AN IMPORTANT NOTE TO OUR MEMBERS

Dear Glacier Valley CSA subscribers,

After much discussion and soul searching we have decided to suspend the CSA portion of Glacier Valley Farm’s operation indefinitely.  The week of September 25th will be our last week of deliveries, and we will cancel all subscriptions after that week.

We are thinking about ways we might be able to offer you storage vegetables into the fall and winter.  We will keep you posted about that, and we will also let you know if we hear of any opportunities to get local produce that might be of interest to you in the future.

Below is a link to two letters, one from Arthur and one from Alison, that outline some of the reasons for our closing, the successes we have had and the problems we have found hard to overcome, some plans for the future, and some of the things you can do to continue to support Alaskan farms and farmers.

We (Alison, Arthur, Dan and Ken) have gotten to know many of you personally over the years and we are grateful for your past support.

With kind regards and many thanks,
The Glacier Valley CSA team.

Welcome to Glacier Valley CSA!

Community Supported Agriculture based in Alaska

Each week we deliver produce boxes full of a great combination of locally grown and/or organic vegetables and fruits from Outside.  The boxes’ contents reflect the season, and as we move into spring, the boxes are packed with a combination of Alaskan storage vegetables and new crops from Outside, including lettuces and citrus.  We have also been able to feature tofu made right here in Anchorage, as well as oyster mushrooms being grown on the Kenai Peninsula.

Is the produce organic?
The boxes are a blend of local and organic. Everything we bring up from outside Alaska is certified organic. Since there aren’t that many certified organic farms in Alaska, filling a box with local organic produce is a tough thing to do. Occasionally we get an Alaska Grown organic vegetable, but since our focus is on providing as much local food as we can, most of our Alaskan produce is not certified.

Scroll down to the “what’s in the box” section, below, to find out just what we’re including in our boxes!

And we always include our newsletter, the Glacier Grist, with farm and CSA news, and recipe ideas and encouragement to help you cook up your bounty!

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

Boxes cost $35, which includes delivery to our pickup spots in Anchorage and the Valley.  There is an added shipping charge for Girdwood and the Kenai Peninsula.  See our complete cost schedule.

WHEN DO I PICK UP MY BOX?

Anchorage and Eagle River and Girdwood:  Wednesday
Palmer and Wasilla: Thursday
Kenai Peninsula: Friday

Click here for a map and specific details on pickup locations.

Do you have more questions? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) tab, above.

READY TO SUBSCRIBE?

We sell our boxes by subscription. You can choose to get a box either every week or every other week.  Your satisfaction is guaranteed, and you can cancel, suspend or change your subscription with one week’s advance notice. 

If you have never ever gotten a CSA box in the past you will need to REGISTER to create a username, password, and choose a box pickup location.  If you have gotten a box from us at any time in the past you’ll need to LOGIN.

When you are ready, CLICK ON THE BIG ORANGE SUBSCRIBE TAB at the top of the page.  THANK YOU!

what’s in the box?

From now until the week of September 26

The boxes will be full of 100% Alaska Grown produce!
We don’t know exactly what will be in the boxes ahead of time, but you’ll have a great variety of Alaskan vegetables from Alaska’s Glacier Valley Farm and VanderWeele Farm.  The boxes will include produce like:
carrots | potatoes | zucchini | broccoli | lettuce (romaine, green or red)  | greens (collards, curly kale, or lacinata kale) | red cabbage | cauliflower | tomatoes | radishes | cabbage | kohlrabi | turnips

glacier grist

Issue #128 • Sunday, July 31, 2011

Hi Everyone,
The season is in full swing now, what fun we are having now!

In the greenhouse; the tomatoes are in full production now! As I reported last week the cucumbers have slowed way down not sure how much longer they will be around, we’ll see.

In the field; The berries have also slowed down we are only getting a few pounds a week right now, I am hopeful the weather will continue to cooperate so we can get another good week or two out of them.
The Zucchini is doing great, it is the best crop I have grown since I started farming. You will start seeing more local onions from here on out, they are growing great this year. I had the greens from one last night in my salad, yum!

If you haven’t had the opportunity to get to one of the many farmers markets this year now would be a great time to go, the markets are rocking! Last saturday we opened up a farm market at our barn here on the farm. We will have “The Barn” farm market open every saturday from 10-4. Our first week went very well we had a good response from everyone, thanks!

I hope to see everyone at the farmers market!

Cheers,
Arthur Keyes
Glacier Valley Farm

recipes

for glacier grist Issue #128

Cheese and Garlic Broccoli and Potato Bake

Rainy night comfort food!

1 bunch broccoli, washed and cut into small frourets
2-4 potatoes, washed and diced
tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 cup of your choice of cheese (I like pepper jack, Colby, or Swiss)

Heat the oil over medium high heat in your pan. Stir in onions and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add broccoli, potatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Cube the cheese and stir into hot mixture.  Bake in a casserole dish at 375 degrees for 30-45 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender. 

Balsamic Blue Cheese Vinaigrette Salad

I love a good vinaigrette dressing.  When I make it from scratch, I know exactly what’s in it.

1/4 cup good quality balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons shallots or sweet onions (use red onions if you like)
1 tablespoon fresh herbs of your choice (I like a mixture of parsley and dill)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper and Kosher salt
4 tablespoons blue cheese, crumbled (I prefer gorgonzola for this)
1 head of lettuce, washed and torn into bite sized pieces

In a food processor or blender, mix together the vinegar, onions, and herbs. Add the olive oil in a slow drizzle while your machine is running. Add in half of your blue cheese and process until smooth.  Add in the remaining blue cheese and leave chunky.  In a large bowl toss lettuce,  and enough dressing to coat.  Now you can get creative and add in other salad ingredients you like.  (I like some diced cucumber and grape tomatoes.)  Enjoy!

Green Leaf Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing

This is a flavorful side to any Mexican meal.  I love it with Carne Asada!

1 head of green leaf lettuce, washed and torn into bite sized pieces
2 limes, juiced
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons hot sauce
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place the lime juice, cilantro, and hot sauce in food processor and add a little salt and pepper. Turn processor on and stream in extra-virgin olive oil. Taste dressing and adjust seasonings. Pour dressing into a bowl and add the lettuce and any other salad items like cucumber, avocado , or tomato. Toss gently and coat in dressing. 

From Scratch Ranch Dip

A great dip for fresh veggies.  I am not a fan of mayonnaise, so I offer alternatives that I enjoy.

1/2 to 1 small clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup mayonnaise, plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 scallion (white and green) minced
3/4 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Optional items I use occasionally to switch up the flavors include:
1 tablespoon fresh basil or oregano
1 teaspoon cayenne or red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons of roasted red bell peppers or sun dried tomatoes

Put everything in a food processor and blend until smooth. Alternatively, if you like a chunkier dip, mince the garlic, parsley and scallion and stir everything together until well blended.  Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to give all the flavors time to come together.  Store for up to a week.