2012 brings new farm name, farm expansion

Over the past three years of growing our vegetable farm business, Adam and I have learned a tremendous amount. Yes, we have learned a great deal about actually growing vegetables, with still more to learn, but we have also learned about ourselves and our business. We move forward into our fourth year of production with a new farm name, Jackson Lowe Vegetable Farm. In our learning process, we realized that we want to be represented by a name that says exactly who we are and what we are. "Jackson" is Mecca's maiden name and that of a family with farming heritage on the very soil we cultivate. Lowe is Adam's family name, and also one with farming heritage, and in 2012, we will be producing on new Lowe farmland down the road. Both families have been integral in supporting our farming operation, and now with our little one- Silas Jackson Lowe, we hope we can honor those families and our own hard work by building a successful and meaningful business that represents hard work, integrity and community. Please join us in the 2012 season at our local farmers markets, in our vegetable subscription program, and on your own plots of land as we work towards a successful and bountiful 2012 season. Our new website is now up: www.jacksonlowevegetablefarm.com.

Sincerely,

Adam, Mecca and Silas Lowe

Fall Season

We are entering the fall season and now harvesting fall crops like Kale, Radishes, Arugula, Turnips, Mustard Greens and some Green Beans and Sweet Potatoes. We will soon be harvesting our first round of Broccoli for our CSA and the Marietta Square, Rockmart and Grant Park Farmers Markets. Later in the season we will harvest beets, cabbage, collards, rutabagas, lettuce, tomatoes and more radishes, kale, turnips and salad mix. We plan to be selling at these markets until Thanksgiving. Sign up for our newsletter to keep up with our farm! (Pictured above: a view of part of our farm.)

FALL CSA spots available!

We are opening several spaces for the fall session of our 2011 CSA program. Read below for the details, and email us for the application.

Our fall program includes weekly shares of seasonal vegetables for ten weeks beginning September 7th. We provide a weekly e-newsletter that includes description of the vegetables along with recipes. When available, we will also introduce you to some locally, naturally grown fruits and vegetables produced by local farmers we know and trust.

In the fall season you can expect to receive a variety of fall and summer vegetables. The following vegetables will be grown for the fall season: radishes, carrots, turnips, beets, lettuce, salad mix, arugula, spinach, kale, mustards, bok choi, broccoli, cabbage, fennel, parsley and dill, swiss chard, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, winter squash, green beans, okra, melons, corn, basil, peppers, eggplant and more. We will also include naturally grown apples from a local farmer.

Each weekly bag will include a minimum of five different vegetables or fruits and have an average value of $25. The cost is $25 per week for 10 weeks for a total cost of $250. A down payment of $150 is due with application by August 24th.

We deliver to Cobb county and the greater Atlanta area. Deliveries occur on Wednesday mornings and early afternoons, and in most cases, members can pick up sometime between lunch and the early evening.

Delivery Sites:
◊ Wed. 11am-4pm at Parsley’s Catering, 1127 White Circle, Marietta
◊ Wed. 12pm-5pm Kennesaw State University, Student Center
◊ Wed. 1-7pm, Vinings (residential site: email for address)
◊ Wed. 2-8pm, Howell Station, NW ATL (residential site: email for address)
◊ Wed. 2-7pm, Virginia Highlands (residential site: email for address)
◊ Wed, 3-7pm, Decatur (2 residential sites: email for address)
◊ Saturday 8am-noon, Marietta Square Farmers Market

We do have enough spaces to add one more delivery site if it's on our current route and if the site can host at least 8 members. Contact us to see if your delivery site would fit into our delivery route.

Momma's Fried Okra

Okra season is here so we're sharing the family recipe! Go buy some okra from your favorite farmer and get to cooking it up- When it's here, it's here, but when it's gone, it's gone!

Momma's Fried Okra

2 lbs Okra, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
1 cup oil for frying
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
salt
pepper

Optional: 2 green tomatoes, diced.

Place cut okra in a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and set aside for several minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil in skillet over medium heat. You may add more oil depending on the size of your skillet. Combine flour and cornmeal. Once okra is good and juicy and oozing it's famous "goo," toss it in the flour/cornmeal mixture until covered, then transfer to a colander and shake out additional flour to avoid burning extra flour in the skillet. Place okra in the skillet in a single layer once oil is hot (sprinkle a dab of flour into the oil and if it sizzles it's ready. If the oil is smoking, it's too hot). Do not "stir" the okra. Once you can see the edges browning, about 5 minutes, flip the okra with a spatula as best you can. Cook another 4-5 minutes and remove from skillet onto a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Serve warm!

