Something Good Organics

The farm has been dipping down into the freezing temperatures over the past week. It’s amazing to see how everything that’s growing sort of comes to a standstill. We are starting to see the repercussions of some earlier damage by a new bug that killed off most of our broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage a few months ago. A lot of those yummy veggies will be coming later in the winter season, even at the start of spring. We were forced to wait until it got cold enough to kill the bugs until we could plant those items. Strawberries are also on their way back. If the weather continues on like it has today, we could have them in as early as 3-4 weeks. We are also planning on so many new crops to grow next year including, scallions, red onions, artichokes, fruit trees of all sorts and many more. We also are back up to about 150 chickens and counting. By summer time we will be able to offer a lot of egg subscriptions.
By supporting our CSA during these winter months you have committed to eating local in a big way. You are planning your meals around the seasons availability instead of whatever is shipped into the grocery store. You aren’t supporting plastic wrapped vegetables with stickers on it. Instead your produce has been minimally packaged (or none at all) which is the most sustainable way to go, unless you are growing it yourself. Even though we don’t have a huge availability during the winter time, we still have a lot of great things to cook with. Feel free to send recipes my way. We will post them on our website to inspire others.
Our granola of the week is Cashew Cranberry. It’s one my favorites and is made locally here in Goleta by Cindy Dollar. It’s made fresh to order so make sure to include a bag with your share this week. Check it out here in our CSA store.

CSA for Jan 7th contains:
RED LEAF LETTUCE
CARROTS
GOLD CHARD
LEEKS
BUNCHED SPINACH
RADISHES
CILANTRO
RED BEETS
SATSUMA MANDERINES from GLEN ANNIE ORGANICS
GARNET YAMS from QUAIL H. FARMS OR RED TOMATOES
BIG BOX ADD: RED TOMATOES, ROMAINE LETTUCE, FENNEL, CARROTS, GRANNY SMITH APPLES from CUYAMA ORCHARD

FRUIT EXPANSION: GRANNY SMITH APPLES from CUYAMA ORCHARDS, SATSUMA MANDERINES from GLEN ANNIE ORGANICS
Continue reading “CSA and Juice for the week of January 7th”

After traveling the past week, I am very happy to be back at the farm filled with delicious, organic veggies. Nothing quite compares to the bounty we have here. The farm has been frosting the past two nights with lows around 35 degrees. I’m starting to get a real feel for the season for eggs. Because we don’t use any artificial lights to stimulate laying, we are down to about an egg a day. The ladies must be using all that energy to keep warm. Now that the winter equinox has passed, we are looking forward to longer days. Welcome back to your veggies. Hope you had an excellent holiday and enjoy this weeks share.

CSA this week contains:
CARROTS
RED TOMATOES
ROMAINE LETTUCE
BUNCHED SPINACH
LEEKS
RED BEETS
GREEN KALE
BUTTERNUT SQUASH
ITALIAN PARSLEY
SATSUMA TANGERINES from GLEN ANNIE ORGANICS
BIG BOX ADD: RED MUSTARD GREENS, SALAD MIX, CARROTS, BASIL, SATSUMA TANGERINES

Fruit Expansion includes: Satsuma Tangerines from Glen Annie Organics and Red Delicious Apples from Cuyama Orchards
Continue reading “CSA and Juice for Dec 31st”

One final reminder that there will be no CSA shares prepared next week. We will resume the following week, Dec 31st/Jan 1st to ring in the new year with an abundance of living health. One last call for holiday CSA gift cards. Your gift of 6 weeks or more will include a loaf of rustic French bread or sourdough and will include a plantable gift card. In addition – for this week only – we will also credit your account $10 as our thanks to you for spreading the health. Please email me to set that up.
I found some eggs from our newest laying chickens this week. Although the eggs are small in size, it’s a foreshadowing of dozens to come. In about 2 months we will be able to honor all the people who have been patiently waiting on our wait list and/or have been shorted recently due to the inclement weather. I was very excited to discover the hens hard at work despite the rainfall and short, cool days.
And speaking of rough weather, our farm turned into a mini lake last week. The rain started to dump pretty hard during the night and the wind left us with a shredded net house in the morning. We’ve used this net house for the past 3 years to protect us from some of the worst bugs that have devastated our crops. Here’s a picture of the shreds that remained in the morning.

