November has just started to show itself on the greens in the field. The less tolerant varieties of lettuce have started to wilt, the tips of the leaves whitening with frost damage. There are plenty of heartier heads out there and depending on just how cold it gets we will hopefully have more weeks of fresh greens coming in.

Yesterday I harvested endive roots for the cellar. They are laid out in the greenhouse right now drying—long, thick roots looking almost like a parsnip with green masses of leaves on top. Those tops will come off tomorrow and the roots will be stored in the cooler. When true winter comes I’ll pull them out to plant in barrels of moist soil, moving them to a warmer location, but still keeping them in the dark. If all goes well this should force tender, pale heads of leaves to form on the roots. Endive can be used raw in salads, or braised, grilled or roasted for a cooked dish. However they are prepared they are incredibly nutritious and a wonderful treat in the midst of root season.

If you have not done so already, please return winter share forms or discuss options with us if you need more time. We want to get our numbers settled soon. After a beautiful growing season we have lots of great food in the veggie share this winter—the return of cornmeal, seven varieties of dried beans, krauts and kimchees as well as the full round of storage vegetables and sweet maple syrup in the early spring, asparagus and early greens. The freezers are loaded with pork, beef and chicken and the laying hens will be at it all winter long. So many good things in store.

In the Farm Shares

In the veggie share: brussel sprouts, winter squash, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, leeks, lettuce, kale, chard, white, blue and fingerling potatoes, garlic, red and white cooking onions, green, red and savoy cabbage, carrots, beets, wheat berries, whole wheat flour.

In the meat share: Pork, beef and chicken in the freezer. New sausage this week: bourbon fennel and ginger sage.

Sara Kurak
Full and By Farm

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• Full and By Farm: Summer Heat (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
• Full and By Farm: Spring Greens (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
• Full and By Farm: Ahead on Winter Prep (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
• Full and By Farm: Preparing Fields (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
• Full and By Farm: Preparing for Cold (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)