Shanti Yoga Ashram

08/24/2020

Dear KCSA community,

Bolting (prematurely flowering) lettuce is common in the hot and humid summer months here in SE PA. Lettuce simply can’t stand the heat! It either shuts down entirely (goes dormant) or panics and goes into emergency reproduction mode (bolting). Growing lettuce when it is cooler—in spring and fall—is a lot more predictable and produces the biggest, crispest, and sweetest heads.

This season, we were so close to having 13 straight weeks of lettuce on the share. That’s definitely our record of consecutive weeks! Even at this point, exactly halfway through the season, and despite the fact that we have literally just run out of lettuce (don’t panic, we just planted more), I feel confident enough to say that this is our best lettuce year so far…

This is no accident. Each successive year we tweak the lettuce sowing schedule. After year one, we realized we needed to increase the number of sowings per season and focus on growing more heat tolerant lettuce varieties. After year two, we further increased the sowings per season and trialed many different heat tolerant varieties of lettuce to find the most adaptable to our farm. And, after year three, we narrowed our head lettuce varieties down to the six best performers. With, yet again, a slightly higher sowing frequency rate, we reduced the number of heads grown in each succession, forcing our hand to harvest the heads when they were little more compact. This has meant less wastage and more harvested heads for members—a win, win!

Are the butterflies enjoying the u-pick flowers as much as our members?

Now, we can’t claim that every member got two heads of lettuce each week because there were a couple of harvests where some members got bagged salad mix. This salad mix was also part of our latest experimentation in trying to curb KCSA’s mid-summer bolting lettuce dilemma! It didn’t quite work out to plan; however, we did get some harvesting from it. Not only was the timing slightly off, but the lettuce still prematurely bolted despite successfully lowering the temperature in the tunnels with the shade cloth. Not only was it still hot in there (it has been a consistently very hot summer), we believe the shaded structure stressed the plants, especially over the last few overcast weeks, and made them “leggy”.

This happened with the tomatoes in 2018. Now, for those who don’t remember, 2018 was a really wet year. In July we also had a two week stretch of storms and overcast weather where it felt like we didn’t see the sun! That season, we were experimenting with shade cloths over the tomato tunnel to reduce the temperature in the tunnel to decrease the damage caused to the flowers by excessive heat (>90F can = dead flowers). We didn’t have enough shade cloths to cover the whole structure, so the plants at the front of the house (unshaded) looked fine and the plants at the rear of the structure (shaded) were 6ft taller and spindly. It was quite bizarre.

So, as clear, bright skies in the summer months become less consistent and predictable, shade cloths over tunnels do not seem to be the solution to reduce bolting! In fact, it could be exacerbating the issue during the new normal of unpredictable weather. We have been tweaking our tomato plantings to try and accommodate this as well. The importance of having lettuce all season is up for debate. Perhaps, the solution is to figure out what other greens we could prioritize to have as a substitute for lettuce in late August/early September?

Dandelions have been introduced for this reason, but we know they are not everyone’s cup o’ tea! We tried to get collards in earlier this year, but they have been mercilessly attacked by flea beetles and harlequin beetles, and are not a good substitute for salad. Neither is chard, despite its versatility and our seamless spring to fall transition! Maybe, the lull in salad greens is inevitable? We just have to accept that and move on…

Cheers,
Andrew

08/18/2020

Dear KCSA community,

Not too much to report since last week's newsletter. We have survived the rain and overcast weather and are looking forward to some sun and cooler temperatures this week. Hopefully the ground will dry out soon! We should still have time to direct sow our fall turnips, radishes, carrots, beans, beets and spinach if conditions remain favorable this week!

We are also getting ready to transplant our fall bok choy, mustard greens, arugula, napa cabbage and kohlrabi. We are on to our last landscape-orientated, letter-sized page in our sowing schedule. There are "officially" only three sowings left! From our perspective, the last sowing of the season is always bitter sweet.

We are past peak tomato season now, but we are right in the midst of peak pepper season. The Sullivan Pepper plants are loaded (although we just harvest over a thousand of them today!)

There remains plenty of cherry tomatoes and hot peppers out their for u-pick. The basil is still hanging in there as well!

There are labels for the hot peppers out in the field as we don't want members to spoil their dinner with the accidental addition of a ghost pepper! Our hot pepper identification guide is also on our website.

