Dear Root 5 Farm CSA Members,

​Now more than ever, we’re reminded of the crucial importance of a resilient, local food system. People need to eat, which means people need to farm. We love to farm, and we're in this community for the long term.

At Root 5 Farm we’re ready to do our part to support the safety, calm, and prosperity of our community. Here’s what we’re up to in response to the virus:

Our first priority is keeping our small crew healthy. We’re limiting personal social contact, identifying potential exposures, and monitoring ourselves for any signs of illness. We offer paid sick leave, should any of our staff need it. We follow strict food safety protocols as part of our CAPS certification (Community Accreditation for Produce Safety) through the Vermont Vegetable & Berry Association. Our farm is unique in that it's not open to the public for farm stand sales, keeping exposure to possible contamination at a minimum. 
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We’ve also been working to get ahead of the game. As organic vegetable farmers, we've spent the entire winter planning and preparing for our growing season. All the supplies and new materials we think we might need to run the farm over the coming year have already been purchased. We feel as prepared as we possibly can be.

We want to recognize that this important work can go on because of YOU, and your early commitment to our farm as a CSA Member. When we have your support, we can focus on the work of growing your food and providing for your family. YOU are the reason this system works, and YOU are the reason we have a hopeful perspective during these uncertain times. Thank you. 

Please, help us spread the word and help us grow this positive community. Tell your friends and family about the benefits of supporting a local CSA farm today. 

Ever grateful, 
Danielle, Benner, & Garhett

​If you're feeling financially stressed right now, and you're not sure if you can afford your CSA Share, please know that we're committed to making good food available to all members of our community. We partner with the NOFA-VT Farm Share Program and the Willing Hands Share-a-Share Program to offer discounted or free shares for those with limited income. Check out these programs if you need financial assistance. 

​If you're in a position to offer help, please consider donating to the NOFA-VT Farm Share Program or the Willing Hands Share-a-Share Program to help ensure that all of our neighbors can access fresh, healthy food during this time of need. 

Check out this Shabu Shabu recipe, it's easy to adapt with any of the spring vegetables we'll have at market this Saturday. Shabu Shabu is one of Japan’s most popular hot pot dishes. It’s a fun meal since everyone sits around the hot pot at the table, cooks together, and eats while you chat, like fondue! A communal dining experience that inspires good appetites and brings people closer together.

Our hoop houses are filling up with gorgeous greens and herbs for early spring farmers' markets and CSA Shares. Growing in these passive solar houses gives us a jump start on spring by protecting crops on frosty nights. Our field plantings will start to size up in late May and we'll turn over these hoop house beds to grow summer tomatoes, cucumbers, and eggplants. 

Jump into spring and get a taste of local foods this weekend! Join us this Sunday, April 7th, from 11-3pm, and bring your plate and fork to Flavors of the Valley at Hartford High School in White River Jct. This is the 18th annual celebration of local foods organized by Vital Communities, with over 50 farm and food-related vendors. We're very pleased to be part of this tasting event that brings together Upper Valley chefs, farmers, and specialty food producers. Pre-Buy advanced tickets for entry from 11am-12pm. General admission 12pm-3pm.

We're also harvesting some amazing over-wintered spinach from our hoop houses. It's dark green, sweet, nutty, and oh so delicious! You can pick up a bag at Flavors of the Valley this Sunday, and look for it on the menu at Market Table in Hanover and Ariana's Restaurant in Lyme later this week.

Thank you for your CSA membership! We so appreciate you taking this journey with us. Our 2018 CSA season is winding down, half share members have just one more pick up and full share members have two more pick ups, so we want to take this moment to reflect on a season that was full of surprises.

Spring came late this year, we had snow and ice on our fields until April 19th!

Drought conditions in May during planting time meant irrigating early and often. Some yields suffered on cool-weather crops like peas, leafy greens, and onions.  

Hot, dry conditions continued through midsummer, producing excellent yields of heat-loving crops like tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. 

The rains began in August, and continued through October. Winter came early with snow fall in October, three big snow events in November, and record low temperatures before Thanksgiving. This made for a fall harvest with a new load of logistical challenges.

Our fabulous crew made it all work, as they've done for each of the past six seasons. 

We're very grateful for the abundant shares we were able to produce with a wide variety of delicious organic vegetables! 

And we're especially grateful for our new 2-year old family member, Garhett, who arrived at the farm in May!

Once again, thank you for your CSA membership and for supporting our local food system. We're looking forward to the next growing season with you, and want you to be the first to know that we're working on a new option for you to customize your CSA shares for the 2019 season. Stay tuned for more information. Sign ups will start this month with a special discount for returning CSA members!

On Sunday we'll offer a taste of our Powerkraut varieties - original sauerkraut, carrot kraut, kimchi, and our newest, and very popular, turmeric kraut. You can snack on our sweet, crunchy carrots, try a nibble of spicy radish micro greens, or sample something new and unusual with our crisp Belgian endive. We'll have bags of carrots, spinach, microgreens, endive, and quarts of Powerkraut for sale. Stock up while you're at Flavors!

