In the Share: Week 14

TOMATOES F/P  The paste (aka roma, aka sauce-making types) are producing well.  The first round of red tomatoes is on its way out, with another planting about ready to kick in.  The heirlooms keep coming in all their rainbow of colors.  We've had a nice flush of green-when-ripe heirlooms and I'm separating them for you so that you know that you can eat them even though they are green.

EGGPLANT F  Tom has several suggestions for enjoying your eggplant. 

RED POTATOES F/P

GARLIC F/P

SWEET PEPPERS F  Just one or two this week.  We are waiting to pick them until they are ripe, so expect one or two for the next month or so.

SUMMER SQUASH P  A choice of yellow squash or zucchini varieties.

SALSA PACK P

RED ONIONS F

HERB CHOICE F  Basil, dried herbs or hot peppers.

NEXT WEEK:  Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, summer squash, red onions and carrots.

FARM REPORT:

A couple of cooler days and a bit of rain made good conditions for transplanting more broccoli and cabbage.

If you saw my post from two weeks ago (week 12 blog) then you know their is a little nest in one of our tomato plants.  Well, the eggs have hatched.

On Monday momma (or daddy?) bird was annoyed at our presence as we picked the tomatoes.  She could be seen flitting around the patch with a bug in her mouth impatiently waiting for us to go away so that she could feed her new babies.  I still am not completely sure what species of bird, but the babies (I count two but there may be more under all the downy fluff.)

They aren't the only birds on the farm that appreciate tomato plants.  Our hens have been happily snacking on a few spoiled tomatoes.  On this particular day it looked like the chickens like salsa as much as we humans.

In the Share: Week 9

TOMATOES F/P  Just one or two for each share, mostly red hybrids and purple/chocolate heirloom varieties.  Our heirlooms come in every color and flavor.  Try a different one each week to familiarize yourself.  All tomatoes soften slightly when ripe and the color should be bright.  Don't be fooled by the heirlooms tendency to keep some green on top even when ripe.

LETTUCE F/P  Another week of crunchy little crispheads.  Summer heat means no more until September.

COLORFUL CARROTS F/P  Orange and yellow ones this week.  Cut off the greens before storing in your refrigerator and the roots will last longer.

SUMMER SQUASH F/P  Yellow squash and zucchini.

RED ONIONS F/P 

SWEET PEPPERS F  Purple and green ones.

JALAPENOS F/P  Just one or two for each share to spice things up.

CABBAGE OR SWISS CHARD F

HERB CHOICE F/P  Parsley or basil.

NEXT WEEK:  Tomatoes, squash, potatoes, garlic

FARM REPORT:
Whew!  What a change in the weather we have had.  So incredibly hot and humid today, but only in the 70s for much of the past two days.  A nice two inches of rain came through on Friday, leading to a very muddy CSA harvest morning on Saturday.  It was no problem for the CSA crew who couldn't be stopped from pulling load after load of muddy beets, carrots and onions.

We are eternally grateful for the CSA member work shift because they add extra help just where it is needed most.  The harvest is the end result of a series of steps that start with a seed being planted in the greenhouse or the field.  The final step of pulling roots, cutting greens and picking fruits all by hand requires easily half of our time in the summer.  By helping bring in the harvest, the CSA allows the farm crew to have the time we need to tend to the crops as they grow leading to larger harvests once they mature.  Case in point, the farm crew has been spending lots of time in the tomato and pepper patch mulching, staking and pruning.  The plants are responding well to our efforts and we are looking forward to a great summer harvest.

In the Share: Week 4

SUGARSNAP PEAS F/P  It is hard to judge how many will be ripe when we pick them with the CSA tomorrow, but the plants are loaded with fruit.  We will try to get some to everyone on Weds.  By Saturday and next week we should have lots more.

SPECKLED ROMAINE LETTUCE F/P  A lovely tender romaine heirloom that has a tendency to burn out in the heat.  Lucky for us it has headed up nicely for this week's shares only.

BUTTERHEAD LETTUCE F  Smaller heads this week, the butterhead season is about done.  We have more red leaf lettuce and green romaines that will hopefully keep us in salads through June.

BROCCOLI F/P  Bunches include standard broccoli and it's cousin, gai lan.  I hear broccoli leaves are the new kale.

