It has been awhile since the last newsletter. Seems like time is going faster the older I get.
First a couple of announcements:
We have pricing in our online farm stand for most of the products we sell. One item in particular I need to mention is SeafoodShare. It has an early deadline — February 15th — so if you are interested please order it soon! SeafoodShare is a fantastic way to enjoy delicious, nutritious wild, line-caught seafood from the cold, nutrient-dense waters off the coast of Alaska. Plus you will help small boat fishermen and fisherwomen maintain a sustainable fishery instead of supporting large, Chinese trawlers destroying the ocean ecosystem. Each month includes two different varieties. New this year SeafoodShare includes dungeness crab! If you choose “Payment Plan” or “Check” at check out you won’t have to pay for it right away. Unfortunately you’ll have to pay it all upfront if you choose “Credit card”. I highly recommend this product for those looking to increase their intake of healthy seafood. Let me know if I can answer any questions.
We are taking orders for the 2018 farming season! We’ve had a great response from existing members rejoining this season. Thank you! If you plan to rejoin please sign-up soon. Space is limited.
But not limited enough to not refer your friends, neighbors, etc. Spread the word about Fresh Earth Farms. We had good luck with members who mentioned us on NextDoor last season.
Farm News
First, I should mention that we successfully planted the garlic back in November. Actually I won’t know how successful it was until we see how it grows during the summer. But at least we got it in. Cross your fingers that it works!
Next, the primary activity at this time of year is taxes, seed orders, and taxes. New this season is fixing the tractor we use to plow the driveway, which happens to be the same tractor we use to plow the field — but with a different plow. Seems like the starter motor decided it was too cold and gave up. Sure I could have had the new starter shipped overnight but then it would arrive when the temps were below zero. Instead I saved the $s and await the starter to arrive during this upcoming warm spell. Hopefully I can get the job done before the next snow storm. In the mean time we’ve implemented the pack down method of driveway maintenance. It works well as long as we don’t get too much snow or lots of drifting.
Other than that, an important job this time of year is seed ordering. It is a multi-step process that starts with counting the seeds left over from last season. Have you ever tried to count seeds? Neither have I. I use the estimate method. Does it look like enough seeds? If not, order more. It works well enough. The harder step is to look through the catalogs for new seed varieties. We are always on the lookout for something new and interesting. If you have any suggestions please send them our way. If you would like more of anything now is the time to let me know. And the interesting thing is that since so few people take me up on the offer each response holds a huge sway on what we grow! So speak now and dramatically influence the veggie consumption of your fellow CSA members.
That is pretty much it for now. Hopefully the next newsletter will be the “State of the Farm” address. As always do not hesitate to send in your questions, comments, veggie suggestions, jokes, brain teasers, etc.