THE FARM NEWS Volume 3; Issue 4R/8E July 4, 2011

Greetings,

 

HAPPY 4^TH OF JULY!  We are hoping that this holiday weekend finds you happy and well.  We hope that you we able to celebrate our nation’s birthday with family and friends.  We were hoping for a quiet and relaxing weekend ourselves, but nature had a different plan for us. 

 

Friday, like most of central Minnesota, we braced for thunder storms.  No one warned us that we would be dealing with 70-80 mph winds.  We took shelter in the basement more that once.  But, when it was all said and done, it could have been much worse for us.  We know that we have 20 trees down in the “yard”.  We are not certain yet how many more have been damaged beyond what they can survey and will still have to be brought down.  We had a friend’s van buried under or surrounded by 8 trees. By God’s grace, the van is fine, with only a few scratches.  We had one of our large trees behind the house split, but it missed the corner of the house by less that 2 inches.  In this case, an inch is as good as a mile.  When the tree dropped, it shook the house.  We had trees land on the dog kennel and the goose pen; inside the chicken coops; and all around the yard.  We have tree tops “hanging by a tread” in several trees and we have not determined the best way to resolve those issues yet.  We had several pieces of equipment under trees, but none were damaged.  We did have two canvas awnings destroyed during the storm. 

 

We have not yet determined how much roof damage has occurred on the house, shed and grainery, but we know that some damage occurred on each building.  Some of the fascia came off of Dan’s parent’s house and their motor home had the awning torn off. We know that we are very blessed; none of our buildings sustained any structural damage.  We know that God’s hands were holding us safe; so many others around us have sustained much worse damage.

 

We were very happy to discover that most of the crops appear not to be effected by Friday’s storm.  We only received a small amount of little tiny hail. We did have some of the lettuce torn by the storm’s fury.  But again, it could have been so very much worse.  We covet all of your prayers, but it seems as if nature is very angry.  We just have to keep praying that the weather will settle down.  We will continue to keep you all in our prayers! 

 

Just a reminder, our next open house is on July 16^th from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Hopefully, the trees will be cleaned up by then.  Our friend, Dr. Amy Willcockson, will be joining us that day to speak about healthy living.  We hope to see you all then.

 

We want to also remind every one that the boxes do need to be returned each week.  In most cases, the boxes get returned in the same spot you pick up, with one or two exceptions.  At the Harvest Moon location, there is a Blue tote with our name on it behind the store.  The broken down boxes go inside the tote.  We will be picking them up each week.   Remember, each host location is expecting you to pick up your boxes on Tuesday!  In most cases, there is no way to refrigerate your box to maintain its quality.  If we want to be able to continue using these host locations, we need to respect their spaces.  If you have an issue, please contact your host site and let them know what is happening and what your plans are.  They want to provide you with quality food also.

 

So from our home to yours,

 

Dan & Donna Moe

www.thefarmofmn.com 

 

 

This Week’s Items – ½ Bushel:

• Garlic Scapes
• Strawberries
• Lettuce
• Collards
• Kohlrabi

This Week’s Items – Bushel & Extended:

• Garlic Scapes
• Strawberries
• Lettuce
• Radishes
• Turnips
• Collards
• Tat Soi Heads

 

 

ITEM OF THE WEEK – STRAWBERRIES

 

Health Benefits

Strawberries not only look like a fruity heart-shaped valentine, smell heavenly, and melt in your mouth; they are filled with unusual phytonutrients that love to promote your health. They are famous in the phytonutrient world as a rich source of phenols. These phenols serve as potent antioxidants that have repeatedly been shown to help protect cell structures in the body and to prevent oxygen damage in all of the body’s organ systems. Strawberries’ unique phenol content makes them a heart-protective fruit, an anti-cancer fruit, and an anti-inflammatory fruit, all rolled into one. The anti-inflammatory properties of strawberry include the ability of phenols to lessen activity of the enzyme cyclo-oxygenase, or COX. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin or ibuprofen block pain by blocking this enzyme, whose over-activity has been shown to contribute to unwanted inflammation, such as that which is involved in rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, asthma, atherosclerosis, and cancer. Unlike drugs that are COX-inhibitors, however, strawberries do not cause intestinal bleeding.

