The Weekly Harvest: Diligence and love for place

“Why should I love one place so much more than any other? What could be the meaning or the use of such love?” – Wendell Berry, A Native Hill

There is something about the local farm that I have found grounding in uncertain times. Maybe these somethings are obvious? I’m grounded in the nourishment of fresh, naturally grown vegetables - local soils still stick to fresh carrots. I’m connected to the waters of the Poudre River irrigating the land throughout the summer and into fall. I’m thankful for our farmers, waking before the sun rises to work the land, laboring day after day through record breaking heat, freak snow storms, a pandemic, and smoke-filled skies.
 
Native Hill has been a constant in my life, and my family’s life, for many years. A community created by Nic and Katie’s diligence and love for place that keeps us all bound together through hard work and really good food.  This year, I find Native Hill more important than ever to my health and wellbeing.
 
I don’t think it serves us to make a list of the chaos (I guess I already did above!). Or to say it’s “unprecedented.” You know. The struggle is collective. And, thankfully, our farmers keep on farming! The farm stand stays stocked with juicy greens, beautiful squash, radish, potatoes, leeks, turnips, and more of fall’s abundance. Smoke billows down the canyon, and our farm carries on. Working members delight in conversation as they harvest our food, masked but clearly smiling underneath. Hundreds and hundreds of pounds of food is stored away to feed a community through the year and well into 2021.
 
Thank you, our CSA members, for your commitment to and love of this place, this beautiful little family farm. I hope you find the same feeling of grounding when you stop in at the farm stand or sit down to a meal cooked with fresh, local produce grown and harvested with love and intention.  I really believe our love of place grounds us in these difficult times.
 
Eat local + Be Well,
 
Megan Maiolo-Heath, Marketing Manager

This Week's Harvest:
Spinach
Arugula
Broccoli Raab
Cherry Belle Radish 
Fall Hearty Radish Medley(see below) 
    -Green, Purple, and White Daikon 
     -Nero Tondo(Black Spanish)
    -Watermelon Radish
Fall Greens Mix(petite curly kale, tuscan kale, and swiss chard)
Hakurei Salad Turnips(Sweet Turnips)
Baby Pac Choi 
Shallots
Yellow Onions
Leeks
Green Cabbage
Red Beets
Carrots
Rainbow carrots
Celeriac
Heirloom Soft Neck Garlic
Red Potatoes
Mix Fingerling Potatoes
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Blue Hubbard Squash
Pie Pumpkin Baby Pam
Butternut Squash
Kabocha Squash
Heirloom Pie Pumpkin Winter Luxury
Handmade forever wreaths(farm stand only)
Dried Everlasting Bouquets (market)

Note: Store winter squash in your house or pantry (ideal temps at 50–60°F/10–15°C, with 50–70% relative humidity and good ventilation). If you are decorating with them outside, pull them inside if their will be a low below 40 degrees F.

The Weekly Harvest: Summer smoke and Winter squash

The abundance of fall on display at the Larimer County Farmer’s Market!

Hello Folks, 

The Summer smoke and Winter squash have taken over the farm this month with seasons colliding. Our Summer CSA is winding down with only a couple of weeks left. I can feel the farm stand slowing but fall crops abound and are in their prime. As a reminder, the last day to use your Summer Market Card is October 31st! Any amount left on your card after that will be donated (as food) to the Larimer County Food Bank.

It has certainly been a season for the books and we are all very grateful for your support and enthusiasm! Most of you probably don't know, but, it is my first season here at Native Hill and it has been my pleasure and honor to run the Farm Stand for our wonderful community. In some way, shape and form, food always has a way of bringing people together- and that is something special! Thank you, from the bottom of our fullest hearts, for braving this crazy season with us. To recap, as if you've forgotten, we have dealt with the uncertainty and implications of coronavirus, record breaking heat, probably record breaking smoke and even snow (remember, it snowed last month?!). And, the season isn't even over yet!!

