Farmer Notes
April 1, 2006
Hello NYC Chubby Bunny CSA!
First, a big thanks to Bernie Deleo for being our contact to NYC. She's worked hard (with others I'm sure) to make this happen again. Thanks Bernie!
We thought we aught to send you all a note about the farm, the family, the crops for 2006, etc. First, thank all of you who are signing up for another season. Now's the time of year when operating costs (seed, soil ammendments, irrigation equipment, propane, etc.) are at their highest, and our credit cards are starting to carry a heavier load. So the earlier you get signed up, the less CITI Bank makes on us. This is one more way that the CSA concept works for farmers. We dont have to wait for the crops to come in to pay off the loan... So thanks for signing up!
It's been an amazing journey as farmers. This will be our tenth year in farming, our fifth year in buisness for ourselves. I guess now we can say we've overcome the statistics about new buisnesses that dont survive past year four. Hurray! Again, a tribute to the CSA model, which takes some of the edge off the standard economic model...
2005 was the toughest yet for me as farmer, but perhaps the most rewarding. It's Beatrice, now 8 months old, who counterbalanced all the difficulties...Last year, all this crazy stuff happened...Grandma died, I had lymes disease for a month in August, our cat got hit by a car, cancer striking close to home, lightning hit the apprentice trailer, a bear attacked the apprentice trailer, our neighbor (and friend) broke her neck...2005 was a year to remember! Beatrice, by the way, continues to thrive, is about to crawl, loves the lambs and chickens. And what an amazing mom Tracy is. She's quite skilled, as I see it. And what an incredible experience was the home birth...
Speaking of birth, our Ewes have done us proud once again, giving birth to five new lambs. Our girls thrive on the hay from our neighbors, the Kinsellas, and are fed free choice on seaweed from Maine, sea salt, and a small bit of organic grain to get them to the spring grass. Right now I wont allow them into the pasture because I'd like it to have some recovery time. And I'm waiting for a shipment of Azomite trace minerals (an ancient seabed deposit) to feed the depleted grass (which will in turn make healthier animals...)
Our 60 hens, now a year old, have spent the winter in the greenhouse eating hay, seaweed, and organic grain. They look completly healthy, and, like the sheep, are just itching to get out and eat some grass. I'm holding out for the pastures sake, but the day draws near. I cant wait to start eating those dark orange eggs again. We'd like to make these eggs available to you in quantites of ten dozen per week, as long as they are laying the eggs. More on this later.
So, how about 2006? Here's an update on our plans. First, we're still seeking 2 apprentices. We've had some inquires. Nothing like holding out till the last minute! Our greenhouse is full of young onions, celery, celeriac, lettuce, hierloom tomato plants, cabbage, herbs, etc., and will certainly require apprental help when transplanting time comes around. On the 2006 crop "intentions" based on the survey you received and our own realities:
1. Less cabbage
2. less turnips/radishes
3. sweet corn (a valiant effort looms)
4. edamame steaming soybeans
5. more green beans
6. more chard
7. more broccoli
8. hierloom tomatoes (as best we can, they're tough to
grow)
9. more leeks/onions/garlic/shallots.
And probably other changes as the season pans out. Again, these are our intentions, we'll do our best, as always. The rest of the crops we will try to have in quantities similar to last year. (Melons, frisee, tomatoes, lettuce mix, arugula, peppers, sweet potatoes, beets, kale, etc.)
Interested in lamb? Let us know by the end of the summer. We'll be selling it in halves for $100. More on this much later...
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