SWISS CHARD F

TATSOI OR KALE P

TURNIPS AND RADISHES F/P  The first of the spring roots have taken their time, but they have turned out to be a nice intro to the root harvest.

GREEN ONIONS OR GREEN GARLIC OR GARLIC SCAPES F

HERB MIX F/P  Dill, herb fennel, parsley and cutting celery.  See Tom's post on herb identification.

BOK CHOY F  Our white-stemmed varieties are growing handsomely.  If you haven't yet stir-fried, I recommend the finished product.  Tom's making one with tatsoi and green onions right now.

NEXT WEEK:  Lettuce, peas, turnips, greens, kohlrabi, beets and herbs.

FARM REPORT:

May is a make-or-break month.  If you get the plants in and the weather holds, it sets you up for a good summer.  If it storms and rains and stymies your planting schedule, you are in for a rough ride.  Last year's 30+ inches of rain in the months of May and June gave us fits.

happy potato plants

This May was actually really great.  We received a nice amount of rain, but not too much.

The CSA crew on Saturday helped us with mulching our other big block of tomatoes and peppers.  It is a messy job, but it pays off in cherry tomatoes so totally worth it.

In the Share - Week 19

 TOMATOES F/P  We have picked the majority of the patch and many of the late summer hybrids are ripening nicely. 

LETTUCE F/P  Dainty, speckled heads.

ROMA BEANS F/P

FINGERLING POTATOES F/P  See Tom's post for these gourmet treats.

SWEET PEPPERS F/P  Tom talks potatoes and peppers this week.

GARLIC F/P  Essential for the above combo and also a star ingredient in the tomato and lettuce salad we had for dinner. 

EGGPLANT, SALSA PACK OR OKRA F

HERB CHOICE F  Cilantro, dill or arugula

STIR FRY GREENS F  A mix of bok choy, tat soi and gai lan.

NEXT WEEK:  tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, okra, salsa packs, greens and kohlrabi.

FARM REPORT:
Tom and I had a fun time at the potluck at the farm on Sunday.  The hayride was a hit,  the food was delicious, the kids played and the adults got in some good conversation over microbrews.

We were touched by the CSA's gift of a commemorative stone in memory of our dear dog, Rocky.  At the time, I was so intent on not crying that I didn't pay attention to the card attached.  Inside there was $135 to be donated to the Veggie Voucher Fund in Rocky's honor.  I can think of no better way to remember his good nature than to help our members in affording their CSA share.

A big thank you to all the folks who donated your resources and creative energy towards making the potluck a real community event.

 

With the party over, we were back to work on Monday with the planting of the high tunnel first on the list.  Lettuces, radishes, gai lan, chard, endive, arugula, bok choy, herbs and tat soi were added to the spinach and hakurei turnips that we planted earlier.  By the end of the day we were watering them all in with the drip irrigation.

In the Share - Week 11

TOMATOES F/P  The hot weather has finally kicked the tomatoes into ripening.  Everyone will get a few heirlooms and hybrids this week.  The heirlooms come in a rainbow of colors, even green when ripe.  Their flavors are as diverse as their colors, shapes and sizes.  We grow Cherokee Purple, Rose, Goldie, Aunt Ruby's German Green, Black Krim, Green Zebra, Amana Orange to name a few.  The hybrids we grow are red and a bit thicker-skinned than the heirlooms, which is a good quality during a wet weather pattern.  We are trying a new orange hybrid variety, Sunkist, thanks to my mom's advice.  Let us know what tomato is your favorite!

RED ONIONS F/P  Not as big and beautiful as last year's crop, but they did survive the wet unlike some other crops I hate to mention (carrots)

PURPLE VIKING POTATOES F  We are very grateful for the good potato harvest that continues to feed us as we recover from the deluge of the last two months.  And they are high in Vitamin C.

SQUASH OR CUCUMBERS P  The cucurbit family is struggling in the fields.  Last year at this time we were swimming in zucchini and cucumbers.  Same number of plants in the ground, same fertility program, very different result.  Only variable:  weather.

GENOVESE BASIL F/P  A nice bunch for pesto-making.

