Mid-Chatham Farmers Alliance is a collaboration among Harland's Creek Farm [Judy Lessler], Wiseacre Farm [Laurie Heise], Clayton Orchard [Andy Clayton], Ayrshire Farm [Bill Dow], Pine Knot Farm [Stanley Hughes], Cohen Farm [ Esta Cohen], Celebrity Dairy,  and other local growers.  Shares can be picked up at one of four locations:

• Harland’s Creek Farm in Chatham County

  

• Chatham Marketplace in Pittsboro, NC
• Bickett Market in Raleigh NC

  Stanley Hughes will provide strawberries

• Chatham County Offices

Our offerings vary by location as shown below:

• Produce and Herbs: 30 weeks. Available at  all locations
• Meat and chicken: 30 weeks. Harland’s Creek Farm only
• Eggs and Cheese: 30 weeks. Available at Harland’s Creek Farm and Bickett Market in Raleigh
• Fruit: 18 weeks. Available at all locations

All members will receive:

• A recipe booklet with recipes and with preparation and storage instructions. The booklet includes recipes that feature vegetables, herbs, fruits, meat, chicken, eggs, and cheese. 
• Weekly meal plans with suggested recipes and shopping lists for non-share ingredients
• Visits to participating farms by prearrangement to help, learn, or enjoy

Our recipes, meal plans, and shopping lists simplify your efforts to provide healthy food for yourself and your family.  CSA customers are first in line for products from the farms. If you use the meal plans, the shopping list provides you with an easy way to determine what other items you need to purchase to provide meals for your family.  Note that growing conditions may prohibit provision of planned products or planned volume.[1]  

Produce and Herbs will be provided for 30 weeks and will consist of a combination of certified organic offerings from Harland's Creek Farm and Pine Knot Farm and sustainably grown offerings from the other farms.[2]  Each week subscribers will receive a box which contains from 5 to 10 vegetables and herbs.  You return your prior week’s box when you pick up the current box.  This program will run from April 27, 2010 through November 16, 2010. 

Meat or Chicken will be provided on alternate weeks for 30 weeks.  We will include fresh and frozen chicken, ground beef, pork sausages, and larger cuts of beef, such as, roasts and steaks.  These will be provided weekly on a rotating basis.  The chicken will come from Harland's Creek Farm and is pasture raised and antibiotic and hormone free.  The beef comes from Cohen farms, is raised on pasture, and is then grain finished using a combination of certified organic grain from the Cohen Farm and  additional commercial grain.  

Eggs or Cheese will be provided on alternate weeks for 30 weeks. One week you will receive a dozen eggs from Cohen Farm’s free range chickens ; the next week a piece of goat cheese from Chatham County’s renowned Celebrity Dairy.

Fruit will be provided for 18 weeks.  We will begin the season with seven weeks of organic strawberries from Pine Knot farms.  Then in late June, Clayton Orchard will provide peaches, grapes, plums, and melons for eleven weeks.[3]. Two sizes are offered:[4]

• Large: Two quarts of strawberries in the spring and for the summer fruits either a) large bag of peaches [18 to 20 peaches] or b) a medium bag of peaches plus either a watermelon, a cantaloupe, pint of plums, or quart of Muscadine grapes.
• Small: One quart of strawberries in spring, and for summer, (a) medium bag of peaches or (b) a small bag of peaches plus either a watermelon, a cantaloupe, pint of plums, or quart of Muscadine grapes.

Bill Dow, Esta Cohen, Laurie Heise, and Judy Lessler with packd boxes. 

Farm dogs jumped in picture to be petted.

Payment is due at enrollment.  You can pay with a single check or with two checks with one of them post-dated a month later than the first. There is a $10 discount for enrolling in both Produce and Herbs and another program.  We will have pick-ups at Harland's Creek Farm, Chatham Marketplace and any other place nearby were at least 7 people enroll.  There is a $50 discount for picking up at Harland's Creek Farm.

The online registration is now open; if you wish, you can download and print the 2010 Chatham CSAs enrollment form.

