Lloyd Craft Farms Fresh Produce, Locally Grown

Photo by Ylanite Koppens on Pexels.com

Photo by Bruno Scramgnon on Pexels.com

Down-right hot today and windy in the evening!  We are down to the last stretch in planting the garden:  carrots, corn, beans, kohlrabi, and Daikon radishes going in each evening–Then Tuesday we are transplanting the tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant holed up in the greenhouse since April! 

We still have openings in the CSA…help us fill it out!  Word of mouth is the best form of advertising:  Been with us a while?  Tell a friend!  New this year and excited?  Tell a neighbor!  All the information you need is posted at http://www.lloydcraftfarms.com , CSA tab.  Sign up there, and mail a check or drop it off Thursday at Buyer’s Group–  Easy! And so worth it…local food, organically grown–

Growing a garden this year?  Good for you!  Let me encourage you to consider a Monthly Share in the CSA.  Our garden will provide you things you might not grow in your garden, and a chance to shop every Thursday from 4pm to 6pm for other veggies, regional fruit in season, ginger and turmeric, herbs, and mushrooms.  Cost is $115 for a Share in July, August, & September, and the ability to shop!  Unlike the Buyer’s Group, the CSA requires membership.  Our CSA Members help us fund the garden…that’s the Community Support part of the CSA PLAN!

This week’s BOX:   For those that had Black Summer Bok Choi last week we have ORG Mixed Fingerlings, an ORG Yellow Onion, and bundled Barese from our high tunnel.  The other Box choice has the mid-sized Bok Choi and Ginger root, Green Onions, and bundled Spinach (all from The Farm except the Ginger root).  Both Boxes have ORG Red Seedless Grapes, Lg Hass Avocado and 2 ORG Lemons, Greybull Valley Living Lettuce, our own Broccolini Galion X, and an ORG English Cucumber.  Box cost $30-– 2 EXTRA’s this week…text 431-1219 to reserve!

Worth noting:  The Store has more of those fabulous ORG Strawberries from Foxy Farms, ORG Red Seedless Grapes, and ORG Cripps Pink apples (the pink in Pink Lady, which is a registered trademark).  More of the ORG Granny Smith apples, lots of lemons, and more of our own Broccolini! We seem to be running short on Mushrooms, so added some ORG Oyster Mushrooms, and more of those White Mushrooms, in addition to the Shiitake, Portabello, and Crimini (Little Bella’s).  New Item from Greybull Valley this week:  Living Herbs in a permanent pot to nurture and harvest in your own home as needed–$4.75… I can order more next week…Let me know which you would like:  Basil, Dill, Mint… 

Store has a good variety of STOCK…check it out!  Thursday from 10 am to 6 pm.  Order by texting 431-1219 by Wednesday for delivery Thursday after 3:00 or to reserve items to pick up later in the day.  $5.00 set up/delivery fee applies.

Headed to bed…have a restful Sunday…see you Thursday at The Farm for Market Day!  The Farmer’s Wife

Pexels.com

We are in the business of providing folks with a good source of ‘fully loaded’ food.  Our friends, Gene and Kris Robertson with Diamond S Ranch are too!  Pasture fed Beef is a good healthy consideration.  Just as many vegetables in the store are adulterated, so are many of the meats in the store.  Here is an opportunity, new this year due to some changes to the Wyoming Food Freedom Act, that allows the rancher more flexibility in getting the good stuff into the hands of the consumer without the added cost of regulation.  

Here’s a message from Kris.  She can be reached by texting 307-272-5334, or emailing gkrob324@gmail.com.

“Another blessing, we have ground beef coming soon.  In past years we have sold our grass fat cattle on the hoof, by the whole beef, or half beef.  This year we are allowed to sell by the pound, and will be doing so in June for ground beef only.  We 100% believe and eat our grass finished beef.  They have never had hormones, antibiotics or a drop of grain.  Several of you getting this email have purchased our beef on the hoof, so have had all cuts.  They are very flavorful and delicious.  Yes different from grain fattened but the B vitamins in ruminant animals are not available to us if the cattle have had any grain.  Please call, text or email by June 1st if you want details and on our list “

Check it out, but don’t wait too long.  Diamond S price is very fair at $5/# for orders 100# or more, and $6/# for less than 100#.  These are the same folks that bring us Diamond S Delights, raw milk products.  

