2025 Roots Farmshare – Week 13

Can you believe we are over halfway through our farmshare? Thank you for supporting Roots Farm and enjoying the season with us!

What’s in Your Share This Week

• Lettuce/head

• Collards

• Carrots

• Turnips/no tops

• Cucumbers

• Chives

• Basil

  
  

Special Gift – A Basil Plant 🌱

This week we’re sending home the gift of a basil plant with your share. Fresh basil is one of summer’s joys, and with the right care, you can keep harvesting from your plant all season long.

Here’s a quick video on how to prune and keep your basil growing longer:Watch the Basil Pruning Video »

Enjoy, and may your basil plants thrive on your windowsill, porch, or garden!

Recipes & Kitchen Inspiration

1. Lettuce & Cucumber Salad with Chive Vinaigrette

• Toss crisp lettuce and sliced cucumbers.

• Make a simple vinaigrette with olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and finely chopped chives.

• Optional: add crumbled feta or toasted sunflower seeds.

2. Collard Green Wraps

• Blanch large collard leaves until pliable.

• Fill with shredded carrots, sliced cucumbers, rice or quinoa, and hummus or protein of choice.

• Roll up like a burrito—fresh, portable, and hearty.

3. Roasted Carrots & Turnips with Basil Oil

• Cut carrots and turnips into chunks. Roast with olive oil, salt, and pepper until golden.

• Blend basil with olive oil, garlic, and a pinch of salt for a quick drizzle.

4. Basil Pesto (with Chive Twist)

• Blend fresh basil, a handful of chives, garlic, nuts (walnuts, almonds, or pine nuts), olive oil, and lemon juice.

• Toss with pasta, drizzle over grilled veggies, or spread on sandwiches.

5. Cucumber–Carrot Pickles

• Slice carrots and cucumbers into sticks.

• Pack into a jar with garlic, chives, and peppercorns.

• Pour over a hot brine of vinegar, water, sugar, and salt. Quick pickle in the fridge—ready in 24 hours.

6. Turnip & Carrot Mash

• Boil carrots and turnips until tender.

• Mash with butter (or olive oil), salt, and pepper.

• Add a sprinkle of chives for brightness.

  
  

Real Talk – From Jen & Nikki

We want to take a moment to share openly with all of you about this season and why your farmshare has looked the way it has.

At the beginning of 2025, our farm was set up to sell almost exclusively to food banks while also running research and education projects funded through grants. Our entire crop plan was designed with that in mind. When the new administration took office, many of those grants—and the funds that supported food banks—were cut or put on hold. We lost most of our funding in early spring, some arrived far too late in the season to help, and some we’re still waiting on.

This had two big impacts:

1. Crop planning. Because we hadn’t originally planned for a farmshare, our crop diversity isn’t as wide as it would have been had we set out to design the farmshare from the start. That’s why there has been more redundancy in the vegetables this year than we would like.

2. Labor. Early-season funding normally pays for help during the busiest planting months. Without that, we were months behind, and we are still attempting to catch up.

   
   

Despite these challenges, we pivoted quickly to start a farmshare so our crops wouldn’t go to waste and so that we could still serve our community directly. It’s been a learning year, and your support has made it possible for us to keep going.

Looking forward:

• In 2026, we plan to expand the number of farmshare spaces and build a crop plan designed around farmshare members from the very beginning.

• We’ll be offering different share sizes to better fit household needs and eating habits.

• We still intend to continue our research and education work and maintain partnerships with local food banks. Long-term, our vision is to keep the farmshare as a permanent part of Roots Farm while continuing to serve vulnerable populations and train new farmers.

  
  

We also want to highlight that Roots Farm is home to internship programs in partnership with the VA, Washington State University, and the Intertribal Agency, along with conservation projects and climate-resilient farming research. These efforts are ongoing, and your support of the farmshare helps sustain that broader mission.

We deeply appreciate your patience, understanding, and support this season. You’ve been part of helping us get through a very tough year, and we’re excited to grow Roots Farmshare together into something even stronger next year.

With gratitude,

Jen Clark & Nikki Parks

Pickup Details – Wednesdays, 5–7 PM

Poulsbo Pickup

Echoes Brewing

Jen Clark

360-689-5926

19479 Viking Ave NW

Poulsbo, WA 98370

Bremerton Pickup

At Farmer Nikki's House

Nikki Parks

360-551-5103

1105 N. Lafayette Ave

Bremerton, WA 98312