SWEET PEPPERS, EGGPLANT OR SALSA PACK F  The first of these three with many more to come.  The salsa packs are in limited quantities this week.  See Tom's post for the rundown on this member favorite.

GARLIC F/P  There is nothing like fresh, juicy garlic in the summertime.

CHERRY TOMATOES F We grow cherry tomatoes in every color of the rainbow too.  Some are heirloom, some hybrid.  Tomatoes are ripe when they are brightly colored and fleshy to the touch.

NEXT WEEK:  Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, salsa packs, squash, cucumbers, garlic, herbs, onions and potatoes. 

FARM REPORT: 
Yes, the spring carrot crop is a big bust.  Rot set in like we have never seen before.  Our second planting has succumbed as well as most of the first.  That's 1800 ft. of carrots gone.  But no time to linger on that sad note, the fall planting get going.  So far we have planted cauliflower, cabbage, carrots and beets.  Tomorrow we hope to plant broccoli, turnips and radishes.  The rain has held off just enough to work the soil and plant.

While the humans dart across the fields at the farm, we are missing one of our crew.  Rocky, our canine companion and co-worker, has been boarded at the vet these past two nights.  He either stepped on a thorn or has a spider bite on his paw.  The medication has been unpalatable to him and we had to resort to kenneling him at our vet in Lawson, MO to manage to get him to take the pills.  We hope to pick him up just as soon as we can.   Not only do we miss him but the crops are unguarded without him.   Already some critter is going after the tomatoes in the field.  Yesterday morning we found many half-eaten tomatoes on the ground likely the leftovers of a possum or raccoon party the night before.  We cleared the plants of ripening fruit, but what we really need is our Rocky back on patrol.

In the Share - Week 12

TOMATOES F/P  Along with a lot of reds and pinks, the yellow and green heirlooms are ripening.  A new variety for us this year, the Aunt Ruby's German Green stays green when ripe. 

CARROTS F/P  Freshly dug from the summer patch.  They are smaller than our storage types, but sweet.

WALLA WALLA ONIONS F/P  More sweet onions.  It is a bumper crop this year so we are sharing the overage... and we need to make room for the storage onions to come in to the barn from the field.

CUCUMBERS F/P  We have had a good run of cucumbers, but finally the patch is beginning to wind down.  Lately I have been making a quick cucumber salad at night:  cucumbers, onions, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper.  It is even better the next day for lunch and dinner too. 

SALSA PACK or SUMMER SQUASH F/P

CHERRY TOMATOES F/P

CABBAGE F  The last of the spring harvest.

EGGPLANT OR BEETS F

HERBS F

NEXT WEEK:  More tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, onions, eggplant and salsa packs.  Potatoes and garlic return.  Perhaps the first of the green beans.

FARM REPORT:
In the last 7 days the walk-in cooler needed repair, the exhaust pipe and one of the shocks fell off of the truck, the power supply for our computer went out, the refrigerator at the apprentice house died, and the van needed a tow.

Sweetpea (the name of our VW van since long before we became her owners) delivers the produce to the city twice a week and we are happy to have her back in good working order.  Thanks to the diligent work at the mechanics (and, of course, a decrease in the bank account) the van is running again and most of the other items on the list are fixed or on their way to that end. 

Meanwhile the crops pay no attention to our mechanical difficulties.  They are ready for harvest or to be planted.  They need water and weeding.   This week we transplanted cauliflower, broccoli and kale.

The new barn waits expectantly to be filled with our tools, equipment and workshop.  It looks so beautiful but at this point the only things in it are racks of onions drying.

In the Share - Week 9

TOMATOES F/P The first of the season.  Some will get cherry tomatoes, others a small sampling from the heirloom and hybrid slicers.   The hybrid red tomatoes are first to bear fruit along with a few of the "black" heirlooms.  The cherry tomatoes come in a rainbow of colors.  No matter the color, a ripe tomato should be bright -colored and soft to the touch.

NEW POTATOES F/P  We are determined to start digging the taters tomorrow despite the mud  Don't expect them to be super free of dirt, but they are so yummy when fresh.  Refrigerate if you want to keep them for very long.  They have yet to grow their thick skins.

SWEET PEPPERS F/P  Pruning a few off the developing plants helps keeps them growing. 

