Know Your Farmer: Far West Fungi

Respect for the Fungi

Many have an affinity for edible fungi, and thanks to John and Toby Garrone, and their fanatical love of fungi, they bring fungi to the people! Far West Fungi has been cultivating mushrooms for 25 years, focusing on the more unusual varieties that typically grow on trees. Known for their freshness and quality, Far West Fungi has a brick-and-mortar in the San Francisco Ferry building, just doors down from ours. We are thrilled to be neighbors with them, and excited to carry their dried mushrooms and mushroom jerky products.

Fall Thanks

FARM NEWS

The mornings are getting cold, cold enough to cause the citrus trees to remember they are tropical trees living in a place that is just warm enough through the winter to keep them from dying. They show this through their leaves in the early morning curled back like they are reacting to a bee sting. The smoother and lighter green of the underside of their leaves is visible. By mid-morning, they are back to normal.

Know Your Farmer: Equal Exchange

An Honest & Fair Food Movement 

Equal Exchange was founded in 1986 with an idea of creating a food trading model that was honest and fair, and values each part of the supply chain. Equal Exchange is a forward-thinking company that cares deeply for the justice of small farmers, the organic food movement, and sustainable ways to bring their products to their consumers, while thinking about the environmental impact and how to ensure a happier planet. Sounds like a perfect partner for us to link arms with, right? 

Holiday Baking Essentials

With the holiday season quickly approaching, we want to help make your preparation as smooth and stress-free as possible so that you can focus on what’s important: spending quality time with your friends and family, and of course, enjoying delicious food. Skip the hectic last-minute dash to the grocery store and easily add all of your holiday baking essentials to your Farm Fresh To You delivery.

Know Your Farmer - Laura Ann's Jam

Eat. Drink. Jam.

Laura Ann Masura has taken a unique path to get where she is today. Her career began as a punk rocker drummer, but when her band broke up, she discovered a different kind of jam-session by reacquainting herself with the preserving skills she was taught by her grandmother.

Essential Items for a Farm Fresh Thanksgiving

Whether you're preparing for a traditional turkey dinner or a not-so-traditional, modern meal, we've got many of the items you need to create a Thanksgiving dinner to remember. Save the hectic trip to the store, and add them items you need to your Farm Fresh To You delivery.

hors d'oeuvres

Whet your guests' appetites with any of these simple-but-delicious hors d'oeuvres: whole Castelvetrano olives, organic dried fruit & nuts, crunchy cassava crackers, olive oil and sel gris flatbread crackers, or choose from a selection of our salsas and dips.

Create a diverse and decadent cheese plate with any of our traditionally-made cheeses or dairy-alternative cheeses.

Veggies

Add the perfect accompaniments to your holiday meal, like fresh organic green beans, sweet potatoes, kale, Brussels sprouts, fresh cranberries, Satsuma mandarins, Maitake or Chanterelle mushrooms...the list goes on. We've also added many new items to our collection of farm products that will enhance your veggies, salads and side dishes.

Organic Yuzu Extra Virgin Olive Oil

This special oil from Flatlands Oil & Mill combines the unique citrus flavor of Yuzu and the traditional California Mission olive. The result is a smooth, floral oil with hints of pine, hops and green tea. Its wonderful flavor brightens salad dressings and is perfect for dipping freshly-baked bread. Look for the many other olive oils and vinegars we carry.

We also have stocks & broths, maple syrups, nutritional yeast and other salts & spices, as well as organic bread crumbs & Italian nut crumbs to complement your veggie dishes.

Rice, Grains & Pastas

Grains and pastas add a nutty, healthy addition to your Thanksgiving spread. We offer organic red cornmeal, organic farro, rainbow quinoa, golden couscous and variety of tasty and unique pastas.

Organic Wild Rice

This locally grown organic wild rice has a distinctive nutty flavor and chewy texture that pairs well with the earthy, autumnal flavors and colors of harvest-time foods. For a subtler flavor, some like to blend wild rice with brown rice in stuffing and pilafs. Wild rice bursts open when it’s cooked, so you can tell at a glance when it’s done.

Main Course

Pasture-Raised Turkey
We are thrilled to offer Pasture-Raised Turkey from Ferndale Farms. They have been raising turkeys on their family farm since 1939. Ferndale turkeys are grown in harmony with the seasons. They are pasture-raised during the summer months and grown in a free-range environment during the winter months. Because of this artful approach, Ferndale produces slow-growing turkeys with robust immune systems that don't need any antibiotics or other unnatural additives or interventions. You will absolutely be able to taste the difference!

Try roasting your turkey (ham, chicken, fish, and more) in a unique and innovative, parchment bag.   The unbleached totally chlorine-free grease-proof paper seals in the juices to create delicious, tender, and moist meat.




Turkey Alternatives
As a centerpiece, appetizer or even sliced in a sandwich with your Thanksgiving leftovers, this Vegan Celebration Roast is perfect choice for your holiday meal. Field Roast starts this vegetarian roast with a rich and savory sausage-style stuffing made from Field Roast grain "meat," fresh-cut butternut squash, mushrooms and Granny Smith apples seasoned with a blend of rosemary, thyme and sage. Then the stuffing is surrounded with their most luxurious grain meat seasoned with rubbed sage, garlic and lemon juice.

Some of our other, less traditional Thanksgiving meat offerings include whole, free-range duck, organic whole fryer chicken, pork sirloin roast, lamb or even seafood.

What will you be gracing your Thanksgiving table with this year? Let us know in the comments below!

How To Add a Thanksgiving Essential Farms Products To Your Delivery: CSA members - head on over to our online Farm Stand Market to customize your upcoming delivery. The Market is open from noon on Thursday until 10 pm, 2 days before your scheduled delivery day. After you confirm your produce items, click the orange button "Confirm and Continue To Other Farm Products" to add the products to your delivery. 

Not part of our farm family? Find out if we deliver to your neighborhood.

Know Your Farmer: Bellwether Farms

Grassy Pastures Lead Sheep to Award Winning Cheese

Cindy Callahan, founder of Bellwether Farms in Sonoma, CA, decided to bring some sheep to pasture as a natural way to control the growing grass. She was a nurse, and in her 50’s, so a career in cheese was not top of mind. However, a casual suggestion by a friend to milk the sheep opened Cindy’s eyes to the potential of a sheep dairy farm. She embraced the challenge, bringing the rest of her family along for the eventful ride. There are so many reasons we are grateful to be a part of Bellwether Farms’ ride of a lifetime.