In your share this week:
- Red Norland Potatoes
- Leeks
- Golden Beets - I apologize for the dirty beets. It is quite cold now on harvest mornings (some of us are working in snow clothes) and I opted to spare the workshares from washing any produce outside in the rain and wind. The positive thing about leaving dirt on the beets is that they will store longer this way. I've kept beets for well over a month in my refrigerator drawer this way.
- Scallions - a little "ugly" and you'll need to spend some time cleaning them up, but they'll be worth it.
This is our last delivery of produce for the 2012 CSA season. You've received 24 weeks of fresh, organic veggies and herbs from this farm and we are proud to have served you so well. It has been a great season in so many ways. Thank you for your support. Thank you for the kind words, praise and encouragement. We are happy to have been a positive part of your lives.
I was very hopeful to have a nice surprise of a bigger share this week. There were several crops I've been tending (still watering and covering) in hopes they'd bounce back for one last week. Nope. Dead. So, we go out with what's been stored in our basement (the potatoes) and a few last root crops from the greenhouses.
Some years we've ended the CSA season because the weeks ran out on the calendar. Some years it was because the weather turned too challenging to continue. This is the first time in all our years of farming that we've literally ran out of food. We aren't complaining, it's just a new experience. Shain is meticulous in his planning and planting. He keeps records of years past to know how much to plant, when to plant, etc. for a full season. As I look back at this year, I can see how the warmer weather affected our growing season giving us spikes of abundance at times and less of an even long, steady flow. Again, not complaining, just observing.
I've already had some folks request to sign up for 2013, but we aren't set up for that quite yet. Shain and I have started thinking about next year and we have every intention of operating the farm and CSA very similar to how it's gone this past year. As you can imagine, there are many details that need to fit into place just right to make this all work well. Honestly, having enough help is one of our biggest concerns. This factor is taken into consideration when we decide how many shares we'll have in the CSA, the price of the shares, what areas of the community we'll deliver food to, how long the season lasts, etc. We can't do this alone, it's a community effort, which is the idea behind CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) in the first place. So, we'll start making plans for another great season and we ask you to spread the word about our farm. Those who live closer to Smoot, please consider our workshare program and talk us up to your friends. EverGreen Farm is a great cause to support!
I will continue posting farm updates here on this website throughout the winter. Information about signing up for the 2013 season will be posted here in January. Current 2012 CSA members will also be contacted by email and regular mail.
We welcome your feedback on this past season. Please let us know if you noticed anything we need to imporve (in regards to the veggies or the procedures we use). Did you get to much of any one crop? Not enough of another? What were your favorites you want us to keep growing? Least favorite? Is there anything you want Farmer Shain to try growing in the future (keep in mind our challenging growing climate)? We'd love to hear from you!
Have a great week and ENJOY your veggies!
Tara
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