CUCUMBERS F/P  The cukes are still going strong.

SUMMER SQUASH F/P  A mixture of zucchinis and yellow squash for all.  We are loving the zucchini noodles!

GARLIC  F/P  The garlic is juicy at this early stage.

BASIL AND PARSLEY  F/P  Basil for the tomatoes and parsley for the potatoes.

LETTUCE F  Small crunchy heads from a late Spring planting.

EGGPLANT F  We like to toss eggplant with olive oil and broil until it as soft as a cooked mushroom.

NEXT WEEK:  More tomatoes, cucumbers, summer squash, peppers and eggplant.  Carrots and sweet onions return. 

FARM REPORT:
A lot has happened since last Tuesday.  The most obvious change is the new barn shaping up before our very eyes.  It really is nice to see it come together so quickly and nicely too.  In a week's time Arlen and his brothers had the structure up, roofed and concrete poured. 

The rainbow in the photo came after one of the many rain storms that have been around this week.  Storms with strong winds and lots of rain came through last night but everything fared alright.

In the Share - Week 2

ASPARAGUS OR BROCCOLI F/P  The freeze slowed the asparagus harvest to a non-event, luckily the broccoli is starting to mature.

RED LEAF LETTUCE F/P  We love these red ruffley lettuces.  Half green & half red they make a beautiful salad all by themselves.

BUTTERHEAD OR ROMAINE HEIRLOOM LETTUCES Full shares get one of each.  Partial shares get a choice.  The heat is kicking in and we have a lot of lettuce in the field, so we are picking extra this week to keep ahead. 

ARUGULA  Full shares get both an herb choice and arugula, partial shares choose.   Add to your salad for a nice kick.

HERB CHOICE  Cilantro, dill, tarragon

BOK CHOY/TAT SOI  Add to some fried rice with farm eggs and you have yourself a meal!

GREENS CHOICE  Kale, Gail lan, Swiss Chard.  Partial shares can also choose the bok choy

GREEN GARLIC  the same concept as green onions, the young plants.  Use it fresh in salads.

NEXT WEEK:  More lettuce, broccoli, greens and herbs. 

FARM REPORT:  All hell broke loose after we last reported.  Two nights of freezing temperatures threatened to stop the harvest when we had barely begun.  In preparation, we covered the fields including the strawberries with their flowers and young fruit and the newly transplanted tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, cukes and tender herbs. 

We thought we were prepared for the forecasted 36 degrees F Friday morning.  Unfortunately, it was much colder than that.  We registered 32 on our temperature gauge behind the greenhouse.  Out in the far field it must have been even colder.  Under the row cover the tomatoes were hit hard. 

Surprisingly, the plants without mulch fared better, including the peppers, eggplant, squash and cucumbers.  The potatoes lost much of their foliage but were better by yesterday.  After some time to evaluate, it looks like the damage is temporary and many of the plants will grow back with good health.  We have replaced the worst of the tomatoes with extra plants from the greenhouse.  We also send much appreciation to the fine folks at Gibbs Road Farm (KC,KS) for giving us extra plants. 

Meanwhile, the chickens were oblivious to all the plant drama this week.  Instead they are happily exploring their new home in the spring-planted cover crop of oats and peas.  

In the Share - Week 13

TOMATOES X 2 (F/P) The harvest is on and everyone will be getting a nice amount of tomatoes this week. The heirlooms are prone to cracking when the weather fluctuates as it has this year. Pick out the ugliest tomato you can find and see if it isn't the tastiest.

CARROTS (F/P) We grew some big carrots this Spring and they are sweetening up nicely in the cooler. The fall carrots are growing, so we hope for a continuous supply through the end of the year.

GARLIC (F/P) I once ate at a restaurant called the Stinking Rose, where garlic is prominent in every dish.  

SALSA PACK OR OKRA (F) Its the first week with okra as a choice in the shares. We will try to spread it around as the harvest increases. No one that doesn’t want it should need to take it, but the okra-lovers will get their chance at some.

SWEET PEPPERS (F/P) Someone on Saturday mentioned making stuffed peppers, sounds good to me!

EGGPLANT (F/P)

CUCUMBERS (F) last of these until our last little planting matures.

HERB CHOICE (F/P) Lots of basil this week, also garlic chives and hot peppers.

