Howdy Folks, 

We had a low of 10º on Monday morning.  Basically you can only trust the weather stations so much.  They were 10º off on this one!  We thought this definitely cooked the lettuce that we had covered in the field.  But just now I heard word that with the sun out yesterday and today we can finally look under the ice covered row cover to check on it, and it’s looking good!   

We’ve been testing cold tolerance on ourselves.  Chris and I have been taking cold baths!  We feel our spring water slowly cooling down as fall progresses towards the winter solstice.  Our spring water temperature is currently 52º.  Plunging into our bathtub for these cold baths, is a mighty feat.  It hurts in the beginning of the 5 minute plunge, but then you are just cold.  It takes mostly mental strength to stay in the water.  I dream of being a teenager swimming in a cold spring river.  This helps me stay in for the full 5 min.  Pushing through emotions and shivers, you might ask why?  Well, we are toning our cardiovascular system.  About a month ago we heard of this dude Wim Hof, he uses cold water to strengthen the immune system and sharpen the mind and body to an optimal natural state.  The cold baths are invigorating the cardiovascular system, getting us to flex all the little muscles inside our veins, capillaries and arteries.  Well it seemed like something to try.  It definitely wakes you up!  Already I don’t need an afternoon coffee on days that I take a 5 min. cold bath.

Exposure…to the cold seems like a good thing to start doing at this time of year.  Why not?  Chris and I are usually up to try new things to better ourselves.  When we harvest any leafy greens on the farm they get plunged into a 300 gallon stainless steel tank that is full of this cold spring water.  This cold bath takes the “field heat” out of the greens and preserves their nutrients and also keeps them fresher longer!  We are basically doing to ourselves what we do to all of our leafy greens,  It seemed very apropos.

As the light wanes and we progress towards the solstice, it feels amazing to be slowing down and have time to reflect on all the light and business of summer that is long behind now.  It is these months of warmth and light that are necessary to grow the food that nourishes us through the winter months.  This summer energy is captured in the root vegetables, squash, and tubers that you receive in your share this time of year.  These vegetables embody this moment in time.  From birth to maturity, a mother plant gives it’s youth to continue the cycle of life, towards future seeds of itself and to those that consume it.  These plants hold up for months waiting to be eaten.  Sure there is loss, not every fruit that looks perfect for harvest makes it to be eaten months later, but many do.  The strong and beautiful vegetables that we are storing in our temperature appropriate walk-in coolers get the protective layer of earth that remains clinging to their skin washed away and then they are on their final voyage into your hands.  All of these vegetables have traveled through many hands, many times in their many forms from seed, to transplant, cultivation, and harvest of mature fruit, wash and pack, then to you.

We’re thinking about many things we are thankful for this time of year.  This appropriated Holiday of Thanksgiving many of us don’t relate to it’s origins at all, but we certainly relate to eating food and sharing a table with friends and family, and taking a moment to share what we are thankful for.

So here is a little who cooks for you farm thankful…

We are thankful for the cold spring water that runs and rushes from the ground here, it is a life force that keeps pulsing even in the heart of winter with snow covering over and ice accumulating around the source, it keeps flowing….. Washing our produce, watering us in our home, in the greenhouse, the hoophouse, our 4,000 gallon cistern overflows into the pond, and the pond overflows into the Mahoning River, which flows into the Allegheny River. 

The cycle of seasons and the flow of water.  As normal and practical as this may be, it’s this flowing spring that makes this farm a place that nourishes so many.  I like to think of springs as tears of joy! They just come out of nowhere and feel amazing!  They show us what really matters to us and they make us feel so alive.  With tears of gratitude we are so grateful for all of you, our customers that help us protect this spring and grow beautiful produce for your beautiful selves and families.  We are so thankful also for all of our employees who help us run Who Cooks and the soil that shares its capabilities of collaboration with us.  A nod to Mother Earth, for giving us all that we have, sharing together and co-creating together.

Remember we don’t want you all to feel too overwhelmed with root vegetables throughout the Fall CSA there is a fair amount of redundancy in the vegetable offerings.  Sweet Potatoes and potatoes can be stored in a dark cabinet in the house somewhere where it may be cooler.  Carrots, turnips, beets, etc can all be stored in a plastic bag with some holes poked into the bag in the refrigerator..  The idea is that these vegetables are still alive and require oxygen but they are susceptible to dehydration.  You can effectively store these root vegetables for months.  

We are traveling to eastern Pa, to visit with Chris’ family for the Thanksgiving break.  We are super excited to see everyone and chillax!  We will be back to work on Monday the 28th, so if you have any questions in the meantime, just shoot us an email and we will be in touch on Monday.  We hope you have a wonderful peaceful and scrumptious holiday.

Your Farmers,

Chris, Aeros and The Who Crew