We are looking forward to a new year, filled with new possibilities, crops and farm expansions. This coming year is sure to be a good one!
Cindy Dollar is offering Raisin Pecan granola this week. Made fresh to order, it would make a great addition to any holiday breakfast or stuffed in someone’s stocking. You can order Certified Organic or Gluten Free, but if you don’t specify we will send the Organic granola your way. Check it out here in our CSA store.

CSA for December 17th contains:
BUNCHED SPINACH
CARROTS
ROMAINE LETTUCE
MOUNTAIN MAGIC TOMATO CLUSTERS
CELERY
CILANTRO
SUGAR SNAP PEAS
SATSUMA MANDERINES from GLEN ANNIE ORGANICS
BUNCHED ARUGULA from FRECKER FARMS
RADISHES
BIG BOX ADD: SALAD MIX, CARROTS, BEETS, SATSUMA MANDERINES, RED PEPPERS

Continue reading “CSA and Juice for week of December 17th”

Just a reminder that we are taking the week of Christmas off. There will be no CSA production the week of December 24th. You do not have to put your share on hold, we’ve taken care of it for you! We will resume the following week to ring in the new year with health and local, organic produce to keep everyone healthy.
We are offering holiday CSA gift cards for a limited time. Each 6 week subscription will come with a loaf of rustic French or sourdough bread and a plantable card with the first share. Give the gift of health and leave the craziness of shopping to everyone else.
We are looking forward to late winter produce this year. Our cabbage is still tiny and expect it to come around in February with broccoli and more. We had to wait until some really devastating bugs were killed by the rains and cold weather. The farm got drenched last week on Tuesday and Wednesday. You might have noticed a few soggy CSA boxes 🙂 but the vegetables loved it. We are looking forward to more rain later on this week. We are also looking forward to planting a new orchards in a few month. With over 4 acres to plant, the years of CSA to come will be filled with fruits with the same quality you’ve come to expect from our vegetables.Cindy Dollar is cooking up one of my favorite granola flavors this week, Coconut Seed! Filled with healthful pumpkin seeds, grab up your bag of granola in our CSA store.

CSA contains:
CARROTS
MOUNTAIN MAGIC TOMATO CLUSTERS
RED BEETS
ITALIAN PARSLEY
RAINBOW CHARD
GREEN LEAF LETTUCE
SUGAR SNAP PEAS
LEEKS
YELLOW BELL PEPPERS
GARNET YAMS from GARCIA FAMILY FARMS
BIG BOX ADD: GRANNY SMITH APPLES, CARROTS, RED LEAF LETTUCE, RED TOMATOES, GREEN KALE

Fruit expansion includes: Granny Smith Apples from Cuyuama Orchards, Satsuma Tangeringes from Capay Organics and Hass Avocados from Goodland Organics
Continue reading “CSA and Juice Feast for week of December 10th”

As the holidays draw closer don’t forget to give the gift of health. Each 6 week subscription purchased will come with a free loaf of sourdough or rustic country French bread, a gift certificate and a plantable card. Please contact me for more details.
We are gearing up for rain here on the farm. We are expecting several inches over the next few days. That means that tomatoes are probably going to be in short supply soon. The guys have been digging trenches, planting seed and salvaging crops that might not be tolerant to the rain.

Cindy Dollar is cooking up some Pumpkin Spice Granola this week. Made right here in Goleta, it can be ordered as Certified Organic or Certified Gluten free. Log into our CSA store and order them here. Super delicious and crunchy, locally made! What could be better?

CSA share contains:
BUNCHED SPINACH
CIPPOLINI ONIONS
RED TOMATOES
FENNEL
RED LEAF LETTUCE
SUGAR SNAP PEAS
RED BEETS
CARROTS
BUTTERNUT SQUASH
FUJI APPLES from CUYAMA ORCHARD
BIG SHARE ADD: PERSIMMONS, CARROTS, STRAWBERRIES, CILANTRO, CHERRY TOMATOES

FRUIT EXPANSION INCLUDES: Strawberries, Fuji Apples from Cuyuama Orchards and Persimmons from Regenerative Earth Farms

Continue reading “CSA and Juice Feast for week of December 3rd”

