This Week's Vegetable Harvest*: Summer Carrots 'Purplette' Red Onions Summer Head Lettuce Zucchinis Broccolini bunches Cucumbers White Kohlrabi with greens Eggplant or Green Bell Pepper *Unless otherwise noted, all vegetables are certified organic and grown by Prairie Wind Family Farm. This Week's Fruit Harvest (from Mick Klug Farms, St. Joseph, MI) Tart Cherries Apricots Blueberries

What's New at the Farm Stand

Broccolini Bounty - As we pull in the final broccolini harvests, we are featuring this early summer treat in the farm stand as well as in our CSA shares. Compared to the slightly bitter flavor of common broccoli, Broccolini is more mild, with a sweet, earthy taste. While it can be eaten raw, Broccolini is best when cooked. It can be sauteed, steamed, roasted, and grilled. Enjoy this seasonal veggie while it is available. The Farm Stand is open daily, 7am-7pm.

Upcoming Farm Events

We welcome you to visit the farm! Here are upcoming farm events: Summer Volunteering at the Farm*  Friday, July 28th, 8am-11am The Liberty Prairie Foundation (our landowners, partners, and friends) are seeking volunteers to help clean up the Prairie Crossing Farm hedgerows following the spring wind storm and prepare their outdoor learning spaces for the 2023-24 school year. If you're interested, please sign up on their website to volunteer. Thank you! *While we originally planned for a gleaning volunteer day, we've instead adjusted plans towards an immediate need. This summer, District 127 students are gleaning our produce on a weekly basis to include in their kitchen instruction portion of the "Engineering for a Sustainable Future" class. Thank you for being understanding of this change! CSA Member UPick Day at the Farm (2023 CSA MEMBERS ONLY EVENT) Saturday, September 9th, 9am-12pm, Prairie Wind Family Farm Back by popular demand! Please join us for an afternoon of family-friendly u-pick opportunities, farm tour, refreshments and open house. As always, there will be farm products for purchase.

Farm Journal

Good evening from the farm!

In last week's newsletter, we shared our rebuilding progress that is continuing amidst our day-to-day farming. In fact, we have another activity happening at the farm this summer as well. Jeff is teaching a summer school course for Grayslake High School students entitled, "Engineering a Sustainable Future." This is the first year that this course has been so closely integrated into Prairie Wind's work. This was intentional to provide students with a real-world window into sustainable agriculture in their community.

In our years farming, we've employed over 100 people, mentored roughly 20 beginning farm businesses, worked closely with over 30 farming partners and friends, and presented to hundreds of classes, growers, educators, developers, farmers, and community tour participants. In our experience, the common thread is that exposure to our farm, this style of farming, and the community in which we farm stimulates creative thinking and encourages visitors to take a moment to reflect. So we used this knowledge to create a new experience at the farm.

With a gloomy climate change news cycle and much dinner discussion about the positive impact of agriculture with our teenage sons, Jeff felt inspired that he could make an impact by spending time with high school students at the farm. For eight weeks, Jeff has provided hands-on learning at the Prairie Crossing Farm and at the Grayslake North High School gardens.

In today's class, Jeff took the group on a sustainability hike. Throughout this hike, students discussed solutions to climate challenges that exist on the farm and within our community. The students discussed engineering for water management considering flooding and droughts. The students were challenged to notice the existing complexities of natural water filtration systems and discuss the mimicking of these systems in engineered solutions like bio-swales. The class discussed the pros and cons of different stormwater management techniques in different situations and communities.

The students finished their lessons harvesting from their hoophouse tomatoes and peppers and gleaning additional ingredients from our fields. They will combine these ingredients with that of the school's culinary classroom and with the school chef, the students prepare their own farm-to-table lunch. Pictured above is the freshly gleaned broccolini roasted with lemons and garlic they prepared for lunch last week.

In addition to hands-on learning, we've also found that working with the land and plants can provide an almost mediative fulfillment to many. Farming is indeed hard work, but it is also calming, fun and can inspire thinking toward creative solutions. Perhaps these learning experiences and moments of reflection will inspire students to help create a more sustainable future for us all.  Enjoy this week's early summer harvest, ~ The Miller Family, Cleto, David, Riley, Anacleto, and Miguel

Notes from the Farm Kitchen

This week's fruit share contains apricots which are a cherished fruit crop, which is why we're sharing with members again this week. For the past several years, the Klugs have been unable to share this crop with us. In St. Joseph, Michigan, they experienced late spring frosts that damaged the delicate blossoms on their spring apricot trees. Without blossoms, there is no fruit! As a result of a warmer spring and blossoms galore, we seeing a great start to the stone fruit season with cherries and apricots, followed soon by plums and peaches!

Purplette is a mini onion variety with beautiful purple and white coloring and a delicate, sweet onion flavor. You can eat the whole plant, from the bulbs all the way to the tips of the green tops.

Seasonal Recipes in the Farm Kitchen Easy 10-Minute Garlic Broccolini Sour Cherry Crumble Bars Crusty Bread with Ricotta and a Quick Apricot Compote Zuni's Pickled Red Onions

• Tags: Apricots, broccolini, Onions, Sour Cherries

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