NEXT WEEK: More tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. Melons (we think), potatoes and onions.

FARM REPORT:

Wow! What beautiful weather we are having. Tom and I feel fortunate to be able to make a living doing what we do every day, but when the days are this perfect we really cannot complain about anything.

Another reason to feel fortunate: with less than 24 hours-notice, the Saturday crew grew by 10 workers and we easily completed the CSA harvest. Thank you to all who made the trek through traffic and spent the morning picking cherry tomatoes and digging potatoes. It was a great example of the power of the CSA in action.

 And finally, how lucky are we that we were able to see one of our feathered neighbors so close up. We think it is a Great Horned owl.  We hear them often, but we usually only catch a glimpse as they fly by in the gathering dark.  This guy/gal seemed quite calm perched on our clothesline for quite some time before it silently flew away.

In the Share - Week Nine

heirloom tomatoes

TOMATOES (F/P) A good share this week, mostly reds and pinks with a few greens and purples.  Wash them before you eat them as we don't wash them at the farm.  Also, they are much, much better if they are never refrigerated.
LETTUCE (F/P)  One small, crisp summer lettuce head for everyone.
GREEN BEANS (F/P) The first round of beans did not fare very well.  We have more planted and are hopeful for a good crop later in the summer.
CUCUMBERS (F/P) The beetles are winning out there and it is only a matter of time before the squash and cukes bite the dust.  Another round of plants are on their way, but it will be a few weeks before they start producing.
SUMMER SQUASH (F)
BEETS OR CABBAGE (F/P)  The last of both until fall.  
HERBS (F) Basil, hot peppers or summer savory.
EGGPLANT OR PEPPERS (F/P)  The eggplant meatballs in Tom's post this week is super yummy.
CHERRY TOMATOES (F) We grow cherry tomatoes that are red, pink, yellow, orange and purple.  Try them all and let us know which is your favorite.

NEXT WEEK: More tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and cucumbers. Maybe potatoes and garlic.

FARM REPORT:

It is a perk of the job to participate in the harvest of the summer fruits. The heirloom tomatoes are prized in large part for their thin skins and soft flesh, making it a delicate job getting them off the vine, out of the field, through the packing house and to distribution without bruising. The extra care is worth the effort once you have tasted a real tomato. We grow plenty of classic reds, but when your farmers go for a tomato it is more often a purple or a pink.  

The fall plants are getting planted in the field, with much more on the way. The fall transplants are seeded outside and they grow inside the shade structure until they are ready for the field.   This week we planted the first round of the fall broccoli and cauliflower. Soon we'll transplant these little lettuces.

Our big polar bear of a dog is ready for fall already.  Rocky's heavy coat keeps him chilled out on the concrete floor of the barn during the day.  He has the night shift to patrol the fields in the evening cool.

In the Share - Week Two

French butterhead (see the ladybug?)

LETTUCE (F2/P1) More luscious butterheads and brilliant red leaf lettuces.

NAPA CABBAGE (F) Great in slaws or pickled in a kimchi, aka Chinese cabbage.

RADISH OR ARUGULA (F) Neither fared well through our wintery Spring. We are picking them baby size, while they last.

CHARD OR KALE (F/P) The first pickings off these two reliable vegetables. Partial shares choose between chard, kale, or Napa cabbage.

BROCCOLI (F/P) Much less reliable, but much more popular … alas!

HAKUREI TURNIPS (F/P) If you are new to these, try eating the entire plant raw – top to bottom. 

STRAWBERRIES (F/P) The patch is just starting to produce. If you don’t get any this week, lots more are on their way.

GREEN GARLIC (F/P) The young garlic plants are tender and nice in any dish where you would use garlic.

HERB CHOICE (F/P) Cilantro, dill, garlic chives or dried herbs.

NEXT WEEK: More lettuce, strawberries, broccoli, green onions, turnips and herbs.

