Community Supported Agriculture

What is a CSA?
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture.  The community supports the farm by not just being a customer, but a farm ‘share’ holder for the season. 

How to Become Member:
You pay in advance for a ‘share’ of the farm’s seasonal harvest.   Your purchased share helps our farm pay for pre-harvest expenses such as seed, fertilizer, and labor and is also a guaranteed outlet for the produce we are growing.  To assist our CSA member we offer different payment options. The subscription season is April through November. 

CSA   Members Support:

• Local    Agriculture
• Organic Farming
• Heirloom Varieties
• Independent Business
• A Healthy Environment
• Delicious Organic Food  

Future  Plans

1. Part of every subscription goes towards building a demonstration garden  with educational and nutritional programs for children
2. Raise funds to rebuild the historical barn and structures on the Odello Ranch in Carmel and create a historical interpretive farm center
3. Collaborate with The Habitat at Carmel Middle School to offer expanded educational, hands on opportunities in sustainable farming 

How do I get my CSA Box?
Monday is delivery day.  When you sign up we will tell you where the pick up locations are in your neighborhood.   Your   CSA box will be at the location no later than 3pm on Monday.

Serendipity  CSA  Box Has:

1. Herbs: Basil,  Parsley, Cilantro
2. Chard,  Kale, Spinach,
3. Broccoli,  Cabbage, Bok Choi
4. Tomatoes,  Peppers, Cucumbers
5. Beets,  Carrots, Radishes
6. Potatoes,  Onions, Artichokes
7. Peas, Beans,  Summer Squash
8. Salad  Greens, Arugula, Lettuce
9. Winter Squash & Pumpkins
10. Strawberries
11. Heirloom & Specialty Veggies!
12. Flowers (extra $5 a week)

Every week the CSA box is unique- it   has at least one new weekly item and a generous mix of seasonal vegetables and  herbs.  All produce is grown on our organic farms in Carmel & Carmel Valley! We have one box size, and it will typically feed a 2-4 people for a week, depending on how much of your diet is produce.

Other CSA Benefits:

• A Weekly Farm Newsletter with  , nutrition information, a list of the weekly produce and recipes
• Two seasonal  farm tours with samplings of our delicious produce prepared by our local chef friends

How to Sign Up!

In order to sign up for one of our 3 options, please fill out the online sign up form.

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CSA ~ Newsletter November 26, 2007

Hello CSA Members! This is the official end to our 1^st CSA year! I hope you enjoyed the boxes as much as we enjoyed making them! Personally I liked the interaction with all of you, as opposed to shipping our harvest out wholesale. All of you should be proud of yourself for healing the earth by eating locally, and supporting a local organic farm directly! During the holiday season I get so turned off to the news talking about sales meeting quotas. Who needs more ‘stuff’? We are so lucky to have so much abundance. Why not give a poor family in Africa a milk goat or a flock of chickens to help them sustain themselves? You make a donation in your loved ones name, and the people that are really in need receive. Check out these two websites for great gift ideas: www.heifer.org www.mercycorps.org/

If you are looking for some great gifts for people that love food, check out my friends Todd and Jordan Champagne’s website http://www.happygirlkitchen.com . Happy Girl Kitchen is a small, organic preserving team which sources from local organic farms and pickles and preserves the most amazing tasting treats. They learned old school pickling techniques in Norway on a family farm and brought the methods home. During the season Serendipity provides and Happy Girl with ripe heirloom tomatoes that they turn into delicious salsa. It is a great symbiotic relationship! Happy Girl Kitchen ships too!

Diamond Organics ships beautifully arranged organic food by Fed Ex overnight. This is a great way to share the agricultural bounty of California. Diamond Organics supports local organic farmers in the area, and pays a good price to the farmers for their wares. Check out their website: www.diamondorganics.com

This recipe was emailed to me this morning by CSA member Janet Shing. I’m sure most of you have an arsenal of Red Torpedo Onions you have collected from your CSA boxes. Here is a great recipe which will help use them up!

Onion Tart
Savory Tart Pastry-1.5 cups flour, 1/4 t salt, 6 T cold butter, 2 egg yolks, 3-4 T ice water
Sift the flour and salt together in a bowl. Add butter, yolks, and water. Gradually work together with a pastry blender to make coarse crumbs. (If mixture seems dry, add more water.) Gather crumbs into a mound and work together to blend the butter into the mixture. Form a ball. Wrap and refrigerate until firm (about two hours). Chop four large torpedo onions and sautee in olive oil and/or butter until the onions begin to caramelize. Let cool, then puree in a blender. Roll out the crust into a 9.5" pie pan.Stir four eggs plus the two whites left over from the crust into the onions. Stir in 1/3 qt of whipping cream (or half and half or milk) into the mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into the pan. Bake at 375 for about 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Thanks Janet!