[1] There are no refunds due to unavoidable weather, pests, or disease problems.  Such a risk is slight. In eight years of CSA operation, HCF has never failed to provide full value.

[2] Wiseacre Farm, Ayrshire Farm, and the other local growers use sustainable organic methods but are not certified. 

[3] The late Dr. Carlyle Clayton and his wife, Adelaide started this orchard.   Dr. Clayton was a nationally renowned plant pathologist at N.C. State University, who specialized in fruit diseases.  His family continues to maintain the orchard, which is located in the sand hills region. His son Andy Clayton and Judy Lessler worked together as statisticians at RTI for many years.

[4]  Contents will vary with availability and growing conditions

We will continue to provide herbs in our CSAs featuring basil, cilantro, dill, lovage, oregano, parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.  We are going to try stevia which is can be used to sweeten drinks without adding calories.  

And we are thinking of stocking the lower field with bass to really pump up the variety in our rotations.  Of course this is not true, but it does indicate that we are tired of the rain and cheer each sunny day.  Luckily much of the work is greenhouse work at this time, and we are thrilled at the beets, lettuce, chard, and spinach plants that are emerging.

Please check out the details of our CSA pages to learn more about our CSAs and the yummy products coming from Harland's Creek Farm and the great meat, cheese, eggs, and fruit coming from our collaborators.

Because the flower CSA has limited membership, we do not have web sign-up.  This is a dynamic CSA and we will deliver flowers on Thursday to any place in the Chapel Hill, Research Triangle Park, or Pittsboro area that has seven subscribers.  We deliver flowers on Mondays to offices in the Pittsboro area.   Please read the details and either print our form to enroll or enroll on line (if you only want flowers, just skip over the food options).

If you have a garden club or a group in a neighborhood who would be interested in hearing more about the our flower programs, please call or send an email.  Contact information is at the bottom of the page.

• Produce and Herbs (a combination of certified organic offerings from Harland's Creek Farm  and Pine Knot Farm and sustainably grown offerings from the other farms[1])
• Pasture Raised Chicken (Harland's Creek Farm) 
• Organic Strawberries (Pine Knot Farm)
• Organic Flowers (Harland's Creek Farm)

Subscribers support sustainable, local food production and get first choice of our offerings. 

Delivery to Rho, Inc will be on Thursdays at 3:00 pm at the 5th floor work room.  RTI flowers will be delivered to the Cox building at by 3:30 on Thursdays and food to the outdoor CSA delivery location from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm.                     

Subscribers who enroll in the Produce/Herbs and the Pasture Raised Chicken programs will receive:

• A recipe booklet with recipes and with preparation and storage instructions. The booklet includes recipes that feature vegetables, herbs, fruits, meat, chicken, eggs, and cheese. 
• Weekly meal plans, suggested recipes, and shopping lists for non-share ingredients
• Visits to participating farms by prearrangement to help, learn, or enjoy

Our recipes, meal plans, and shopping lists simplify your efforts to provide healthy food for yourself and your family.  CSA customers are first in line for products from the farms. If you use the meal plans, the shopping list provides you with an easy way to determine what other items you might like to purchase at the market or on your trip home. Note that growing conditions may prohibit provision of planned products or planned volume.[2]  

Organic Produce and Herbs will be provided for 30 weeks. Each week subscribers will receive a box which contains from 5 to 10 vegetables and herbs.  You return your prior week’s box when you pick up the current box.  This program will run from April 29, 2010 through November 18, 2010. 

Bill Dow, Esta Cohen, Laurie Heise, and Judy Lessler with packed boxes.  Farm dogs jumped into picture to be petted.

Pasture Raised Chicken that is antibiotic and hormone free and fed an all-grain diet will be provided seven times during the season.  All our chicken is processed locally at the Siler City small scale chicken processing plant.  We will provide fresh whole chickens, and you can purchase several and freeze them for later use.  Our website contains links to videos that show how you can cut up a chicken in about 5 minutes.

