Living City Farms Newsletter August 24th 2026 CSA week 12

Living City Farms Newsletter

August 24th, 2026

CSA Week 12

“A farm, like a marriage and a family, is built one season at a time. You plant together, weather the storms together, celebrate the little victories, and learn that the things worth growing rarely happen overnight. Through every season, it is the commitment to keep showing up, tending what you’ve been given, and growing together that makes something truly beautiful.”

Dear Living City Farms Family,

Welcome to Week 12 of the 2026 Outdoor CSA Season!

There is something special about this time of year on the farm.

Summer is beginning to slowly give way to fall, the fields are overflowing with abundance, and everywhere we look there are reminders that the season is moving forward. New crops are coming into harvest while others are nearing the end of their summer run. Seeds we planted months ago are finally becoming dinner-table vegetables, and the first signs of our fall harvests are beginning to appear.

And this week is especially meaningful for our farm family.

Today, August 24th, is Farm Manager Liz and Maintenance Manager Jake’s 7th wedding anniversary!

But technically, they’ve been “going together” for over 17 years!

Over those 17+ years, we’ve experienced more than a few growing seasons together—not just in the fields, but in life. We’ve moved across the country and overseas, started over in new places, built businesses, navigated challenges, and eventually found our way back to where it all began:

good ole’ Ohio.

Living City Farms has become another chapter in that story.

Farming together has a funny way of teaching you about marriage and family. You learn quickly that you can’t control the weather, that plans sometimes have to change, that some things need more patience than others, and that there is always another season ahead.

Most importantly, you learn that you need to keep showing up.

We’re incredibly grateful for the life we’ve built, the lessons we’ve learned, and the people who have become part of our Living City Farms family along the way.

So here’s to another year, another growing season, and another chapter.

Farm Happenings

The Farmstand Is Open 24/7!

Have friends who haven’t discovered Living City Farms yet?

Don’t forget to tell your friends about the LCF Farmstand!

Our farmstand is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, making it easy to stop by and pick up fresh farm goods whenever your schedule allows.

We’re operating on the honor system and accept:

• Cash
• Venmo

It’s a simple way to support your local farm while picking up something fresh for dinner, flowers for your table, or a little something extra for the week.

Bring a friend, spread the word, and come see what’s growing!

Come Get Your Hands Dirty!

We’re looking for farm volunteers!

The end of summer and beginning of fall is one of the most exciting times of year on the farm—and there is ALWAYS something happening.

We’re looking for volunteers Monday–Friday, anytime between 8:30 AM and 3:30 PM to help us with:

• Harvesting
• Weeding
• Garden maintenance
• Fall crop preparation
• Seedling and planting work
• General farm projects
• Getting your hands wonderfully dirty!

No farming experience is necessary. Just bring yourself, clothes you don’t mind getting dirty, water, and a willingness to have some fun.

Come spend a few hours in the sunshine, learn about organic farming, and share in the magic of the end-of-summer-to-fall growing season!

We’d love to have you out here!

Contact Farm Manager Liz Directly at:
808-868-8881 (Call or Text)
Liz.falkenstein@livingcityfarms.com

From Summer Abundance to soon-to-be Fall Harvests

This week we’re seeing a wonderful transition happening across the farm.

We’re bursting at the seams with Sweet Genovese Basil!

So much basil, in fact, that we’re putting it to work.

Our Tallmadge Harvest Pesto—our delicious nut-free farm pesto—will be making an appearance on our grocer partner shelves this week, and we’re incredibly excited to be bringing it back into rotation.

And even better?

Tallmadge Harvest Pesto will be making its way into your CSA shares next week!

It’s one of our favorite ways to preserve the incredible abundance of basil that August gives us, turning a summer harvest into something you can enjoy well beyond the field.

We’re also beginning to see some exciting fall harvests on the horizon.

ONIONS ARE HERE!

Leeks & onions are harvest-ready this week and ready to grace your dinner plates!

We’re excited to finally start bringing these beautiful alliums into your shares.

While they all belong to the same botanical family, they each bring something different to the kitchen:

Yellow onions are the classic workhorse—sweetening beautifully as they cook and perfect for nearly everything from soups and sauces to roasting and caramelizing.

Bunching green onions are milder, fresher, and quicker to use. Their green tops and white bases can both be enjoyed, making them perfect for salads, garnishes, stir-fries, eggs, and fresh salsas.

Leeks are softer and more delicate, with a subtle sweetness and gentle onion flavor. Their mild character makes them particularly wonderful in soups, creamy sauces, roasted vegetable dishes, and potato recipes.

Think of leeks as the sophisticated cousin of the onion bulb.

And there’s even more coming…

Tiger Melons & Cantaloupe Are Almost Ready!