The Farmer’s Wife!

The GARDEN is going in…finally!  (Larger scale is different…we can’t risk losing anything to a late spring frost, or high winds.  In the backyard garden, you run out and throw a cover over the plants to keep them warm for the night, or break what seems like a nautical gale.  But when the garden is several acres with beds 200 feet long it’s a little harder!)  The first transplants went into beds 1N33 through 1N63, which took all morning Friday…then another 4 hours to move the hoops, shadecloth, and sandbags to that part of the garden, and set them up– before the evening gale moved in. Yesterday was all the early Brassicas:  Cauliflower, Broccoli, and Cabbages.  Today it was the planting of ALL the potatoes!  Thanks Lorenzo and Jared for braving the wind and fishy transplant water!  Job well done–  🙂  Love our Rain-flo 2 seater Transplanter, and the old John Deere tractor.

This week’s box is filled with several items from Lloyd Craft Farms—Black Summer Bok Choi (medium sized green stemmed head), possibly the last of the Green Onions, and the first taste of the Galion X mini-Broccoli which we affectionately call Broccolini.  Greybull Valley Living Leaf lettuce, large Hass Avocado and an ORG Lemon, 1# ORG Strawberries (super last week!), 1# ORG Rainbow carrots, ORG Green Bell Pepper, ORG Yams (AKA Sweet Potatoes…Garnet, Beauregard, or Japanese), and a special treat Ginger Root— $30     ONLY 1 EXTRA BOX THIS WEEK–text 431-1219 to reserve–

The info sheet this week will have additional recipes and ideas for that magnificent Bok Choi–I was stressing that it wasn’t fair that the same group that got the Dwarf Bok Choi will end up with the Black Summer Bok Choi…unfortunately the best laid plans don’t always come to fruition…we can’t pick the exact timing of harvest…but my friend Misty observed it might be a PLUS:  Group B is already familiar with bok choi and stir fry, which is the common use for choi. 

This box has broccolini, green onions, bell pepper, and carrots which are excellent cooked at high heat…and we’ve included a little fresh ginger to finely grate at the last, right before you add the liquids for the sauce. 

Honestly, Bok Choi from the garden fresh is hard to equal…Choi is not carried in the stores as it loses its sweetness shortly after harvest and does not have the extended shelf life needed to sit in a store and wait to be bought, PLUS types of Asian greens are not familiar to us Wyomingites from meat and potato country. 

Still room in the CSA– Shares run $115 to $415 for Monthly to Weekly shares.  Check it out at http://www.lloydcraftfarms.com , and sign up there, too! 

Thanks, The Farmer’s Wife of 44 years…Anniversary was May 22nd!  He’s a good MAN–  🙂

We are supposed to be in for some warm days…almost hot, in fact…hot too early plays havoc on the broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbages which prefer the cooler weather.  The potatoes and onion plants are held in dormancy in the cooler, and seeds and other summer plants are ready to go out and waiting patiently in the greenhouse.  Transplanting is almost ready to start as The Farmer finishes laying the last of the plastic mulch beds and hooks up the water. It will be a crazy two weeks as we rush to get everything into the ground.  The RACE begins for our Rocky Mountain gardens– But, regardless, Buyer’s Group goes on!!

Box this week:  Greybull Valley Living Lettuce, Honey Mango, 1# ORG Strawberries, ORG Romanesco (greenish cauliflower type), ORG Green Cabbage (new harvest!), ORG White Onion, ORG Cucumber, ORG Tri pack of Colored Bell Peppers—$30

Things to add from The Store:  Another head of Romanesco, more lettuce, or another cucumber.  More Green Cabbage for sauerkraut or, Cabbage and Kielabasa (recipe on our web).  The cabbage is even fresh enough to make a first of the season batch of coleslaw…add a pepper (even a jalapeno) or grated cucumber. Lots more items, reasonably priced!  Best selection earlier in the day–see listing under The Store at The Farm tab.

I bit the bullet and ordered ORG Strawberries!  We sampled some last week…they were huge, and red, and full of flavor.  A few were on the ‘little ripe’ side, but we gobbled them down!  ORG Poppies Tomatoes on the Vine are BACK!  ORG Blueberries are for sale, too.  Not as cheap as at the store, but these are organic which usually adds about a dollar to the cost of the conventional berries.  (Berries are one item I only buy organic…they are a super antioxidant…so I figure lets keep them ‘clean’ so they can do the best job for us!) 

