1: Our Founding Farmers, Community Supported Agriculture for Thousands, Green Garden Tips, and Veggie Recipe

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Farm Fresh News Strawberries and Farmer

Welcome to the February edition of Farm Fresh News. This month we reflect back on our agrarian roots and are refreshed for a new year! First we start with the potential for a regional CSA to feed 50,000 people. Then we view one family's dream to redesign White House landscaping. And the first hint of spring makes some want to get their hands dirty for that summer garden.

From the Farmer to the Kitchens of Thousands

Tired of getting to Community Supported Agriculture sign-up too late and having to wait another year to enjoy the weekly deliveries direct from your local farmer? Then get a taste of this CSA of 50,000 families in Denmark. This sort of regional food system might be the perfect fit for places like San Francisco, California, where both big and small farms outside the city can provide up to three times the food needs of the city’s residents.

Nash Huber Nearly Named America's White House Farmer

Nash Huber, farmer and winner of American Farmland Trust's coveted Steward of the Land Award, came close to becoming America’s first White House farmer. Huber received fifth place in a nationwide contest to designate a farmer to turn the five-acre, south-facing White House lawn into a fruit and vegetable garden. The contest, created by a farm family in Illinois, drew nearly 56,000 votes!

To Our Founding Farmers….

"Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens."—Thomas Jefferson, 1785

These are the words of our third president, a lifelong champion of the agrarian ideal. In fact, many of our founding fathers observed a rustic nobility in their pursuit of farming and an honor in their toil of the land. Before his military career, George Washington was a planter, and although Jefferson’s list of accomplishments is endless, he considered himself first and foremost a man of the land. So in honor of President’s Day, let’s raise a glass—or a shovel—to the men who truly cultivated our nation: our Founding Farmers.

Already Dreaming About the Summer Garden?

Farm Fresh News subscriber Heidi from Tucson, Arizona, has it right when she says, “It’s funny how there seems to be something in our blood that makes us ‘itchy’ to plant things as soon as there is even the smallest hint of spring in the air.” If you are already planning your beds, take some tips from sustainable experts and the United States Botanic Gardens on how to have a “green” garden.

Farm Fresh Recipe

Chef Mike Lata is dedicated to featuring fresh produce from local farms at FIG, a restaurant in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, that he co-owns with manager Adam Nemirow. FIG stands for "food is good," and Late has a passion for farm fresh vegetables that began during his childhood in Springfield, Massachusetts, where his grandparents had substantial gardens.

Roma and Yellow Wax Bean Salad with Pine Nuts and Pesto Vinaigrette

(Serves Four)

1/2 pound tender young Roma beans, trimmed
1/2 pound yellow wax beans, trimmed
3 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
2 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
8-10 ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
Sherry vinaigrette; recipe follows
1 tablespoon pesto; recipe follows
Salt and pepper

Bring an eight-quart soup pot full of water to a boil. Salt generously. Working in small batches, plunge green beans in boiling water and cook until bright green and tender (three to four minutes). Immediately cool the beans in an ice bath or under cool running water to stop the cooking process. Continue process until all beans are cooked. Repeat for the yellow beans, cooking until tender. In a large mixing bowl, add the beans, walnuts, cherry tomatoes and goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper, dress with the sherry vinaigrette and add pesto. Toss well and adjust seasoning to taste. Present the salad neatly arranged on four small salad plates or family style on a large platter.

For the Vinaigrette:

2 ounces sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 shallot, minced
5 ounces of grapeseed oil

Combine the sherry vinegar, Dijon and shallot in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil in a steady stream until well combined. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

For the Pesto:

8 ounces very fresh basil
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Pecorino cheese
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt

In the bowl of a food processor, add the basil, pine nuts and garlic. While running, gradually add the oil until all is incorporated. Finish the pesto with the cheese and season with a pinch of salt.