 

Phytonutrients Promote Health

The contents of strawberries have been associated with decreased rates of cancer related deaths. Strawberries topped a list of eight foods most linked to lower rates of cancer deaths among the elderly. Those eating the most strawberries were three times less likely to develop cancer compared to those eating few or no strawberries; compared to those eating few or no strawberries. In a study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, strawberries were analyzed for their content of protective plant compounds (phenols, flavonoids and anthocyanins) and their antioxidant capacities. Although the beneficial properties in each different type of strawberry differed significantly in their amounts, they all were able to significantly inhibit the growth of human liver cancer cells. Oddly, no relationship was found between the berry’s antioxidant content and its ability to inhibit cancer cell growth.  This suggests that the beneficial effects of strawberries are not just one nutrient, but the combination of their many beneficial compounds working together in the body.

 

Degeneration

Your mother may have told you carrots would keep your eyes bright as a child, but as an adult, it looks like fruit is even more important for keeping your sight. Data reported in a study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology indicates that eating 3 or more servings of fruit per day may lower your risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the primary cause of vision loss in older adults, by 36%, compared to persons who consume less than 1.5 servings of fruit daily.  Intakes of vegetables, antioxidant vitamins and carotenoids were not strongly related to either form of ARMD, fruit intake is definitely protective against the severe form of this vision-destroying disease. Three servings of fruit may sound like a lot to eat each day, but strawberries can help you reach this goal. Top your morning cereal, lunch time yogurt or cottage cheese with fresh strawberries. Dress up any green salad with sliced strawberries, slivered almonds and a splash of balsamic vinegar. For an easy, elegant dessert, blend fresh or frozen strawberries with a spoonful of honey and some soy or cow’s milk or yogurt. Freeze for 20 minutes, then spoon into serving cups and decorate with a sprig of mint. Strawberries are a tasty fruit to have for smoothies with dietary fiber additives and digestive enzymes for a body detoxification and cleanse.

In terms of traditional nutrients, strawberries emerged from our food ranking system as an excellent source of vitamin C and manganese. They also qualified as a very good source of dietary fiber and iodine as well as a good source of potassium, folate, riboflavin, vitamin B5, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B6, vitamin K, magnesium, and copper.    One cup of strawberries, 144 grams, is only 43.2 calories.  However, that one cup contains the following nutrients:   Vitamin C – 81.65 mg; Manganese – 0.42 mg; Dietary fiber – 3.31 g; Iodine – 12.96 mcg; Potassium – 239.04 mg; Folate – 25.49 mcg; Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) – 0.10 mg; Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid) – 0.49 mg; Omega 3 fatty acids – 0.11 g; Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) – 0.08 mg; Vitamin K – 3.17 mcg; Magnesium – 14.40 mg; and Copper – 0.07 mg.  Remember all this is at a whopping 43.2 calories!  

How to Store

One last thought on these precious gems, now that you have them – how do you keep them? Like all berries, strawberries are very perishable, so great care should be taken in their handling and storage. Before storing in the refrigerator, remove any strawberries that are not in good condition or damaged so that they will not contaminate others. Replace unwashed and un-hulled berries in their original container or spread them out on a plate covered with a paper towel, then cover with plastic wrap. Strawberries will keep fresh in the refrigerator for one or two days. Make sure not to leave strawberries at room temperature or exposed to sunlight for too long, as this will cause them to spoil.

To freeze strawberries, first gently wash them and pat them dry. You can either remove the cap and stem or leave them intact. It just depends upon what you will do with them once they are thawed. Arrange them in a single layer on a flat pan or cookie sheet and place them in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer the berries to a heavy plastic bag and return them to the freezer where they will keep for up to one year. Adding a bit of lemon juice to the berries will help to preserve their color. While strawberries can be frozen whole, cut or crushed, they will retain a higher level of their vitamin C content if left whole.

 

RECIPES

Strawberry Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 4 large strawberries
• ¼ cup low-fat plain yogurt
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 TBS tahine*
• 1 medium size banana
• ½ tsp vanilla
• 1 TBS honey

*Tahine seed butter and can be found in natural food stores or Middle Eastern groceries

Directions:

1. Remove stems from strawberries and wash.

2. Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth.

Makes 2 (8 oz glass servings)

NOTE:  Adding dietary fiber or digestive enzymes only adds to the benefits of this refreshing drink.

Fresh Berry Dessert with Yogurt and Chocolate

Ingredients (Serves 2):

• 1 basket fresh strawberries
• 8 oz low fat vanilla yogurt
• 2 oz melted dark chocolate

Directions:

1.  Fold together yogurt and berries.

2. Melt chocolate in a double boiler with heat on medium. Place berries and yogurt in individual bowls and drizzle with melted chocolate.

NOTES:  For a more formal presentation you may want to pour a pool of yogurt on a plate and place berries on top of pool. Drizzle chocolate over berries.