The 2011 Season - Coming to an End

Dear 2011 Season Garden of Eat’n CSA Members,

The Rothe Family would like to thank you for participating in our CSA for the 2011 year.  We are getting close to the end of this season. We hope you have enjoyed the veggies this year and will join us again next year.

Wednesday Pick Up members will have their last pick up on Wednesday, September 28^th

Friday Pick Up members will have their last pick up on Friday, September 30^th

Saturday Pick Up members will have their last pick up Saturday, October 1^st

Monday Pick Up members will have their last pick up Monday, October 3^rd

We know the turnips are growing and should be ready for Thanksgiving.  We will have them available for you for your pick-up the week or two before Thanksgiving.  You can call Chris to check 860-985-2812 or check our blog http://gardenofeatn-rhf.blogspot.com/ for the information.

If you purchased your own bins you may take them with you and keep them at your home or leave them with us to store over the winter.  If we purchased your bins and lent them to you please return them so we have them for next year’s members (hopefully you).

We have enjoyed the challenge of this year and appreciate that you have hung in there with us through some of the severe weather we faced this year.  We were luckier than some of our farming friends around the state and we hope for them and ourselves a better year weather wise all around.

Edward Jr.            Edward Sr.        Jane            Tyson (farm pup)

                                                                       Gene                Jean                 Chris            Diesel (farm pup)

Our CSA's fifth year

This is our fifth season as a CSA or Community Supported Agriculture on our farm (Rothe Homestead Farm and now Rothe Partnership) in Ellington, CT.  The season has brought forth the vegetables and new members too.   This season we have 54 members.   In the beginning we mostly had members from Emanuel Lutheran Church but now we have members from Ellington, South Windsor, West of the River and Emanuel.  To think this was all a result of the Immersion Trip to Mexico some years back still amazes me.  When we began we had much to learn about sharing with partners or shareholders that would come to the farm and take home varied vegetables, share recipes, stories and more.  All the visitors to the farm whether from CSA membership, church youth and just curious visitors has so lifted up the family and being able to share our dream of self-sustaining has been such a gift to the whole family.  We still have our pup Diesel who manages to amble out to meet anyone that visits the farm.  He is still a hefty 170 plus pounds and moves slower now that he has aged some but he still loves greeting  visitors.  Jean now spends his retirement years enjoying the work on the farm at his leisure and Ed Sr. will soon join his brother after retiring from Gerber Scientific after his 46 years.  This year the sons, Ed Jr. and Gene now are the owners of the farm.  It was time to turn the farm over to the next generation but that does not give Jean and I a break from being involved with the farm and farm work.  It just changes who makes the decisions on how we will keep our farm and animals thriving.  The farm began in 1902 and we are pleased to say we see it being in the family for many more years to come.  You are always welcome to visit us at the farm.


Chris

Notice of First Pick-up for the Garden of Eat’n 2011

First Monday pickup will be June 20th

After those dates you will continue to pick up each week for as long as the veggies last.  If you are on vacation you will need to have someone pick up your share.  If you do not have someone to pick up your share while on vacation please notify us so that the vegetables do not sit in the Veggie Shack and spoil.

Eggs will be available @ $2.25 for a dozen and $2.75 for the 18 egg cartons (please bring back the cartons for reuse!)  They can be found in the small refrigerator and you can put the money in the can on top.

You can reach Chris by phone for any questions 860-985-2812

You can check our Blog http://gardenofeatn-rhf.blogspot.com to receive the latest information and see what else is going on at the farm.  You can send us recipes to share with the CSA members by sending them to stitcher44@comcast.net  That is the email address for Chris Rothe.

We were not able to set up a “Visit the Farm Day” before the first pickup due to the rain and need to get the veggies in the ground and ready for you.  We will have a “Visit” day very soon.

                Ed Jr. is the farm manager

                Gene is the mechanic and owner of Diesel

                Jane is the “egg lady” and farm stand operator

                Ed Sr. and Jean are the farm hands

                Chris is the CSA coordinator

We all wish you Welcome for the 2011 Season at Garden of Eat’n

Let's Talk.....

Let’s talk about spices……..

Did you know that anise seed is considered really good for indigestion? That is why so many cough drops and tonics have the sweet licorice flavor in them. Most cooks keep their use to cookies, cakes and breads but used in cottage cheese and even in pasta dishes it adds a whole new flavor.

