With so much to say about the CSA this week, we are going to focus this blog post on the share and answering questions or concerns that came up in the mid-season survey.
The Share: (August 29th-Sept. 2nd)
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Peppers
Potatoes
Squash
Leeks
Garlic
PYO Cherry Tomatoes
PYO Hot Peppers
From the Fields:
Thank you everyone who participated in our mid season survey over the last weeks. As promised, I will be using the majority of this post to address the topics that appeared most frequently in your responses. We went through and read every single survey and identified theses key issues to expound upon so if you don’t see your particular concern addressed please feel free to mention it to Ashley in the share room. She will share it with me and we will make sure to take note or address it in the next blog. So without further ado and in no particular order:
The public flower field
The small field outside of the CSA barn was converted into a public flower field this year so that the many people who visit the farm (but are not shareholders) can enjoy a pick-your-own experience and take a little beauty from the farm home with them. Since it is pay-to-pick in the public flower field there has been some very natural frustration with the new arrangement as the flowers planted for CSA members suffered from the drought. The important point to keep in mind is that, other than surrendering a small pocket of marginal land to this project, the CSA has made no investment of time or resources into the flower field. This project was built from a budget separate from the CSA and it is expected to cover its expenses through flower sales which is why they are pay-to-pick.
Produce in the Farm Store:
Some produce is available for sale in the farm store. Sometimes this same produce is either limited in the share room or not present at all. Some members are concerned that produce that was grown for the CSA is being diverted to the store and effectively being sold twice. In previous growing seasons we attempted to deal with this issue by only selling produce in the farm store when we had either too little available to fairly distribute to the CSA or, more commonly, when we had such a surplus that our CSA members had access to more produce than they could use. Because “too much” or “too little” is a subjective measure, we took the extra step this year of completely separating our CSA crop plan from our wholesale crop plan and moving all wholesale growing operations off the Appleton property. It isn’t grown here, it was never intended for CSA use and it’s production hasn’t been subsidized by CSA funds. Like the flower field, having produce in the farm store is about covering the costs of production while attempting to make the farm more beautiful, bountiful and accessible to members and non members alike.
Variety:
As most of my past blog posts from this season have indicated, this has been a very tough growing year. The drought has taken its toll on many of our crops and this has been reflected in the share room with fewer varieties available. In the beginning of the season we published the complete list of crop varieties we planned to grow this year and sadly not everything on that list will see the inside of the share room. The good news is that this has forced us to be extra creative with some of our fall crops. I’m hopeful that the second half of the year will bring more of the weird and the wonderful back to the share room side by side with the old standbys. Ashley interpreted the request for more variety in the share room as interest in seeing fan favorite crops available over a longer season. Each crop tends to grow best under certain growing conditions. Ever year we look for new ways to bend growing conditions to keep things like broccoli, arugula and tomatoes in the share longer. This is a gamble that sometimes pays off and sometimes doesn’t. We will continue trying to keep our members updated on the ever changing conditions out in the field so that everyone is confident in what to expect from the CSA share.
Irrigation:
I am thrilled to hear that many of our members are as concerned about the irrigation capacity of the farm as I am. Every year might not be as dry as this one but it is clear to many of us that we need to be better prepared for drought and dry weather. We need to get through the rest of this season before we can begin to seriously consider an action plan for the future however we have been brainstorming different options including drilling a second well, improving our existing well, adding infrastructure to capitalize on the capacity of our existing pump and well and modifying our farming techniques to develop the water retention capacity of our soil. These are big investments and big changes and they will take time to put into place but, in part thanks to the survey responses we have reviewed, there has been no foot dragging about getting started and the organization recognizes that this has to be a priority.
Recipe Exchange:
We heard from many of you that you like the idea of a recipe exchange and love to pick up recipes in the share room but don't have time to email us or don't have original recipes to submit. Based on your feedback, we are happy to expand this exchange to your favorite recipes from chefs and cookbook authors- they don't have to be your own. Just send along credit for the recipe and we'd be happy to share it.
Orange Basil Summer Squash from Betsy MServes 4
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 large fresh onions, sliced
zest of one orange
4-5 carrots, sliced
2 small summer squash, sliced
small bunch of basil, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Saute onions with oil and grated orange zest. When onions are translucent, add all other ingredients and cook until tender but not soft.
Next week we will return to posting about our upcoming programs, volunteer opportunities and notes from the farm. As always, thank you for your support.