It has been a great harvest season thus far and, weather permitting, this should continue into the fall. Over the next couple of weeks, members will notice a lull in the greens that are available. We believe, though, that the last 12 weeks of harvest and all the current summer goodies make up the difference!

See you at the pick up shed.

Andrew

08/12/2020

Note: The Ashram is on retreat this week so hope there aren’t any mishaps with the CSA shares. If so, and it is urgent, best to text 240-855-4456. Otherwise, please email and we will attend to it when we return.

Share List
Aug 12, 2020

From Kimberton CSA:

2 lettuce

1 dandelion

2 cucumber

10 tomato

1 pint cherry tomato

2 peppers

4 squash or zucchini

2 eggplant

Plus:

1 big mango

1.5 lbs potatoes

And dry goods for those who get them

½ doz eggs

1 RYE POPPY bread

BREAD is BACK! it’s been a strange bread schedule this summer but it’s back this week and next, then on and off til end of November. Everyone will get the same amount of bread as if it had been spread out over the season in terms of the rotation with other dry goods. This week’s Rye Poppy is a blend of rye and whole wheat flour with poppy seeds.

The mangos have also had a little trouble this summer in that Fed Ex deliveries have suffered a bit this year with all that’s going on in the country. This week we’re short one box that hasn’t arrived yet (8 days late) but may yet arrive tomorrow! but what condition they’ll be in remains to be seen. We have almost enough – but not quite -- for everyone so if you don’t get mango in your box tomorrow that’s why and we’ll make it up next round (which would be in 2 weeks).

Mango season is winding down though and we hope you have enjoyed them.

Potatoes in Summer are from the new crop i.e. have not been in storage as potatoes usually are. But that’s not what “new potatoes” means, well sort of. It means potatoes that are fresh – i.e. not “cured” which is a drying process to make them fit for storage. We have a mix this week of some cured and some uncured – both grown this season. wonder if you can tell the difference?

As for the veggies from Kimberton farm? Looks like an August crop! And if you’d like a cold soup, looks like gazpacho is on the menu. Or if you search Mediterranean eggplant tomatoes I think you’ll find something wonderful to cook up.

02/26/2020

Having a more unusual dried fruit in today’s share, the figs, we are inspired to pass along this page on our website

http://www.spiritualfoodcsa.org/site/spiritualfoodcsa/member-information/food-a-pedia/dried-fruit

that gives good info, tips for using, and some special recipes too from members.

Home page for Spiritual Food for the New Millennium CSA. We focus on local biodynamic foods.

02/19/2020

We are inviting you, the volunteers for the Essene Church's Homeless Program, to this event of TECOP's sister organization, Global Coalition for Peace, since we know you care about those in need. It is truly a free lunch (home-made, organic, and vegetarian) and a chance to hear about a wonderful service being done for our sisters and brothers in Haiti. Please let us know if you'll come so we can make enough food.

MARCH PEACE MEAL
HAVSERVE: HELPING WOMEN & CHILDREN IN HAITI
Sat., March 7 w/ Rose (Mirabai) Lord
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Doors Open At 11:15, Lunch & Talk From 12-1: RSVP

HavServe is a non-profit founded in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that rocked Haiti in 2010. Their efforts have been focused on LeBrun, a mountain village where a free school has been built, along with many other services, so that children can learn skills to break the cycle of poverty and uplift the nation. An important part of HavServe's work is helping people learn intensive, organic gardening to grow their own food. Rose (Mirabai) Lord is a HavServe Board Member and also the founder and director of Global Coalition for Peace’s Women’s Self-Reliance Program. In this talk she will share with us about HavServe's incredible mission in this struggling country and how people can help. The next trip to Haiti is planned for March. For more info, please visit: WSRP’s new website: https://wsrprogram.wixsite.com/wsrp and WSRP’s new page: https://wsrprogram.wixsite.com/wsrp/post/wsrp-on-facebook
To support this program, click here: https://wsrprogram.wixsite.com/wsrp/support-us Global Coalition for Peace is a 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt organization according to the IRS code. Contributions are tax-deductible.

In September of 2019 Mirabai and Durga brought the Women’s Self Reliance Program to Lebrun, where a workshop was held for about 100 families on how to make an intensive organic garden and seeds were provided. Five school gardens were installed and a workshop was held for the teachers so they can help the children maintain the gardens. It is hoped that participants will share their knowledge with neighbors, resulting in a more food-secure village of Lebrun.
Since 2005, WSRP has helped hundreds of women in six countries improve their lives through intensive gardening, nutrition education, and micro-enterprise.