I bought Fuyu Persimmons and navel oranges from the organic farmers at the Marina Farmers Market to put in your box this week. There are two types of Persimmons – the crunchy type (Fuyu) and the squishy type (Hachiya). Both types originated in China. The squishy, oblong types are best used for baking and need to be almost rotting to be edible, and the crunchy are best for fresh eating or slicing like apples in pastries. I like to peel the crunchy Fuyu Persimmon and eat it like an apple. Or pan sautee and add a little cinnamon for a sweet treat and eat atop vanilla yogurt. Marina Farmers Market -Sundays from 10 – 2 at 215 Reservation Rd.

This week in your boxes: Artichokes, Fava Beans, Fava Leaves, Oranges, Spaghetti Squash, Red Torpedo Onions, Fuyu Persimmons, Dandelion Greens, Italian Parsley, Sun Dried Heirloom Tomatoes & Rainbow Chard

Hope to see you again in the Spring of 2008! Check our website for new info. I will be updating it shortly, adding all newsletters and juicy goodness for foodies like yourself: www.serendipity-organic-farm.com Happy Hibernation! Jamie Collins (831) 484-2729 Serendipity_Farm@excite.com

CSA ~ Newsletter November 19, 2007

Hello CSA Members! This is the second to last week of the CSA L The farm is definitely winding down for winter. We are short on variety but we put extra arties, onions, chard, and parsley in your boxes which can be incorporated into your Thanksgiving Day Feast. I know some of you are hip to CHARD and prepare it on a regular basis, but some of you have not yet been enlightened to the beauty of this delicious and vitamin rich veggie. Take a CHARD side dish to your Thanksgiving Feast. Here is a great recipe I found which was created by chef Traci Des Jardins of San Francisco’s Jardinière. C’mon, give it a shot. Not every side dish has to be traditional!

Sweet Potatoes, Apples, & Braising Greens

4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into quarters, then cut crosswise into 1/8-inch slices
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 3 tablespoons melted
1 tablespoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3 medium baking apples, such as Sierra Beauty or Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and cut into quarters
6 cups loosely packed braising greens such as kale, chard, or collard greens, stems removed and torn into 2-inch strips
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 400°F.
On foil-lined baking sheet, toss potato slices with 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bake until cooked through and slightly caramelized, about 20 minutes. Keep warm. In heavy medium skillet over moderate heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Add apples and sauté until tender and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Keep warm. In heavy large pot over moderate heat, combine remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 3 tablespoons water. Add greens and sauté, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 5 minutes. Lower heat to moderately low and add sweet potatoes and apples. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until warmed through, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in parsley, remaining 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Serve Hot.

Here are some healthy Thanksgiving morning breakfast ideas:

Spaghetti Squash Frittata

1 C spaghetti squash, cooked by your favorite method and separated into strands ,4 eggs, lightly beaten, 2 T chopped Italian parsley, 3 T grated Parmesan cheese, 1 C finely chopped red onion,
3-4 garlic cloves, minced,1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, 1/8 tsp. cayenne, 1 T butter

Pre-Heat Broiler. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Melt butter in a large skillet. Pour mixture into the skillet and cook over low heat for about 12-15 minutes. Transfer to broiler for 2 to 3 minutes or until top is browned.

Spaghetti Squash Pancakes

6 C spaghetti squash,1/3 C all-purpose flour,1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese,4 T butter or olive oil,salt and pepper to taste
sour cream and apple sauce for garnish. Makes about 30 small pancakes.

Add eggs, onion or chives, salt and pepper to cooked spaghetti squash. Form into 3 inch patties. Heat oil in a skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. For a different flavor, you can sauté the patties in butter. For an Asian flair, sauté in canola oil mixed with a few drops of sesame oil, serve with soy sauce.

This week in your boxes: Artichokes, Fava Beans, Spaghetti Squash, Red Torpedo Onions, Dandelion Greens, Italian Parsley, Rainbow Chard, & Heirloom Tomatoes. Have a fabulous Thanksgiving! We have so much to be thankful for!

Jamie Collins 831-484-2729 Serendipity_Farm@excite.com

CSA ~ Newsletter November 12, 2007

Hello CSA Members!

I’m so thankful to be sitting at my desk writing this newsletter. Friday night I was rear ended while waiting to make a left hand turn across Hwy 68, and was almost pushed into oncoming traffic. Very sore but alive, I spent the weekend in a grounded state of mind. When something happens that could have ended your life, it really puts things into perspective. You realize the most important thing is your health, and your relationships with friends and family. You realize it doesn’t make any sense to sweat the small stuff. Saturday morning I sat outside in the sun, watching the goats devour their alfalfa. I was content to just sit and listen to the comforting sound of them chewing and appreciate the beautiful moment. Life is fragile and so very precious. We all need to enjoy every minute like it was our last.

