September 23rd, 2024

Three Votes Everyday!

Monday 4 pm Order Deadline for Thursday Delivery* $250 Order Minimum for Complimentary Delivery *Friday Delivery for Denver "Change is a measure of time and, in the autumn, time seems speeded up. What was is not and never again will be; what is--is change." -Edwin Way Teale  START ORDER: CSA SHINDIG Tickets! Dear local food system stakeholder,      On behalf of all of us at Valley Roots, we cordially invite you and your loved ones to the 4th ever Shindig, on Saturday, September 28th! Mix and mingle with fellow community members & local food advocates, get to know the producers in your foodshed, and enjoy a local feast in the historical setting of the Dune Valley Distillery, with the underrated yet beautiful views Mosca has to offer. Gypsy Jazz Social Club will be serenading us throughout the night & Heather Dutton of the SLV Water Conservancy District will kick us off with a keynote. Tickets are on sale now on our website or while shopping the online market! Price will go up at the door, so reserve yours now!      Potatoes are in full swing! We now have all the usual suspects: russets, reds, yellows, fingerlings, Jones Baby Golds & Colorado Medley, as well as Rio Grande Farm Park Huckle Berry Golds! Just a reminder, Number 2's are in limited quantity each week. The potatoes are graded and sorted, and not all can be rated at the lower cost Number 2 rate.      I hope y'all have wonderful autumnal equinox weekend festivities! Let us know if you do anything special, we love hearing about your traditions!  Wholeheartedly, Al & the VRFH Team Producer Highlight: The Grasshopper Collective Mancos, CO The Grasshopper Collective is a farmer owned and operated cooperative formed in 202, after a wild growing season in Mancos, CO.  Drought had imbedded itself in the Southwest. Years of above average temperatures combined with below average precipitation set the stage for dry fields and dramatic shifts in insect/pest populations. For farmers and ranchers in the Mancos Valley, the drought and erratic climate swings resulted in an explosion of one pest in particular…grasshoppers. They started off small but astounding in numbers. Time passed, grasshoppers continued to grow, and soon they dominated the entire valley to a degree one could almost deem biblical? They made every field, garden, and pasture their snack bar. They moved in masses, clouds of insects spanning across the land, devouring almost all vegetation in their paths. Throughout the season, a small group of vegetable farmers gathered over evening potlucks to brainstorm paths to resilience for our businesses and lives. In an age of drought and increasing climate instability, how can we adapt? How can vegetable growers be better prepared for years like this? What crops make sense for the future? Amongst our four farms, one plant stood out as particularly resilient, and that was GARLIC! Garlic harvests were bountiful across the board. It seemed that this pungent, powerful Allium was exceptionally undesirable to the hoppers. Beyond that, its timely July harvest window makes garlic a reliable crop to produce, even in the tightest of water years. Garlic thrives at our high elevation and appreciates the cool nights and desert air. On the consumer and market end, it is a keystone of the culinary world, and an essential item in many growers seed stock.   Thus, the idea was born – let’s grow more garlic – let’s start a Garlic Seed Company – and with what better name than “The Grasshopper Collective.”  As a farmer-run cooperative, we are sharing risks, responsibilities, and utilizing shared resources to achieve greater success than any farm could gain individually. By pooling our various skills, perspectives, and assets we can more effectively achieve economies of scale. We believe in the importance of farmers working collectively for the greater benefit of agriculture.  Garlic Product Highlights: Gourmet Mushrooms Great Plains Fungi Lamar, CO Huckle Berry Gold Potatoes Rio Grande Organic Growers Coop Alamosa, CO Personal Sized Watermelons Hirakata Farms Rockey Ford, CO Onions Fagerberg  Eaton, CO Restocks: Beans Adobe Milling Dove Creek, CO Doctor D's Louisville, CO Super Sale: Turkey Stock up! We're clearing out our freezers for our new inventory! You won't be able to beat these per lb prices! Recipe Corner: Kohlrabi, Watermelon Radish, Pear Salad Adapted from My Life Runs on Food Ingredients *local option available 1 kohlrabi (white or purple); outer layer peeled and discarded with ends trimmed 2 small or 1 large watermelon radish; outer layer peeled and discarded with ends trimmed 1 under ripe bosc pear; outer layer peeled and discarded with ends trimmed, cut vertically in half, use a melon baller to remove the tough middle, circle interior with the seeds. 1/2 small onion The juice of one lemon 3 tbsp. olive oil 1 to 2 tbsp. apricot or white balsamic vinegar Sea salt and fresh black pepper; as needed (Optional) A tiny pinch of crushed red pepper Garnish: Baby arugula Preparation Using a box grater or food processor, grate the kohlrabi, watermelon radish, pear and onion. Place in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt, fresh black pepper and crushed red pepper to make the dressing. Lightly toss the grated salad and dressing. Let marinate for at least an hour at room temperature. Lightly toss before serving. Garnish with arugula. Enjoy. START ORDER: CSA The Local Dish: The Local Foods Coalition is working to update the Local Roots Guide! Know a San Luis Valley producer, grocer, caterer, restaurant, food truck, garden, agritourism business, meat processor, community garden, or farmers market that should be included in the list? Please send them this information!  Apply for the Listing Here Link to the last Local Roots Guide Allergen Notification: We handle and co-mingle on pallets boxes of tree nuts, eggs, and wheat. As always, we're here to help in any way we can! Copyright © *2024* *Valley Roots Food Hub*, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: PO Box 35 Mosca, CO 81146 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

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