With this mornings temperature at 8 degrees I think it is time for a new farm with a retractable roof!
Yes this farming season is slow in getting underway. Just to put things in perspective, in 2007 we already had temperatures in the 80s. Last season we already put plants outside the greenhouse by now and were prepping the fields for planting. And we put plants in the ground in March! Sure last season was exceptionally warm and snow free but this season seems to be exceptional as well!
As we wait for the weather to warm we decided to buy some new baby chicks! We are experimenting to see what it would take to provide eggs to our members. Finding a reliable organic egg source has been problematic. So we are trying to determine if this is something we want to do. We are starting with 25 hens since that is about all our current coop will hold. If we don’t lose them to varmints we may increase the flock next year. It takes a few months for chicks to turn into hens and start laying eggs so we won’t have EggShare this year but may have some for sale on the farm during pick-up times.
On another note, I want to remind everyone, and inform those new to our farm, that we rely a lot on word of mouth advertising. This year it is even more important. Why? There are now more than 60 farms selling CSA shares to residents of the Twin Cities. I believe there is enough mouths to feed to support all these farms however the difficulty is in educating people and getting them to sign up for a farm. Even if they have decided to join a farm, sorting through the large number of options makes it difficult.
So, please, please tell friends, neighbors, coworkers, family members, etc. about our farm. Also “share” our Facebook page so your friends can find us that way. Tell them when they sign-up to put your name on the “Where did you hear about us?” line and we will credit your account $25. We really appreciate your support!
Also please consider adding additional products to your account. Not only do we sell great tasting vegetables and beautiful flowers, but we also resell certified organic fruit; pasture raised beef, pork and chicken; raw milk cheese from grass-fed cows; and organic fair-trade coffee. And for those who like to garden we have herb six packs! No need to go to the grocery store this summer!
As always, do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.