More July!

Dear Members,

I was away for a few days, and it's shocking how much there is to catch up on, after a little break this time of year. I'm still digging out, but it was worth it. I have a lot of news you need to know this week so we'll get right to it. 

We've rearranged things at distribution, and I don't want you to miss anything, so here's the lay of the land: 

-We have moved lettuce greens to the West Cooler (the one with the stairs). Be sure to look in there for lettuce. It is abundant this week but you won't find it if you are looking in the main vegetable cooler. 

-We are opening up the Hot Crops cooler this week for the first time this year. It's the trailer BEHIND the pavilion. Just walk through the opening between the freezers and look left; there's a staircase. This is where we will distribute all the summer crops that do not like to be as cold as other crops: basil, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, etc. If you check out the Hot Crops trailer this week you'll find a first small sample of these things! Look for limits so everyone gets a taste. We also have a few ripe cherry tomatoes and tomatillos that you can pick in the field. There are signs pointing the way from the driveway. Please do not drive to or on the field. 


Twenty three years in, I know that every season has some winners and some losers. Strawberries this year? Total winners. And I'm betting on the fresh, ripe, tomatoes that are right around the corner. But I am sorry to say that our sweet corn crop failed entirely this year. The cold, wet spring was the culprit. Germination was a total bust. We tried once, lost, tried again, and lost again. It's a tricky crop to grow organically because organic seed is not treated with the fungicides and insecticides that conventional seed is treated with, to protect from rot and soil pests. A cold wet spring is the worst, and we couldn't overcome those conditions with untreated seed. We'll miss it, and we know you will too. 

And, despite my cheery predictions, a number of factors have conspired to keep our milk supply low. We lost Citrus, and we've also lost some big producers to chronic mastitis (they are currently feeding calves rather than people). Then, the dry weather conditions mean the grass quality is not very good, combined with the heat, which puts cows off vigorous eating, especially when the grass is meh. All that to say, their production tanked this week and we got much less milk than we were banking on. Rather than make a little bit of everything, we decided to put the whole supply into fluid milk and yogurt, both of which we will have in abundance. If you are like me and really need to have some cream for your coffee in the morning, take an extra milk or two, let it sit in the fridge to let the cream rise, and use a little ladle or a big spoon to get the good stuff off the top. And thank you so much for your patience, members, as we figure out the best way to get us back into abundance on the dairy front! Please know I'm working hard on it. 

We expect the Crown Point Bakery order to arrive on the early side this Friday, but you never really know until the breadmobile rolls down the driveway. Drifters Loaf was on vacation last week, and I am hoping to see those loaves back in the store on Tuesday, but I do not have confirmation. Watch our the socials for updates, or just stop by and take a peak. 
 

With gratitude, 
Kristin 

PS, If you are picking up over the weekend and notice we're out of or critically low on something, would you please send me a text at (518) 645-4658 so I can refresh it? Thank you! 

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Estimated Availability for Members This Week 

• Green = abundant, eat with abandon

• Yellow = Somewhat limited supply, enjoy but don’t go nuts

• Red = Limited supply, take just enough for one meal

Vegetables

• Green group, abundant, eat with abandon

  Beets - Red and Gold
  Fresh Spring Beets with Greens!
  Cabbage - Green
  Carrots
  Celeriac
  Celery
  Fennel
  Garlic
  Garlic Scapes
  Head Lettuce - Red Summer Crisp, Iceberg
  Curly Kale
  Salanova Lettuce Mix
  Onions, Red
  Parsnips 
  Potatoes - Gold, Red, White
  Rainbow Chard
  Rutabaga
  Scallions
  Shallots
  
  Herbs:
  Basil
  Chives
  Cilantro
  Dandelion
  Dill
  Oregano
  Sage
  Thyme
  Mexican Marigold Mint
  
   

  Yellow group, somewhat limited supply    

  
  Red group, limited availability this week  

  Lacinato Kale
  Curly Parsley
  Flat Parsley

• Value-Added Products:  
  Kimchi
  Kraut
  Hot Sauce
  Frozen Tomatoes

Eggs

• Unlimited and abundant 

Farmer Only Raw Dairy 

Our raw milk does not provide the protection of pasteurization.

Whole Milk
Yogurt
Buttermilk

Grassfed and Pastured Meat

• Meat:
  Pork - assorted cuts, ground
  Lamb - ground and assorted cuts
  Chicken - whole frozen
  Beef - ground
  Bones - beef, lamb
  Offal - pork, chicken

• Grains, Beans & Dry Goods: 
  Everything not grown by Essex Farm is certified organic.
  Note: we have more products than we have room for on the grain table so check the buckets under the table if you're looking for something.

  Cornmeal and Pancake Mix are back!
  Beans- Black and Pinto
  Chickpeas
  Steel Cut Oats 
  Rolled Oats
  Essex Farm Popcorn
  Sea Salt (Cargill)
  White Bread Flour (Sutton)
  White Pastry Flour 
  Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
  Whole Wheat Bread Flour 
  Buckwheat Flour
  Cornmeal
  Pancake Mixx

• Please be advised that consumption of raw or undercooked foods including meats, poultry, dairy, or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness.

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This Week's Share is Brought to You By: Seth Allen, Anne Brown, Gracie Broughton, Beth Davis, Will DeHaven, Catherine Eskilstark, Nicholas Johnson, Kristin Kimball, Mark Kimball, Barbara Kunzi, Joanie McMahon, Harmony Sveshnikova, Will Glaser Wilson. Thanks to Ted, Ken, Ben, Jackie, Holly, Will, Sergei, Kathleen, Gwen, Charlie, David, Marion, and Barb for the help this week!