Let’s talk about the veggies…..

Things are really jumping at the farm and the land is getting prepared for all the veggies you are all looking forward to getting soon. When it comes to trying to list all the veggies we will be growing it is hard to keep a list in your mind when that question comes up. Just know that most veggies you would find in a vegetable soup you will be getting this year….green beans, tomatoes, onions, snap peas, etc.A notice will go out well ahead of time when the first pick up will be ready. You will also receive an email confirming the pickup day you are scheduled for.

Let’s talk about the chickens…..

We will have eggs available for you and still want you to return the empty egg cartons so they can be reused. You will find the eggs in the small refrigerator and there will be a can on top for the money. Jane will be making a sign to tell you the price. I believe the price may go up this year but we shall see.

Let’s talk about a Farm Visit……

We will try to give you a heads up for the Farm Visit and will try to make it close to the time the first pick up will take place. We do this so you can meet the farm family (including Diesel) and also know where you will pick up your veggies. Snacks and drinks will be provided.

If you want to know more about canning veggies and or jams, jellies Jane is the one to talk to.

We can’t wait to welcome you all back to the farm! Watch for the invite!

Chris

Garden of Eat'n 2011 is getting underway.

This contains news about the CSA: Garden of Eat’n and the changes in Rothe Homestead Farm.

From this year on, Rothe Homestead Farm will be the Broadleaf Tobacco operation and Rothe Partnership will be the CSA.

We will begin another year of our CSA Garden of Eat’n with the same pickup days of Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Pickup times will remain noon until 8:00 pm each pickup day.

The application for the 2011 season is downloadable from the upper right column. Please keep this cover letter to help you know the procedures for the CSA season. You may copy both this and the application for anyone you know that may be interested in joining this year.

The half shares will remain at $175.00 and the full shares at $325.00. Two 10 gal Rubbermaid type bins will be needed to switch out each week for your share. (Larger bins are difficult for us to set up for you and hard for you to handle each week. If you had a bin larger than the 10 gal bins you may find that we switch them out for 2 other bins which you may use during the CSA year and then return to us at the end of the season. Your name will be taped to the ends of the bins for ease in setting up on shelves and for you to quickly find the ones that are yours.

We expect that the first of the deliveries will occur in June weather permitting but as usual an email alert will come before so that you know when to drop off your bins if you took them home last year at the end of the season. For new members you will find that the bins will be purchased and paid for by the farm for your use and will expect that you return them to us at the end of the year. We are doing this because different sizes make for difficult spacing issues in the area where you will pick up your shares.

Due to a potato blight last year we will not grow them this year. We do plan to have lots of wonderful vegetables for you and welcome your recipes that we would share with the other members of the CSA. We will have a Visit the Farm Day before the season starts so that you can visit with us and make sure you know where and when you will pick up your veggies.

Please print clearly when you fill out the applications as I will use the information on the application to set up your email notification of delivery start, changes or additional news you need to know. As always any questions can be directed to my email address: stitcher44@comcast.net.

If there are more than one person listed on the application and the person needs to have the information please make sure that persons name and email address is also listed.

We hope that you all will return one bin when you pick up the next one. If you forgot it we will try to have a replacement for you but we will only have a limited supply. So if you are taking turns picking up someone else’s bin you are responsible to make sure you have their replacement too.

If we have a storm with lightning Ed will do the very best to have your bin ready for you by noon. Many times he is able to set it up the night before. Please remember that in an open field no one wants to be where lightning can strike them and he may have to wait set up the bins.

We cannot take the time to sort out any vegetable you may not want so you may set it off to the side or share it with a neighbor.

If you are unable to pick up your bin on the designated day it will be there the next day. After that your bin will be emptied and set aside for the next pick up scheduled. A friend may pick up for you if you cannot do so but please instruct them of how the procedure works so that they do not pick up any bin but the one that has your name on it.

We are excited to offer the CSA to you again this year and look forward to sharing our veggies, Diesel ( our farm pup) and our special attention when you need us!


The Rothe Farmily

Ed Jr, Farm Manager, Gene Rothe, Farm Mechanic,
Ed Sr and Jane, Farm Stand, and Chris and Jean, CSA; Diesel; Farm Pup