November 2019

I want to share with you one of my favorite poems by the great agricultural mind and writer, Wendell Berry.

The Wish to be Generous

ALL that I serve will die, all my delights,
the flesh kindled from my flesh, garden and field,
the silent lilies standing in the woods,
the woods, the hill, the whole earth, all
will burn in man’s evil, or dwindle
in its own age. Let the world bring on me
the sleep of darkness without stars, so I may know
my little light taken from me into the seed
of the beginning and the end, so I may bow
to mystery, and take my stand on the earth
like a tree in a field, passing without haste
or regret toward what will be, my life
a patient willing descent into the grass.

I always enjoy reading this poem around the Thanksgiving holiday. For me this poem screams of impermanence. The idea that no matter what we do, build, or become; everything will meet the same fate.

And when we truly understand the notion of impermanence, we allow ourselves to be grateful. When you realize that everything that you have is fleeting, it is easier to be thankful for what you have in the present.

I must say that the older I get and the more candles I put on my birthday cake, I have opened myself up to gratitude more than when I was a younger Viking.

So I celebrate the food and flavors of Thanksgiving, but I always take pause to remind myself of all the things that I am thankful for in this life. And I hope you can take some time this holiday to do the same.

Have a fantastic holiday, eat well, be safe, enjoy yourself!

Farmer Monte

Okie Dokie, let’s dive into November head first. We’ll start with product news and see where the ramblings go from there.

With the cold weather, all of the fruit has been taken off Paul’s trees at Excelsior Orchards. A pretty great harvest season we have enjoyed over the months from his trees. This week we will see the last variety of plums, the Simcas, and some incredible Fuji apples. Here is a quick tutorial on the fruit.

Simcas are a late season plum that have two cool traits that I love about them besides their flavor. First is they are a Free-Stone fruit meaning that the flesh of the plum does Not stick to the pit. That gives us/you flexibility in how you can use these plums. You can eat them out of hand, pit them and make jam, pit them and dehydrate them for enjoyment this winter, or even make a pie. Tons of flexibility here.

Second thing I love about them is the dark skin with golden flesh. Most plums are similar on the inside as they are on the outside. Simcas break the rules. Dark skins after sunbathing on the trees all summer with a gorgeous golden flesh. Unique as they are yummy. We’ll probably only have two weeks with these guys so dive in now.

Fuji apples are the most celebrated apples around and after one bite, you will know why. One of the most crisp (or is it crispest??) apples that you can sink a tooth into. They sit on the branches all season, then you have to wait for a good frost (about 24 degrees) to shock these guys into expressing more sugar. This one cold snap makes a pretty bland apple amazing.

That transformation happens a lot in the produce world. Fruits like melons, pears, and corn start out pretty darn starchy. But when they get hit with a little cold weather in their face, all of the starches turn into delicious sugars. So some of the best melons you will taste in a season, come at the end of the season. Right before the frost kills all your plants, you get some truly incredible melons. It is an interesting dance, but a flavorful one. And one I look forward to every season.

Other produce news, citrus season has begun. Grapefruit, Lemons, and Limes splash the pot this week with Oranges next.

I love these changes to the seasons. Right when I feel my body beginning to fight some cold or allergies, Citrus season comes in to save the day. Bourbon can only kill so many germs by itself you know? Sometimes you have to add Vitamin C to keep yourself healthy. Look for a slew of citrus (and citrus juices) coming your way this late fall and winter.

Speaking of juices. I have been digging our new juice bar so much that I felt like our 12 oz juices left me hanging a little bit. The Big Bear needs more juice in his belly. So we have made all of the juices Pints (16 oz) and are making preparations for adding some larger formats too.

As a reminder, all of the juices are made fresh for your order. We do not turn on our juicers until you add them to your order. So we make juices daily in order to bring you the freshest juices that we can. All raw, no pasteurization, and all Organic. Seeing as how we sold 400 of these juices this week, I know many of you have tried them. But for those of you sitting on the fence, try them out, you’ll love them. I promise. Who woulda thunk my childhood Lemonade Stand would turn into this?

Quick trip down memory lane about my Lemonade Stand as a kiddo. I was learning how to ride my Huffy bike as my brothers and I were hosting a Lemonade Stand for the neighbors. Our Stand was getting rather popular and so I wanted to showoff my bike skills a bit. I decided to take my hands off the bars. Sure enough I lost control of the bike and slammed into the Stand sending juice and Dixie cups flying. Believe it or not, lemonade on road rash is a good reminder to stay humble.

Lastly this fine week, Meal Kits. I cannot tell you the positive response that we have seen with our Meal Kits. It seems that we have finally struck the right balance of convenience, flavor, and value. We try and shape these recipes as an easy Crock Pot slow cook, or from Fridge to Table in 20 minutes. I know we all lead busy lives and eating healthy is difficult when time is in a pinch. Allow us to help you make planning and cooking healthy easy this winter. Also, at less than $6 a serving, you will not find a less expensive meal around. Do yourself a favor and try them out.

Have a yummy week, Farmer Monte

Archives for November 2019