Elysian Fields Farm
Community Supported Agriculture
Monday January 27th, 2003
SIGN UP DEADLINE APPROACHES
You have received this letter if you
were an Elysian Fields Farm 2002 CSA member
who has not signed up for this season, or are a
new member who has signed on for 2003. I
wanted to fill everyone in on what has been
happening on the farm this winter and what is
being planned for this year. The sign up
deadline for this year is APRIL 1ST, 2003 with
shares being delivered for 25 weeks starting
April 15th until October 1st.
NEW FOR 2003
As you can see, this year the season for
delivery starts and ends two weeks earlier than it
did last year. This is primarily due to the
October 18th wedding date between myself and
my fiance Daniel Stern, Curator Coker
Arboretum UNC campus. We plan to be married
at the farm outdoors in front of the three-acre
pond.
Also new for this year is the use of wax
1/2-bushel size cardboard boxes for share
deliveries instead of paper bags. The wax boxes
will nut suffer as the bags do from slight
moisture and can stack easier as well as last
longer. The only problem is making sure that
members will return their previous weeks box
when picking up their present week's box.
New this year for veggies on the farm
we'll see 27 different varieties of Heirloom
tomatoes trialed and 15 different varieties of
Heirloom cantaloupes. Onions and Corn, which
have not faired well on the farm in the past, will
receive extra special attention this season. Onion
starts have been ordered and are planned to go in
the ground in early March. We will ensure corn
germination by planting some first in the Green
House then transplanting outdoors. Potatoes will
be more plentiful this year, with a whole 1/3 of
an acre dedicated to their early March planting.
Also, a wide variety of Chiles and hot peppers
will be grown along with the sweet bells this
year.
FARM BUREAU BOARD OF DIRECTORS
I wanted to let folks know that I have
been appointed to the Orange County Farm
Bureau Board of Directors. The Bureau lobby's
both locally and nationally for agricultural
policy. As you all may know they also host an
insurance company in their name although the
agents are independent from the bureau.
Being the only woman, youngest
member and only organic farmer on the board, I
look forward to influencing policies and
educating to benefit small local and sustainable
farms.
For your information, anyone who
knows of an up and coming senior who hopes to
study agriculture at a four year university, the
Bureau offers 6 scholarships a year for NC
students. The scholarships are for any four-year
university to study agriculture in the amount of
$42,000 a year. Let me know if you know of
anyone who may be interested.
ORANGE COUNTY AG. SUMMIT 2003
The Annual Orange County
Agricultural Summit will be held on Feb. 17th
this year in the Schley Community North of
Hillsborough. The meeting will be held for
farmers, consumers and all of interest to learn
more about agricultural economics in Orange
County.
I have been asked to give a 10-15
minute presentation at the summit about CSA's
in general as well as specifically my own
operation. If anyone is interested in attending
the summit please let me know and I can pass on
more info. to you.
STEWARDS OF THE LAND
I have enclosed in your envelope
information on the Steward of the Land Spoken
work and Photo documentary. The
Documentary, which has been in the making for
almost a year now, will have its opening at the
Carrboro Century Center on April 25th. This
will kick off the Annual Piedmont Farm Tour
(April 26th and 27th) of which the farm will be
on this year and encourage member and
nonmembers alike to visit.
Seven area farmers, of whom I am
myself one, were selected to be spotlighted in the
documentary. You can learn more about the
Stewards of the Land documentary and the folks
behind it by checking out either the enclosed
info. or their on the web at
www.stewardsoftheland.org.
ATTENTION: DROP OFF POINT MEMBERS
Calling all of last year's drop off point
volunteers and any prospective volunteers for
this year. I would like to offer once again to the
Belons in Durham, the Hemmings in Chapel Hill
and the Berners in Hillsborough the chance to
receive 1/2 off their share price in exchange for
use of their covered porch for a drop off location
from 3pm to 7pm on Wednesdays through out
the season. I would also like other members who
may be interested in volunteering their sight to
let me know.
As mentioned earlier, deliveries this
year will be slightly different than last year. The
use of wax boxes to deliver the produce in calls
for the need to return, each week, the previous
weeks box. Members who may volunteer their
space for drop off need to keep in mind that a
stack of wax boxes will need to be sheltered for a
week, each week, for me to pick up upon
delivery the following week.
Well, hope to see you all this spring!
Send an email if you have any questions
effarm@earthlink.net
or give a call at 919-732-8980. Thanks, Elise.
Elysian Fields Farm: Community Supported Agriculture
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