Another Mushroom Update!

NOTE: This blog is posted by a volunteer. No one from the farm checks or responds to messages here. You must contact the farm directly with any questions, comments, etc

Dear Members of the Farm,

We want to explain and hopefully clear some things up regarding the mushrooms.  

This is the first time we are trying offer mushrooms to our members.  We thought this would be something new and exciting to try, and to make available to all of our members.  The mushroom offer is available to ALL CSA members, regardless of subscribing to a fruit share or not.  This is what we consider and add-on.  

The first post on the blog and in the newsletter was a survey to gauge interest. We did not plan on using that feedback as actual orders – both in case people changed their minds or if we were unable to secure mushrooms.  We did not mean to confuse or frustrate anyone or cause a misunderstanding.

We were under the impression we were to take orders up until this week and send in our numbers this weekend.  Then that amount would be planted and ready for harvest in September.  Things changed rather quickly this week when we received a call from the vendor on Tuesday.  They have a certain amount ready to harvest this weekend that will be delivered to us next week.  We never saw that coming!

The vendor does have a minimum and a maximum they will deliver to us.  So many things are up in the air (which is normal for farmers).  We do not know when the deliveries will be nor do we know how many pounds they will be harvesting and sending to us.  There also could be different varieties (other than lion’s mane) that may come, along with different prices.  We will possibly have 1, 2, or even 3 more deliveries up until October.  

One of our priorities is to try to make sure everyone that wants mushrooms will receive them at least 1 time.  For our 2nd delivery, we want to fill as many orders as possible that will not receive mushrooms with the 1st delivery.  Then we will fill reccurring orders.  This is a lot of organizing and trying to keep straight on our end.  We believe there is a fairly high chance for everyone that puts in an order for mushrooms to receive some at least one time.  We will only bill you as we know your order will be filled.  If you want to send a payment, we will hang on to your check until we know you are on the list for the next delivery.  The office (Linda) will try our best to email you as you are to receive mushrooms.  

Thank you for your patience with us regarding the mushrooms.  We are trying and will do our best to inform you all, as we find things out as we go.  Please, as always, if you have any questions/concerns, contact the office at jacquie@monroefarm.com. Do not leave comments or questions on the blog – we do not check it and will not respond there.

Thank you!

Mushrooms Update

NOTE: This blog is posted by a volunteer. No one from the farm checks or responds to messages here. You must contact the farm directly with any questions, comments, etc

Dear Friends of the farm –

Mushroom Update – There has been a change for the Mushrooms.  Depending on this week’s harvest, we are expecting the first 80 pounds of orders we received to be delivered next week.  We are not sure if the rest of the orders will have to be planted or will be harvested within the next month.  There is a possibility we could receive 2 more deliveries of mushrooms by the end of the season.  As of right now, we do not know if they will all be Lion’s Mane, or a different variety. 

For those members that have ordered mushrooms, please email the farm at jacquie@monroefarm.com, if you would like to receive the same amount of mushrooms in the future deliveries.  We will continue to accept orders, but these new orders will be put on a wait list for harvest for a future delivery.  Please email the farm with your order.  We will not be accepting orders over the phone or on the blog or social media.  This offer of mushrooms is available to all CSA Members.  These mushrooms will not be included in the regular distribution shares.  The only way to receive this offer of mushrooms is to put in an order for them.  We will be billing the mushroom orders now, so your order will show up on your statement that will be sent out by the end of this week.  Please send payment by mailing a check to Monroe Organic Farms at 25525 County Road 48; Kersey, CO 80644.  We will keep you all updated as we hear more. 

Mushrooms are $15 per pound.  If you responded when we were asking if there was interest in getting mushrooms, those emails did not count as an order.  You will need to email the office with your confirmed order.  Apologies for any confusion.

Thank you to everyone!  We greatly appreciate each and every one of you!  

Newsletter – July 19, 2022

NOTE: This blog is posted by a volunteer. No one from the farm checks or responds to messages here. You must contact the farm directly with any questions, comments, etc

Dear Friends of the Farm,

Produce: This is week 7 out of an 18 week season. Your bags will contain carrots, radishes, white onions, cucumbers, squash, broccoli, green beans, and muskmelon.

