LaPlata Area Food: December 2008

Policies

1) A la carte orders must be received by the posted deadline. Late orders will probably not be honored. If you'd like us to confirm that we received your order, just ask.

2) Payment is due either upon ordering or upon delivery/pickup. Established customers can pay by check. New customers are asked to pay via paypal or in person cash the first two times. A paypal invoice will be sent if you wish to pay in that way.

3) As of 11/18/08, delivery charges are calculated as follows: $2 flat fee per delivery plus a $0.50/mile charge for the one way distance between us. So if you live 5 miles from me, your charge will be $2 + $2.50 = $4.50. If you live 2 miles from me, your charge is $2 + $1 = $3.

4) Your produce will be delivered in reusable bags/boxes each week on Monday; alternate delivery days may be selected based on what you order, where you live, and how full my refrigerator is! We need you to leave the containers from last week where we can retrieve them when we make our delivery. This includes any cloth bags. waxed boxes, plastic bags from veggies, glass jars, and egg cartons. When you forget to leave the containers for us, you will need to bring them to us before the next week's delivery. If we forget to pick up the bags, we will be responsible for retrieving them from you. Boxes/bags that are not returned withing 2 weeks will be assessed a replacement fee. Timely return of glass jars is especially important.

5) Cold and hot weather are not very friendly to fresh produce. If you can not be home to receive the delivery, please leave a cooler outside (and tell us where it is!) in which the produce can wait for your return.

6) If you encourage other families in your neighborhood to become LAF customers, your delivery charge will be reduced. We just need to know who to credit...

7) Since farming is not a precise, predictable science, sometimes items will either not be ready for harvest, will be beyond harvesting, or will have changed between bagged, bunched, and loose. Substitutions for one variety over another will also be made upon occasion. If substitutions are unacceptable, please notify us when your order is placed. If an ordered item is not available, your account will receive a credit towards your next order or you will simply not be charged.

How Does This Work?

Every week, we visit local farms, talk with the farmers, and purchase the freshest, yummiest food. We support farmers who nurture their soil, strive for sustainable farming practices, and don't use harmful or questionable products. Each week, you choose a la carte from the list of available food and pay for what you choose. We pack your share into reusable containers and you get your food. You, in turn, leave us the empty containers from last week's order and arrange payment. It's that simple!

To assist in your enjoyment of local produce, we will share storage information, preparation tips, recipes and ways to use new foods via this blog.

Sometimes, customers will have the option of adding eggs, honey, meat, cheese, mushrooms, bulk fruits, and other foods to their orders. Monthly, we order dry goods and food staples from Neshaminy Valley Natural Foods (based in Philidelphia, PA). These additional options are called Special Orders.

Is the food organic? Organic is such a key word these days. We go for local first, choosing farms that are as close as possible to the LaPlata area. Whenever there is an organic option, we will go with that. After that, we look for farmers who use IPM (integrated pest management), composting, and other sustainable practices. If you would like your food to be strictly organic, just let us know when you become a customer!

There are three membership options:
I) Weekly delivery to your home - cost $12/month + mileage charges
II) Weekly pickup at my home - cost $12/month
III) Special Orders Only - cost $5/order

Friday, December 19, 2008

This Weeks' Food (12/19/08)

Sorry for the short notice! This week orders need to get to me by noon friday. Here's this week's food options:

From Next Step Produce ...
The following are all certified organic
* butternut squash @ $2.50/lb
* salad mix bag @ $3
* mesclun mix (baby lettuce & baby greens + baby arugula) bag @ $3
* spinach bag @ $3
* baby arugula bag @ $3
* cress bag @ $3
* mache bunch @ $3
* Asian greens - mei qing choi @ $3.60/lb or tat soi bunch @ $3
* vitamin green bunch @ $3
* rapini bunch @ $3
* mustard greens bunch (green wave or mizuna) @ $3
* kale bag (winter mix) @ $3
* collard greens bunch @ $3
* leeks @ $3.60/lb
* turnips bunch (hakurei) @ $3
* beets (small with lots of greens) bunch @ $3
* radish bunch (rosy or green meat) @ $2.50
* daikon radish @ $2/lb
* celery root @ $3.60/lb
* sunchokes @ $4.50/lb or a pint @ $5
* pint of garnet sweet potatoes - small @ $3
* garnet sweet potatoes - large @ $2.20/lb
* satina potatoes -large (yellow with buttery texture) @ $2.50/lb
* satina potatoes - quart of small @ $5
* sieglinda potatoes -large (yellow and excellent baked) @ $2.65/lb
* sieglinda potatoes - quart of small @ $5
* garlic (regular or elephant) @ $8.50/lb (approx $2/bulb)