On the farm things are beginning to slow down as far as harvesting goes. We are removing the trellis string from the tomato patch and removing the stakes. This is the time of year we clean up the farm and secure everything with tarps for the winter rains. Farming is a big production. Many times over the past years we have farmed near neighborhoods and although people seem to like the beauty of the farm, they have no idea what a production a diverse farming operation is. It requires a lot of ‘stuff’, equipment and people. We are beginning to plant our winter transplants and direct seeded crops for spring so we will have a good variety of veggies for the CSA boxes and for the farmers market.

This week new in your box is a beautiful Carnival Squash. They are similar in taste to an acorn squash, but look more like a Sweet Dumpling Squash. Cook as you would any winter squash. I made a yummy, healthy desert using the Carnival Squash. Cut the squash in half and bake in the oven with a little oil and cover with foil. Scoop out and fill a desert bowl ½ full. Add agave syrup (or brown sugar) and Fuju Persimmon or thinly sliced Granny Smith Apples with cinnamon. Add a layer of vanilla yogurt and top with sliced almonds. This is a healthy, low fat desert that tastes just like pumpkin pie!

There are also GRANNY SMITH APPLES in your box. This was a weird apple year; most of the Granny Smith Apples were misshapen due to uneven pollination. Evident proof that the pollinator bees are disappearing; I think we will try our hand at beekeeping next year.

“If you tickle the earth with a hoe, she laughs with a harvest” Douglas William Jerold

FYI~ CSA subscription ends for the season, Monday November 29^th and begins again March 2008.

This week in your boxes: Artichokes, CARNIVAL SQUASH, Fava Beans, GRANNY SMITH APPLES,

Red Torpedo Onions, Dandelion Greens, Italian Parsley, Rainbow Chard, Heirloom Tomatoes.

Have a Beautiful Week!!! Jamie Collins 831-484-2729 Serendipity_Farm@excite.com

CSA ~ Newsletter November 5, 2007

Hello CSA Members!

Most of you are aware that your vegetables are being grown in Carmel on the east side of Hwy 1, and the tomatoes in Carmel Valley. But did you know just after the New Year Serendipity Farms will begin to create a Historical Interpretive Center, Community Garden and Farm Stand on the West side of Hwy 1? This is an exciting opportunity to educate and involve the community about organic farming, the Historical Odello Artichoke Ranch, and attempt to raise funds to rebuild the historical barn and structures that are falling apart. In January we move the goats to the ranch to eat down the weeds, begin to repair pipes, and plan our Community Garden. In the spring we will open our Farm Stand to the public on the west side of the road near the beautiful Carmel Lagoon!

Keep this on your radar and be sure to be a part of Serendipityville next year!

This week I located some certified organic ROMAINE and RED & ORANGE BELL PEPPERS from Avalos Farm in Hollister, to add some variety to your boxes. I love to roast sweet peppers in the oven until they are soft, wait for them to cool and peel off the skins. You can use them on sandwiches or blend with a little olive oil for a tapenade.

This is close to the last week for peppers and tomatoes for most farmers on the Central Coast, as the night temps are getting chillier each day. Hollister gets much warmer than Mid Carmel Valley, and warm weather crops such as peppers, eggplant and melons grow better there. We have grown both peppers and eggplant in Mid Valley but the size and yield is not very big, and therefore not worth growing commercially.

VEGGIE LASAGNA would be a great dish to utilize all of the veggies in your box. Roast the RED & ORANGE BELL PEPPERS as described above. Boil noodles, drain and toss with a little olive oil so they won’t stick together. Sautee Red Torpedo ONIONS with finely chopped garlic in a pan until caramelized, add chopped DANDELION GREENS, CHARD, herbs of your choice, and sea salt until wilted. Chop the PARSLEY and HEIRLOOM TOMATOES into small chunks. Mix all the veggies together with ricotta cheese. Layer the noodles in the pan and spoon the ricotta mixture between the layers. Place the roasted and peeled bell peppers on top of the ricotta mixture. Top the last layer of noodles with tomato sauce and fresh shredded parmesan. Cover with foil and cook for about 45 minutes. Uncover for the last 10 minutes so the cheese can brown a little. Serve with a ROMAINE salad topped with ARTICHOKE HEARTS and nice balsamic vinaigrette.

FYI~ CSA subscription ends for the season, Monday November 29^th and begins again March 2008.

This week in your boxes: Artichokes, RED & ORANGE BELL PEPPERS, Red Torpedo Onions, ROMAINE LETTUCE, Dandelion Greens, Italian Parsley, Rainbow Chard, Heirloom Tomatoes.

Have a Beautiful Week!!! Jamie Collins 831-484-2729 Serendipity_Farm@excite.com