What's Happening Around the Farm

I want to encourage everyone to take a look at this week's newsletter.  It's full of farm news plus LOTS of new recipes.  Of course, the recipes are up on the website too.

We'll have plenty of summer squash, green peppers, sweet basil, tomatoes, cucumbers and so much more at Oxford Farmers Market Uptown on Saturday morning.

Have you heard the latest news about antibiotic use in factory-farmed meats and the havoc it's playing with antibiotic resistant bacteria? Antibiotics, hormones, and GMOs are things you will NEVER find in our 100% pure, grass-fed Black Angus beef.  Not many local farmers can make that same claim.  Ask how your food was grown.

Again, take a look at this week's newsletter.  We'll see you uptown.

Brent, Suzie & the boys
www.salemroadfarms.com

Yes, it's hot out.  But, your farmers have been working hard in this heat to bring the freshest produce to Oxford Farmers Market Uptown this morning.  Come on out and support all the hard-working farmers. 
We will be bringing lots of tomatoes -- red, yellow and orange -- plus many other things, including baby artichokes.  I have been updating the recipes on the website and there's lots of new ones to try.  Here's the link to this week's CSA newsletter.  Find out what's happening on the farm and solve a mystery at the same time.  Thanks again for all the support.  We work hard to grow healthy, chemical-free food for our farmily and yours.
P.S.  For updates as they happen, become a friend on our facebook page.
See you uptown!  Brent, Suzie and the boys.

It's the weekend and that means Oxford Farmers Market Uptown.  We are fully stocked with summer veggies including 5 varieties of cucumbers; we also have dill heads to go along with the picklers.  Red, Orange and Yellow tomatoes, big, beautiful Sweet Basil, zucchini, summer squash, cabbage, swiss chard and MORE!  Check out this week's CSA newsletter for easy to make refrigerator dill pickles. 

We've been removing tomato hornworms this week.  Given their size, I think they were there last week too!  We like to find them parasitized by wasps!  No such luck this week.  The ones I did find got squashed right under my boots.  They sure do a lot of damage in a short period of time. 

We will have Grass-fed Black Angus Beef.  Our customers rave about the quality and flavor.  Come ask us why it makes a difference to eat beef that is 100% raised on grass and alfalfa.  Absolutely no chemical or GMOs.  Did you know beef can be called natural and grass-fed yet still contain Toxic GMOs? 

Thanks for your consistent support.  It makes our job all the more worthwhile.  See you uptown.

Brent, Suzie & boys
www.salemroadfarms.com

Happy Independence Day!  Make a break today and claim food independence by shopping at Oxford Farmers Market Uptown this weekend.  Every dollar spent at the farmers market is a choice to support your small, local farmers.  Brent and I sincerely thank you for your vote of confidence in us to provide your family with fresh produce and pure grass-fed Black Angus beef all raised without toxic chemicals and always free of GMOs.

This week I broke my own rule about not selling berries that I have picked.  Normally, they go straight into our freezer for the young farmers' smoothies throughout the winter. But, Brent will have Red Raspberries (that I picked!) grown with no chemicals at all!  You won't find the same quality anywhere else.  There will be LOTS of zucchini and summer squash, cucumbers, cabbage and much more.  See this week's CSA Newsletter for my Zucchini Bread recipe along with a low-fat tip!

Have a great weekend and we'll see you uptown.

Brent, Suzie and boys!

Crazy busy this week, so just a short note.  We'll have our customary greens, including komatsuna at Oxford Farmers Market Uptown in the morning.  Also look for carrots, fennel, radicchio and in very short supply - zucchini!  The high tunnel is producing a few right now. 

Here's where you can find this week's CSA Newsletter and find out more about what we've been up to this week.

And, for the pictures of the week -- I was given the "priviledge" of cutting the hay in the pasture this go round.  I think its beautiful and enjoyed riding the tractor; I think my oldest son, who normally cuts the hay, must have been desperate for help.


 Between alfalfa and grass hay, we'll have put up nearly 200 round bales this week.

I was also given the priviledge of running the baler and baling some of the alfalfa.
Yes, it's as much work as it sounds like, but we are picky about what the Grass-fed Black Angus cattle eat and we refuse to feed them anything containing GMOs, herbicides or pesticides.

Thanks for your support.