WSRP’s MISSION: To help women living in poverty achieve better health, food security, and self-reliance, and become co-creators of a more peaceful world. This is accomplished through education in:
Intensive Gardening:
With a 4x4” patch of earth for each family member, this high yield, sustainable, organic growing method uses minimal soil, water, labor, time, and materials.
Nutrition:
Knowledge empowers participants to evaluate their eating habits and create a balanced, healthy diet from their garden produce and native foods. Workshops are held to highlight the value of local foods, and find ways to incorporate them into the diet.
Microenterprise: Women are guided to tap their own creativity, potential, and knowledge to establish small businesses. Participants are encouraged to support each other’s enterprises local population. cid:image003.png@01D53CAC.0DB5D700
Community Building: The success of the Women’s Self-Reliance Program depends on the establishment of a caring community of women. To this end, WSRP strives to incorporate the core principles of Aparigraha, An Economy of Feminine Leadership and Inclusiveness for a Culture of Peace, created by Victor Landa, founder and director of GCFP:
Abundance rather than Scarcity
Cooperation rather than Competition
Right Motivation rather than Personal Incentives
Economic exchange based on Solidarity, Harmony and Peace

If you have skill or training in legal services, leadership training, non-profit development, organic farming/gardening, fundraising, etc. and can offer pro bono consulting assistance, WSRP can use your help.

02/03/2020

Revered Self:

We invite you to join us to try two new Yoga Asana classes at Shanti Yoga Ashram. All our classes offer individualized attention with appropriate modifications, to make yoga work for “every body.” The environment is relaxed, warm, and quiet, inviting one to deeper communion with the inner self. Both classes are suitable for all stages of practice, beginners to advanced.



VARIATIONS II: Intermediate Class-- Mondays, 6:00-7:30. Instructor: Durga

This second class in the Vyasa’s Legacy series, is an invigorating intermediate 90 minute routine to help get the vital forces flowing and improve circulation, while emphasizing core muscle development and stretching the legs/hips/ groin. It includes many asanas not in any other class taught at Shanti Yoga. It is ideal for this time of year, when the life forces need stimulation. This routine was developed by Vyasa, and his recording may be purchased for home practice at the end of the session.



YOGA FOR YOUR TYPE: An Ayurvedic Approach To Asana Practice-- Wednesdays, 6-7:10 p.m. Instructor: Lakshmi

In Yoga, the nature of the individual student is of prime importance. An understanding of our individual Ayurvedic constitution (dosha), and what that means for us physically, emotionally and psychologically, and the prime qualities of nature (gunas) is essential for our health and healing on all levels. This semester will rotate through routines that are beneficial for each type, vata, pitta, kapha, as well as imparting tips for navigating seasonal changes, diet, and life-circumstances to maintain balance.

01/28/2020

01/28/2020

Revered Self:

We invite you to attend the

PEACE MEAL

BIODYNAMIC AGRICULTURE & CSA

Farmers Andrew Turner & Frank Kurylo of

Spiritual Foods CSA

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1st

arrive between 11:15-11:30

Andrew and Frank will discuss life on a small diversified farm, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and the difference between organic and biodynamic farming, including the difference between OCIA (organic Crop Improvement Association) and Demeter (Biodynamic) certification, while sharing the history of Kimberton CSA, founded in 1987 and one of the first CSAs in this country. Andrew got his start in farming in 2011; he is a long term advocate of the local food system and the promotion of community food security. Originally intending on going into environmental law, Frank now co-manages Kimberton CSA and works as an organizer for the Pennsylvania chapter of the National Young Farmers Coalition.



PEACE MEALS are an offering of the Global Coalition for Peace (GCFP), a non-profit created by Yogi Victor (Vyasa Deva) Landa to “spread the concept of non-violence (ahimsa) as an effective and positive means to achieve societal transformation.” The First Saturday of the month, a speaker presents on a subject relating to Peace while guests enjoy a hot vegetarian home-cooked meal. This event is free of charge. All Welcome. 4217 East West Hwy Bethesda MD 20814. www.schooloflife.org. 301 654 4899. Parking available in-house or at B-CC high School. Metro and Bus accessible: Redline, or J-2.

“Human beings long for peace in themselves, their families, their communities and the world. We want to know the meaning of life and to experience happiness, but it must be realized that true happiness can only come from within. We must strive to raise our awareness, our consciousness, so that we ...

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