Fruit: This is a fruit week for the fruit share members. You will be getting Rainier cherries.

Final Payments: Final produce payments are due the first of September. Statements will go out no later than the end of next week. If you have made arrangements with us to make monthly payments, please continue to do so. Produce will not be delivered if final fees are not paid by August 1st. A $25 late fee will be added to your account and produce deliveries will not resume until all fees are paid in full. Please remember, you are supporting a local farm so we can stay in business. The weather controls everything we do!

A CSA membership is non- rerefundable and all fees are due regardless how the season turns out.

Cucumbers: Many of you may be wondering why we are adding pickling cucumbers to your shares. There is a twofold answer to this! First of all our first few plantings of all crops were blown out by the wind last May. Just a few plants survived the constant howling wind. Instead of plowing those those under, we kept them. We do not have enough slicing cucumbers (the ones you are used to getting in the grocery store) for everyone to get plenty. We are adding the pickling cucumbers to supplement this.

My grandmother had a half acre garden. Different family members would help her can produce for the winter. Everyone would go home with something, leaving Grandma with 100% of what she needed for the winter. When it came to cucumbers, Grandma would only grow one variety, pickles, and we ate them raw as well as pickled. I don’t often eat slicing cucumbers because of this. They just do not taste like the cucumbers I grew up with!

Muskmelon: Many people do not know the difference between muskmelon and cantaloupe. But there is a big difference, and you are going to enjoy every bite of it! Muskmelon have the same taste as a cantaloupe but they are stronger and sweeter with a slight “musky” taste. The higher the sugar content, the sooner the melon needs to be eaten and the reason you do not see them on grocery store shelves.

Muskmelon were originally grown in Egypt along the Nile River. They love sandy soil, hot days, cool nights and loads of water. We provide that environment for them here at the farm. (This farm is very sandy because we were on the borderline of the Dust Bowl. In some places on the farm the ground level rose three feet…in others we lost ground!) Muskmelon has the same netting as their cousin but have ridges that run from top to bottom. Hint: They are best eaten at room temperature. If you like them chilled, cut them open and let them sit for ten minutes. Like a fine wine, they need to breath to enhance their flavor.

Also, check out the newspaper article below written about our first year. And yes, I had a mullet and loved it!

The Monroe’s

Newsletter – July 19, 2022

NOTE: This blog is posted by a volunteer. No one from the farm checks or responds to messages here. You must contact the farm directly with any questions, comments, etc

There is no newsletter this week.  Members will be getting : muskmelon, cucumber, squash, red onions, cabbage, yukon potatoes and kale. Enjoy!

Newsletter – July 18, 2022

NOTE: This blog is posted by a volunteer. No one from the farm checks or responds to messages here. You must contact the farm directly with any questions, comments, etc

There is no newsletter this week.  Monthly honey and olive oil will be delivered this week, as well as the extra Rainier Cherries that were ordered.

July 13 Update on Extra Cherries

NOTE: This blog is posted by a volunteer. No one from the farm checks or responds to messages here. You must contact the farm directly with any questions, comments, etc

Dear Friends of the farm –

The bonus Ranier Cherries order is a GO!  We have met the minimum required to put the orders in to First Fruit.  As a reminder, we cannot take orders over the phone.  We must have something in writing to process your orders.  Please email the office with your name, your distribution center you pick up at, and the amount of cherries you would like.  REMINDER – We must have all orders in by 5:00 pm Thursday July 14th.   We will not accept any orders after that time.  These Ranier cherries will be delivered next week for you to enjoy!  Please send your payment to the farm by check.  Thank you all for making this bonus order successful!  We appreciate each and every one of you!

Jacquie Monroe

Newsletter – July 11, 2022

NOTE: This blog is posted by a volunteer. No one from the farm checks or responds to messages here. You must contact the farm directly with any questions, comments, etc

Dear Friends of the farm,

This week you are getting garlic, white onions, cucumbers (both the regular slicing cucumber and pickling variety ~ both equally delicious to eat raw, but only the pickling variety can withstand the canning process for making pickles.), summer squash (could be any kind), broccoli, and lettuce.