Our melons are getting SO close to harvest!

The Tiger Melons are especially adorable, with their beautiful striped appearance and petite size. We’re watching them closely and waiting for that perfect moment when they’re ready to come off the vine.

We’re also seeing our cantaloupes approaching harvest.

Melon season is almost here!

And Our Luffa Is Finally Flowering!

After producing an absolutely enormous amount of vine growth, we’re finally seeing some of our first luffa gourd blossoms appear!

We’re very excited to see where this crop takes us.

Luffa gourds are fascinating because they’re not just edible when young—they can also be allowed to mature on the vine and become the natural luffa sponges many people know for bathing, scrubbing, and household cleaning.

Later this season, we’re hoping to turn our mature luffa into a farm-grown product and potentially collaborate with a local soap-making partner to create something extra special.

So keep an eye out—this little experiment could become a very fun addition to the Living City Farms product line!

Produce Spotlights

Tulsi Bouquet Hanging Bundles

We know this one generates a very common question:

“Okay… but what do I actually DO with this much Tulsi?”

You’re not alone!

We hear from many CSA members that they love receiving our Tulsi but aren’t always sure how to use it.

Tulsi, also known as Holy Basil, is incredibly versatile.

Try hanging your bundle somewhere warm and dry and allowing it to dry naturally. Once dried, strip the leaves from the stems and store them in an airtight container for tea.

You can also:

• Brew it as a hot herbal tea
• Make iced Tulsi tea with lemon and honey
• Combine it with other herbs for your own tea blend
• Add fresh leaves to infused water
• Use fresh Tulsi in herbal syrups
• Make a simple Tulsi-infused honey
• Add the fresh leaves to cocktails or mocktails
• Use dried leaves in homemade herbal blends
• Combine it with basil in pesto for a unique twist

And if you don’t have time to process the whole bundle right away, hang it somewhere dry and enjoy the beautiful aroma while it dries!

Tulsi is one of those herbs that becomes incredibly useful once you discover your favorite way to preserve it.

Cherry Go Round Cherry Tomatoes

These beautiful little tomatoes are back this week and still bringing plenty of summer flavor to the farm.

Sweet, juicy, and snackable, Cherry Go Round tomatoes are perfect for:

• Salads
• Pasta
• Bruschetta
• Roasting
• Grain bowls
• Omelets
• Fresh salsa
• Eating straight from the container!

Honestly, sometimes the best recipe is just wash them and eat them.

Special CSA Collaboration

Maize & Co. Blue Clarage Corn Tortillas

We’re incredibly excited to feature something extra special in our Premium CSA shares this week:

Blue Clarage Corn Tortillas from Maize & Co.!

This is a collaboration that means a lot to us.

Former Living City Farms Farm Manager Steve Larson has taken his passion for growing and agriculture into a new business venture with Maize & Co., and we are honored to feature tortillas made from the Blue Clarage corn he grew.

It’s pretty special to see the work of a former member of the LCF team come back around and make its way into our CSA boxes.

Thanks, Steve! We’re so excited to share this with our CSA family.

And we’ve got some delicious ideas for how to put those tortillas to work…

Tea of the Week

Tulsi Tea

Since you’re receiving Tulsi this week, why not turn some of it into tea?

Tulsi makes a wonderfully aromatic herbal tea with a bright, slightly spicy and naturally sweet character.

How to Enjoy It

Hot Tea:
Use fresh or dried Tulsi leaves and steep in hot water for 5–10 minutes. Add lemon or honey if desired.

Iced Tulsi Tea:
Brew a concentrated tea, allow it to cool, then pour over ice. Add lemon, fresh mint, or a little Tallmadge Gold Raw Honey.

Tulsi Lemonade:
Brew strong Tulsi tea, cool completely, and combine with fresh lemon juice, water, and honey.

Tulsi & Ginger Tea:
Combine Tulsi with fresh ginger for a warming, aromatic herbal tea.

Tulsi Infused Honey:
Gently infuse dried Tulsi into honey for a fragrant herbal sweetener.

As always, consult your healthcare provider before using herbal products if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.

This Week’s CSA Harvest

Basic Share

• Zucchini — Yellowfin, Dunja, or Mexicana
• Tulsi Bouquet Hanging Bundle
• Sweet Genovese Basil
• Sweet Peppers — Islander Purple, Green Bell, or Banana
• Eggplant — Annia or Turkish Delight
• Nasturtiums — Culinary Flowers
• Confetti Radish Microgreens
• Patterson Yellow Onions OR Leeks OR Bunching Green Onions
• Cherry Go Round Cherry Tomatoes
• Tango Celery

Premium Share Additions

• Spring Mix Lettuce OR Firebird & Bright Lights Chard
• Maize & Co. Blue Clarage Corn Tortillas

Recipe Corner

Blue Corn Farm Tacos

A perfect way to bring together the work of two farms—your Living City Farms produce and Steve’s Blue Clarage corn tortillas.

