You spoke, we listened..

We would like to thank all of our members who responsded to our feedback request last season.  As a result of your comments we have made a few changes and updates to Teenaspride CSA.  We appreciate all comments, and look forward to hearing from each and every one of you again this season!

One  of these changes is an updated site for Teenaspride CSA.  Please follow http://www.teenaspridecsa.com/ to visit the new site.  We will be using this site from now on to provide our members with updates on shares, prices, drop off locations and information regarding the farm.

Once again don’t forget to sign up if you haven’t already.  Sign up is available online through the blog or our main website http://www.teenaspride.com/ under the tab “Join CSA“.

Till next time,

Teenaspride CSA

Oh Mother Nature, how thou art unpredictable…

 As mentioned previously we suffered losses due to the cold weather, now we are experiencing the reverse. The hot weather has caused temperatures in our pepper house to reach 120 degrees. This extreme temperature was too much for the peppers to handle, and as a result they have been wiped out. In addition, it has been extremely difficult for our left over tomatoes. However, the eggplant, lettuce, herbs, arugula seem to be overcoming these extreme temperatures. The beets, swiss chard, sorrel are also doing well!

For all current members, just a reminder that the last drop off will be the first week of June (June 6, 2010). We will be carefully monitoring the quality of our produce to ensure the best produce is provided until the end of the season.

Furthermore, in the next few days we will begin our cleanup. This cleanup will consist of removing the buckets which are placed behind our tomato plants, among other things. As we fully support and promote sustainable agriculture we will also begin the process of returning dead bedding plants into the field, as a form of recycling and composting.

We hope everyone is enjoying this extended trial of fresh, local produce and once again thank our CSA family members for their continued support. Teenaspride CSA

CSA Season Extension

This weekend we had the opportunity to participate in Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens 2^nd Annual Food & Garden show.  During this time, we were promoting our farms extended CSA season which will run till the end of May.  We invite all current members and future members to sign up for the additional share period.

The goal of the Teenaspride CSA program is to provide fresh, locally grown produce to your family.  Michael Borek Farms grows and harvests a variety of produce in our farm fields and greenhouses.  These include heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, arugula, eggplant, sorrel as well as many fresh herbs and other fresh vegetables.

Half shares, which are typically used for 2-3 people cost $27weekly per share.

Full shares, which are typically used for 5-6 people cost $42 weekly per share.

To sign up we require an e-mail which should include Name, Address, Telephone Number (home & cell), size of share and preferred pick up location.  See the pick up tab for our locations.  If you have any problems, just contact the farm office at 786-243-1714 Monday, Wednesday & Friday 8AM-2PM.

All payments must be made up front. We accept payment by check or PayPal. Check should be made payable to: All Locally Grown Produce LLC, and mailed to P.O. box 924920 Princeton FL, 33092.  For more information on PayPal payments contact the farm via email or phone 786 243 1714 during farm office hours.

CSA share boxes are required to be picked up weekly from one of the pickup locations. We really cannot express how grateful we are to these businesses that donate their store space and employees for our CSA pickup points.  They do not receive compensation; they actually do it because they want their customers to have access to farm fresh healthy vegetables. Please thank them by patronizing their businesses.  If you cannot pick up your box please arrange to have a friend or family member pick up your share. Shares that are not picked up by the following week will be donated to charity, to ensure the fresh produce will not go to waste.

The sign up for our fall season will begin in August.  As well, we will soon be posting information regarding volunteer opportunities that will result in discounts towards your shares.  Furthermore, we will begin to provide shares for singles next fall, more information will follow.

Once again we would like to thank our current CSA family members for their continued support and welcome all new members. We will be sending out a survey in May to receive feedback on the past season.  Running a CSA is new to our family farm and a continual learning experience.  We appreciate your comments.

Teenaspride CSA

Food for thought..

Heirloom Tomatoes

 

Teenaspride Heirloom Tomatoes

Heirloom tomatoes are grown from seeds which have been handed down over generations.  They have a vine-ripe sweetness which is not usually found in grocery stores or commercial grown operations.  There are endless types of heirloom tomatoes, all with their individual taste, appearance and names.

Not only are heirloom tomatoes delicious and colourful, they are also great for your health.  Heirloom tomatoes contain lycopene.  It has been found that lycopene may contribute to reducing the risk of cancers (prostate, skin, breast, cervical, lung) as well as stimulate the immune system. Tomatoes also contain iron, fibre and vitamin B.

To view a list of the different and unique types of heirloom tomatoes, please visit our website by clicking here!

 

 

The Roots in the City Farmers Market

Michael Borek

The Roots in the City Farmers Market held its ribbon cutting ceremony April 7, 2010.  Teenaspride CSA was please to be in attendance at this important event.  The market is located at NW 2^nd Ave. and 10^th Street (North of downtown Miami).  The Roots in the City Farmers Market is open Wednesday from 1pm to 5pm.  This market will provide fresh, nutritional produce to Overtown area residents.  It will allow inner city residents the opportunity to have fresh and healthy produce for their families.  For more information about the ribbon cutting and the participants please visit http://ladivacucina.blogspot.com/2010/04/countrys-first-urban-farmers-market.html.  We would also personally like to thank La Diva Cucina for the photos!

Caron Cole and Teena Borek

Food for thought..

Arugula

Arugula, a member of the cruciferous family, is a dark leafy green.  This salad green is an excellent addition to any meal plan with endless health benefits.  Arugula provides an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, iron, potassium,  folic acid, Calcium, magnesium (the list goes on..).  In addition, arugula contains important cancer fighting agents such as phytochemicals, or more specifically glucosinolates and sulforaphanes.  These agents assist the body in cleansing itself of carcinogens and other toxins.

