Healthy Eating at a Connecticut Farm, April 2010

Dear Mad Hatters,

Welcome to Spring!  We are busy at the farm prepping the fields, seeding the seeds and planning for an exciting season of fresh and delicious vegetables.

This is our first newsletter of the 2010 season and for those of you who are new to Mad Hatter Farm, a special welcome. 

We have been busy in our hoop house seeding. We start all of our plants from organic seed.  75% of the vegetables we grow start as seeds in the hoop house and then get transplanted out in the field, the other 25% are direct seeded in the field.  In the hoop house we currently have 5 varieties of lettuce, 5 varieties of onions, pac choi, komatzuna, broccoli raab, kohlrabi, 3 varieties of kale, 2 varieties of chard, 2 varieties of broccoli, 2 varieties of cauliflower, 2 varieties of cabbage, chinese cabbage, brussel sprouts, 2 varieties of beets, basil, and 2 varieties of hothouse tomatoes. Are we hungry yet?  Oh yeah!

I was recently reading about a book written in 2008 called The Blue Zones, written by Dan Buettner.  The "Blue Zones" are pockets of populations around the world that have significantly higher percentages of longevity and lower percentages of cancers and heart disease - something about these peoples' lifestyles and diets make them a whole lot healthier than the rest of us.  One example of a blue zone is the Greek island of Ikaria, where the people follow a mediterranean diet - rich in olive oil and vegetables, low in dairy and meat, and on Ikaria they also eat potatoes, goat's milk, honey, beans and lots of fresh greens.  One-third of the population reach the age of 90, they have 20% less cancer and 50% less heart disease (compared to who I'm not sure) and virtually no dementia.  Wow.   When they prepare meals in Ikaria, the vegetables are the main course and the meats are peripheral. That's a good idea.

Our hearts go out to our farming friends in Florida - what a year they have had.  The January frosts killed 70% of the Florida's tomato crop, and Florida is the United States primary tomato supplier in the winter months. Many restaurants have had to drop tomatoes from their menus and if you live down South you have to ask for tomatoes on your burgers at McDonald's etc.  And for some reason, those early freezes were a boon to the strawberry crop in Florida, where they are having such a bumper crop, that in some cases it is more cost effective for the farmer to plow under the crop than it is for them to pick the strawberries.  It sure ain't easy being a farmer.

In our farm news, we are planning on pursuing organic certification this year - yahoo!  Most of last year, we were feeling like "why bother" since we know we grow organically, and we can explain to our customers that we grow organically, but we just are not allowed to use the word "organic" to describe our vegetables.  But certain things have taken place over the winter and on a matter of principle, we feel that now is the best time for us to become certified.  So stay tuned for updates as the process begins. 

The Mad Hatter Farm CSA is growing strong.  We have increased the number of shares available this year, and while sales have been good, there are still shares available at all of our pick up locations (the Farm on Wednesdays, the Ridgefield Farmers Market on Fridays, and at Temple Shaaray Tefila in Bedford, NY - for Temple members only - on Tuesdays).  Share pick up will begin in mid-June and run approximately 18 weeks.  We offer a full share and a half share.  If you are interested in purchasing a share, please visit our website at www.madhatterfarm.com, and please spread the word to anyone you know who might be interested.  We are really hoping to sell out this year!

We are looking forward to a great year of farming fun and surprises.  Nature keeps us on our toes, and we are ready!

Take care,

Jeff and Alix

Mad Hatter Farm

135 Music Mountain Road

Falls Village, CT 06031

T: 860-824-7635