it through some of the major hurdles of summer. And it's getting a little goofy around here, sometimes. That's Joella and Lindsay, enjoying what Lindsay called "the best corn I've ever eaten" last Thursday morning. Lindsay manages our wash/pack and the Holliston distribution, and because of that, her schedule has kept her off of the corn harvest until last Thursday. I was surprised that she hadn't been involved yet, and as I began to pull back the husk of an ear, explaining what we were trying to accomplish with harvest, she took it from my hands, and continued to pull back the leaves in earnest, as if compelled to by some force beyond anything either of us could understand, and began eating immediately. I wish I had a recording of the moment. It was as if all that is actually important and good about what we are trying to do here was embodied in Lindsay and that ear of corn.

The corn is definitely not perfect. But it is good, really good. I've eaten a lot lately. We have a stick of butter right now just for corn rolling butter. Not that the corn needs butter, I need butter.

That's me on an evening field walk this past Saturday with my farm mentor, Chris, and good friend Jen (who managed our flower CSA in 2021). Notice the cool farmers market socks? We had our best farmers market ever. Linnea spent her last day before college helping me sell over 400 pounds of tomatoes and about 65 crates of other mixed vegetables in just 4 hours. It was a happy hustle.

Our fall plantings are looking very healthy. It's always nice to walk in the fields at dusk without a to-do list.

Sunday was Harvey's last day of summer and yesterday was his first day of FIRST GRADE!

We tried to make the day as special as possible by beginning construction on his elaborate plans for a fort, but first we had to harvest the cantaloupe, which needs to be harvested when it needs to be harvested, regardless of what family plans we have. At first he begged to be allowed to stay inside and watch cartoons, but once he got out there with us, he had a blast loading melons into the bins. Check out his handy water bottle holster? This kid could make anything with twist ties.

We also had some major progress on our infrastructure projects last week. On Wednesday the well was dug by a company all the way from upstate NY. We've been trying for about a year to find someone willing and able to dig the type of well designed for us by the Natural Resource Conservation Services last summer. There are a lot more steps before we will actually be able to use the water, but we are a giant leap forward in our plans.

Plus, Kevin pounded all of the posts for High tunnel 5 (of 7). Hopefully we will have the ribs up by the end of the week . . .

We just keep planting! This image is from last Tuesday, as Jamie, Anna and Linnea planted fall swiss chard and lettuce, while Ruthie and I seeded fall radishes (with the green tractor) and Kevin cultivated the late planting of broccoli, cauliflower and rutabaga!

Look at those beautiful leeks to the left! We'll be starting to harvest those in the next few weeks.

It's another large share this week, very similar to last week. I'd love it if you ate a spaghetti squash. They are not going to keep well, so please eat up, and if you want me to try growing it again next year, take one that doesn't look perfect!

Maybe the last of the beans this week. The high school and college kids are gone, and bean picking is a huge time-sink. We might do one last pick next week, but we just can't afford to miss the other opportunities to do important work because we are spending hours in the beans.

We are sending

Flower CSA - Week 9 of 10

(Remember, if you pick up at Weston Nurseries, you started a week early, so this is your last week! Don't forget to sign up for a fall flower share!!)

It’s beginning to feel a bit like fall, but don’t tell that to the flowers. All summer long we’ve had early days, picking flowers in the earliest light of dawn and it’s really lovely to see the sun rise over the farm- adjacent meadows tipped in glowing dew. Last week the sun was noticeably later and this week we’ve bumped back our start time both for daylight and for that gorgeous dew which makes a great image, but not such a great flower pick.

Still, even with these cooler, darker mornings the flowers bloom on in great abundance. I feel like we’re just coming into my favorite time of year in the flowers and guess what- we’re reaching the end of our summer flower share. For those who pick up flowers on Tuesday and Wednesday, next week is your last week, and those at Weston Nurseries are at week 10 this week! Not to worry though because we have a FALL FLOWER SHARE which will begin immediately after your tenth week of summer and go for 5 weeks. We have so many more gorgeous blooms yet to come, including some you haven’t seen yet- China asters, and new varieties of dahlias, plus a truly stunning color of my favorite celosia. It’s also highly likely we’ll get funky with a farmer’s field bouquet of sweet potato and tomato vines, some herbs, and other fun beauties from the vegetable beds bundled together with things like marigolds, zinnias, and dahlias. We’re also prepared for cooler weather (should it come before the end of fall share) with flowers already hanging in the attic to dry for some fun everlasting bouquets at the end. We have a limited number of shares remaining for fall, so be sure to sign up this week to keep the beauty coming your way without a break.