From Good Fortune Farm:
* pastured, free range, organically fed turkeys $3/lb for a 1/2 turkey of about 16 lbs
or for individual parts (thigh, legs, wing)

From a farm in St. Mary's County:
* homemade scrapple @ $2.50/lb in 1 lb paper wrapped packages

From Fresh Start Farm:
* free range, organically fed medium eggs @ $2/dz

Please remember that between nature and labor, sometimes not everything on the list is actually harvested according to plan.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

This Weeks' Food (12/12/08)

This week orders need to get to me by noon friday. I will be picking up eggs from Fresh Start Farm tomorrow (thursday) so if you want eggs, let me know by phone as early as you can tomorrow or email tonight. Farmers do need time to know what to harvest and separate out for us before going to market. Here's this week's food options:

From Next Step Produce ...
The following are all certified organic
* persimmons, asian @ $4/lb
* butternut squash @ $2.50/lb
* salad mix bag @ $3
* mesclun mix (baby lettuce & baby greens + baby arugula) bag @ $3
* spinach bag @ $3
* baby arugula bag @ $3
* cress bag @ $3
* mache bunch @ $3
* kale bunch (red russian, red bor & curly mix, siberian, or lacinato) @ $3
* collard greens bunch @ $3
* green cabbage @ $2/lb
* fennel @ $4/lb
* leeks @ $3.60/lb
* beets (small with lots of greens) bunch @ $3
* radish bunch (rosy, green meat, daikon) @ $3
* celery root @ $4.50/lb
* sunchokes @ $4.50/lb
* pint of garnet sweet potatoes - small @ $3
* garnet sweet potatoes - large @ $2.20/lb
* adirondack red potatoes (large @ $2.50/lb)
* garlic (regular or elephant) @ $8.50/lb (approx $2/bulb)

From Good Fortune Farm:
* pastured, free range, organically fed turkeys $3/lb for a 1/2 turkey of about 16 lbs

From a farm in St. Mary's County:
* homemade scrapple @ $2.50/lb in 1 lb paper wrapped packages

From Estevez Family Farm:
* humanely raised and chemical free pork chops @ $3/lb

From Fresh Start Farm:
* free range, organically fed medium eggs @ $2/dz

Please remember that between nature and labor, sometimes not everything on the list is actually harvested according to plan.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Not Your Everyday Salad Greens (Mache and Cress)

Last week I had the pleasure of trying salad greens that were new to me. I tried cress (photo on left - see the ripe persimmon too?):

Cress comes bagged with these little leaves and long stems. You just dump into your bowl and eat! Cress alone was a bit tangy for me. I prefer it mixed with something (arugula needs to be mixed for me as well). I combined cress with mache (said like mosh). I have had mache before (photo on left) and really like it with a creamy style dressing. Mache comes bagges and in little leaf bunches that look rather like flowers. You grab the leaves all together and pull the stem off. The combination worked very nicely for salad at my house. Why don't you try some?

This Weeks' Food (12/4/08)

This week orders need to get to me by noon friday although before that would be better of course. Farmers do need time to know what to harvest and separate out for us before going to market. Here's this week's food options:

From Next Step Produce ...
The following are all certified organic
* persimmons, asian @ $4/lb
* butternut squash @ $2.50/lb
* salad mix bag @ $3
* mesclun mix (baby lettuce & baby greens + baby arugula) bag @ $3
* spinach bag @ $3
* baby arugula bag @ $3
* cress bag @ $3
* mache bunch @ $3
* kale bunch (red russian, red bor & curly mix, siberian, or lacinato) @ $3
* collard greens bunch @ $3
* green cabbage @ $2/lb
* fennel @ $4/lb
* leeks @ $3.60/lb
* beets (small with lots of greens) bunch @ $3
* radish bunch (rosy, green meat, daikon) @ $3
* celery root @ $4.50/lb
* sunchokes @ $4.50/lb
* pint of garnet sweet potatoes - small @ $3
* garnet sweet potatoes - large @ $2.20/lb
* adirondack red potatoes (large @ $2.50/lb)
* garlic (regular or elephant) @ $8.50/lb (approx $2/bulb)

From Good Fortune Farm:
* pastured, free range, organically fed turkeys $3/lb for a 1/2 turkey of about 16 lbs

From a farm in St. Mary's County:
* homemade scrapple @ $2.50/lb in 1 lb paper wrapped packages

From Estevez Family Farm:
* humanely raised and chemical free pork chops @ $3/lb

Please remember that between nature and labor, sometimes not everything on the list is actually harvested according to plan.

LaPlata Area Food

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