From the High Tunnels:  Red Radishes, Green Onions, Dwarf Bok Choi, Bundled Spinach, Bundled Barese (a small bunching of Chard), and a good sampling of our herbs:  Oregano, English Thyme, Sage, and Savory.  We have small bundles of parsley, too.

There is still room in the CSA–$115 for the Monthly, $235 for the Leap-Frog, and $415 for the Weekly.  Consider the October Extension for another $30 for the Monthly and the Leap-Frog, and $60 for the Weekly.  CSA season starts in July and runs 15 weeks with the extension.  Experience fresh vegetables at their peak–Shares each week and a great selection of add-on’s from The Store.  Check it out!!!

The Farmer’s Wife 

May 15th, TODAY, is the deadline to get the Early Bird price on your CSA Share!  Put a check in the mail (1049 Washakie Ten, Worland, 82401) or pay using the PayPal link at our website (add $3.25 to Monthly, $6.00 to Leap-Frog, $10.50 to Weekly for the PayPal Fee).

AGAIN— $100 for Monthly (July, August, September- 3 Shares) $115 after May 15th.

$200 for the Leap-Frog (July-September- 7 Shares)  $235 after May 15th.

$350 for the Weekly (July-September – 13 Shares)  $415 after May 15th.

Consider the October Extension (Monthly and Leap-Frog add $30, and Weekly add $60)

REMEMBER:  Membership gives EVERYONE the opportunity to SHOP The Store every Thursday, 4 pm to 6 pm. 

Buyer’s Group will go to the end of June, then we will transition into the CSA. 

Join the CSA and help us fund the garden!  Sign up at http://www.lloydcraftfarms.com, CSA Sign Up page.  Pay by check, or PayPal with fees as indicated above included. Letters postmarked May 15th will qualify for the lower price.  Checks can be dropped at our house, too.  Memberships available until we are full. Garden to start in July and all memberships paid in full before the start.  Start now with a May payment, June payment, and balance in July.  It’s food….and we all eat….right?

Thanks, The Farmer’s Wife 

Photo by Angele J on Pexels.com

I forgot to list the 2 ORG Lemons!  They too should be included in your BOX this week!  (We sell ORG Ginger Root too…makes a great lemonade!)

The Farmer’s Wife

Spring has sprung!  Hard to imagine with the cold and WIND last Thursday–but we have our own items to harvest from the High Tunnels for the Special Boxes, and for the refrigerator case, too.  The new items this week are OUR OWN Red Rover Radishes (bundles of 5-7), Dwarf Bok Choi (small heads great for stir fry with beef, or in a mixed stir fry), more of our Green Onions, and HERBS (parsley, and a Mix of Oregano, Sage, Marjoram, and maybe some Thyme).  Next week we hope to have some bundled spinach, and some bags of baby spinach, besides the other items listed above…

GROUP B Special Box:  Greybull Valley Living Lettuce (Romaine, or Green/Red Leaf), Honey Mango, 1# bag ORG Kiwi, Dwarf Bok Choi (with recipe and prep hints), Green Onions, ORG Cucumber, 2 ORG Zucchini, head of Cauliflower, 4-5 ORG Roma Tomatoes, and 2# ORG Yukon Potatoes— $30 

6 EXTRA BOXES!  (Text 431-1219 to reserve)

Items of NOTE in The Store at The Farm–

ORG Blueberries--$4.25 (Super Nutrient–Great to Freeze…I can order a case for you!)

Peelz Mandarin Oranges–$12.50 for 5# (Last of the season–only size available)

Honey Mangoes–$2.50 each (I’ve been trying to snag these for the past 6 weeks…by far better than most regular Mangoes…more mango, smaller pit, and last a little longer…tough thing with mangoes is they are sensitive to cold and will brown prematurely)

Artichokes–$4.25 each (These are bigger than last week…smaller ones were not available)

WA Asparagus–1-1/2# bundle–$5.50 each (More of the Washington Asparagus!)

ORG Turmeric root–1-2/3 oz–$2.00 (Anti-inflammatory, add a slice to your tea, grate into stir fry or other dishes…a little goes a long way!)

