Cream of the Crop CSA

Farmer Notes

June 12, 2007

For some reason first week of CSA distribution always comes at the same time as other big events. Last year, Dan was stricken with Babesiosis the night before first distribution. This year our farmer friend Brian had an emergency appendectomy! Brian and his wife Justine, run a 280 member CSA in upstate NY. This year their farm crew is pretty fresh and not that familiar with organic crop production. So Dan is lending a hand on his day off to go up to their farm near Troy to help out with some tractor work. It sounds like he'll be cultivating potatoes, direct seeding and probably a few other things.

I can't imagine what we'd do in a similar situation. Actually, I can. We have lots of friends and family that have helped us out immensely in the past and am sure would rise to occasion again (hopefully there never will be one!!). Brian helped us out a few years ago after I had a scary truck accident the night before our NYC distribution - when we were driving down ourselves and staying for the whole pick up. This kind of thing is another important reason for CSA. The Denisons had to put off their first CSA pick up. It is great when farmers are supported by a community that knows them as human beings. Our interconnectedness is really highlighted when something like this happens. I'm sure most of their members as well as their other farming colleagues were more than understanding and eager to help out. Hopefully these things don't happen too often. But they can be a good way to gain perspective, get out of our own inner worlds and remind us to stay connected.

Meanwhile, there is plenty going on here at our place. Allisa & Aliyah have been great. Now that harvest is upon us hopefully they'll feel their efforts paying off a little. It's kind of impressive to see a whole bed of lettuce cut down and done with. At least I feel a small since of accomplishment in it.

We had our sweet potatoes slips arrive a little too tired from their trip from North Carolina - out of 2500 there were only about 1500 good plants. So we had to reorder and replant - we even planted a little extra. There's been lots and lots of hoeing and hand weeding - carrots, onions, summer squash. Transplanting leeks, too.

Speaking of help, our dads are a great help on the farm and spent Saturday staking and trellising the tomatoes along with other things.

Here is a preview of this week’s share: lettuce, radishes, scallions, spinach & more! Fruits shares will include strawberries and apples...

Archival Farmer Notes

November 14, 2006

November 07, 2006

September 29, 2006

September 19, 2006

September 12, 2006

September 05, 2006