This week’s bouquet features dahlias, marigolds, shiso, amaranth, four varieties of celosia, two kinds of rudbeckia, and some pops of blue-purple and fuchsia from ageratum and gomphrena. The photo above is of a similar bouquet we made for market. Enjoy! -Kerry

PS: Don't forget to sign up for your fall flower share!

Special Floral Event

Saturday, September 23rd 5:30pm-7:30pm

(Rain date, Sunday September 24th, 5:30-7:30)

At Upswing Farm 65 Brookline Street, Pepperell, MA

Let’s Celebrate the Beauty of Nature Together through Seasonal Fresh Flowers! We will spend the evening together touring the flower beds and discussing the art and best practices for tending, cutting and arranging flowers. Participants will have time to cut flowers for their arrangements with some additional pre-cut stems to choose from.

Our flower manager, Kerry, will lead the tour and then demonstrate creating a beautiful and balanced arrangement with a diversity of blooms. We provide you with all the tools you need, including a lovely vessel to create and display your arrangements in. There will be a catered buffet style selection of farm-focused refreshments from The Lazy Bubble, and plenty of time for laughs, questions and enjoying the beauty of an evening out in the fields. Please note, all participants should arrive dressed to be outdoors in whatever weather nature brings our way. We will be spending most of our time in the field, where there is the potential to get a little dirty. Boots or sturdy waterproof shoes are highly recommended. Meet in our parking lot by the High Tunnels at 65 Brookline Street We have a limited number of spots available, so please contact us to reserve your place.

This event is $125 per person and includes all the materials you will need to create and take home a lovely floral arrangement, plus refreshments made from our seasonal organic produce. Please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions when booking.

Space is limited, register today.

Shameless Plug

I need folks to sign up for Fall and Winter Shares and Add-ons! I haven't been doing my marketing work this summer and now that we are a year-round farm I need to be gathering sign ups all year. If you plan to sign up, please do so now! Don't miss out on fall flowers, fruit and mushrooms! You can choose to pay with check and bring payment with you to your regular distribution. Even if you can't pay right away, signing up now really alleviates my "am I going to sell enough?" stress. Please tell your friends.

Fall share is shorter this year. It ends the week before Thanksgiving, so we don't have to pick up vegetables in the cold rain (trust me, no one regretted having the fall share go too far into December last year more than me, standing in the dark, cold rain in the parking lot of Weston Nurseries for hours with soggy customers picking up drenched vegetables).

Fall Share is just 8 weeks, our fall crops are amazing, the weather is cooler so cooking feels wonderful - it's my favorite share. It's a similar size share as summer, every week, with LOTS of choice. No one will make you eat turnips, I promise. Think: sweet spinach and carrots, savory leeks and shallots, delicious sweet potatoes and delicta squash . . . soups, roasted vegetables, fresh salads . . .

Ok, So What's in the Vegetable Share!?

Mix and match 4 pounds: carrots, beets, onions, cucumbers (limits, this is the last week), zucchini/squash (limit one per share), tomatoes, green and purple peppers

Choose 5: purple cabbage, spaghetti squash, cherry tomatoes, mt magic tomatoes (saladette tomatoes, great for fresh sauce, salads or just eating), 4 ears corn, 3/4 lb sweet peppers, 1 pound italian flat beans, 1/2 pound green beans, lettuce mix, arugula (our best yet this year), micro greens, celery, radishes, kale, chard, scallions, hot peppers, basil (last of the season) and dill.

One melon

FOR SALE THIS WEEK!

seconds tomatoes $2/lb

*Please note* we do our absolute best to estimate what our customers will prefer when it comes to choices based on years of CSA and market experience and data collection. That said, sometimes a crop is more popular than anticipated and we do run out of that choice. We try to avoid this, but have determined this is a better alternative than not giving choices.