ORG Colored Bell Peppers--$6.00 Three Pack, or $2.00 each (No green peppers this week, quality has been poor on the greens and super on the red, yellow, or orange.  I think yellow is the mildest. Consider subbing it for a green pepper.  Colored bells are thick meated than the green and last better.)

ORG Red Beets and ORG Watermelon Radishes–price to be determined once we find out their size!  (Beets are in the spinach family, both contain super dense nutrients.  Watermelon radishes are in the Brassica family which many consider to be healing foods!)

ORG Roma Tomatoes–$.50 each depending on size (This is the only tomato for this week, the others are reaching the end of their season in Mexico.  I’m sure we will be transitioning to domestic tomatoes in the next couple of weeks.)

Mammoth Pecan Halves- 7 oz bag–$6.50  (We have been expanding our nut offerings:  nuts provide minerals not normally available in other foods.  A micronutrient diet consists of fruits, veggies, and nuts.  Balance this with fats, carbohydrares, and protein for complete health to build that all important immune system, and to replace your ever expiring cells with new!)

Check out the inventory at The Store at The Farm tab!  Last week to pay for the CSA and get the early discount to save $35 to $65.  Sign Up on line and pay by mail or drop check on Thursday at The Farm–1049 Washakie Ten, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.

To your health–Happy Mother’s Day!   The Farmer’s Wife

Fresh and ready for a home!

One Box left:  Greybull Valley Lettuce, Org Cucumber, 2 Org Bell Peppers (Yellow and Green), WA Asparagus 1-1/2#, Org Cherry Tomatoes on the Vine, 2 Gem Avocados—$30

come now and shop!  text 431-1219

10 Surplus Boxes for sale from our Thursday inventory, too many avocados, tomatoes, bananas, cucumbers, and green beans left over–FRESH PRODUCE!–

Text 431-1219 to reserve for Pick Up Friday (or Saturday) 11:00 to 1:00– Specify Box 1 or Box 2:

Box 1:  Organic Girl Baby Spinach (5 oz), 2 Hass Avocados, Earthbound Ready-to-Eat ORG Green Beans, Cauliflower head, ORG Celery, 2 ORG Cucumbers, Sleeve of ORG Garlic, 2 ORG Colored Bell Peppers (Red, Yellow, or Orange), Bundle of Bananas– $30

Box 2:  Greybull Valley Living Lettuce (Butterhead, Green, or Red Leaf), 2 GEM Avocados, 1# ORG Rubie-on-the-Vine Tomatoes, WA Asparagus– 1-1/2#, ORG Cucumber, 2 ORG Colored Bell Peppers (Red, Yellow, or Orange), Bundle of Bananas– $30

Help us move this great stuff to make room for more great stuff!  The Farmer’s Wife

The truck came in with all our fresh goodies! And we have been busy harvesting Green Onions from the high tunnel…as well as 10 bundles of FRESH spring Red Radishes!  Boxes are set up and ready for Group A pick up– 

Lots of ORG bananas for $1/#, new ORG Fuji Apples for $2.25/#…1# bag ORG Kiwi, and lots of Hass and GEM avocados, and all the regular fruit–

ORG Broccoli this week for $3.50 a bundle (bundles are well over a pound each), new crop of ORG Green Cabbage for $5.25 each, a couple of Artichokes, and 19 bags of that DELICIOUS Washington Asparagus for $5.50 (1-1/2#)…

New this week, 5# bags of ORG Carrots for $7.50 ($1.50/#)...we were looking for good quality this time of year (too soon for the new carrots and almost a bit too long for those coming out of storage from last year’s harvest)…

ORG Cucumbers for $1.00 each...lots of ORG Washington Onions…NEW Greybull Valley Produce Living Romaine Lettuce…herbs, Fennel, garlic, gingerroot and turmeric…ORG Celery for $2.00 a head…Wonderful variety of Mushrooms:  Oyster, Portabellas, ORG Shitake, Crimini AKA Mini Bells, and a couple of HUGE containers of White Mushrooms, all for $3.75 each….

Clearance on the EGGS–$3.75/dozen (Blair’s has got them in and doesn’t need us anymore!)-–

Stop in and Shop 10:00 am to 6:00 pm at The Farm, 1049 Washakie Ten…THURSDAY only

3 Extra Boxes, too! 

The Farmer’s Wife