Another beautiful freezing Ohio day!

Since Benji is on the road this week, the newsletter is coming to you via Erin.

If this is your first week with us, WELCOME! Below you will find the possible veggies in your shares this week, as well as storage tips and recipes. For past newsletters, you can always check the blog, where we post them each week after sending them to your inbox.

Thank you for the continued support of this foodshed, and we hope you enjoy the fun fruits and veggies we have headed your way!

Over the last couple of years, we have seen what it looks like to have shortages in the food supply chain. Whether it was beef, chicken wings, romaine, or cream cheese, we have seen what can happen when a few things collide to create a perfect storm of distribution issues.

We find ourselves in the middle of winter!

The snow fell hard last week and we were able to get all the food out!

Now, looking ahead, let me tell you about what will happen over the next couple of weeks and months.

In our usual weird way of connecting with great growers, we have found a Mennonite group out of California that sent us some oranges and lemons to put up against our Thorpes products coming out of Florida.

We have an item this week that we have NEVER had at this time of year.

GREEN TOMATOES

“And now, the rest of the story…” (yes, I am definitely old enough to remember Paul Harvey)

We just got introduced to a farm that we have never bought from…Clark’s Fruit and Vegetable Farm down on the Ohio River.

When I say “on” the Ohio River, I mean ON.

The amount of amazing food that came through our doors this week is astounding.

-New varieties of apples (Granny Smith and Pink Lady)

-Every color of turnip, carrot, and beet you can imagine

-Asian Greens and Brassica’s that are so fresh and nutrient-dense

I sat down to type this and a truck showed up with citrus from Florida.

As a company, we have been meeting together to redefine who we are.

Not necessarily to change anything, although we are always open to change, especially if it

benefits the customer.

More to just circle back to the core of who we are. Why do we exist?

At the end of the day, we are floating around things like, “We exist to connect the consumer, to their food in a meaningful way.”

As I walked through our cooler this morning to remind myself of what we were eating this week, I saw everything that I could have hoped for.

Colors - Purples, Pinks, Oranges, and of course GREENS

Textures - Soft, Crisp, Juicy, Tender

Shapes and Sizes Galore!!

When you eat plant forward, it can become dull at times...in other words, it can seem like you are just eating the same salad every day.

Take the time this week to do something a little different. If you normally eat your brassica’s or asian greens raw...hit them with a little heat in a pan. If you normally cut your carrots into coins, take the time to use a peeler and essentially “peel” an entire carrot into your mix. Those long, thin strips of carrot hit your pallet different than just cutting them up into chunks.

LOTS of GREAT things to come in 2022!!

Easier Ordering

Faster Deliveries

Cheaper Deliveries

Customer Loyalty

New Products

Amazing, Nutritious, Locally Grown Fruits and Veggies

I have had a blast this year on the theme of Christmas Oranges.

I always think of the first scene in the book Little Women when they are gearing up for Christmas morning and the gifts are so simple and practical. Every little detail makes a difference and even though they have a scarce supply of resources, they are able to make the day festive and meaningful for everyone.

Hey folks!

It's almost Christmas time- which means warm food and hopefully extra time with loved ones!

Giftcards: If you're interested in gifting the gift of Yellowbird you can log into your account and click GIFT A BOX on the top banner and purchase a giftcard (e-certificate) for someone in the central Ohio area.

ALSO, we don't just have Ohio food goodies, but local artisanal gifts for your friends and fam.

While the white snow falls outside our doors, we are packing boxes that are full of the most vibrant colors.

Green and Red apples, Purple/Yellow/Red beets, Rainbow carrots and radishes, and tons of fresh Greens!

Our Ohio farms are still producing LOTS of wonderful food and it gives me confidence to say that our FOODSHED is stable, no matter what the news headlines say.

Has everyone gotten in their first viewing of ELF for the year? If not, stop what you are doing and get that taken care of.

After that, let’s talk about the next couple of weeks.

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. The day is chilly, the food is warm, the naps are long, and hearts are happy.

We hope that you're able to spend your holiday with those you hold dear.
Thank you so much for letting us be a part of it.
-Erin

This is one of our favorite weeks of the year...it’s the week that we can see what our customers are going to be cooking and backing for the most wonderful day of the year!

By the looks of things, there are going to be some tasty and soul-full things that will be on your tables next week...I’m hoping that your friends and family will be gathered with you to be able to have human interaction and see the light in people's eyes as you tell them how much you love and appreciate them.

Next week is the week before Thanksgiving!! (which also happens to be my favorite holiday)

I brainstormed out my holiday food overview last night and it looks something like this:

Food, Fellowship, Macy’s Parades, and Turkey Trots.

I must talk to you about Thanksgiving.

This year we are hosting close to 20 people...not just for the day, but for the WEEK!

Fall is officially upon us.

I know I'm probably not supposed to have a favorite veggie season- but I do- and it is fall!!

Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower, Leeks, Squash, Herbs- it really doesn't get better than that.

While we send a bit of goodness to everyone throughout the season, if you find you're wanting more you can always add to your order through our online store.

Continuing on from a couple of weeks ago where I introduced the book, Diet For A Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappe, I want us to consider another food-related threat.

HOW WE FEED OURSELVES WORSENS CLIMATE CHAOS

Our Food System Globally generates as much as 37 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. This is due to our large shift to corporate, chemical practices.

Over the years we have always tried to be transparent with our customers so that you could catch glimpses of what is actually happening with your food as it goes from being just a thought on a page in the middle of the winter, all the way to your kitchen.

This week, we had one of those mini “disasters” that happens when working with real food and mother nature.