Notes for Week of June 9

THIS WEEK's SHARE
Salad mix, braising mix, spinach, arrowhead cabbage or bok choi, radishes, and turnips

FROM AN INTERVIEW WITH BARACK OBAMA
Your hometown of Chicago is served by Angelic Organics, a local family farm featured in the 2007 documentary The Real Dirt on Farmer John, which Al Gore called “incredibly special.” Small farms that market to local communities are vital components of healthy local food systems. What policy initiatives would you propose to strengthen local food systems? Unfortunately, I have not had time to see the film, but I am very familiar with the great work of Angelic Organics and other community supported farms. These types of farms can provide an important source of fresh fruits and vegetables to inner-city communities that do not have easy access to grocery stores that sell organic foods. Moreover, farms like Angelic Organics that sell directly to consumers cut out all of the middlemen and get full retail price for their food, which increases the financial viability of small family farms.
As president, I would implement USDA policies that promote local and regional food systems, including assisting states to develop programs aimed at community supported farms. I also support a national farm-to-school program and am pleased that the Farm Bill provides more than $1 billion to expand healthy snacks in our schools.


COMING NEXT WEEK (OUR BEST GUESS) salad mix, braising mix, garlic scapes, cabbage or broccoli or bok-choi, zucchini, radishes, parsley, mint and arugula.
FRUIT SHARE: Empire apples


TURKEYS
At 6:10 AM on Thursday, the local post office called (as we had requested) to let us know that the day-old turkey poults had arrived from Iowa. We had to get them as quickly as possible to a warm location (90˚F). Jody dunked each of their beaks in a dish of water to get them to drink. We are raising two varieties of turkeys this year, Large White and Broad-Breasted Bronze. We are trying 30 of each to see how hard it is to raise them. All of the reading we did tells us that turkeys are very sensitive and difficult to raise. So far all 60 have survived and are quickly growing. We will keep you updated on their progress.