Newsletter: Big Wheel Keep on Turning

Happy Halloween from your Foxtail Farmers!

A warm (very warm!) greeting to you all!

In the Spring of 2019, I remember complimenting Paul on one of his newsletters (I think it was Dr. Dirt's final appearance). We got to chatting about writing, and he gave me some advice: people have enough going on in their own lives, they don't need to hear your complaints on top of it. I took that to heart, and I do my best to keep these entries fairly light-hearted, while still offering an accurate glimpse into Emmalyn and my life at Foxtail.

While I hope this box of fresh, organic produce provides you all with a bit of joy and reprieve from the election, I do feel a need to touch on the impacts these races have had on us, and on our community.

Regardless of how the presidential race shakes out, we can safely say that 2016 was not an anomaly. For whatever reason, nearly half of this country is buying what Donald Trump is selling. I don't know how. I don't know why.

What I do know is that there is work to be done, whether the Oval Office curtains stay gold in January or go back to red (or blue, or, who knows, maybe Joe & Jill want leopard print). There is so much to do, and if the last four years have shown me anything, it's that there are many, many motivated people to do it.

What can you bring to the table? For Emmalyn and I, we were able to donate well over $2,000.00 worth of produce to people in need this year. We also participated in marches and lent our space to people that needed relief from the Minneapolis uprising.

What resources can you spare? What skills do you possess? What are you good at? None of us can do it all ourselves, but when we use our own wealth (of money, time, or labor) together, we can (and have, and WILL) make a difference. A friend shared this with me recently, and I want to share it with you.

This race is not a sprint, nor is it a marathon. This is a relay. Do what you can, when you can.

What's in the 2nd Box?!

Leafy, organic salad greens growing in the sunlight. — Thanks, Neighbor!

**-Acorn Squash** (Community Homestead) : Acorn are deep green with a hard flesh. These are great stuffed with rice or lentils and baked until tender.
**-Thelma Squash** (Community Homestead): These are an heirloom variety of acorn squash. Thought it might be fun to do a side-by-side taste test...
**-Leeks** (Community Homestead): Our wonderful neighbors had extra leeks for us to harvest before the last snow!! Mild onion flavor, great in a quiche or sautéed.
**-Kale** (Community Homestead/Foxtail): This stuff is the sweetest of the season! The frost really brings out the best in kale. Sautéed, messaged into a salad, or baked into a strata YUM!

Celebrating all the leafy green goodness at Foxtail Farm. — From Foxtail

**-Sweet Mokum Carrots**: These are snacking size. No need to peel. Enjoy raw or steam them whole and toss with a bit of oil, salt and pepper. Maybe maple syrup?
**-Lettuce Mix**: A mix of red and green baby lettuces. These tender greens survived 11 degree weather covered in our hoop houses. A truly delicious gift.
**-Liberty Apples**: I'd like to correct an error from the last letter. The apples in box #1 were Zestar. These are Liberty. Wonderfully firm texture; great for snacking or baking.
**-Crunchy King Radishes**: Spicy and delicious. Great raw, quick pickled, steamed, and roasted believe it or not!
**-Carmen Peppers**: The miracle of the hoop house makes this possible. Harvested just before the snow, a last taste of summer from our amazing root cellars.
**-Arugula**: Apologies for any yellowing. These poor babies did see some frost damage during the cold weather. The flavor makes up for appearances.