Welcome to CSA Week #7
One of the exciting parts of working at the farm is seeing how the levels of activity change per day. In the mornings, there can either be a couple of people around or no one at all. As the day
Welcome to CSA Week #6.
As the season continues, there’s been an increasing variety of produce in the CSA bags. As I mentioned last week, more crops are being harvested each week, and a particular joy of mine has been seeing the root vegetables make
Welcome to CSA Week #5!
These past two weeks have brought some much-needed rainy week to the farm. The dryness of the summer has been good for the sunshine it’s brought, but not that good when it’s causing many crops to dry out. The feeling
Welcome to CSA Week #4!
This week has brought some much needed rain to the farm, which was much needed considering the extra flurry of activity since the start of CSA. Our brand new high tunnels have been a new addition to the farm that
Welcome to Week 3 of CSA!
My name is Ananya Rao and I’m a student at Bates College interning with New Roots this summer! I’ve loved working with the farmers this summer, and it’s been so amazing to watch the farm begin to bloom with activity
CSA Week 9
Week 9 is here, and Autumn CSA has begun! To our new CSA holders, thank you supporting us and giving CSA a try. To our returning customers, thank you for choosing us time and time again to provide your families
CSA Week 6
Week 6 of CSA is here! We hope you and your families have enjoyed the experience. Looking ahead to Fall CSA, if you’re not already signed up, consider registering to have access to fresh, local, and seasonal vegetables through October.
CSA Week 7
Week 7 of CSA is here, and the dog days of summer are now behind us. We’re halfway through the summer CSA season already, and the farmers have put in hundreds of hours at the farm ensuring that each and
CSA Week 4
Hey everyone, Happy Week 4 of CSA! With heat in the high 80s to low 90s this week, conditions were difficult at the farm. The combination of intense heat with rainfall makes it difficult for crops to mature and stay
CSA Week 16
Well, here we are- at the last week of CSA for 2019! I want to wrap up the blog this year with a big THANK YOU for your continued support of the CSA and the New Roots Farmers. It was
CSA week 15
This week is the second to last week of the CSA season, and with the ending of the season comes a shift away from fresh, leafy veggies, towards crops that store better. Of course, you’ll be seeing more root vegetables,
CSA week 14
Happy October! With leaves changing, and temperatures dropping, it seems fairly obvious (although also timely) to point out that the growing season here in Maine always feels (and is) rather short. That said, there are all sorts of tricks and
CSA Week Thirteen
Recipes for Winter Crops: https://www.saveur.com/best-winter-vegetable-recipes/ http://www.eatingwell.com/gallery/12268/the-best-winter-vegetable-side-dish-recipes/ https://www.foodandwine.com/vegetables/best-recipes-winter-produce https://www.epicurious.com/ingredients/acorn-delicata-kabocha-spaghetti-squash-winter-recipes-gallery Resources for storing your veggies: https://www.farmersalmanac.com/storing-vegetables-for-winter-16215 https://www.thespruce.com/storing-vegetables-for-winter-1403357 https://www.johnnyseeds.com/growers-library/vegetables/storage-crops.html Beet, Carrot, and Apple Cake INGREDIENTS 1 cup grated carrots 1 cup grated beets 1 cup grated apple 3 eggs well beaten 2/3 cup vegetable oil 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 1/4 cups flour 2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt
Week 9: September 2- September 8
Welcome to Week 1 of the Autumn CSA! For those of you who are new to the CSA, we’re so glad to have you joining us. Please feel free to look through previous weeks’ blog posts to learn a little
CSA Week Eight
This week marks the last week of the 8-week Summer CSA season- it’s hard to believe it’s gone so quickly! But while August might be coming to an end, the weather still says summer, and we’re still seeing lots of
Week 10
In recent years, many health professionals have been advising people to “eat the rainbow,” but what exactly does that phrase mean? The term “eat the rainbow” illustrates the importance of eating a variety of fruits and vegetables. By eating an
Week 7: August 19- August 25
During the summer, the farmers harvest the vegetables. Then, they pull onions and other vegetables out of the ground or off the plant. Once the farmers harvest the vegetables, they need to store them in a cold environment to prevent
Week 6: August 12- August 18
Coming up with fun and tasty recipes is difficult, especially for a vegetarian. I have been a vegetarian for more than four years now, and creating diverse and easy recipes is challenging. In the past, I would make the same
CSA Week 5: August 5- August 11
In 2016, the New Roots Cooperative Farm was formed. Since then, the farmers have been working extremely hard to expand their land and create more space for their delicious crops; however, the farmers still need help from the local community.