FARM REPORT: The weather has finally warmed and the plants are responding by pumping out new growth. The peas are racing up their trellising after sitting still for so long. Every plant on the farm is intent on sending out their solar collectors to soak up the sun’s energy. Meanwhile the humans try to keep up with all this activity to direct it towards productive forms. Tomatoes are pruned and trellised, weeds are pulled, cucumbers thinned. One of our favorite ways to direct plant growth is mulching. The crops benefit and the weeds lose. On Saturday, we had lots of help from the membership so after the morning's harvest was complete we tackled the tomato patch.

 tomato mulch

Four big round bales of hay later and the farm crew was reminded of the power of the CSA model.  Thanks everybody for making our job easier!

While we focus on the plants, the chickens carry on merrily in their new location in the lower part of the far field. Their spontaneous cackling reaches across the fields and they are fun to watch as they peck around in the grass. Sometimes all you can see is their backsides pointed to the sky as they search the tall grass for bugs. 

chicken circle

 In addition to whatever they find, we give them organic, non-GMO feed that we purchase by the ton to get the best price. If you come out to the farm we usually have a couple dozen eggs for sale, just ask.  We charge $5/dozen which we are hoping will allow us to break even on the annual costs of the feed. Having chickens on the farm gives us more than just egg money. The fringed benefits are cheep entertainment as mentioned, fertilizer, less bugs perhaps and of course frittatas. See Tom’s post below for tonight’s dinner – chard and leek frittata.  Yumm!

2012---Our Ninth CSA Season

And so we reach 2012 ... and the reminiscing is about to end. It has been instructional and cathartic for Rebecca and me to review what the farm has been through over the last ten years. Every year has been a new set of challenges and unpredicable weather. As an example, the contrast between Spring 2012 and our present weather conditions is striking.

Red bud blooming March 24, 2012

2012 broke all sorts of records, including the hottest January-June on record and third driest year on record. The drought and mind-numbing heat of Summer (the average daily high in July was 98.2 deg F) made work difficult and came close to drying up our irrigation pond.

It was a very strange, if not somewhat bizarre year for the crops, with the early Spring and hot, dry Summer causing many plants to mature up to a month early. Strawberries were ripening on May 1 instead on Jule 1. Garlic was ready by June 5, a month ahead as well. And most of the potatoes quite literally cooked (and rotted) in the ground as the soil temperatures topped 90 degrees.

There were some major successes though. In the Spring the sugar snap peas were dripping off the vines with a new record of 550+ lbs. As mentioned, the tomatoes thrived...9,397 pounds of virtually blemish-free beauties thanks to the dry weather. The sweet potatoes were the most beautiful specimens we had ever grown. We also had good success with carrots, the Fall crops and many other vegetables.


Ryan picking peas (photo by Bill McKelvey)

tons of tomatoes

A good sweet potato plant

Sweet pea very full for the CSA delivery to the Bad Seed

Despite the crazy weather, the farm crew was up to the task. Dani Hurst returned for a second season as an apprentice and even squeezed a May wedding to Derek Brown into the year. Apprentice Ryan Stubby graced us with his hard work, good nature and awesome kale chips. Harvest extras allowed Ryan to hone his skills at food dehydrating, a talent he hopes to use in future ventures.



Ryan and Dani tending to the tomatoes in June

CSA member, Mark Flynn, had some free time that Summer and was a big help during the big tomato harvest and Fall planting push. The lack of rain and extreme heat created the need to put out mulch for the cabbage, broccoli and other July plantings earlier than normal. It was a big effort to complete, as the Summer harvest was also in full swing. Thanks again Mark.

Ryan, Mark, Dani and Rebecca planting cabbages in July

In June we traveled to Richmond, MO for the KC CSA Coalition tour of Parker Farms. As vegetable farmers and meat eaters we appreciate the effort that goes into raising free-range, pasture-fed livestock. Since we started collaborating with the Parker's in 2006, they have fed us most all of the meat we have eaten in the last 7 years. Tom, Paula and their four daughters hosted a delicious pot-luck and stroll of the farm. They are doing it right.


Pasture-fed and free-range beef ala Parker Farms

The other big task in 2012 was the construction of our new high tunnel. Grading of the site began in January. Two volunteer work days and many other hours of piecing it together were successful in getting things in order by mid-September. The high tunnel crops flourished that fall and allowed us to extend the season for 4 weeks.

