Linden Hills Co-op is a proud member of the Local Fair Trade Network, the sponsors of this great September event at one of our favorite farms.

The strawberries may be gone, but this week brings delicious, juicy, sweet locally-grown raspberries from Naturally Northern Growers in Siren, Wisconsin. The Carlin family hand picks their luscious raspberries when the berries are deep, dark red in color and at the peak of their flavor. Though not certified organic, the Carlins are dedicated to producing high quality berries without using herbicides or pesticides. In fact, they hand-weed their entire orchard—that’s 4,000 feet of raspberry canes!

Chard is one of the most beautiful vegetables around. The broad green leaves contrasting with the bright, boldly colored stems make it lovely enough to display in a vase.

But you should eat it. Lightly steamed, with a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of olive oil. Chopped and sauteed with some pungent garlic and a grind of fresh black pepper. On a pizza. Baked with feta. Just type “chard” into the search box at the top of the page for more information and ideas.

Did we mention we have locally grown chard right now?

Linden Hills Co-op and other co-ops around the region are collecting donations for the Northcountry Cooperative Development Fund, for a special effort to provide disaster relief for farmers and cooperatives affected by the recent floods here in the Midwest.

The CSA season is in full swing, and the Blanchards at Rock Spring Farm near Decorah are bringing in chard and cucumbers; you’ll find some of Kim Blanchard’s recipes in their farm blog, the Eat Better News, about the late spring and buckets of rain. Click on the link above to read about the happenings at Rock Spring Farm.

The spring local crops are starting to arrive! This week, it’s green garlic, dandelion greens, watercress and rhubarb, to name a few. Here’s a great way to use these early greens: a fresh dip for raw asparagus spears!

Once again, we’re proud to partner with six local farms that are offering Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares to our neighborhood. Linden Hills Co-op will be a pick-up site this season for BC Gardens, Featherstone Fruits and Vegetables, Riverbend Farms, Rock Spring Farm, and Sylvan Hills Farm.

If you purchase a CSA share from one of these farms, you’ll have the added convenience of picking up your weekly share box right here at the co-op.

Here are a couple of things you might want to know (if you’re new to the CSA world):