Hello folks - happy December!  I hope that you are all enjoying the coziness of fresh fallen snow, and finding your own ways to embrace the season of winter hibernation and darkness.  Even though these are my busiest months of the year, there is still a certain stillness that comes at the end of a day, with darkness so deep and profound that distractions seem to disappear and thoughts turn inward.   The first few years that I ran this winter CSA, I found this really difficult, the yearning to slow down conflicting with the pressure of a thousand different things to do.  I think i've developed a better rhythm now, starting some of our grain preparations earlier in the year and scheduling deliveries from farmers in September more than in November, and also taking days off here and there, even in the middle of my longest to-do lists, to play boardgames with the kids and visit with friends and eat long meals.  It feels just right. 

Last week, I even had the opportunity to attend a conference in Ontario (Ecological Farmers Association) and spoke to farmers there about small-scale grain milling.  It was a wonderful opportunity to be immersed in the energy and vibrancy of a much larger crew of folks dedicated to re-envisioning the world through sustainable food production. I came home energized and excited - and with visions of a grain milling summer-school dancing in my head :). But thanks are owed to my crew back home, my fam-jam and also to Naz and Paul who kept zipping along with work in the mill, doing the real work of making food and cleaning oat dust.   

And wowee - there is a lot of "actual" work to do!  Your orders have been piling in (no exaggeration - it's a pile!!!) and it's sent me back to the planning stages a few times.  The 2,000lbs of blackbeans that I thought would be sufficient will likely run short, so we're working on a last minute delivery of another batch of blackbeans from Fred and Caroline at Old Willow Organic Farm.  I'm certainly not complaining, and they are happy to have a market for the rest of their beans, so onward and upwards! 

The other unexpected addition to my month has been an incredible project led by the Y-Not Anti-Poverty Program to get mini grain bundles to inner city families over the school break.  Forty-five mini bundles will be finding their way into homes next week, along with recipe booklets tailored for simple first steps into eating with local grains and pulses, and supplementary groceries to round out each meal.  It feels just perfect - the first of all of our year's grains making their way to where they are most needed early in the season.  If you would like to support this project in the future, Y-Not is a registered non-profit, and any donations to their projects are eligible for charitable tax receipts.  So many thanks to those of you who saw the information about this on social media and reached out to offer support - additional donations, grocery money, recipe ideas and graphic design wizardry to make this recipe booklet come to life.  You're the best.  Farming is hard and, they say, thankless, but this community of eaters has made all the difference for me, as so many of you have come alongside to bring the support and encouragement that makes the work lighter.

So there's really not much more to say!  There are three different bundles available again this year - the regular bundle, the gluten free bundle, and the mini bundle, as well as extra portions of each type of grain, and fun add-ons like vegetables, herbs and mushrooms. The regular and gluten-free bundles also unlock an additional 8% discount on add-ons, including a mini bundle that you might want to gift to a loved one :)

Also - if you have already placed an order but would like to make changes (home delivery, additions or deletions...), please reach out by email and I can still make any changes to your order.  December 18th is the final day for orders (or changes), but after that i'll be sending orders to the other farmers and locking down my quantities, and i'll be pretty inflexible after that point except for the most dire of circumstances.

We are still planning for a January 24th pick-up day, but with ongoing renovations to the warehouse space, please don't laminate your daybook quite yet...

Add-on products from our favourite farmers and friends

I've heard from a few people at this time of year that December is often spent in a mad panic to finish all their grains before the next round starts in January.  If this is you too, you're not alone! 

Refried beans are a great way to use up extra pinto or blackbeans, and they have been on our plates every week this past month ;)

Refried Beans:

2 cups dried black beans or pinto beans

4 cups water (plus more for soaking)

2 tbsp butter or oil

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp oregano

Salt/pepper

Soak and cook 2 cups of black beans  (can soak overnight and then simmer for 1-2 hours, pressure cook, or simmer in a slow cooker)

When beans are soft, strain out most of the water, setting aside some of the liquid to use later.

Meanwhile, fry diced onion in butter or oil until onions are soft. Add minced garlic or garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Add the cooked beans and mash them all together with a potato masher, fork, or blender to smash the beans, adding extra liquid from the beans if needed.

Refried beans can be eaten with rice and eggs, used as a filling in tacos, taco salad, or burritos.

A final reminder that our sliding scale pricing system is available and there are a few bundles still left at reduced prices, so if you would like to add local organic grains to your winter pantry, but are finding it difficult to find it in your budget, please look at our sliding scale pricing system to see if it would be a good fit for you.  And of course, deferred payment is always an option - just send me an email to set a schedule and we can always make that work!

And lastly, if you haven't joined one of our pick-up days before, you might be finding it difficult to envision just what a zero-waste food pick-up looks like! This video from last year (filmed and edited by cohenberg.ca) gives a glimpse at how it all goes down!

(video at bottom of page)

With gratitude to you, my dear eaters and friends...

amy