Red and Yellow Onions - Big Patch Farm's Amish Community Growers, Platteville, WI
Sweet Potatoes - Big Patch Farm's Amish Community Growers, Platteville, WI
Garlic
What's New at the Farm Stand
Farmstand Gift Cards - You can purchase a gift card for use at the PWFF Farm Stand! Simply visit the link to purchase and receive an email with a Square code. The gift recipient can enter the code at the farm stand's Square credit card checkout terminal and be on their way with farm goodies. If you have any questions, please let us know.
Masks: We ask that you please wear a mask while inside the farmstand. Thank you!
Hours: Open daily, 7am-7pm
Farm Journal
Good evening from the farm and welcome to the Winter Share season! We're so happy to be sharing the winter and stored harvest with you this winter.
Our first winter share includes a wide variety of products from us and our farming partners. We strive for as much diversity as is possible with what we can all grow and store in the midwest. This week's share contains several "lasts" -- garlic, onions, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, napa cabbage -- as well as the first of our winter greens, a large bag of salad mix. We hope this larger portion is a welcomed addition of greens to busy nights ahead.
With several of our crew members off to their next seasonal adventures, our farming family life takes on a new rhythm as we take over the majority of the farm work. This includes things you might expect like caring for chickens and Twix the goat, attending educational workshops, catching up with farmer friends and planning the upcoming season. We also carefully watch daytime and nighttime temperatures to care for indoor and outdoor crops. With the help of some of our longtime crew members, we harvest and pack winter farm shares and keep our farmstand stocked.
One thing you might not expect is that we also serve as one of the primary caretakers for the Prairie Crossing Farm in the winter. We watch over farm infrastructure to make sure no damage is done to the wells, pipes and buildings, roads and walkways are cleared of snow, and we help neighbors when they need us. So far, no traffic to the farm sledding hill but we cross our fingers that snow will come soon!
As we approach the winter solstice, we want to thank you for sharing in a commitment to year-round local eating, a connection to the land, and the food that grows from its soils. We wish you and your family peace, calm, and continued connectedness with our earth.
Warmly, Jeff, Jen, Owen and Gavin Miller
P.S. Thank you to our members who filled out our farm share survey! Your feedback was very helpful We poured over your preferences and we'll be adjusting our plans accordingly starting this spring. More to come!
Notes from the Farm Kitchen
This share's salad mix will be familiar to many, as it's a mixture of various textured sweet lettuces (e.g., smooth leaf, curly leaf, oak leaf, etc.). We call this a "winter" salad mix because it's grown in our hoophouse so it's been through several chilly nights already. This cycle of freezing and thawing brings a nice sweetness to the lettuces. You may notice the leaves are quite tender, which is a result of being grown undercover, so we'd encourage you to try with a light vinegarette.
Cameo apples are one of the final harvests of the Klug's growing season and they are worth the wait! These apples are sweet and tart with a floral flavor. They are crisp and juicy, so they are perfect when eaten raw as they brown very slowly. They are also delicious cooked and hold their shape well.
Seasonal Recipes in the Farm Kitchen
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Garlic and Chile 1½ pounds sweet potatoes, unpeeled, cut into ½-inch wedges 2 tablespoons olive oil Kosher salt 1 teaspoon hot chili sauce (such as Crystal, Texas Pete, or Sriracha) 1 garlic clove, grated
Preheat oven to 425°. Toss sweet potatoes with oil on a rimmed baking sheet and arrange in a single layer; season with ½ tsp. salt. Roast until tender and browned in spots, 35–40 minutes. Remove from oven; while still hot, toss potatoes with hot chili sauce and garlic. Season with salt. (Source: Bon Appetit)