Lots of “News” on the farm this week. But before we get to that, here are just a few short announcements.
Our plan is to start veggie pick-ups the week of June 18th. I will be sending out pick-up information to your email address later this week (next time it rains or this weekend, whichever comes first). A rough guess as to what we will have is lettuce, bok choi, green garlic, radishes, Swiss chard and kale. I don’t know how much of each but those are the things that look the most ready. To be honest, I’m surprised we have that much considering the late start.
We still have shares available. Spread the word!
Please get any add-on shares ordered soon. There are deadlines.
Farm News
Sometime early last month I got a call from Brian at Land Stewardship Project. He said he got a call from KARE 11 news who were looking to do a story on the cost effectiveness of CSA shares and were looking to talk to local farmer. I don’t recall the specifics they were looking for but it was something like being feebleminded and mostly on the unattractive side. Brain said he immediately thought of me. I thanked him for the complement. Anyway, they wanted to get some video, talk about CSAs, understand what a typical share would be, and didn’t want to drive too far (actually I just put that in but I’m sure it would have been a factor if they thought about it). So I told Brian I would be glad to play the part. Brian said he’d give them my contact info.
I got a call later that day from Gordon Severson, local reporter for KARE 11 news. He explained a bit more about what they were looking for — he added “not overly sweaty” to the list of requirements. I figured the morning would be a time I’d be less sweaty, so we setup a time later in the week for him to come out.
At the appointed time Gordon arrived along with a recent hire at KARE 11, Sharon Yoo who just relocated here from somewhere warmer. She is clearly unaware of what she is in for when it comes to Minnesota winters. She was tagging along, learning the ropes at KARE and taking a few pictures/videos. Now the timing wasn’t all that great. We just ended the fourth coldest April in recorded history so there wasn’t much going on in the field but at the same time I wasn’t sweaty so it was all good. We had the garlic from last fall and this year’s onions planted but that was about it. So most of the footage was taken of transplants in the greenhouse, animals roaming around the pasture and the slightly more attractive side of me.
I realized pretty quickly this was a trap. It always is. There was a reason they wanted someone feebleminded. Gordon kept asking “gotcha” questions like “What’s your name?” and “Where are we?” Why didn’t he know the answers to these questions? We’ve talked on the phone and introduced ourselves to each other. I was starting to think he was the feebleminded one.
Anyway, other than the heated argument about the proper way to make kale chips Gordon and I got along well. He and Sharon spent a couple of hours here taking video, asking questions and generally wasting time — the life of a TV reporter.
You can find the final video here. KARE 11’s facebook page only had a link to the transcript which really didn’t capture my thundering performance. Spoiler Alert: I may have to raise my prices or go into TV reporting. Though I did notice the camera adds 10 pounds. For those new to my acting career here is a link to an earlier acting gig and here is yet another acting gig.
As always, do not hesitate to send in questions, comments, suggestions or Emmy nominations.