We're experimenting with growing this crop of Belgian endive in the dark under our greenhouse tables this spring, and they look great! This unique vegetable is crisp and slightly bitter when raw, making it a great addition to brighten up salads this time of year. When cooked, endive's flavor softens into a mellow sweetness- whether steamed, grilled, or braised. It's a versatile ingredient for your early spring kitchen- check out some recipes on our website.

Our greenhouse is filling up fast with beautiful vegetable seedlings full of potential and vigor for the new growing season. We can't wait to taste those first buttery leaves of bib lettuce, pungent fresh herbs, and crunchy stalks of asparagus in just a few short weeks!

Stop by the Norwich Winter Farmers' Market this Saturday from 9am-1pm at Tracy Hall. You can stock up on 5lb bags of carrots, beets, winter squash, onions, and garlic. We also have a nice crop of Belgian Endive ready for you! 

​Belgian Endive is crisp and slightly bitter when raw, making it a great addition to brighten up salads this time of year. When cooked, endive's sharp flavor softens into a mellow sweetness -- whether steamed, grilled or braised. They're a versatile ingredient for your winter kitchen, check out some recipes on our website.

We'll also be offering a taste of our newest batches of kimchi, carrot kraut, and a new recipe we're testing out for turmeric kraut. Come try a taste and pick up a quart of Powerkraut to keep you healthy this winter! See you on Saturday!

Stop by the farm this Sunday August 20th for a guided tour of our fields, greenhouses, and pack house. Check our website for directions to the farm. You can taste some unusual varieties we grow, and we'll have fresh vegetables, sauerkraut and kimchi available for purchase. This is a great opportunity to learn more about our organic production methods and see one of your local farms in action! This Open Farm Day is part of a greater statewide event called Vermont Open Farm Week. Check out the full schedule on diginvt.com and set up your VT farm itinerary today!

On Sunday September 10th at 4pm, we're hosting a CSA member potluck supper. Bring a dish to share and come to the farm for a walking tour of our fields, greenhouses, and pack house. This is a great opportunity to meet fellow CSA members, share stories, and see all your Fall CSA vegetables growing in the fields. 

It's time to sign up for Fall CSA Shares! Our fall crops are looking beautiful and we'd love to share this bounty with you! Check out photos on our website to see what you can expect in our Fall Shares. Our shares are diverse and full of fresh greens right through the end of December! We also have Add-on Share options of Pasture-Raised Chicken, Pork, and Beef for the fall. Plus, we're partnering with Scott Farms in Dummerston to bring you Fall Fruit Shares this season. So you can get apples, plums, and other fresh local fruits along with your vegetables each week! Sign up online today! 

It's rainbow time at the farmers market! We have the full spectrum of colors on display. Our summer crops are abundant and so delicious right now! Come get a taste of ripe heirloom tomatoes, Carmen sweet peppers, Romanesco summer squash, and Ping Tung eggplant! These are unique varieties, hard to find in the grocery store, and only available right now at the height of summer! You'll find us in front of Chapman's in Fairlee on Fridays, 3-6pm, and on Saturday at the Norwich Farmers' Market, 9-1pm.

Earlier this week it was hard to believe that it was the second week in June since Sarah was still wearing her fur-lined arctic hat and full rain gear to stay warm. 

We've been cutting our rye cover crop to mulch the pathways of long season crops like sweet potatoes, onions, and kale. This helps retain moisture, reduces weeding, and adds lots of good organic matter back to the soil. 

Our early tomatoes are looking great! We've been keeping up with weekly pruning and trellising so far, and the plants really thrive with the attention. It's so nice to work on the tomatoes now that they're right at chin level. 

We're on week four of CSA shares, and we're going strong despite the cold weather. We've had beautiful salad greens, lots of fresh herbs, and tasty asparagus every week. Have you tried making your own salad dressing yet? Here's a tasty salad dressing recipe to get you started. 

Enjoy!

Stop by the first outdoor farmers' market of the season on Saturday in Norwich on Route 5 from 9am-1pm! We'll be there rain or shine with fresh spring greens and herbs to kick off the season! We'll also have our delicious radishes, carrots, sauerkraut, and some hardy plants to get your garden started. All our products are certified organic. 

Sign up for a CSA Share now, if you haven't already done so. Pick up begins in just two weeks!

​April was a super busy month at the farm. Here's a look at what we've been up to...

We've been preparing our fields for planting and seeding. We've started planting successions of salad greens, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, beets, and more!

We're making great progress with our big wash station renovation project. We've insulated the walls and ceiling and rebuilt the doors. Next we install the plumbing and electric fixtures. We're excited to be setting up this 4-season insulated space so we can bring you fresh food later into the season! 

Our hoop houses are full of fresh greens and herbs, ready for the first weeks of farmers' market and CSA Shares! Learn more about our 2017 CSA Share options and sign up for your share today!