F24 (W10): Two Feet in November
Dear Farm Community -
Here we are, two feet firmly planted in November. The clocks have fallen back and we’re grateful that we’ll once again be able to see what we’re harvesting in the early morning. It’s been a sweet thing to share some sunrises with each other, but unfortunately the darkness just prior isn’t ideal for quickly bunching radishes or harvesting lettuce with the irrigation so precariously close to where we’re using our knives. We’ve done our best to develop our night-vision (see: early morning-vision) to keep things running smoothly, but it’ll be nice to once again have the sun as a companion in our morning meetings and first bits of work in the fields.
The clocks changing this time of year is like, well, clockwork. But nature keeps her own agenda and it’s been a surprising autumn in that there’s still not a first frost in sight. We would typically expect to have some chillier weather visiting us in the evenings by now, but the forecast is showing lows in the 50’s and 60’s for at least the predictable future. On one hand this means flowers and tomatoes later into the season than we typically would have (yay!) but on the other hand it could spell trouble for our flowers like gladiolus that require cold weather to give them a kick start (boo!). There’s only one thing to do, and that’s wait and see how it all shakes out. At least there’s some rain on the horizon finally! (knock on wood)
There’s a bit of information coming at you in the next section about end-of-season CSA housekeeping and transition into 2025, so please enjoy this absolutely darling photo of the flower crew as a palette cleanser to prepare yourself:
Feeling ready for the wealth of knowledge coming your way? Good! Me too!
As we near the end of our 2024 CSA season we are so grateful for the support you have all given us, and we feel blessed that we get to share this food with you every week. Here is some handy information that will keep the end of the 2024 CSA season and transition into the 2025 CSA season running smoothly.
LAST PICKUP OF 2024:
Our Fall CSA ends the week before Thanksgiving (worry not, we’ll still be at our usual markets and a special Thanksgiving market for all your turkey day needs). Here are the dates for final CSA pickup of the year based on your day of the week:
Tuesday Pickup: Last pickup is on Tuesday 11/19
Wednesday Pickup: Last pickup is on Wednesday 11/20
Wednesday Home Delivery: Last delivery is on Wednesday 11/20
Thursday Pickup: Last pickup is on Thursday 11/21
Saturday Pickup: Last pickup is on Saturday 11/23
2025 CSA AND PAYMENT OPTIONS:
Our 2025 CSA will start with a 6-8 week Winter Session beginning mid-January. While the exact date and length of the session is still to be determined in the coming weeks as we get our farmers together and work out our winter plan, there will be plenty of advance notice and reminders to make sure we’re all on the same page!
To keep things simple, all CSA members with weekly memberships will have to re-enroll for the 2025 season. We will set your last payment for 2024 to process the week prior to your last pickup . To get on board for the 2025 CSA season, we encourage you to keep an eye on the newsletters in December when we will roll out plans for next year’s CSA. Payment options will be similar to this year’s, including full-year and full-season discounted payments as well as weekly subscriptions. Lots of exciting things planned and a few new crops we’re trying out so we hope you’re eager to get back to it!
If you have any questions please reach out to us by responding to this email or asking at your next CSA pickup, we will be happy to help! We truly appreciate your support and value your involvement with our farm. It’s amazing to see this community grow and we’re so excited for what next year holds. Let’s finish out the year strong and with delicious food! (You didn’t think I would forget to suggest some amazing recipes did you? Let those hakurei turnips in your share SHINE like they were born to! They’re stars in these recipes for turnip miso soup, sesame turnips with soba noodles, or this recipe for a bean bake with greens and turnips!)
To full bellies this year and next!
Diamond Hill Farmers
better late than never…
(we welcome you to join us for these last few weeks and ~fall~ in love with our CSA!)
P.S. A reminder to all CSA members about our end-of-year potluck!
END-OF-YEAR
CSA MEMBER
RECIPE SWAP & POTLUCK!!!
We invite our CSA members to join us on the farm for a recipe swap, bonfire, and potluck on Sunday, November 17th from 5:00-7:00pm! Drinks and s’mores supplies will be on the house but we do request you bring a dish to share! A cozy bonfire will be blazing for gathering around and roasting s’mores. Attendees can RSVP by sending your favorite veggie-inspired recipe(s) to us at diamondhillfarmGA@gmail.com. Please include your name and number of attendees - family members and +1’s are welcome! We will gather all of the recipes into one big document to send out after the potluck. Invitations with more details will be included with this week’s CSA shares.
$25 share: carrots, salad mix, chard OR spinach, broccoli OR cauliflower, hakurei turnips
$35 share: carrots, salad mix, chard OR spinach, broccoli OR cauliflower, hakurei turnips, sugar snap peas, herbs, microgreens