With that, we still have pie pumpkins and squash coming at ya this week, although they've been moved indoors to accommodate the changing weather. With cooler temperatures on the way, and holidays in sight, it's time to break out the soup ladle and pie pan. If you haven't already, get yourself a Blue Hubbard or Baby Pam and go for it! The Farm Stand is busting at the seams with everything inside, and so are our coolers with storage vegetables for our Winter CSA. With animals preparing to hibernate (by eating lots of food, of course) and more of our food moving indoors and under tunnels, dare I say that Winter is close? I don't know about you, but I always feel inspired watching the squirrels eat ravenously as they prepare for the cold that is to come, and I want to do that too! We have lots of hardy and wholesome vegetables to make all your favorite cold day foods, and unlike the squirrels, I encourage you to sit down and enjoy a slow delicious meal with loved ones. On that note... 

We have decided the Farm Stand will remain open through the winter, in some capacity. For those of you who did not get a Winter share, you will still be able to stop by the stand to purchase and enjoy your favorite greens and roots. Keep in mind that we grow less excess in the Winter, so the stand will not be as full as it is in the Summer. And, while you're there, pick up a Native Hill logo beanie to keep those ears warm this Winter! Stay tuned for more information on Winter hours.

Have a good one, folks! Until next time, plant smiles, grow laughter and harvest love. We all need those things no matter what season it is.

Sincerely,
Lasha Guillen, Farm Stand Manager

This Week's Harvest:
Spinach
Arugula
Broccoli Raab
Spicy Mix
Cherry Belle Radish 
Fall Hearty Radish Medley (see below) 
    -Green, Purple, and White Daikon 
     -Nero Tondo (Black Spanish)
    -Watermelon Radish
Fall Greens Mix (petite curly kale, tuscan kale, and swiss chard)
Hakurei Salad Turnips (Sweet Turnips)
Baby Pac Choi
Shallots
Yellow Onions
Leeks
Green Cabbage
Red Beets
Carrots
Walla Walla Sweet Onions
Heirloom Soft Neck Garlic
Red Potatoes
Mix Fingerling Potatoes
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Delicata Squash (last week?)
Blue Hubbard Squash
Pie Pumpkin Baby Pam
Heirloom Pie Pumpkin Winter Luxury
Handmade forever wreaths (farm stand only)
Dried Everlasting Bouquets (market)

Note: Store winter squash in your house or pantry (ideal temps at 50–60°F/10–15°C, with 50–70% relative humidity and good ventilation). If you are decorating with them outside, pull them inside if their will be a low below 40 degrees F.

The Weekly Harvest: The slower acts of fall and winter are in sight

Hello Folks, 

Hope this newsletter finds everyone doing well and adjusting to new fall routines of school starting, cooler days, and some delicious fall cooking.

Though this week feels like we are back to summer with daily highs in the 80s, the morning temperatures are dropping as quickly as the leaves, while the days are getting shorter and shorter.  The moon shines bright as the crew arrives to work for harvest, with first light reaching us just after 6:30 which is when our mighty working member teams arrive for the first shift. As I think about pushing back the start time again, I am reminded that soon our working member season will be over.

Through extreme heat, smoke-filled skies, intense wind, and now some frosty (okay, more like freezing) mornings, our working members worked to grow and harvest the food that has fed us all since May and will continue to feed us throughout the winter. They are key to our operation and are a huge part of my job on the farm. So, when Nic asked me to write this newsletter, I wanted to dedicate it to our working members. From the bottom of my heart, thank you all so much for showing up, for working hard, and for the amazing and diverse conversations we have while together. While I may not necessarily know what your whole face looks like, camaraderie and friendship will not be thwarted by masks! I feel blessed to know you all.

We are all working hard this month to harvest the last of the storage crops as well as the delicious fall greens and roots, finding time here and there to clean up and put the farm down for winter. All the landscape fabric, t-posts, tunnels, and trellises that we built this spring must come out and the fields seeded with cover crop. I am reminded of a theater production. We spend months in the spring and early summer building the set and the summer executing our roles. Well, the show is not over but the slower acts of fall and winter are in sight. To our amazing crew, working members, and the brilliant leadership of Nic and Katie, I give a thunderous applause. And to all of our CSA members and community, your support makes it all possible. 

I don’t know about you, but my meals taste better knowing all the love that brought them to my plate.

