September 27th, 2011: Farmer Education

This Week’s Share: Peppers: Green Roasters photo by: Farmer Courtney Hot Peppers: Padron Hot Peppers: Jalapeno Eggplant: Mix Kale: Lacinato Carrots: Nelson Parsnips Onions: Gladstone Tomatoes: Heirlooms Beans: Dragon Tongue Plums: Italian Prune Basil: Purple & Genovese
Announcements: Six More Weeks To Go:  Farm Share pick-up goes through November 1st, but then we get to see you all again on November 22nd for the very last pick-up of the season – your Thanksgiving share. Winter Squash is on the horizon! Funny Roots: You may have noticed that Zenger Farm roots and tubers tend to take on funny shapes. Carrots and parsnips twist and turn – sometimes around one another. Our potatoes are lumpy and bumpy. Sure, all farms have some of these funny-looking ground dwellers, which usually go home with the farmers. But here at Zenger Farm, we have more than our fair share, and for this, we blame the abundance of rocks in our soil: Young carrot growing next to a rock, grows around it – “The Gumby,” or grows many legs and surrounds it – “The Octopus,” or scoots closer to its neighbor and whoops, they twist together – “Best Friends”. Though they look a little funny, they still taste great – all vegetables have a place at Zenger Farm. We hope that you appreciate them too. Fall Workshop Series: The Fall Workshop schedule is posted. October Work Party: Saturday, October 8th, 1-4pm. Get Dirty! Info here.
Field Notes from Farmer Sara: Last week, we took a break from the fields and took a road trip around Portland…Though much of their education is hands on, apprentices have opportunities throughout the season to visit other farms, and to learn about specific aspects of sustainable agriculture and small farm operation. Last Monday, we went on an urban farm blitz around Portland. We spent time on a rooftop, in side yards, and back yards, and church yards, checking out the nooks and crannies where farmers are growing food in the city. Our first stop was a rooftop garden on East Burnside. Farmer Marc Boucher-Colbert grows almost any veggie you can think to grow in the Pacific Northwest, but he grows them 6 stories up in the air, and they are prepared and eaten one level below at Noble Rot Wine Bar. You can check out the killer view and meet Marc and chef/owner Leather Storrs in this video, or hear the story from Marc himself. When he’s not growing veggies on a roof, Marc also grows veggies with kids as the Garden Specialist at Franciscan Montessori Earth School, and sometimes brings those kids to Zenger Farm to help out in the fields. Next, we visited with Stacey Givens at The Side Yard in NE Portland. Stacey was cooking at Noble Rot and began spending more and more time on the roof with Marc, tending and harvesting veggies for the kitchen. Her love of cooking has inspired a new passion for growing and raising food as well. Stacey primarily grows veggies for local chefs, and they especially love her teeny tiny micro greens. Then we took a peek at Cully Neighborhood Farm, which utilizes 1/4 acre at Trinity Lutheran Church. Thanks Matt and Michael for letting us poke around. Your veggies look terrific! Then on to Velocifeed, where we met Joshua Dodds, farmer of a half-dozen vacant plots and backyard spaces in Portland. Josh shared with us his philosophies on utilizing vacant spaces in the city, re-using and salvaging any and all materials, re-learning lost arts, like seed-saving and barter and trade. And then to our final stop, Sidewalk’s End Farm, a collective CSA farm, made up of five back-yards in SE Portland, one slightly larger plot on the outskirts of the city, two beehives, one bicycle, one station wagon, and two very busy farmers – Holly and Caitlin. At the end of the day, I was re-invigorated by the passion and energy that drive each of these urban farmers to grow food, and by the collective desire to create greater access, for more people, to this good, healthy, vibrant, colorful, fragrant, delicious food. Thanks for your time farmers!
In the Kitchen with Devin: Fresh Fall Eggplant Bake 2-3 Eggplant 3-4 Tomatoes (For Sauce) Garlic Basil Bread crumbs Chop Tomatoes and sauté in a shallow pan with olive oil and garlic. Dice the eggplant, sauté in another pan with olive oil (not too much!) When eggplant is brown and tender, remove from heat, add to a glass baking pan. Chop Basil and add to Eggplant in pan To make bread crumbs: Use 1 or 2 slices of bread. Dry in oven. Place dry bread slices in a re-sealable plastic bag, and using your rolling pin or a large drinking glass, roll over the top of the plastic bag and crush bread until desired coarseness. Add pressed garlic and olive oil to bread crumbs. Preheat oven to 400° When the sauce has thickened, pour into the baking pan and add bread crumbs onto top Bake for 15-20min Enjoy!

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