Know someone that would like to receive weekly CSA emails but can't join the CSA? Click Here to add their name to the weekly CSA list for updates on what's going on at the farm, and to get an idea of what we will have available for retail sales!

Recipes

Hi! Jessica Girotti here. If you have a recipe that you love that you'd like to share with other members, or if a recipe link isn't working for you, feel free to email me at jgirotti@live.com. (Please note that I can't re-print a recipe from a cookbook that isn't already online.) Don't forget to check out the recipe pages on the Upswing website if you need more ideas.

KETCHUP - FROM FRESH GARDEN TOMATOES

Did you know that a tablespoon sized serving of Heinz ketchup has more sugar than your typical chocolate chip cookie? When I realized that, I started looking for low-sugar ketchups but was never able to find one we enjoyed. A few years ago, I decided to try making my own and, while it is a bit of a time commitment (especially if you’re going to can it so it’s shelf-stable), it is soooooo worth it. This is not your typical bottled ketchup. I recently had a rosemary ketchup at a restaurant and will be trying to recreate that this year by adding a few tablespoons of chopped rosemary.

SPAGHETTI SQUASH CASSEROLE

This may be my new favorite way to cook spaghetti squash! I used the super melty fontina cheese that the recipe calls for, but you could definitely use cheddar if that's what you have on hand. I highly recommend not omitting the fresh basil - it was fabulous and added some nice color.

BAKED TOMATO SLICES

Fresh tomatoes with rosemary, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper get a quick 5-10 minute roast. These are great for snacking, pureeing or for topping your favorite pasta or adding to a sandwich. I might even add some feta or parmesan cheese before they go in the oven too.

BELL PEPPER EGG IN A HOLE

Need a super easy weeknight meal. This one only has a few ingredients that you can either get in your share or likely already have in your pantry.

CHARRED TOMATO GAZPACHO

This chilled tomato soup will also use up some of your bell peppers and cucumbers from your share. I love the depth of flavor that grilling the tomatoes adds.

GARDEN VEG SALSA

This one step catch-all recipe is genius for using up whatever you have leftover.

IMPORTANT DETAILS

Below is information for pick up at all 3 of our weekly locations. If you can't remember your pick up location, please refer to the email sent on 6/4/2023.

Upswing Farm

65 Brookline St, Pepperell, MA

Pick Up Days: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday

If you can't make your regular pick up day, you can come another day, no need to let us know.

Hours are 2:00pm to 6:00pm.

Here is a list of the exact dates of your share pick up. *

I recommend stopping what you are doing and adding them to your calendar, with an alert, right now!

June 13-15th

June 20th-22nd

June 27th-29th

July 4th-July6thT

July 11th-13th

July 18th-20th

July 25th-27th

August 1st-3rd

August 8th-10th

August 15th-17th

August 22nd-24th

August 29th-31st

September 5th-7th

September 12th-14th

September 19th-21st

Parking: Please park in the parking lot by the greenhouses and the white Upswing Farm sign. It's more like 53 Brookline if you are using GPS.

Picking Up Your Share: Please check in with Joella and cross your own name off the list !

This is very important. We need to know who has come! Then, read the signs and choose your produce based on the signs. Joella can answer any questions you have.

If you are going to be late: Text 508-215-8378. We can pack a box for you and leave it in the cooler trailer for pick up. Make sure you close the door!

If you can't make it on your regular pick up day: You can come on one of the other pick up days. You don't need to let us know, but if you are frequently going to be changing your days, it is better for us if you sign up for a regular Tuesday pick up so we can have our numbers right for the week. If you can't make it to any of the pick up days let us know and we can box a share for you to pick up another day.

If you want to send someone else in your place: This is a great idea if you are going on vacation! Give your neighbor or anyone who is helping take care of your place your share for the week. Just make sure you forward the person you are sharing with the weekly email so they know pick up procedure. No need to tell us if you are going to do this.

