I have a LOT of ground to cover so instead of waxing poetic about why I love you so, I am just going to bullet point the crap out of this newsletter

Our home deliveries are BLOWING UP!  So, when you sign up just know that you will get a delivery on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday for Columbus area folks.  We will let you know at the beginning of each week what day your delivery will be on (all accounts will say Wednesday when you log in- ignore that). Mount Vernon area, Findlay, Delphos, Marion Home Deliveries will continue to be on Friday.

Let me just take a second to give a solid “THANK YOU” from all of our growers and producers.  I have talked to MANY of the men and women that are a part of our LOCAL food network, and everyone is anxious (as we all are) about what the future holds.  I have no more answers than anyone else, but what I do assure them is that we have a customer base that is BACKING THEM 100% OF THE WAY.  

Let’s get back to talking about the good in this world shall we? Any of the citrus that you are seeing from us this winter is from our new friends down in Florida at Thorpe’s Family Farm...again, it’s the first time we have gone outside of Ohio for anything but we are sure glad we did. Those vitamins are much needed right now and I know that I have been crushing that OJ that was in the boxes last week.

Well isn’t this fun? There is a lot happening here at YB that we want to prepare you for. We have seen a tremendous increase in sales in 2 places...store orders and home deliveries. To try and keep up with demand, and stay ahead of all the quarantine and social distancing rules, we will be implementing some new processes. In order to stay ahead of any more “surprises”, we are going to be switching our “public drop-offs” to “parking lot pickups”. **This will only affect Columbus Pickups What this will mean is that we will have 6-8 Spots around the city that we are driving to, parking, handing your orders out to you, and then moving on.

Let’s all take a collective breath together...in…out…

There are many things that I could talk about but let me just say this...this group of people has been preparing for this moment long before the crisis arrived.  

We’ve known a long time that the food system as it existed was not sustainable.  All this has done is affirm what we already saw...that our growers right here need to know that we will buy their food 365 days a year, with or without a crisis.  

For now we will continue to do what we have always done and build a system that can endure for the “long haul”.  

As promised it’s pi day box, and the ingredients necessary to make a “pizza pie”

Pizza was first called pie when Italian immigrants arrived in the United States in the late 1800s. Pizza had similarities to a pie – with a crust, sliced triangle portions and its circular shape. Italian-Americans sold and popularized the pizzas, and the exotic dish picked up the English name “tomato pie”. Sometime thereafter the languages met in the middle to give us the term “pizza pie”.
https://www.crustkingdom.com/why-is-pizza-called-pie/

Welcome to your St. Patty’s Day box!  Plenty of cabbage and potatoes to add to anything you might be making.  The kraut from last week might be something you can use as well. 
Something new. Galangal Root: Similar to ginger except it can't be grated and must be sliced. The flavor is strong - earthy, sharp, and extra citrusy.

Well friends, things are starting to pick up as we near the spring months.  

We have had the most successful winter to date in terms of how many boxes per week we have done, and it’s the first winter we have been able to deliver EVERY SINGLE WEEK!

THAT’s Y’ALL...plain and simple.  You have turned the Yellowbird Foodshed into a 12 month a year LOCAL FOOD COMPANY.  It means so much to the growers to be able to sell food 12 MONTHS a year and not just in “peak” seasons. 

Another themed box this week as you are getting everything you need (apples, oats, butter) to make something super yummy in the apple crisp/crumble family. Please post your pics to A Seat At The Table on Facebook so that we can all be jealous.

Hellow Yellow Friends,

Your feedback of the Thorpes products from Florida was awesome and could best described by Sara J… ”Omg the fruit was awesome. Thank you so much for finding a great partner to bring some sunshine to our Ohio winter fare! I mean, these greens are nurturing my soul, don't get me wrong. But I can't tell you how awesome it was to bite into some fresh, honest strawberries this week. Don't second-guess this decision for a minute.”