Fruit Share: This week you will be getting Bing cherries.

Extra Cherries: You have until Thursday at 5pm to order the extra Rainier cherries. This is open to all members, not just the Fruit Share holders. The cost is $8 a pound and will be delivered in one-pound bags. You are welcome to order what you need. We need a total minimum order of 350 pounds in order to have the cherries delivered to us. We are currently sitting at 288 pounds. Please do not pay us until we know we have met their requirements and we bill you.

Mushrooms: Kyle has talked to the growers about our mushroom numbers and they think this would be doable. They want to grow Lion’s Mane and you can order as many pounds as you would like. The cost will be $15 a pound. We will take orders by email and bill you. You will not be able to order online and cannot pay with a credit card. As soon as we find out how many pounds need to be grown, it will be planted. The harvest will occur in September. Please email you order no later than July 27th at 5pm. No late orders will be accepted.

30th Anniversary: Yes that’s right, our CSA is 30 years old! Jerry and I started out with 38 members and a third of them were working members. Back then, they started working in April and helped us do everything from planting, hoeing and harvesting. Our CSA was small enough that we picked the produce in the morning and delivered in the afternoon. Today we have 750 members and produce is picked the day before. Working members help us fill bags, load trucks, clean up the barn then do farm chores. Currently our oldest member is Carolyn & Paul Beiser who joined in 1995. We still have two members from 1996; David & Kris Berton and Linda Hellow & Paul Schwarzweller. Now, Bob & Jill Andrews, Rob & Michelle Cuthbertson, Chris & Scott Fowle, John & Kim Haines, Tom Radigan & Katherine Henry, Julia Hoilien & Jeff Mason, Tasha Weaver, Jennifer & Mark Berghoefer, David & Jacqueline Schafer, Kathy Banning & Micheal St. John, Karen DeClerk & Kevin O’Neill, Kate Inskeep & Derek Davis, Bonnie & Jason Sutherland, Dory & Mark Parson, Kay Krewson & Sue Schauffler all date back to 1999. Thank you all for supporting us throughout the years! What is truly amazing to us is we now have anywhere from 15 to 20 second generation members who were children of past members. All of our Members are the most wonderful people on earth! We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Grandma Edith’s Pickled Beets

I have never been a big fan of beets. I am also very allergic to something in sweet pickle spice. My Grandmother discovered I would eat beets if they were made this way. She would serve them warm for dinner, then put them back in the liquid, refrigerate them then serve them cold for lunch the next day! What I like about the simplicity of this recipe is that you get to taste the beets and not all the spices. Great to serve on salads.

Equal amounts (1/4 cup or 1/3 cup or 1/2 cup measurements depending on amount of beets being served) of the following: vinegar, water and sugar. Peel and slice or cube beets. Cook until tender.

With gratitude,

Kyle, Jerry and Jacquie

Update on Extra Cherries

NOTE: This blog is posted by a volunteer. No one from the farm checks or responds to messages here. You must contact the farm directly with any questions, comments, etc

Dear Friends of the farm –

First Fruit is offering a special offer for beautiful Ranier cherries to ALL CSA members.  They will be delivered in 1 pound bags at the price of $8.00 per pound.  Please do not send payment yet!  If you have already sent a payment, we will not deposit the checks until we place the order with First Fruit.  There is a minimum amount required before we can place the order.  We will invoice everyone.  We will only accept payment in the form of a check mailed to the office.  NO credit/debit card payments will be accepted, no exceptions! 

You will not be able to order online.  We will only accept orders placed through email to jacquie@monroefarm.com. When you email the office, we need your full name along with your DC.  We will not fill any orders that do not have a DC listed.  We do not have the time to look up each member’s info.  We also will not fill any orders that are left on the voicemail at the office. The deadline to place an order is July 14th at 5:00 pm.  No orders will be filled after that time.  NO Exceptions.  We are anticipating the cherries to arrive the week of July 18th.  Of course, depending on Mother Nature and whether the total amount meets the requirements to place this special order.  We will provide more details as we are able.  

NOTE: There are a limited number of orders we can take – this will be first come, first serve. Thank you!

Jacquie Monroe