Brent, Suzie and the boys

Here we are ready for the last market in May already!  This spring, which hasn't seemed to arrive yet (!), is about over.  We've been planting and planting this week.  Even though it's rained nearly every day, since the plastic is on the ground, we're able to put in crops such as tomatoes, peppers, summer squash, cucumbers and more.  The potatoes are starting to come up and with the sunny, warm weather predicted, they should get hilled up by the end of the week.  This week's picture is a seek and find.  Can you find the baby praying mantis?  If you read the CSA Week 1 newsletter, you probably saw the small article on the praying mantis egg cases.  We have many around the farm and it's always exciting to see the babies hatch out.  I've left the picture big this week so look closely.  That's my harvest knife (a steak knife) for size comparison.  This little guy was in the asparagus patch.

Lots of greens again this week, plus some new varieties.  One of the veggie/herbs making a special appearance this week is Sorrel.  Also known as sour grass, it's often added to salads for a bit of zing.  Here's a recipe for Simple Sorrel Soup.  It is easy to make and tastes great. 

Here's the short list of what we'll have -- shop early for best selection: Mizuna, Pac Choi, Tat Soi, Asparagus, Swiss Chard, Dandelion Greens, Spinach, Fennel, Garlic Chives, Lots of varieites of lettuce including Butterhead, Kale, Joi Choi, Curly Endive, Sorrel, Radicchio, Radishes, Turnips, Oregano, French Tarragon, Italian Parsley, Spearmint, Lemon Balm (make Lemon Balm Cookies) and Green Garlic. 

Plus, we'll have 100% Pure, no antibiotic, no hormones, NO GMO, Grass-fed Black Angus Beef.  Tastes great and what a terrific choice for a Memorial Day cookout.  Take a look at our Grass-fed Beef Price List before hand, so you'll know which cuts you'd like to try.

This week's CSA Newsletter has some other happenings around the farm and also discusses How to Dry Herbs.  Take a look.

We'll see you at Oxford Farmers Market Uptown, Saturday morning from 7:30 am until noon. 

Have a wonderful and safe Memorial Day weekend.
Brent, Suzie and the boys.

As I look out the window, writing this email, it is absolutely gorgeous outside.  Of course, I've been in and out of the house multiple times today, harvesting for the market and have been thoroughly enjoying the weather.  The black locust trees are blooming and the fragrance from their flowers is just heavenly.  Young Farmer A took this stunning picture a couple weeks ago.  No matter what the season, we find the farm beautiful.

We will be at Oxford Farmers Market Uptown on Saturday morning.  Look for Lettuce, Swiss Chard, Green Garlic, Kale, Baby Bok Choy, Ching Chang Pac Choi and much more.  Lots of fresh herbs and new this week is Fennel.  For information on fennel and some cooking ideas, read this week's CSA newsletter.

Lots of new cuts of 100% Pure Grass-fed Black Angus beef are available.  We now have Flank Steak, Brisket and Short Ribs, plus all the favorites - Tenderloin, New York Strip and Rib Eye, just waiting for the grill!  For 100% pure beef WITHOUT Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), Salem Road Farms is your source!  

The Cherry Tomato plants will be available this weekend.  Don't delay as the plants are selling out FAST!

Make it a great day.
Brent, Suzie & boys.

What a beautiful week we've had for outdoor work!  A far cry from our experience last week.  Every day this week has been filled with tilling, planting, weeding and many other long-neglected tasks.  This week the bulk of our potato crop went into the ground.  Curious as to how we plant potatoes?  The tractor takes care of tilling, making the rows and hilling the potatoes up, but here's Brent  with the age-old process of putting the potatoes into the ground - by hand!  There were three of us working on this task and within 2 days we were able to plant 425# of seed potatoes.  We still have 200+ pounds left to go, but are grateful to have gotten this many in.  In the rear of the photo, by the red vehicle, is my mom who tirelessly helped get the potatoes in this week.  Thanks, Mom!

This week we'll be bringing lots of greens again, herbs, 100% Pure and Natural Grass-fed Beef and a few tomato plants.  We've cut back this season on plants, so go ahead and visit Ken Boyd or The Fresh Chef at the market for your garden plant needs.

For this week's CSA newsletter, click here - learn what else has been happening this week on the farm.

We'll see you at Oxford Farmers Market Uptown. 

Brent, Suzie and boys