Arugula has a different taste depending on its stage of growth.  Some describe this taste as peppery, with a stronger taste as it grows.

A few simple recipe ideas using Arugula:

Grilled Chicken with Arugula Pesto

BLT Bowties

Arugula can also easily replace your traditional lettuce while making entre or side salads, can be mixed in pasta dishes at the last minute and goes great with Heirloom Tomatoes.

Wonder where all those fresh Heirloom Tomatoes disappeared to…

 Please bear with us, we replanted and should have them abundantly for May and June.

The reason your share has small peppers is a result of the freezing weather we had over a month ago. They are very tasty but deformed in shape. We lost most of our tomato crop which has been replanted but it takes time to grow. We lost all of our squash and again replanted.  We will have a few tomatoes this week; they will still not be our usual quality. In addition, the reason you have been constantly receiving such beautiful lettuces and herbs is because they were inside our greenhouse not outside to receive the full force of the freeze. The hydroponic cucumbers you are receiving now thrive in the warm environment of the greenhouse; as a result they flourished and grew much faster than our field crops.  Our field crops had to try and grow and survive in the cold soil that we have had for the past few months. 

A Community Supported Agriculture Program can be compared to the stock market. A CSA subscriber purchases a produce share in advance to supply money to allow the family farm to buy seed which is used to plant, grow, harvest and deliver the freshest local and nutritional produce once a week to your home. It is an opportunity to personally know and support your local farm. You can go to the farm and see your vegetables growing and see how they are packed and harvested.

Freezing weather is like the stock crashing. It is like watching your house burn down and not being able to do anything to save it. All of the months of hard work in growing a crop are lost because of a three degree temperature drop. Farmers in South Florida lost most of their crops overnight. Your investment (the CSA purchase) in the crop was hurt also during that freezing weather. The farm investment in heirloom tomatoes and other crops which are provided your box each week was hurt and they are not insurable.
Our farm prides itself in growing produce on site or within 5 miles of our farm for our CSA members. The greenhouse allowed us to keep supplying fresh lettuces, herbs, a limited number of tomatoes and other vegetables even with the devastating weather. You never received less than your money’s worth, just maybe not the exact vegetables we would have liked to have available. Supporting a local farm has its risks and its benefits. A farm can practice good growing methods but the farmer cannot control the weather or excessive plant disease. Those are just two of the various reasons I had not wanted my sons to continue in agriculture. It is very hard work for the farmer, his family and his farm team and bad weather can take their whole season’s harvest away in hours.
Those families, who just want to receive specific vegetables instead of what is provided through the fresh harvest of a local farm, may want to join a buying co-op or club where the vegetables are sourced from all over the world which ensures a variety at all times. They will also find worldwide variety at their local grocery store. 
Speaking of grocery stores, Gardeners Market was the first grocery store I have ever heard of that promoted fresh local vegetables for their customers by allowing their store to be a drop-off point for local farm’s CSA boxes. This year they pioneered the project by putting Teenaspride’s CSA boxes for customer pick-up in their Ocean Reef store. Now that the fresh open-air market in Coral Gables has closed for the season, Gardeners is offering their Coconut Grove location as our latest pick up point. We applaud them for being innovators in this movement. Please support their stores for supporting our local farm community.

We also want to thank Michael Bittel of Sunset Corners 8701 SW 72 Av, Lucy Jimenez of Sweet Art by Lucila 5734 Bird Rd and Courtney Reeder of Golden Rule Seafood 17505 So Dixie Hwy who are already offering their store fronts for your convenience in pickup. As well, a big thank you to Michael Schwartz of Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink located at 130 Northeast 40th Street, who continuously supports the provision of fresh local produce in the Miami Dade area.

Most of all we want to thank all of you, our members, for becoming part of our farm family. Some of you have visited the farm, the website (http://teenaspride.com) or Facebook fan site (All Locally Grown Produce LLC).The good thing is that you can all pick up the phone and talk directly to your farmer when you have a produce question. Please tell all your friends of the new pick up locations. We appreciate your support thru the good and the bad, the pest problems and the freezes!!!
Thank-you again and remember know where your food is grown and remember to always wash your vegetables.  

Teenaspride CSA

Pitchin In with Chef Lynn

For those of you who do not have access to the Food Network, please follow the following link to view the recipes Chef Lynn used on her show.  You can also visit the discussion section of our Facebook site where we have also posted the recipes. 

The show will be airing on the Canadian Food Network during the following times:

• Tuesday, March 30, 2010 2:00AM est
• Saturday, April 3, 2010 1:30PM est
• Saturday, April 3, 2010 7:30PM est

To watch the episode online, please follow this link:

http://www.foodnetwork.ca/ontv/shows/video.html?titleid=248404

Click on Pitchin’ In -Tomatoes-Full Episode

The Food Networks: Pitchin In

 

For all of our Canadian friends, please tune in to Pitchin In on the Food Network tonight at 8pm.  Chef Lynn from Pitchin In will feature Teenaspride CSA Heirloom Tomatoes.  For those of you who cannot watch, or do not have this channel please follow this link to see the recipes on tonight’s show.

 http://www.foodnetwork.ca/ontv/shows/Pitchin-In/episode.html?titleid=248404&episodeid=248404

Slow Food Bike Tour

Tomorrow morning we will be opening our farm to locavores for a bike tour of Redland Farms.  We are raising money to help build vegetable gardens in local schools.  Our farm’s philosphy is to support the local community.  All of our produce is locally grown and delivered to customers within 50 miles of the farm.  Our CSA family members are also welcome to visit the farm between 9AM and 12PM on Saturday, March 13 2010.