You’ll need:

• Maize & Co. Blue Clarage Corn Tortillas
• Sweet peppers
• Zucchini
• Eggplant
• Bunching green onions or yellow onion
• Sweet Genovese basil
• Nasturtium flowers
• Cherry Go Round tomatoes
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• Lime juice

Slice the zucchini, eggplant, peppers, and onions. Sauté in olive oil until tender and lightly browned. Warm the Blue Clarage tortillas in a dry skillet.

Fill each tortilla with the roasted vegetables and top with halved Cherry Go Round tomatoes, fresh basil, sliced green onions, and colorful nasturtium petals.

Finish with lime juice, salt, and pepper.

Beautiful, colorful, completely farm-fresh tacos!

Summer Garden Blue Corn Quesadillas

A cheesy, crispy way to use just about everything in this week’s share.

You’ll need:

• Maize & Co. Blue Clarage Corn Tortillas
• Zucchini
• Sweet peppers
• Eggplant
• Yellow onion or leeks
• Sweet Genovese basil
• Cheese of your choice
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper

Sauté finely chopped vegetables with olive oil until tender. Place a tortilla in a skillet, add cheese and the sautéed vegetables, then top with another tortilla.

Cook until golden and crisp on both sides.

Slice into wedges and serve with fresh Cherry Go Round tomatoes, chopped green onions, and a spoonful of salsa.

Fresh Garden Salsa & Blue Corn Chips

A simple recipe that lets the summer produce shine.

You’ll need:

• Cherry Go Round tomatoes
• Sweet peppers
• Bunching green onions
• Sweet Genovese basil
• Nasturtium petals
• Lime juice
• Salt
• Maize & Co. Blue Clarage Corn Tortillas

Dice the tomatoes, peppers, and green onions. Chop fresh basil and gently tear nasturtium petals into the mixture.

Toss everything with fresh lime juice and salt.

For homemade blue corn chips, cut the tortillas into wedges, lightly brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and bake at 375°F until crisp.

Serve immediately with your fresh farm salsa!

Creamy Leek, Celery & Basil Soup

A cozy recipe that bridges summer and fall.

You’ll need:

• Leeks
• Tango celery
• Yellow onion
• Zucchini
• Sweet Genovese basil
• Garlic
• Olive oil or butter
• Vegetable or chicken stock
• Salt & pepper
• Cream or milk, optional

Clean and slice the leeks carefully. Sauté the leeks, onion, celery, and garlic in butter or olive oil until soft and fragrant.

Add chopped zucchini and enough stock to cover. Simmer until the vegetables are tender.

Blend until smooth, then season with salt and pepper. Add a splash of cream if desired and finish with plenty of fresh basil.

Basil & Nasturtium Summer Salad

Bright, colorful, and completely edible from flower to leaf.

Combine:

• Cherry Go Round tomatoes
• Sweet peppers
• Tango celery
• Fresh Sweet Genovese basil
• Nasturtium flowers
• Bunching green onions
• Olive oil
• Lemon or lime juice
• Salt & pepper

Slice the vegetables and toss gently with fresh basil and nasturtium petals.

Drizzle with olive oil and citrus juice, season with salt and pepper, and serve chilled.

It’s almost too pretty to eat. Almost.

Looking Ahead

The farm is changing every day right now.

Our summer crops are still producing, but we’re beginning to see fall crops emerge, melons nearing harvest, luffa flowers opening, and the first signs of the next season appearing throughout the fields.

That’s one of our favorite things about farming:

There is always something growing.

Sometimes it’s a vegetable.

Sometimes it’s a new idea.

Sometimes it’s a new business venture.

Sometimes it’s a family.

And sometimes it’s all of those things at once.

We’re grateful that you’ve chosen to grow alongside us.

Stay Connected

There are so many ways to be part of the Living City Farms community!

Be sure to visit the Farmer’s Blog and follow us on social media for:

• Weekly harvest updates
• Behind-the-scenes farm life
• Seasonal recipes
• Educational workshops
• Volunteer opportunities
• Upcoming farm events
• Farmstand updates
• New products and seasonal offerings

And don’t forget:

Farmstand — Open 24/7 on the honor system
Farm Volunteers — Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–3:30 PM

Every CSA share helps restore soil, strengthen our local food system, support organic and regenerative agriculture, and prove that healthy food starts with healthy land.

Thank you for being part of this journey with us.

Have a wonderful week, enjoy your harvest, and we’ll see you on the farm!

With gratitude,

The Living City Farms Team