CSA Week 3: July 22-28
Once again, New Roots has started making deliveries! Every Wednesday, the farmers drive all over Maine to give delicious vegetables to members and buyers of New Roots. The drivers, Muhammad and Kenny, Bates’ 22, leave the farm around noon and
CSA Week 4: July 29-August 4
The farmers of New Roots graduated from the New American Sustainable Agriculture Program (NASAP) in 2006, and since then, they have integrated their education into their farming. They combine their traditional farming techniques in Somalia with their new American customs
CSA Week 2: July 14- 21
During the last few weeks and the remainder of the summer, two students have put in many hours dedicated to New Roots Cooperation through Bates Purposeful Work. Since early June, Kenny Aruwajoye Bates’ 22 and I have been helping the
First Week of CSA: July 6-13
The Heat of the Summer Hi Everyone! Once again, we are back for another year of CSA. Its Maya, I am an intern from Bates, This summer is my first year working for New Roots, and so far, I’ve loved
CSA Week Thirteen: September 28 – October 3
Welcome to the last week of the 2020 CSA! It’s a bittersweet moment for us- we are sad to cut the season short, but it has been so incredible to see how you, our CSA community, have come together for
CSA Week Twelve: September 21 – 26
And that’s a wrap on summer! Fall and frost came hard and fast last week, delivering a final blow to all the tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and other summer favorites. This is relatively early for a hard frost in our area
CSA Week Eleven: September 14 – 19
We had the first hint of a frost this past weekend, at our the farm- a few basil plants were nipped just a little, and tomato production is definitely slowing down. It’s crazy to think that we’re almost done with
CSA Week Ten: September 7 – 12
I’m beginning to see some leaves start to change color on my morning drive to the farm each day- but if you look in our CSA bags or in the produce cooler, it still looks like the middle of summer!
CSA Week Nine: August 31 – September 5
Welcome to Week 1 of the Autumn CSA! For those of you who are new to the CSA, we’re so glad to have you joining us. Please feel free to look through previous weeks’ blog posts to learn a little
CSA Week Eight: August 24 – 29
This week marks the last week of the 8-week Summer CSA season- it’s hard to believe it’s gone so quickly! But while August might be coming to an end, the weather still says summer, and we’re still seeing lots of
CSA Week Seven: August 17 – 22
We’ve settled into a rhythm at the farm, with bins of vegetables flowing from the fields, to the wash station, to the harvest station, and then into CSA bags or wholesale boxes. In some ways, our new COVID-19 precautions have
CSA Week Six: August 10 – 15
New Roots officially reached giant zucchini season! Seynab harvested this squash out of her field, and I’ll be taking it home to turn it into more muffins and bread to share at the farm. I tried out this recipe this weekend, which
CSA Week Five: August 3 – 8
Happy August, everyone! It feels like we’ve reached a summer milestone, with the first ripe tomatoes coming out of the fields. If you haven’t seen them in your CSA yet- don’t worry, they’re coming! When we stop to think about
CSA Week Four: July 27 – August 1
This week, I wanted to share some recipes that can be used with a variety of greens- you’ll receive some combination of chard, kale, collard greens, amaranth, and spinach over the season. The beauty of greens is that they’re so
CSA Week Three: July 20 – 25
With all this rain, vegetables have been happy- but so have the weeds! Farmers have been busy keeping their fields clean, and we hope that the quality of the veggies coming off the farm reflects that hard work. On some
CSA Week Two: July 13 – 18
Thanks so much to everyone who made the first week of CSA so easy for the farmers! Your messages of appreciation and excitement were such a joy to share out to them, as were your inquiries into the crops you
The First week of CSA! July 6-12.
