- Artichokes
- Rainbow Chard
- Sunflower/Pea Shoot Medley
- Radishes
- Spinach/Lettuce Mix
- Zucchini
- Head Lettuce
- Thyme
- Favas - Ugly, but tender and delicious! These were seeded last October - an experiment to see if we could get early favas. It was a sorta-success. The plants took a beating in some of the extra-cold winter weather we had, so yields were much lower than our summer-harvested favas. They also developed an ugly rust on the outer pod, but inside you'll find pristine beans, ready for peeling!
- Tetsu Winter Squash - (had to give you something "wintry" for this final week of the winter CSA, and man, do those squash know how to store well!)
Wahoo! We pulled off another winter season! It always feels a little bit like there's a magic hat in the winter - some proverbial shiny black top-hat that we keep reaching into to fill all those CSA totes and farmstand orders and wholesale requests. It feels like magic because most weeks I can't imagine how we're going to muster all the produce we need, and yet somehow it materializes each time. Thanks to all of our customers for supporting us through the "winter" months of the calendar. It's a fun challenge to figure out how to make our winter offerings more diverse and bountiful each year.
We're now gearing up for the official launch of our "summer" season, which begins the week of May 30th. That will be the first week of our main season CSA, and the point when we shift to twice/week CSA deliveries, farmstand, and wholesale sales. The opening of our Saturday farmstand is still TBD, depending on when the strawberries kick into high gear for u-pick. The plants look more vigorous than ever and are covered in blossoms and green fruit, so hopefully the sunny forecast turns that into a sweet harvest soon! No matter what, count on weekly Wednesday farmstands starting June 1st. Saturday farmstand should start soon after. We'll keep you posted!
In anticipation of our looming, all-consuming summer season, most of our production crew took a trip over to the Rogue River last weekend for a team retreat, and to spend a little time together on the river in the sunshine. We camped out, did 25 miles of whitewater paddling on Saturday and Sunday, saw two bald eagles, osprey, a bazillion herons, fuzzy baby ducks and geese, and a few stoic turtles. It was a great escape for all of us, to be unplugged and on the river, and oh! the feeling of sun on our skin!!!
Meanwhile, back at home, my old draft horse, Maude, was colicking. I was completely out of cell range and had no idea that a crisis was unfolding on the farm. Lucky for all of us our dear friends and CSA members, Mike Simpson and Sondra Aguirre (of Aguirre Farms, our egg lady!), saved the day. They managed to get my old mare up after hours of trying to heave her 1-ton frame to standing, gave her a big dose of Banamine, and got her walking. Mike checked up on her every few hours through the night and by Sunday morning he was as sleep-deprived as they come but Maude had pulled through. I can't tell you the wave of gratitude that washed over me when I got the full story on Sunday evening, having lost two horses to colic in my lifetime. It was profoundly apparent in that moment that our "team" includes so many people beyond our core crew, and how it really takes a village to feed a community. Mike and Sondra, thank you!
Many thanks again to all of you who have supported us through the winter, and here's hoping for a great 2022 summer season (feeling grateful for the sunny forecast! We could use a little drying out in the field, fo sho!).