Squash!

Several delicious and unique varieties of summer squash and zucchini are in abundance at Turtle Bend Farm this time of year. We are growing some beautiful Zephyr Squash (pictured above), as well as tender Golden Zucchini, and the "cream" of the crop, White Scallop (or Patty Pan) Squash. They call all be used interchangeably but they all have their unique qualities. The Zephyr is the best raw squash with it's crisp sweetness, but it also holds a good shape when stewed or grilled. The Golden Zucchini is wonderful grilled or sauteed, and the Patty Pan is known for it's creamy texture when mixed in a casserole. To help our loyal customers and CSA members make use of these summer time treats, we would like to share a few ways that we enjoy summer squash and zucchini. The possibilities are endless (grilled squash, squash soup, stuffed squash) but we've just included a few of our favorites. Enjoy!

Mecca Mae’s Squash Casserole
This is a family recipe from Mecca's great grandmother.

1.5-2lbs fresh Summer Squash (or Zucchini)
2-3 Tbsp grated fresh Onion
1 Tbsp Butter
1-2 Eggs
15 saltine crackers, crumbled

Topping:
10 saltine crackers, crumbled
Paprika
Pepper
2 Tbsp Butter

(Optional): Grated cheese in casserole and topping
(Optional): Chopped fresh herb of your choice in casserole and/or topping. (we like basil, thyme or parsley)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Chop squash into like-size pieces and boil in salted water until tender, about 8-15 minutes depending on size of pieces. Meanwhile, grate onion. Drain squash, return to pot and mash up. Add next four ingredients, mix well and pour into a baking dish (I use the 8x8 glass baking dish).

Crumble remaining saltine crackers on top and dot with butter. Sprinkle with Paprika & Pepper and bake for 35 minutes. Serve warm, and leftovers are good too!


Fried Squash
This is Adam's favorite way to eat squash.

1-1.5 lbs fresh Summer Squash or Zucchini
1 cup cornmeal mix
1 egg
1 cup milk or buttermilk
salt & pepper
1 cup or more, vegetable oil of your choice for frying
iron skillet if available

Slice squash in half or thirds, and again lengthwise (especially zephyr and zucchini) into ¼ inch thick pieces that are about 2 inches long. Sprinkle with salt. Crack egg into a bowl, add milk and mix together. Put cornmeal and pepper into separate bowl. Dredge squash pieces first in milk mixture, then coat with cornmeal.

Meanwhile, heat oil to medium heat (not smoking). Once oil is hot (drop a sprinkle of cornmeal into oil- if it sizzles the oil is ready.), place battered squash pieces into oil in one layer. After about 3-4 of minutes, flip pieces over with a fork and fry other side for 2-3 minutes. Remove onto a plate with several paper towels to drain. Repeat. Serve warm or room temperature.


Stewed Squash and Onions
A simple and easy "old standbye" that highlights the real flavor of the squash.

1-1.5 lbs fresh Summer Squash or Zucchini
1 medium/large white or yellow onion
1 tbsp butter
Salt & Pepper to taste
Optional: fresh chopped basil, thyme or parsley

Slice squash into 1-inch pieces. Slice onion into 1-inch eighths (“moons”). Add one cup of water and 1 Tbsp butter to a medium sized pot. Place squash and onions into pot and bring water to a boil, then lower to a simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain most of water. Add fresh herb and salt and pepper to taste. Toss and serve warm.

Summertime...

Above: Okra
Above: Melons on blue plastic

Above: Tomatoes!

Summer squash plants

Squash: golden zucchini and zephyr

Spring!

It's that glorious time of year again when we begin to harvest our first spring crops! Below are some pictures to show you what we've been up to on the farm. We are now harvesting baby salad mix, easter egg radishes, french breakfast radishes, baby kale, parsley and smaller pak choi heads (bok choi). See you at the Market!

Kale, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Collards, Parsley, Onions and Fennel

"Elegance" salad greens mix.

Pac Choi in the foreground with cabbage and the whole family (Kale, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Collards) behind it.

Parsley