As we head into the holiday season I wanted to offer our CSA gift certificates as an option. Our 6 week subscriptions come with a weekly loaf of Rustic French Bread or Sourdough, and a plantable holiday card for $150 (pickup) and $180 delivered. This offer is good through December 20th. Please contact me for more details. We make gift giving super convenient and nothing is better than the gift of health.
Need more veggies this week? Feel free to upgrade to a LARGE share for the current week, just remember to change it after Wednesday. Log into your account here to make those changes.
Wendy, at Deux Bakery is making pies for our CSA on Wednesday. $25 each. They will be made early Wednesday morning and will be included with your CSA share if desired. If you haven’t already ordered one please contact me and let me know which flavor you’d like. She gave us a list of them, but is really willing to make anything you’d desire.
Cindy Dollar is cooking up some seasonal pumpkin spice granola this week. It’s made to order and would be a great addition to any holiday meal. Gluten Free or Certified organic, just let me know when you check out in our CSA store here.
I wanted to say how thankful I am for our nutrient rich soil here in Goleta, for the weather that continues to amaze me, for the workers that put countless hours in each week to make sure we all are eating well and for the supportive community that surrounds me. I feel so lucky and blessed to be able to be in the middle of all this!!! Happiest Thanksgiving to you, your family and all the loved ones surrounding you.

Thanksgiving Share includes:
RED LEAF LETTUCE
YELLOW CHERRY TOMATOES
CELERY
LACINATO KALE
GREEN BEANS
LEEKS
CARROTS
ITALIAN PARSLEY
BIG GARNET YAMS from GARCIA FARMILY FARMS
PERSIMMONS from REGENERATIVE EARTH FARMS
BIG BOX ADD: GREEN BEANS, BUTTERNUT SQUASH, SALAD MIX, RED TOMATOES, CARROTS

Continue reading “CSA and Juice Feast for week of November 26th”

We are in the midst of planning for a lot of things right now for the CSA. The first is the holiday schedule. Please make sure to log into your account here and put your share on hold for the week of Thanksgiving (next week) if you do not need it. It really helps with the planning that is going into making these special. We will not be making boxes December 24th or 25th. No need to put your account on hold, we’ve done it for you.
We are also planning for our 2 acre new orchard that is going to be planted this spring (if all goes well). We’ve received a lot of great feedback into different varieties that could be included and we are going to start trying different varieties in our CSA shares too. This week we have some heirloom apples and red sensation pears.
Cindy Dollar is cooking up some Cranberry Cashew granola this week. MADE TO ORDER! Certified Organic or Certified Gluten Free, it’s very tasty stuff. Order your bag through our CSA store here!

CSA Contains:
RED TOMATOES
CUCUMBERS
SUGAR SNAP PEAS
SPINACH
RED BEETS
GREEN LEAF LETTUCE
CIPPOLINI ONIONS
DILL
CELERY
ARKANSAS APPLES from CUYAMA ORCHARDS
BIG BOX ADD: CARROTS from FRECKER FARMS, GREEN BEANS, RED SENSATION PEARS from TODDS RANCH, SALAD MIX, GARNET YAMS from GARCIA FAMILY FARMS

FRUIT EXPANSION Contains: Arkansas and Gala apples from Cuyama Orchard and Red Sensation Pears from Todds Ranch

Continue reading “CSA and Juice Feast for the week of November 19th”

A heads up, because the holidays are right around the corner. We will not be open the week of December 25th. We are taking a much needed break before we embark on a huge year ahead of us. We will be back up and running for the week of the New Year.
Cindy Dollar is cooking up some excellent granola and Walnut Spice is the flavor this week. Please make sure to choose Certified Organic or Certified Gluten Free, or you will receive the organic version.
Sugar snap peas are back in our CSA shares! We also have a lot of extra persimmons, apples and spinach to sell here in our CSA store.

CSA for week of November 12th contains:
ROMAINE LETTUCE
RED TOMATOES
YELLOW GRAPE TOMATOES
CILANTRO
BUNCHED SPINACH
SUGAR SNAP PEAS
FUYU PERSIMMONS from REGENERATIVE EARTH FARMS
GARNET YAMS from QUAL H. FARMS
RED BELL PEPPERS
COLLARD GREENS
BIG BOX ADD: SALAD MIX, FRENCH GREEN BEANS, BASIL, CUCUMBERS, ZUCCHINI

FRUIT EXPANSION CONTAINS: GALA APPLES from CUYAMA ORCHARDS, ASIAN PEARS from GARCIA FAMILY FARMS, OCTOBER SUN PLUMS from GARCIA FAMILY FARMS
Continue reading “CSA and Juice Feast for week of November 12th”

