Temple Farms Organics CSA review

our half, week one

Despite growing our own veggies and fruits, we decided to try out a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share this season. We are doing a half share of veggies and a full fruit share. We are actually splitting the full share veggies with a coworker, which gives us some flexibility. For instance, I don't need more dill. At all. Or asparagus, really.

our fruit, week one

The good points of joining a CSA: try new vegetables, forced to eat healthy foods, fun to be surprised with a big box of produce every week, organic

The bad points of joining a CSA: figuring out what to do with new vegetables, forcing healthy foods into the family, keeping up with big box of produce every week, expensive

So far we've had two weeks' worth, as follows.

Week 1: Spinach, Green Swiss Chard, Asparagus, Hakurei Turnips, Red and Green Head of Lettuce, Pak Choi and Garlic Scapes! Fruit Share: 2 quarts of Strawberries and 1 pound of Rhubarb!

Week 2: Green Scallions, Romaine Head Lettuce, Crispino Iceberg Lettuce, Asparagus, Fresh Cut Dill, Dandelion Greens, Zucchini, Chinese Cabbage, Purple Kohlrabi, Garlic Scapes! Fruit Share: lots and lots of Strawberries! (And hey, turns out Nea is allergic to strawberries. At least in vast quantities.)

From the Tempel Farm website:

Vegetable Share CSA:

Full shares: offered every week for 20 Weeks of the farm’s harvest from June 9th through October 20th. Your share is a 5/9 bushel box filled with 7-12 delicious items. $585.00

Half shares: same amount as a Full Share but offered every other week for a total of 10 weeks from June 9th through October 20th. $345.00 (We are doing half the full box every week instead.)

Fresh Fruit Share CSA: is offered every week for 16 weeks from mid June to late September. A variety of blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries, melons, peaches and much more will fill your summer with "in season" sensations! Fruit will be harvested from our farm and fruit grown by Mick Klug Farms who treats his crops with little to no pesticides and always practices sustainable farming methods. Once apple season begins we will augment your box with contemporary and heirloom apples grown by our farm, Mick Klug Farms, Seedling Fruit and other local growers. $275.00

Proof I am a cephalophile!

At great length and with much enthusiasm have I spoken of my cephalophile ways. But ne'er was there proof in my abode. Hark! This oversight has been rectified.

I know y'all are filled with the envy. Methinks my coolness rating has ballooned.


Especially as I found this in a second-hand shop in Door County. Where we all go for our stained glass octopus needs, right?

My sprint triathlon, in 5 very short acts

Our protagonist, the night before the race, googles "what to wear for a triathlon when it's 50 degrees" while fretting and worrying. She cuts the toes off some socks to wear for arm warmers, and packs long biking tights. And fleece gloves.


Act 1: The Swim


Wow, am I really doing this? I guess so. OK, starting now!


Blub, glub, panic panic, flail, get kicked, kick others, repeat for half a mile. Leave water exhausted from the wasted effort of panicking.


Act 2: The Bike


La la la, I'm a biker. I bike. Shiny new bike. La la la!


Act 3: The Run, Mile 1


Ow! Shin splints! Jelly legs! Oy!


Act 4: The Run, Mile 2


OK. This is going pretty well. I can finish this. It's a lot harder to drink out of a paper cup while running than you would think, though.


Act 5: The Run, Mile 3


At 1 hour, 44 minutes after I started, I ask a bystander what time it is. It's the first indication I have of my time. I realize that I am well within my goal of finishing in less than two hours. I speed up, feeling great! I see my family cheering me on! I start wondering where the finish line actually is!


Excuse me, where is the finish line? No, seriously, how far is it? I can't see it. Oh, hurrah, it's over, and I never have to do that again! I wonder what my time is?


Several hours later, I check my results online. One hour, 49 minutes. Yeah, baby!


Note: the arm warmers, long biking tights, and fleece gloves were not used. Plenty warm in just a shirt and biking shorts. You know what everyone says, "If you are cold, you aren't working hard enough."

Books, books, books

It's official. I'm only telling you the book club picks every other month. No reason. Don't really know why I still blog it anyway. Now that Amazon refuses to play nice and share 4% of the purchase price. Which I gave to charity. Whatever.

Anyway, I already mentioned that April was Dan Chaon's Await Your Reply, but I want to add that it reminded me of the movie Momento, both of which really need more than one reading/viewing. They are Complex and Make my Brain Ache. But in a good way.

May was Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. Other people liked it.

July/August is Welcome to Utopia by Karen Valby which I have no opinion on yet, as I'm on page, um, 8 or something.

And as a bonus book recommendation, I'm halfway through In the Land of Invented Languages by Arika Okrent. Super fun for language geeks like me! Thumbs up. Geek quiz: How many invented languages can you name? There are at least 500.