April 17, 2017 Veggie Box News

Box Contents

1 bu Asparagus

½ lb Snow/Snap Peas

1 bu Gold Chard

1 bu Carrots

2 hds Red Batavian

1 bu Green Garlic

.40 lb Arugula

1 lb Purple Daikon Radish and Rutabagas

Field Notes: In the greenhouse this week: watermelon, cantaloupe, tomatoes, and basil! All of these transplants are ready to go into the fields, their roots have filled the small cells of the trays. As soon as the soil is dry enough, we will be feverishly transplanting. On the horizon: the spring bunched greens including collards, chard, kale and bunched spinach. Luckily, we were able to transplant 7 acres of tomatoes during the window of dry weather. The tomato plants in the field have overhead sprinkler lines set up in the event that we need to frost-protect the delicate plants. If nighttime temperatures drop below 32 degrees, we turn on the irrigation lines. The water droplets coat the plants with water and freeze on the leaves sealing the leaves, preventing the frost from settling. Frozen ice on the plants is safer than a layer of frost. The frost breaks the plant cells but the coating of water and ice protects them. It’s hard to believe but it works!

Spring Hams: There are a few hams left to order for delivery to the farmer’s markets in Berkeley on Tuesday or Thursday this week or for after the Easter holiday. The weight range is 3-7 lbs per ham. The price is $10 per lb. The Riverdog Farm hams are smoked and cured (pre-cooked) at Roundman’s in Ft. Bragg. They are delivered frozen to your CSA delivery site or to the one of the farmer’s markets in Berkeley. Glaze the top with orange marmalade, place in a casserole dish in 2-4 cups of orange juice and cover loosely with foil to hold in the moisture. Stick a few cloves in the ham before heating for added spice.

New Pastured Pork Sausage Varieties: Bacon Sausage (smaller links, 5-6 per package), Andouille Sausage (2 big links per package), and Country Sausage (smaller links, 5-6 per package) $100 for a 10 lb case. These fresh sausages (not pre-cooked) are made at Roundman’s Smokehouse in Ft. Bragg with our pastured pork. We also have smoked Chorizo for the same price. We hope you give them a taste!

Pork Bone Broth:

$10 for 32 oz.

We are pleased to offer our pork bone broth made from Riverdog Farm pastured pork bones and our certified organic carrots. Roliroti in Oakland makes the broth for us in their USDA certified kitchen. They roast the bones and carrots then cook them in water and strain the liquid broth into the 32-ounce jugs. We deliver the broth frozen to your delivery site.

Whole Chickens and Pastured Pork: Bacon, Sausage (Breakfast, Italian Mild, Italian Hot, and Bratwurst), Ham, and Pork Cuts available year round.

Please contact the farm at csa@riverdogfarm.com for pricing and to place your order. The meat orders are delivered to CSA sites frozen in a strapped cooler. The farm retrieves the empty coolers from the CSA site the week after delivery. Please take your meat order out of the cooler the day of delivery or return the cooler the following week to the CSA delivery site.

Riverdog Farm hogs and chickens are certified organic animals raised on diets of certified organic corn/soy/triticale, produce culls, alfalfa, rye grass, clover, Three Twins Ice Cream overruns, and whey from Cowgirl Creamery. The meat is not labeled organic because the processing facilities are not yet certified organic. We are working with our processors to have the facilities become certified organic so that we can label the packaged meat as certified organic.