Sincerely, 

Zoe, Native Hill Farm Co-Manager

This Week's Harvest:

• Spinach

• Arugula

• Spicy Mix

• Cherry Belle Radish 

• Fall Hearty Radish Medley (see below) 

  • Green, Purple, and White Daikon 

  • Nero Tondo (Black Spanish)

  • Watermelon Radish

• Green Curly Kale

• Tuscan Kale

• Red Chard

• Hakurei Salad Turnips (Sweet Turnips)

• Baby Pac Choi

• Shallots

• Leeks

• Green Cabbage

• Red Beets

• Carrots (late week)

• Walla Walla Sweet Onions

• Heirloom Soft Neck Garlic

• Red Potatoes (late week)

• Mix Fingerling Potatoes (late week)

• Yukon Gold Potatoes (late week)

• Delicata Squash (last week)

• Blue Hubbard Squash

• Pie Pumpkin Baby Pam

• Heirloom Pie Pumpkin Winter Luxury

• Heirloom Pumpkin Patch (see below - all edible and beautiful) (farm stand only) 

  • Rougue Vif D'Etampes (aka Cinderlla pumpkin) 

  • Musque de Provence 

  • Long Island Cheese

  • Blue Hubbard

  • Winter Luxury and Baby Pam

• Handmade forever wreaths (farm stand only)

• Dried Everlasting Bouquets (market)

Note: Store winter squash in your house or pantry (ideal temps at 50–60°F/10–15°C, with 50–70% relative humidity and good ventilation). If you are decorating with them outside, pull them inside if their will be a low below 40 degrees F.

The Weekly Harvest: Persistently optimistic

Hey Folks, 
Happy Fall! What a season it has been, really all over the board and one for the record books both in terms of weather and many other things. As Farmers we have to be persistently optimistic about the season we are in and all the seasons ahead and I hope we can convey some of our abundant optimism to you and your family as we head into the fall and winter. Our hope is that the Farm is a bright spot for you and your family and one that provides deliciously fresh and nutritious seasonal food so that we can all celebrate the place we call home. 

We have fully embraced fall on the farm both with the crops coming in and our mentality. After the summer snowstorm that we had we have now had a number of light frosts on the farm and are always so glad to see them as they help to sweeten up all the fall greens and roots we have out in the fields. Wave goodbye to the summer tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants! 

The Farm Stand has been turned into a fall extravaganza of our assortment of heirloom pumpkins. These pumpkins and gourds are all edible (think pies, cookies, soups, etc.) and will be at home decorating your house until you decide to cook them up for Thanksgiving and other occasions. The Blue Hubbard Squash are the real winter champions here in that they should store very well in your home into the beginning of next year. We have set up a beautiful display of small, medium, and large heirloom pumpkins and it is what we are calling our "Heirloom Pumpkin Patch at the Farm Stand." So, put on your plaid and grab a mug of your choice beverage and come pick out some beautiful heirloom pumpkins. These will be at the Farm Stand only because well, there are a lot of them and they are very heavy as a load to take to Market with our limited space. Butternut and Kabocha Squash are still curing and will come out over the next few weeks. 

In other exciting news, we have decided to keep the Farm Stand open to the public as much as we can through the winter with any extra produce we have instead of going to the Winter Farmer's Market. This will be for purchase only (Cash, Credit, Check) as the Summer Share Credits expire on Oct 31st. We are not sure the exact days and hours of the Farm Stand this winter, but stay tuned for details! 

Your farmers are very much enjoying the sunny cooler days as we busily harvest for the week and the larger storage harvests for deep winter storage, clean up our fields from the summer crops and seed them to their winter cover crops. We keep an eye on the weather forecast these days even more than usual as we know that it can change in a heartbeat with a snowstorm and sudden temperature drops. The Fall hustle is underway to bring in the abundant harvest and get greens seeded in our tunnels for winter and spring harvests. 

Eat Local + Be Well, 
Nic and The Native Hill Farm Crew


This Week's Harvest:

• Spinach

• Arugula

• Spicy Mix

• Head Lettuce

• Cherry Belle Radish 

• Fall Hearty Radish Medley (see below) 

  •     Green, Purple, and White Daikon 

  •     Nero Tondo (Black Spanish)

  •     Watermelon Radish

• Green Curly Kale

• Red Chard

• Hakurei Salad Turnips (Sweet Turnips)

• Leeks

• Savoy Cabbage (last week) 

• Red and Green Cabbage at farm stand (limited)

• Red Beets

• Carrots (farm stand only)

• Cauliflower (last week) 

• Broccoli (last week) 

• Radicchio (last week) 

• Beefsteak Tomatoes (last week) 

• Roma Tomato (last week or so)

• Bulk Roma canning Tomato boxes (market & farm stand)

• Walla Walla Sweet Onions

• Heirloom Soft Neck Garlic

• Red Potatoes

• Mix Fingerling Potatoes

• Yukon Gold Potatoes

• Acorn Squash (last week?)

