Bonus/Preseason Week

Let the Sunshine Rain Down!

Spring has sprung and plants are (being) planted! We are still at least a couple weeks out from being able to provide a CSA box that includes some of our annual vegetables, but that isn't going to stop us!

Eleanor (with help from our visiting friend and CSA member Will) foraged our back patch of woods and came back with loads of garlic mustard! Not only does this mean we've got some garlic mustard pesto to sell, but she also gets some major ecology points for helping slow down this opportunistic non-native that crowds out other important species on the forest floor.

In addition, we wanted to ensure we had a good crop our first year and so we started a ton of seeds indoors! Good news: a ton of seeds turned into a ton of plants! We have no intention of planting all of these and would like to offer some of these for sale as well! Click here for the varieties and here to place an order for pesto or seedlings.

If you are a CSA member we'd love to include some of this in a special pre-season bonus box (including eggs, or as I now like to call them, cackleberries)! . If you are interested, fill out a Preferred Veggie form here!

After more honestly assessing our capabilities this first year we decided not to do any farmer's markets. We'll have an on-farm stand and also be in Madison Thursdays for our CSA drop-offs 4-7pm at 325 Russell Street (Eleanor's parents' house). We will have additional goods available for anyone to purchase at that time as well. This pre-season bonus box and chance to purchase seedlings and pesto will be this Thursday (May 31), 4-7pm at 325 Russell Street or at the farm by appointment.

Hope to see you soon!

Brad's Food Philosophy Corner

Introduction

Neither of us grew up on farms. We likely won't break even monetarily for years (considering opportunity cost, never). Growing food can be stressful and labor intensive. So why are we doing this? Well, glad you asked! There are many reasons and until I run out of them I am going to have this little under-250-words column in our newsletter highlighting one answer to the “why” question each week of the CSA season.

Is this just me trying to convince you and seek approval and justification for this crazy adventure? Sure, maybe, but I think it is more than that. Many of the reasons aren’t obvious or straightforward and so this column not only gives me a chance to clarify and document for myself why we are doing this, but hopefully adds value to others’ thinking about food, economy, and the systems we reside in.

Some are reasons to care about and support good food in general, while others are more reasons to grow more food yourself. But wait, what if we influence you to grow all your own food and you no longer buy vegetables from us? We would LOVE that! My version of utopia involves everyone growing food who has access to sunlit earth. One of the long-term pie-in-the-sky goals of this adventure is to be a catalyst and aid to thousands of other people growing what they can, where they can. Here's to hoping we can flourish together!