Last night I made stroganoff for dinner. As I chopped a few Sweetland onions I breathed in the smell of Robie Farm beef sizzling in the pan. A pile of Mycoterra Farm mushrooms awaited my knife and a pot of Grand Isle pasta was bubbling on the back burner. As I stirred in the Side Hill Farm sour cream to finish the dish and ladled it into bowls, my heart was filled with gratitude to live in a region with so many talented and hard working producers.
When I started Sweetland I knew that I wanted to operate as a CSA farm. The idea of connecting with my community in a mutually beneficial relationship was as important to me as the act of growing the food in the first place. What I didn’t anticipate was the opportunity to ALSO connect with and foster a community of producers. Now, 12 years into farming at Sweetland and 4 years into opening our farm store, our philosophy of Community Supported Agriculture has expanded to encompass eaters supporting multiple producers, and vice versa, PLUS those producers supporting each other. Whether we are hosting start-up businesses like Elmwood Bakery and Captain Page Bakes, or collaborating with the old veterans like Wes the Pickle Guy, I know that it is so important for our food resilience that we band together and support each other.
We’re trying to do our part by stocking the shelves of our farm stand with a wide array of locally produced goods. And I’m excited to share that a fellow Putney School alum is launching an app to help Vermont consumers do their part to source even more of their food (and fun) locally. EatVermont started as an awesome Instagram platform for Rocket to highlight Vermont’s best and brightest food spots. Diners, bakeries, ice cream stands, pizza joints, food fests, and farmers (including yours truly) are the guests of his energetic interviews and reels. Now that he’s got an amazing (and ever-growing) list of must-visit places on his list, he’s planning to compile it into a more searchable and useful guide. If you love local food, I encourage you to check it out, and sign up by contributing to his Kickstarter Campaign. AND Rocket will be HERE at Sweetland tomorrow (Saturday) from 10-noon, to share his progress and demo his app. I’m so appreciative of Rocket’s work to champion the hard-working producers of the area, and to connect foodies with the sometimes hard-to-find gems. Go Local!
Cheers, Norah and the Sweetland Crew
Week 2 Winter Harvest
Delicata squash, 3
Sweet potatoes, 3 pounds
Potatoes, 4 pounds
Rutabaga, 2
Carrots, 1 pound
Pears, 1.5 pounds
Bok Choy, 1 head
Mesclun mix, .25 pound
Garlic, 1 head
What’s Cooking This Week
You can find ingredients for all of these recipes in our farm store! We source meats, dairy, grains, beans, sweets, and more from local and sustainable producers. Don’t forget to use your CSA member discount!