I am notorious for wearing the least appropriate shoes everywhere I go.
That’s how I ended up with my new Toms covered in mud on Friday morning. We were visiting King’s Hill Farm, the Mineral Point farm that grows the glorious vegetables in our CSA, and it had been raining for almost 12 hours. Steven, one of the farm managers, was regrading the dirt driveway that had washed away with the downpour as we arrived. The rain had just stopped, but I could tell he looked skeptical when he saw what I was wearing.
We’ve been members of the King’s Hill Farm CSA for two years now, but this is the first year that Steven and his partner Elizabeth have been managing it. The farm is about an hour outside of Madison in the stunning Driftless Region—rolling hills, beautiful bedrock, and farms scattered throughout. That description doesn’t do it justice, it’s more picturesque than the words I’m able to find.
I’m invariably fascinated to learn the story behind the farmers—Elizabeth comes from a family of farmers in New York and has always been passionate about where her food comes from. Steven, on the other hand, was studying developmental psychology before switching to a culinary career. Cooking sparked an interest in the source of his food, which led him to drop everything and move from the Pacific Northwest to Wisconsin in the middle of January. I call that commitment.
Their paths brought them to King’s Hill, where they’ve spent the last year learning about the soil and land, establishing their farming practices, and building a successful business along the way. Listening to Steven explain the sheer logistics of running a farm made my head spin—the meticulous planning, the engagement with seed suppliers, the management of relationships with restaurants, CSA members, and more—it’s incredible the amount of work that goes into it all, and that’s not even mentioning the physical labor that’s involved with actually producing the vegetables.
Of course, they don’t do it completely alone. Steven and Elizabeth employ a half dozen or so staff to help with the labor, some of who actually live on the farm with them. We got to meet two of their employees as they washed the dirt off of carrots and bagged potatoes for Saturday’s farmer’s market in their packing facility.
With almost an entire season under their belts as farm managers, I was curious to hear Steven’s plans on the future of King’s Hill Farm. His answers amazed me—there are so many new things they want to try, like adding various grains and fruit to the CSA. Or partnering with a business who cans and preserves fruits and vegetables to minimize food waste. Or starting a flower CSA share (I’m signing up). Or adding sheep to the farm. And this is just the beginning of the list.
We spent a little over an hour walking around their land and looking at everything they had created. Only towards the very end did the clouds part and the sun start drying off my soaking wet shoes (who wears cloth shoes to a farm?).
Back home, I took a look at this week’s CSA delivery with a new appreciation for where it all came from. We’ve been receiving deliveries since early June, but if you are a latecomer and still want to sign up, you can do so for a prorated price. Here’s what we got in our box this week:
And here are some ideas of what to do with it:
Golden Beets
- Golden Beet, Halloumi, and Walnut Salad
- Golden Beet & Smoked Paprika Hummus
- Roasted Beet, Carrot, and Blue Cheese Salad
Fennel
- Cream of Fennel Soup
- Braised Fennel Wedges with Saffron and Tomatoes
- Roasted Chicken Thighs with Fennel and Clementines
Onions
Potatoes
Parsley
- Zucchini Gazpacho
- Nutty, Garlicky, Herby Lentils with a Fried Egg
- Polenta with Parsley Pesto and a Poached Egg on Top
Delicata Squash
- Skillet Chicken Pot Pie with Winter Squash and Kale
- Roasted Squash with Maple Ginger Glaze
- Roasted Squash and Mushroom Tartlets (sub delicata for acron squash)
Carrots
- Carrot and Leek Fritters
- Soy-Glazed Tofu, Carrots, and Mushrooms
- Carrot Almond Cake with Ricotta Cream
Tomatoes
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