Can't make it and want to donate your share to a local food pantry? Let us know and we will make sure it gets to one of the five food pantries we serve weekly.

Holliston Community Farm

34 Rogers Rd, Holliston, MA

Your pick up day is Tuesday.

Hours are 1:00pm to 6:00pm.

If you can't make it by 6:00, we can leave the share in the walk-in cooler for you to pick up later.

Here is a list of the exact dates of your share pick up. *

I recommend stopping what you are doing and adding them to your calendar, with an alert, right now!

June 13st

June 20th

June 27th

July 4th

July 11th

July 18th

July 25th

August 1st

August 8th

August 15th

August 22nd

August 29th

September 5th

September 12th

September 19th

Parking: Please driving up the driveway at 34 Rogers Rd, past the yellow house and past the farm stand and park in the parking lot. Please drive carefully, it is a narrow drive, and you will need to travel the drive from the house to the street single file. Please be patient and courteous with one another.

Picking Up Your Share: Please check in with Lindsay, cross your own name off the list !

This is very important. We need to know who has come! Then, read the signs and choose your produce based on the signs. Lindsay can answer any questions you have.

If you are going to be late: Text 508-215-8378 if you are going to be late. We can pack a box for you and leave it in the cooler to pick up later that evening or the next day.

If you can't make it and want to switch your pick up day to Thursday 1-6 at Weston Nurseries or Saturday at the Ashland Farmer's Market: Please let us know by Monday morning at 7am, if possible, so we can adjust our harvest for the week. Email upswingcsa@gmail.com.

If you want to send someone else in your place: This is a great idea if you are going on vacation! Give your neighbor or anyone who is helping take care of your place your share for the week. Just make sure you forward the person you are sharing with the weekly email so they know pick up procedure. No need to tell us if you are going to do this.

Can't make it and want to donate your share to a local food pantry? Let us know and we will make sure it gets to one of the five food pantries we serve weekly.

Weston Nurseries in Hopkinton

93 East Main St, Hopkinton, MA

Your pick up day is Thursday.

Hours are 1:00pm to 6:00pm.

Here is a list of the exact dates of your share pick up. *

I recommend stopping what you are doing and adding them to your calendar, with an alert, right now!

June 15th

June 22st

June 29th

July 6th

July 13th

July 20th

July 27th

August 3rd

August 10th

August 17th

August 24th

August 31st

September 7th

September 14th

September 21nd

Parking: DO NOT GO IN THE MAIN ENTRANCE OF WESTON NURSERIES! There is no way to drive to the back lot from there. Instead, turn north at the light in front of Weston Nurseries onto Legacy Farms Rd North and turn right into the parking lot behind the nursery. You will see out white Box truck there, with tents. Park anywhere on the gravel lot, not too close to the tents, if possible.

Picking Up Your Share: Please check in with Anna (Ah-na) (she's new and she's great!) and cross your own name off the list !

This is very important. We need to know who has come! Then, read the signs and choose your produce based on the signs. Anna can answer any questions you have.

If you are going to be late: Text 508-215-8378. We can arrange a spot for you to pick up.

If you can't make it: Please let us know by Monday at 7:00am if possible. You can switch to pick up at the Holliston Community Farm (see details above) or at the Ashland Farmer's market, 125 Front St, Ashalnd, Saturday 9am-1pm

If you want to send someone else in your place: This is a great idea if you are going on vacation! Give your neighbor or anyone who is helping take care of your place your share for the week. Just make sure you forward the person you are sharing with the weekly email so they know pick up procedure. No need to tell us if you are going to do this.

Can't make it and want to donate your share to a local food pantry? Let us know and we will make sure it gets to one of the five food pantries we serve weekly.

Your Farmers,

Brittany, Kevin and the Upswing Farm Team

Also, I'm bad at spelling. I am a generalist, so as long as most of the letters are there, and there is good context, by brain prefers not to be bogged down by details. Also, I am frequently typing these emails late at night or early in the morning after or before a big day of work. I promise I'm not making spelling or grammar errors because I don't care. I really, really do care, I'm just no good at copy editing and I rarely have time to send these out for a proof read to Kevin who is still sleeping. I hope you can forgive me.