Week 22

Crop

Half

Cost

Full

Cost

Tomatoes

one

1.00

two

1.75

Radishes

one bunch

2.00

 

 

Eggplant

1 lb.

2.00

2 lbs.

4.00

Peppers

2 green

1.50

3 green

2.25

Collards/Kale/

Chard

 

 

1 bunch

2.00

Arugula

1/8 lb.

2.00

1/4 lb.

4.00

Garlic

1 head

.50

1 head

.50

Water

melon

 

 

1 small

2.00

Basil

1/8 lb.

1.00

1/8 lb.

1.00

Total

 

10.00

 

17.50


What's Going On?

Hello folks!  I hope you all had a nice week. We have been enjoying the cooler and rainy weather here.  This week we have in the shares a small amount of the fall crops that were planted in mid-August.  I am sure it will feel just right with the weather to be eating greens or radishes.  Once again, it is a shame we don't have more of these yummy fall favorites, but the grasshoppers and other pests along with the dryer weather in August made for quite a growing challenge. 

Aside from this weeks share, there were a few things I wanted to share with folks.  First off, we are going to have a volunteer CSA workday out here on October 15th for our annual garlic planting.  The hours will be from 1pm to 4pm and that is on a Sunday.  I will send out email reminders as we get closer to the date.  In addition to the members who may come out, a class from UNC will be joining us as well.  Marcie Ferris, a faithful CSA member, holds a seminar on food and society called 'Cooking up a Storm' and has asked for volunteers in the class to come out and visit the farm, work,  and talk with myself and members.  Should be fun!  I also wanted to tell you about another member, Courtenay Dunk (member since the very beginning of the CSA 6 years ago!), hosts a food blog at www.spicelines.com.  I would highly recommend this site for all its information, but also for the recent article Courtenay wrote called 'At the Carrboro Farmers Market: Pickles and BBQ for Breakfast'.  Courtenay made pickled green cherry tomatoes to garnish a martini, as well as cooked up a big shoulder roast from one of my pigs.  She has posted the recipes and her thoughts on them for all to read.

Thursday is the day we are going to transplant our annual strawberry crop.  I am excited to get the plants in the ground, as I am trying a few small things differently this year in hopes for easier maintenance down the road.  We are also starting to 'clean up' as we take down trellising, pull up drip line (irrigation) and the like.  I really do believe that this season has gone by VERY fast, I find it hard to believe it is almost over.  Speaking of which, I wrote in last weeks newsletter about the upcoming weeks of deliveries.  As is stands now we are at week 22 in the season and have just about reached the value of the shares.  We will be TAKING NEXT WEEK OFF, SO THERE IS NO DELIVER Y ON SEPTEMBER 27TH.    Assuming that all goes as planned we will at the very least have a delivery again on October 4th, and perhaps the 11th.  Right now though I want to play it by ear, which means I am going to have to see what we might have available to deliver on those dates before I say for sure if we will have another delivery after this one or not.  I WILL EMAIL YOU ALL TO LET YOU KNOW IF THERE IS GOING TO BE ANOTHER DELIVERY ON OCTOBER 4TH OR NOT.  We are just at the point right now where it is hard to see what the future of the crops are going to be.  I will be in touch. 

I do plan on sending out survey's over email to folks so that I can learn more about your thoughts, likes and dislikes about CSA program and veggies.  I am playing around in my head with a few different ideas for next season.  For example, I am considering eggs....I did say this last year as well so donŐt hold me to it.  One of these years we will do it, and it may be next.  I am also looking back at the trends in production for the shares.  It seems to me that every year (for the past six of the CSA), we run into the same dynamic in the fall, where things get slim.   I am considering cutting the CSA down to 22 weeks from 25 weeks but maintaining a slightly higher delivery each week to allow for the same price in the shares.  I am considering this becuase this is what seems to happen anyways.  For the past few years during the season most weekly deliveries are above the average weekly price, then come the fall, I seem to have to cut a week or two or three even off the shares because of the difficulties associated with trying to grow in the fall here.  I think I may just make that change to make official what the crops and us farmers are capable of during the season.  I am considering a few other things as well, but will outline these things more thoroughly when I send you letters about next years sign ups.  As for now, I am off to harvest your arugula.  Thank guys!  I will be in touch.  Send me any questions or feedback.  Elise.