• Spaghetti Squash (last week?)

• Delicata Squash (last week?)

• Pie Pumpkin Baby Pam

• Heirloom Pie Pumpkin Winter Luxury

• Heirloom Pumpkin Patch (see below-all edible and beautiful) (farm stand only) 

  •   Rougue Vif D'Etampes (aka Cinderlla pumpkin) 

  •   Musque de Provence 

  •   Long Island Cheese

  •   Blue Hubbard

  •   Winter Luxury and Baby Pam

Note: Store winter squash in your house or pantry (ideal temps at 50–60°F/10–15°C, with 50–70% relative humidity and good ventilation). If you are decorating with them outside, pull them inside if their will be a low below 40 degrees F.

The Weekly Harvest: Fall crops demand a seat at the table

Our incredible staff are all smiles as the air crisps up and spinach is ready for harvest!

Hey Folks, 
Well, we can feel it here on the farm, Fall, I think. Even with daytime highs still approaching 90, next week looks to be gloriously Fall-like, sunny with highs in the 70s. This is the weather your farmers dream off, it is the best working weather there is and Fall is our favorite season here, well next to winter(lol). This weather finds your farmers still harvesting away for markets, Farm Stand, and bulk storage harvests for the winter ahead. We can't let this weather lull us into a false sense of security as usually the beginning of October can bring some weather surprises that we want to be ready for. So, the hustle continues with hoodies and beanies in the mornings and layers  shed throughout the day into the bed of pick up trucks as we work diligently on our to do lists. 

We are getting all of our winter greens tunnels covered and tightened up and seeding various beds of hardy greens that we wont harvest off of till January and on, a wild thought.  

There are a lot of great fall foods showing up on the Market table and in the Farm Stand these days. Crops that take all season to grow, like a slow growth tree and not the quick radishes of spring and fall that are blips on the harvest radar. These Fall crops demand a seat at the table as the weather cools and the nights grow longer. Thankfully we can now turn our ovens and stovetops back on and enjoy warmer dinners in the sunny Fall days. 

I know a lot of folks are asking: yes, we have more Winter squash to release. It was all harvested just before the summer snow storm. These butternuts, pie pumpkins, heirloom pumpkins, hubbards, kabochas, and others take a least one month of curing or more before they are ready for eating. The Acorn, Spaghetti, and Delicata squash are ready for eating right out of the field.  You will start seeing the other winter squashes the very beginning of October. 

This is also the last week for roasting Anaheim chiles and poblano chiles - Wednesday, Friday & Saturday from 2-4 pm. Chiles should also be available in the Farm Stand coolers roughly Thursday through Sunday close. Just grab some bags and put them right in your freezer and pluck out these rays of Summer on a snowy night for chili or any other number of creations. 

Winter CSA is sold out for the season but we are making plans to either be at the Winter Farmers Market or possibly opening the Farm Stand for a couple weekends through the Winter. Please look out for survey on which one you and your family would prefer. 

The Farm Stand will likely remain open past Oct. 31 for cash purchases. Your Summer Farm Share card will expire on Oct 31st!

Last call on $1 per lb seconds green cabbage for your fermenting needs. Email to order - min 10lb order. 

Eat Local + Be Well, 
Nic and The Native Hill Farm Crew


This Week's Harvest:

- Salad Mix
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Carrots
- Red Beets
- Green Cabbage
- Red Cabbage
- Savoy Cabbage
- Last of the beefsteak, romas, and heirloom tomatoes (limited quantities)
- Radicchio varieties
- Fennel 
- Leeks
- Roasted Anaheim Chiles
- Roasted Poblano Chiles
- Hot Peppers
- Kale
- Swiss Chard
- Yukon Gold Potatoes
- Mixed Fingerling Potatoes
- Red Potatoes
- Acorn Squash
- Delicata Squash
- Spaghetti Squash
- Hakurei Salad Turnips (Sweet Turnips)
- Italian Parsley
- Celery (last week)