Newsletter: Box #5! The final box!

Last week I told you my fingers hurt. Three years ago, it was my wrist. On December 19 2019, after hours of signing and initialing what felt like thousands of pieces of paper, Emmalyn and I officially became the owners of Foxtail Farm. I'm sitting in our dining room, looking out at the ancient, snow covered maple trees in our backyard, and amazed at how much life and energy has come from this land. I am honored and humbled to be the latest of many to call this place home, and am glad to be able to share the bounty of the land with our neighbors.

As far as the title company is concerned, Emmalyn and I are only the fourth family to "own" this property, dating back to 1864 when it was homesteaded. Of course, people have been tending and nurturing the land here for many years before any papers were ever drawn up. The First Nations peoples of the Anishinabewaki, Očhéthi Šakówiŋ, and Wahpekute tribes called this region home for untold years before being forcibly and savagely removed over the course of the 19th century.

Before Foxtail became a part of our lives, Emmalyn worked as a teacher's aide at Anishinabe Academy in South Minneapolis. Her work with native students strengthened our understanding of colonialism on native children and families. In addition, her passion for the natural world and minimizing human impacts on it was mirrored by Anishinabe's native-focused curriculum.

All this to say, Emmalyn and I owe a great deal to First Nations people, both for the physical space we occupy, as well as the care with which we tend to it.

Part of our farming philosophy is that we want to grow food for folks from all walks of life and all income brackets. This summer, we found a new way to do that. First Nations Kitchen is an indigenous-led food shelf and kitchen. They work "to provide food to indigenous people who would not otherwise have access to high-quality, fresh organic food in an environment of radical hospitality and cultural empowerment." Talk about checking the boxes! FNK is just a few blocks away from Midtown Farmers Market in South Minneapolis, where I set up shop every Saturday morning all summer long.

Thanks to Emmalyn and market assistant manager Ocean, we started a new program for vendors to donate unsold produce to First Nations. Between Foxtail and the half dozen other growers at Midtown, the extra large cooler was always overflowing by the end of the market. Much of the produce that First Nations Kitchen receives goes right back out, into the hands of people in need. The rest of it goes to the kitchen, where a volunteer kitchen staff uses the fresh ingredients to cook a delicious hot meal, which is plated and served, also by volunteers. Now that we're officially done with growing for the season, us Foxtailers have our first volunteer shift coming up!

As you can imagine, an operation like this relies heavily on the goodwill of others. They're always looking for volunteers, either to help with the meals or with other programming. Of course, cash donations never hurt either. I should mention that they are a mission-based organization, but after having been there every Saturday for an entire summer, I had no idea. Donations and volunteer inquiries are handled through their website, http://firstnationskitchen.org.

Thank you all again for continuing to support our farm. Writing about our philosophies about growing, about music, and about the world is something I genuinely enjoy. I'm glad that some of you enjoy reading it, too! We'll be taking a few weeks to recoup and relax (and repair the van), expect another email in January about our 2023 plans.

Thank you,
Cody

What’s in the Box?!

Photograph of two dogs resting in front of a warm fire and a red chair with records and a record player in the background. — **Butternut Squash:** A classic! Most folks have probably eaten this one.
**-Brussels Sprouts:** Some disassembly required. The stalk makes a great dog toy or sword if a family dispute needs resolving.
**-Daikon Radish:** Love these! We use them all winter long in soups and stews, pot roasts and even roasted.
**-Cylindra Beets:** Some can grow to be over a Lb! Deep in color when cooked and have a sweet earthiness in taste.
-**Kimchi** (napa cabbage, carrot, daikon radish, red globe radish, yellow onion, ginger, salt, red pepper flakes): All veggies were grown here this summer!! The ginger is organic as well.
**-Yellow & Red Onion:** Variety! Fun!
**-Napa Cabbage:** If you're a returning member you've probably heard me talking about *melting napa*. Try it already!
**-Empire Apples:** These deep red apples are so delicious!

Photo of snow covered umbellifer flowers under a heavy gray sky. — **-Shallots:** I love using these in salad dressings for a mild onion flavor.
**-Celeriac:** Peel and use just like you would celery when cooking or grate it into a slaw.
**-Sweet Mokum Carrots**: Enjoy raw, roasted or steamed.
**-Garlic**: We’ve also got garlic clove buddies out there in the field, hanging out until spring :)
**-Whole Frozen Tomatoes:** A taste of summer! If you prefer your tomatoes peeled, do not fully defrost them before doing so.
**-Squash Puree:** Great as a soup or curry base.
**-Apple Sauce (Organic Apples, Water):** WOW! What an amazing apple year 2022 has been. Color of the sauce varies per batch, but all are delicious.
**-Kohlrabi:** Peel before eating. Kohlrabi can have a tough outer skin when cooked.