** We're BERRY excited to bring you the following! ------------------------------------------------------------ This is a very exciting week for us. We have had a lot of firsts this year and you all have been with us through them all….NOW, WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF SUSTAINABLE CITRUS! Thorpes Organic Family Farm (http://www.thorpesorganicfamilyfarm.com/) has partnered with us to bring some sunshine and much-needed winter vitamins to our Yellowbird Family. Over the next couple of weeks you will be seeing oranges, OJ, strawberries, grapefruit, and yucca.

We have a very rare opportunity that I want to tell you about…

Our team is always researching around the country for what other farmers are doing and how they are bringing their products to market.  

In doing this last month, we connected with a small family farm in Florida that is growing organic citrus, strawberries, and yucca.  They also have a small organic farm in NY and asked if we wanted to meet them on their way up there and buy some of their stuff from Florida for our Yellowbird members.

The last time we had apple cider I said it was the last time...I lied, we actually had 1 more time scheduled.

I actually drink it more this time of year than any other time because I think I need the fruit more in the dead of winter or something…(that sounds like it could be true, so let’s go with that).

Also, please remember that you are eating your medicine each week...ESPECIALLY this time of year.  Your immunities, your defense system, your sense of humor (that can’t be true) are all influenced by the food you are fueling yourselves with

I went to a “Meat Free Monday” dinner as a guest speaker and talked about the Yellowbird community to about 30 people.  They were not all vegan or even vegetarian (nor am I), just folks that are trying to make positive lifestyle changes.

I called our winter group, the “Hard-Core Locavores”.  

I just sat down after being at Newark High School all morning.

They have a home economics teacher (yes, they still exist), and she convinced her 2nd, 3rd, and 4th period classes to take the @1803eatingchallenge that we set up.  The 1803 eating challenge is simply this…”if it ain't grown in Ohio, then we ain't eatin’ it.”  For the month of January, every last ingredient that I’m eating will be grown in Ohio.

Welcome to 2020.  

Wow, what a statement.  If I were watching a movie, and the screen said, “OHIO: 2020”, I would assume they meant that was some time in the future.  Nope. It’s today.

And TODAY we find ourselves in the middle of the 1803 Eating Challenge.

Navy Beans Part Deux:

I’ve never made homemade refried beans.  I’m not even sure what the “typical” refried bean is…kidney?  It doesn’t matter, because what I did know on Saturday was that I had an entire bag of Shagbark Navy Beans.  

I loosely followed the instructions on the back, and poured a bunch into some water.  I let that sit overnight on the counter and then I drained them and poured 8 cups of water over the top of the beans in a dish that I put on the stove to bring to a boil.  

What a fun week it was...Thanksgiving this year, more than anytime before, was such a restful week with the family. I hope that you each had time to reflect, be thankful, and eat good food. If you had a stressful or mournful holiday because of various circumstances, then peace be with you this holiday season.

As we transition into our “WINTER” months, we get to do some unusual things with our boxes. We begin to include some products that might not make it during our other seasons.

Well folks...the time to celebrate is before us. Thanksgiving has been the traditional “ending” of our year at YB. This year is slightly different as we will be coming right back to keep the fun rolling ALL WINTER! However, we will be taking next week off to celebrate with family and friends so it still has that same celebratory, “WE DID IT!” feeling.

We consider it all joy to be gathered with you in spirit around your various tables and layouts.Well folks...the time to celebrate is before us. Thanksgiving has been the traditional “ending” of our year at YB. This year is slightly different as we will be coming right back to keep the fun rolling ALL WINTER! However, we will be taking next week off to celebrate with family and friends so it still has that same celebratory, “WE DID IT!” feeling.

We consider it all joy to be gathered with you in spirit around your various tables and layouts.

I don’t know the first thing about KimChi. Here is what I do know…

It’s good for your gut.

Therefore hipster’s love it

Therefore I love it

ALSO…this batch is made by Krazy Kraut which is

An Ohio company

Using Ohio grown produce

And they gave us a great deal on it because we have such cool members

This week, ONLY THE MINI boxes will be getting it. NEXT WEEK THE BASES AND FULLS will get it.