It’s that time of year again when normally good-natured people become vicious and back-stabbing in order to secure a spot in their summer CSA of choice. Just kidding, we’re not really like that (she says while sharpening her knives). What? My knives really do need sharpening. It’s just a coincidence.
I’ve moved the list of local farms to the left hand column under Farms and Food if you want to peruse your options. (Incidentally, my favorite food blog links are listed in that same spot on their own separate pages because the sidebar lists were starting to give me a headache).
If you can’t wait until the summer for fresh, local produce, and I know I can’t, there’s a new winter farmer’s market on Saturdays starting tomorrow through Feb. 27 at Russell’s Garden Center located at 397 Boston Post Rd. (Rt. 20) in Wayland from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Boston Localvores has the scoop on that. There’s another winter farmer’s market going on in Natick on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Johnson School at 99 South Main St. (Rt. 27). You can learn more from FoodieMommy.
Let’s see, what else? Oh, Drumlin Farm is having their annual winter harvest meal on Friday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. Menu includes fresh cheese, kale soup, vegetable frittata, Drumlin meat, roasted winter vegetables, and homemade pumpkin pie. Author Brian Donahue (Reclaiming the Commons: Community Farms and Forests in a New England Town and The Great Meadow: Farmers and the Land in Colonial Concord) will speak. Tickets are $32 for members, $40 for nonmembers. Call 781-259-2206 by January 30 to reserve a spot.
Finally, there’s a burger throwdown going on in Boston on Monday, Feb. 1 from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Nine Zero Hotel between Ken Oringer, James Beard Award-winning chef of KO Prime, and his “challengers,” including Ming Tsai (Blue Ginger), Andy Husbands (Tremont 647), Jamie Bissonette (Toro, Coppa), Michael Schlow (Radius, Via Matta), Jay Haaj (Mike’s City Diner), and Greg Reeves (Green Street Grill), among others. Twenty-five bucks lets you sample 10 burgers and vote for your favorite one. Event benefits Autism Speaks.
Um, I wish that were funny for being funny and not for being SO DAMN ACCURATE. I joined a pretty crappy CSA last year (terrible communication, sometimes didn't show up for drop-offs with notice on facebook an hour before it was supposed to start, etc). I've got myself on lists for a couple of other farms in my area. I live in fear of missing the email that says "ok, send in your checks now to secure a spot!" Seriously.
Posted by: Adrienne | January 15, 2010 at 04:16 PM
Hi Tammy,
I'm not sure there will be any openings but Frank and Sue at Dragonfly Farms in Pepperell run a very nice CSA with multiple locations, and very attractive pricing.
http://www.dragonfly-farms.com/csa.htm
I'm not affiliated with the farm, other than being neighbors, and a member.
Aaron
Posted by: Aaron Ouellette | January 15, 2010 at 05:46 PM
Love, love, love you Tammy!! I had no idea there was a winter Farmers Market in Natick! You can bet I will be heading there today. Since I live half in Natick and half in Pepperell, I'm a pretty lucky girl to be able to get the best of both worlds. I can also vouch for dragonfly farm. While I'm not a member of the CSA I do buy from the little stand they have in front of their farm and veggies are fantastic and nicely priced!
Posted by: giovanna | January 16, 2010 at 07:19 AM
I've been a member for 3 years with Red Fire Farm, in western Mass - http://www.redfirefarm.com - they have several drop-off locations in the Boston area.
They deliver on the same day each week (I pick up in Central Square in Cambridge, but they also have dropoff places in JP, at MIT, Allston, 2 days in Central Square (behind Harvest Coop) - and they're looking for a place in Newton for next summer. Along with farm stands and other CSA locations in western Mass.
It's all organic produce, and pretty damn unbelievable stuff. You should check out their website for the kinds of things that they grow: the usual suspects but also exciting other stuff: still-on-the-vine edamame, giant kohlrabi, daikon and other Asian goodies, strawberries, eggs, (the yellowest yolks you've ever seen).
They've repeatedly won prizes at the Boston Tomato Festival. You can place bulk orders along with the extremely generous CSA shares for whatever is in season.
And this year, they're offering their very first ever deep-winter CSA; I just picked up my first share yesterday. 2 heads of oakleaf lettuce, a big bag of mixed spring greens, 8 onions (red and yellow), a dozen or so carrots, fresh bok choy, sweet potatoes, turnips, a jar of sauerkraut from Real Pickles and a container of wild honey from Ludlow, a dozen eggs - and I'm sure I'm forgetting something.
Ok, I've run out of breath: but do check them out!!!
Posted by: Elisabeth Heinicke | January 16, 2010 at 02:07 PM
Elisabeth: Sounds great! Thanks for the glowing recommendation. I will add them to the list.
giovanna: Did you go? How was it?
Aaron: I will also add Dragonfly to the list. Thanks for making me aware! Nice to hear about so many great local CSAs.
Adrienne: It IS stressful, isn't it? Well, I hope you get into one you like. When you find a good match, it's pretty amazing.
Posted by: Tammy | January 18, 2010 at 10:28 PM