This Week’s Fruit

Shinko Asian Pears The Shinko is a large pear with its round shape slightly flattened. The skin is bronze with brown russeting and its juicy, creamy white flesh has a subtly rich flavor. Pears are great sources of Vitamin C which, fights free radicals. They are also an excellent source of fiber. Eat the skins! Research shows that the skins contain three to four times as many antioxidants and anti-inflammatory flavonoids as the flesh. Doctors also recommend pears for introducing babies to solid foods because they are low in acid and will be easier on babies tummies. Pink Lady Apples Cayuma Orchards, New Cayuma, CA A cross between the Golden Delicious and Lady Williams, the Pink Lady is a crisp and juicy apple with a tart finish. A creamy white colored flesh that resists browning makes this an excellent apple for salads and slicing. Also a modern day favorite for eating out of hand. The apple a day adage may be spot on. Recent research has shown that apples are associated with lower risk of heart diseases and strokes. They are also an excellent source of fiber and a good source of vitamin C. Hayward Kiwi Chiechi Farms, Live Oak, CA Originally known as the Chinese gooseberry due to its Chinese orgins. Hawyward Wright, a New Zealand nurseryman propagated his plants by grafting and they eventually became the preferred cultivar of growers due to their sweet flavor and thin skin. Kiwis are a great source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Potassium and Copper, and a very good source of Vitamin C and Vitamin K. Clementines Olsen Organic Farms, Lindsay, CA Clementines are the smallest variety of mandarin oranges. They are a cross between a sweet orange and a Chinese mandarine. Clementines are very sweet, juicy, easy to peel, and usually seedless, making them very popular with children and adult alike. Clementines are rich in potassium, vitamin C and vitamin B-complex minerals like niacin and thiamine.

A Note from Farmer Al

Man vs. Nature Dear CSA Members, Yesterday, Becky and I took Maddie and Millie to see the documentary film “Chasing Ice” by James Balog, “National Geographic” photographer. Visually beautiful, this film provides stunning evidence of the effects of global warming on glaciers. Balog says the most important issue of our time is the relationship between man and nature. Then, just a few minutes ago on NPR radio I listened to a report about Brazilian farmers who want to cut down unprecedented amounts of the Amazon Rainforest “to grow more food for a hungry world”. Wealthy and powerful land owners and farming interests in Brazil have organized themselves to speak with one powerful voice to advance their agenda, pitting themselves against environmental groups around the world. It’s business as usual, man against nature, and men versus men, in a greedy struggle propelling us blindly into an uncertain future for our children and for the earth. Even here in Brentwood, we are engaged in this same struggle for control of the land and how it is to be used for generations to come. Developers want to build homes on prime farmland, and farmers are willing to sell to them to make more money than they can make by farming it. If the developers succeed, as is happening all across America and the world, then yet one more small corner of nature will be lost and global warming will continue to advance. In the end we all lose. Please join me in this struggle. As CSA members, we can join together to make a small difference here in our own communities. I would love to have your help in discovering new ways for Frog Hollow Farm to become more sustainable, more earth-friendly, and more connected to nature. If you have any ideas, please send them to me. My email is farmeral@froghollow.com.