Hi everyone! It’s that time again- we’re back for another year of the CSA. Hard to believe it’s my fourth year on the job! Watching the way the farmers have developed their skills over those years has been so much
CSA week 16
Well, here we are- at the last week of CSA for 2019! I want to wrap up the blog this year with a big THANK YOU for your continued support of the CSA and the New Roots Farmers. It was
CSA Week 15
Welcome to week 15! This week is the second to last week of the CSA season and with the ending of the season comes to a shift away from fresh, leafy veggies, towards crops that store better. Of course, you’ll
Week 14 of CSA
Welcome to week 14! This year, we donated vegetables like kale, leeks, celery, radishes, and cabbage to pantries in the Lewiston/Portland areas. As we near the end of the CSA and marketing season (as well as the end of the
CSA Week 13
Welcome to week 13 of CSA! It’s still business as usual here at the farm, not a lot has happened since last week, Although New Roots has been working to finish up the high tunnels. So far we have two
Week 12 of CSA
With the start of the official fall season, New Roots Cooperative Farm is seeing an abundance of crops on the farm – from summer tomatillos, jalapenos, and cilantro to late-season watermelon, eggplant, and salad mix to fall parsnips, brussel sprouts,
Week 11 of CSA
With 40 degree overnight temperatures at the farm this week, autumn is certainly in the air! The crops still doing just fine, though, and we’re glad for a break from last week’s sweltering temps. We’re seeing the first of the
Week 10 of CSA
On the farm, we’re feeling the shift towards autumn, even if the weather is still full of mid-summer heat and humidity. Farmers are tilling under their crops that have gone by and putting in cover crops. Cover crops are plants that
1st Week of Autumn CSA! (Also Called Week 9)
Welcome to the first week of Autumn CSA! If you are just joining us, we are delighted to be able to provide veggies to you this fall. If you are continuing on from the summer, thank you for your full-season
Week 8 of CSA
It was a crisp morning on the farm today, which helped us wrap our heads around the fact that this is the last week of the Summer Share. There was the slightest hint of fall in the air, and we’re
CSA Week 7
Updates from the farm: New Roots just signed an agreement with the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) to get a new well on the farm! The NRCS is an agency of the USDA, which provides technical assistance and conservation planning
Week 6 of CSA
It’s hard to believe it’s already mid-August! We are seeing a greater variety of crops coming in from the fields, like bell peppers (and hot peppers!), cucumbers, and celery. Plants are continuing to grow, and the corn in our fields
Week 5 of CSA
It is time to sign up for the Autumn Season of the CSA if you have not done so already! The Autumn Season is our favorite season, as it has plenty of tomatoes, tomatillos, eggplant, peppers, and other items you
The Heat is Here! Week 4 Of CSA
July is ending, and what an end! It has been hot, humid, and almost unbearable on the farm, and we’ve been doing our best to find respite from the heat here and there- under a shady tree with a cup
It’s (almost) Summer On The Farm! Week 3 of CSA
Even just since last week, there are so many new crops “cropping” up; there are rumors and have even been brief sightings, of green peppers, cucumbers, summer squash, and tomatoes, although only in quantities large enough to tease. We’re still
Week 2 Of CSA
I hope you all had a relaxing week and were able to stay cool during last week’s heatwave. With all the sun and humidity we’ve had on the farm, it feels like the season’s accelerating right into summer: all of a
The first week of CSA!
The New Roots Farmers are super excited about delivering vegetables to families in Maine this week! The heat and sun after all the rain this spring has done the vegetables a lot of good. We hosted a MOFGA workshop at
Pre-CSA Season
It is almost CSA season on the farm, and we are hard at work putting new seedlings and seeds into the ground, weeding crops, and getting ready for sales. This spring has been the wettest and coldest spring we, and
Welcome to CSA Week #9!
Khadeeja is one of the many farmers at the farm. She is there almost every day of the week. I have had the pleasure of working with her many times over the past couple of months, and she is always