Organic Strawberries will be provided for seven weeks, April 29 – June 10, 2010.  You can purchase one or two quarts under in this program. These will be provided by Stanley Hughes of Pine Knot Farm who is pictured on the right.

Organic Flowers will be provided for 25 weeks during the year.  These closely follow the growing season beginning when the narcissus are in bloom and including tulips, lilies, irises, sunflowers,gomphrena, zinnias, gladiolas,lisianthus, celosia, amaranth, and many more.  Options in this program include receiving arrangements in vases or grower’s bouquets in flower sleeves.  Vases are returned each week.  Flowers vary by season of the year.  Summer flowers and winter flowers are shown below.

Payment is due at enrollment.  You can pay with a single check or with two checks with one of them post-dated a month later than the first. There is a $10 discount for enrolling in both the produce and the chicken program.

Sign-up online or download and mail the 2010 Thursday CSA enrollment form.

[1] Wiseacre Farm, Ayrshire Farm, and the other local growers use sustainable organic methods but are not certified. 

[2] There are no refunds due to unavoidable weather, pests, or disease problems.  Such a risk is slight. In eight years of CSA operation, HCF has never failed to provide full value.

Durham Collaborative CSA

Wednesdays: May 5 – September 29, 2010

Harland's Creek Farm is joining with  Fickle Creek Farm, Pine Knot Farm, and Chapel Hill Creamery to offer four CSA options in 2010. CSA is short for Community Supported Agriculture. Participants may choose one or more of the following options in any combination: 

• Organic Produce and Herbs (Harland's Creek Farm with Pine Knot Farm)
• Meat and Chicken (Fickle Creek Farm)
• Eggs and Cheese (Fickle Creek Farm and Chapel Hill Creamery)
• Organic Flowers (Harland's Creek Farm)

Subscribers support sustainable, local food production and get first choice of our offerings.  All deliveries will be at the Wednesday Durham Farmers Market between 3:30 and 6:30 pm.

Subscribers who enroll in the Produce/Herbs, Meat/Chicken, or Eggs/Cheese CSA will receive:

• A recipe booklet with recipes and with preparation and storage instructions. The booklet includes recipes that feature vegetables, herbs, fruits, meat, chicken, eggs, and cheese. 
• Weekly meal plans, suggested recipes, and shopping lists for non-share ingredients
• Visits to participating farms by prearrangement to help, learn, or enjoy

Our recipes, meal plans, and shopping lists simplify your efforts to provide healthy food for yourself and your family.  CSA customers are first in line for products from the farms. If you use the meal plans, the shopping list provides you with an easy way to determine what other items you might like to purchase at the market or on your trip home. Note that growing conditions may prohibit provision of planned products or planned volume.[1]  

Organic Produce and Herbs will be provided for 22 weeks. Each week subscribers will receive a box which contains from 5 to 10 vegetables and herbs.  You return your prior week’s box when you pick up the current box.

Meat and Chicken will be provided for 22 weeks.  Each week subscribers will receive one of several kinds of meat or chicken such as whole chicken, chicken breast, cuts of grass-fed beef and lamb, and  pasture-raised pork. 

Eggs and Cheese will be provided for 22 weeks--1 dozen eggs every other week with one of several types of artisan cheese on alternate weeks.

Organic Flowers will be provided for 15 weeks beginning on June 9, 2010 and continuing through September 15, 2010.

Payment is due at enrollment.  You can pay with a single check or with two checks with one of them post-dated a month later than the first. There is a $10 discount for enrolling in two food programs and a $20 discount for enrolling in all three food programs.

To enroll, please fill out the 2010 web form or you can down load the 2010 form and mail it in.  More information on the recipes, share contents, and the meal plans can be found at the overall CSA tab.

[1] There are no refunds due to unavoidable weather, pests, or disease problems.  Such a risk is slight. In eight years of CSA operation, HCF has never failed to provide full value.