It’s November! I was very happy to turn the clock back and be able to wake up to the sun shining. It really helps me get started earlier here on the farm. Hopefully everyone enjoyed the rain Friday night and Saturday morning. It was very welcome here!!! Everything was drenched and blissful.
Granola of the week is Raisin Pecan. It can be made in Certified Gluten Free OR Certified Organic. If you don’t specify we will make the organic version. The granola is made right here in Goleta and is mighty tasty. Check it out in our CSA store here!
We had a bike farm tour come through on Saturday and John Givens talked a bit about the bugs that have been a challenge this year. In particular, the bagrada bug has seriously depleted our supply of brassicas. Those include collards, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, mustards, kohlrabi, bok choi and more. In fact we haven’t even had the chance to grow a lot of these without serious devastation to the crops. I’m trying to keep the best varieties of vegetables possible in our CSA shares, but it’s been a challenge when our choices have dwindled. Here’s a picture of the nasty little devil. It’s a stink bug variety and does not have any predators locally. It came from halfway across the world about 2 years ago.

It’s easy to kill with commercial pesticides that are harmful to people and the environment which is why you will still see a lot of it currently growing.
We will keep striving to maintain a variety of fruit and vegetables in the shares. Sugar snap peas, red peppers and satsumas, to name a few, will be in action soon. We are hoping to see carrots back in a few weeks as well. Lots of delicious tomatoes in the mean time. We’ve had a great run with zucchinis but they are quickly drawing to an end.

CSA for November 5th contains:
RED CHERRY TOMATOES
CUCUMBERS
GREEN BEANS
RED LEAF LETTUCE
GREEN PEPPERS
ITALIAN PARSLEY
LACINATO KALE
GREEN ZUCCHINI
RED TOMATOES
RUBY RED GRAPEFRUIT from SOMMERS RANCH
BIG BOX ADD: ASIAN PEARS from GARCIA FAMILY FARMS, ROMAINE LETTUCE, AVOCADOS from VINCENT FARMS, HEIRLOOM TOMATOES, FENNEL

FRUIT EXPANSION CONTAINS: POMEGRANATE from GOODLAND ORGANICS, FUJI APPLES & AVOCADOS from VINCENT FARMS
Continue reading “CSA and Juice Feast for week of November 5th”

We’ve got our eyes set on a new piece of property and that means I finally get to plant the orchard of my CSA dreams. I’d love to hear the top 10 things you’d like to see in the CSA box in the future. We hope to include berries, a large fruit variety, enough eggs for everyone and possibly milk. This will be unraveling within the next few years, but any thoughts you have now, will help us make extraordinary CSA boxes in the future.
What’s happening with our chickens? Many people have signed up on our waitlist in anticipation of our eggs. We have about 28 laying hens at the current time producing about 10 dozen per week. We also have 4 different sets of 15 chickens being moved around on the farm to a new grassy location everyday. The grass is sparse and it’s becoming more difficult with the lack of rain. We’ve also found 2-3 roosters in each batch 🙁 anyone need a rooster? Seriously. If not, some will become dinner. The oldest chickens of the batch should be laying by the new year, and the rest will soon follow every month after. We will pleased when we can fulfill all egg orders and make sure you are eating the happiest chicken eggs around.

Snapped a picture of one of my lovely ladies on the way out the door today. She’s no taller than a bottle of soda and gets super excited every time she’s moved onto new grass.
Granola of the week: is Coconut Seed. Please see our store for a list of ingredients. This granola is PACKED with healthy pumpkin seeds and coconut flakes. It’s one of my favorites. Lightly sweetened and a perfect snack, it’s made right here in Goleta by Cindy Dollar.
We’ve been subscribing to Deux bakery for several months now and we are trying to switch over to ALL organic loaves. In order to do that the price will go up a little bit and we do need a minimum commitment each week. We will start waiting lists for our organic bread and as soon as we get our minimum (6-8 people) we will begin the process. Please let me know if you have any questions regarding this matter.

CSA for the week of October 29th contains:
YELLOW GRAPE TOMATOES
GREEN BEANS
SALAD MIX
ZUCCHINI
BASIL
BUNCHED SPINACH
CUCUMBERS
CIPPOLINI ONIONS
BUTTERNUT SQUASH
RED TOMATOES
BIG BOX ADD: HEIRLOOM TOMATOES, AVOCADOS from VINCENT FARMS, GREEN LEAF LETTUCE, BEETS and ORANGE KABOCHA SQUASH from FRECKER FARMS
Continue reading “CSA and Juice Feast for week of October 29th”