Volunteers helping put up the main structure March 10th

Finished high tunnel on November 11th

Our last days of the season were out of the norm that year too. On October 20 the Outstanding in the Field crew and Justus Drugstore again set up at the farm for another fantastic dinner. It was a tough day though, as it was announced by OITF founder Jim Denavan that we were hosting the coldest event they ever held. Crazy for that to happen after the Summer heat wave.

We entered the Winter of 2012 already planning for an expansion of the CSA to 150 members in 2013. But first we are able to take a train ride to the Southwest and relax in New Mexico hot springs for a week. Such a break is always good.

The oft-photographed St. Francis Chuch near Taos, New Mexico

If you have been following this recollection all the way through we thank you, and hope you enjoyed it. We would appreciate your comments and look forward to hearing from our blog readers.

Next up...the 2013 season.

2011---Our Eighth Season

Impression of Rocky

By 2011 we had experienced eight years of farming in the same spot and seen how the land responds to just about every weather condition.  We continued to work on systems that could keep our farm resilient and sustainable for the future.

We were helped along by a principle promoted by Dr. W. Edwards Deming to "improve constantly and forever"... something I had learned in engineering and Rebecca knew inherently. It is an axiom that is in concert with the idea of sustainablility. We felt that we had a firm foundation to now build for the long-term future of Fair Share Farm.

The first couple months of the year were as busy as ever. We had one last area of the house to gut, insulate, re-wire, re-wall, re-window and re-door. We got it mostly done before things got too hectic and are enjoying the fruits of this labor to this day.

Only a memory now

The previous November, Lucas Knutter joined the farm team, house-sitting the apprentice house for the winter and joining us as a full-time apprentice in March. He had just finished a 27-month stint in the Peace Corp working with farmers in Senegal, and returned ready to start a farm of his own.  He went straight to work in January, joining us to repair some problem spots on the greenhouse.

 

It was a great year for the soil. Our Spring plantings went as smooth as ever after a quick cultivating pass with the G.

 

The Summer cover crop of sudan grass and cow peas grew 7 feet tall and was our best yet. Between the top growth and an extensive root system, the soil was given a feast.

Mowing down the cover crops before turning them under

Weather played its usual good guy/bad guy role, threatening tornados in the Spring, baking us silly in the Summer, and providing for a robust harvest in the Fall.  Kim Conrads joined us for the summer right after high school graduation and spent one of her first hours at the farm in our root cellar with the farm crew of CSA members, workers, farmers, a dog and two cats. Luckily no funnel stopped by.

Safe in the root cellar

August 2, a record high.

Among the standouts that year were our record snap pea (400+ lb), tomato (5,600+ lbs) and sweet potato (2,100+ lb) harvests . Other crops did excellent too, as the almost 2.7 lb head of broccoli pictured below can attest.

The tomato share during Week 11

CSA morning in the packing room

Colorful carrots

Head-sized broccoli

Fall share

July 25 was a unique day for us as we hosted Justus Drugstore and Outstanding in the Field for an al fresco dinner on the farm. It is tough to describe in one paragraph what a wonderful event it was. The food was unique and satisfying, the crowd happy and boisterous, and the presentation professional and artful. The whole story is in our July 26 blog.

The long table on a hot Missouri day

By August, Kim had headed to college and we had a new apprentice in Dani Hurst. She was ready to put the homesteading and farming skills she had learned about as a writer for Natural Home magazine into practice.  Her energy and good nature was appreciated for the next 1-1/2 years she spent with us.

Dani mulching leeks


Another group that has helped out over the years is my family. The road Rebecca and I took to where we are right now was not a normal one. While no doubt skeptical at first, their love and support for us over the years has been true and real. My brother and five sisters have all done a stint or two at the farm, visited during unique events like OITF, and otherwise used their talents to help us out. It has been a fun family affair.

My brother Bill juicing pears with our great-grandfather's press

Autumn 2011 was warm and the crops thrived into early winter.  The fields were plentiful past the end of our CSA season and for our annual night at the Bad Seed pre-Thanksgiving Market.

October

A rarity for us, the hustle and bustle of running a market table on a busy night is a lot of fun. So is catching up and bartering with all the other vendors, seeing our big city friends and enjoying the festive atmosphere.

Fall bounty

Next up...one year ago and a new high tunnel, more record harvests, the drought, OITF II, and back to the present.