• TUESDAY CSAs with pick-up points in Chatham County.  This CSAs is run by Mid Chatham Farmers' Alliance which is a collaboration among Harland's Creek Farm [Judy Lessler], Wiseacre Farm [Laurie Heise], Clayton Orchard [Andy Clayton], Ayrshire Farm [Bill Dow], Pine Knot Farm [Stanley Hughes], Cohen Farm [ Esta Cohen], Celebrity Dairy,  and other local growers.  There are pick ups at Harland's Creek Farm and Chatham Marketplace.  Other pick-up places near Pittsboro can be arranged if there are enough customers at a particular location.  This CSA runs for seven months and includes options for:   
  

• • Produce and Herbs: 30 weeks
  • Meat and chicken: 30 weeks
  • Eggs and Cheese: 30 weeks
  • Fruit: 18 weeks

• The Durham Collaborative CSA  delivers shares on Wednesday at the Durham Farmers Market. This CSA operates from May through September and members can any or all of four different options: Organic Produce/Herbs, Meat/Chicken, Eggs/Cheese, and Organic Flowers. This CSA is a collaboration between Harland's Creek Farm, Pine Knot Farm, Fickle Creek Farm, and Chapel Hill Creamery.  Pick-up is between 3:30 pm and 6:30 pm at the Durham Farmers' Market  Click the link above for details and sign-up options. 
  

• The THURSDAY CSAs provide shares for people to pick up at their work place. It is also a collaboration among Harland's Creek Farm [Judy Lessler], Wiseacre Farm [Laurie Heise], Ayrshire Farm [Bill Dow], Pine Knot Farm [Stanley Hughes], and other local growers.  Currently it serves Rho, Inc in Chapel Hill and RTI at Research Triangle Park.  Members may choose one or more of the following options.  
• 
  
  • Produce and Herbs for 30 weeks (All Farms)
  • Pasture Raised Chicken (Harland's Creek Farm)
  • Organic Strawberries (Pine Knot Farm)
  • Organic Flowers (Harland's Creek Farm)

Special Features of HCF Produce CSAs. Over the years we have learned that many people are new to eating seasonal food and have fairly narrow food choices.  Thus, they are sometimes mystified at how to use the contents of the boxes.  Because of this, with each delivery we provide meal plans and recipes for using the items in the box.  In addition, since some recipes and meal plans will call for items not in the box, we provide a shopping list that specifies those items not in the box that you would need to follow the meal plan.  See a few examples of these weeking handouts by clicking on this link: Examples of  share contents, meal plans, and shopping lists.

Roasted Greens

Coarsely chop dry greens  using Pak Choy, Tatsoi, and other greens if desired.  Sprinkle with chopped garlic and slivered almonds.  Drizzle olive oil over mixture.  Cover and roast in a hot oven—350 ^○F until greens are done.  Remove cover and toast garlic and almonds.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

8 oz of greens should serve 3 people.

Roasted Greens with Eggs and Sausage

1 serving

Melt 0.5 tablespoon of butter in a small cast iron skillet.  Place the greens in a semi-circle on one side of slillet and cooked sausage in a semi-circle on the other side of the skillet.  Break a fresh egg in the middle. Cover and cook over low heat until the egg is done to your liking.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve. 

Increase by using a larger skillet and one egg for each serving.

Harland's Creek Farm www.harlands-creek-farm.com

Collards with Pasta and Sesame

2 main course servings

8 oz collards

0.5 cup water

1 teaspoon molasses

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1-3 cloves garlic minced

1 Tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

4 oz whole wheat spaghetti pasta

0.25 teaspoon pepper or hot pepper flakes (optional)

Salt to taste

Wash greens and cut into ribbons 1 inch wide.  Add greens, water molasses, and oils to a skillet or wok.  Bring to boil, cover and cook until greens are tender but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, boil the pasta and toast the sesame seeds by putting them in a small pan over high heat and shaking until they start to brown. Remove lid from greens and cook liquid down.  Mix in pasta.  Stir in raw garlic, pepper, and salt to taste.

Adapted from Schneider, Elizabeth (2001) Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini. New York: William