C.S.A.

We are about to embark on our second year of running a CSA. The first year has been an educational challenge, but a fun one. Our friends were good enough to support us through this trying year while we learned the ins and outs of managing a CSA. Yes, we do know how to grow for a market, but that is different. A good CSA has a much wider variety of food available.

In the last year, we have survived a plague of locusts, (aka grasshoppers) and many other challenges. Some of the grasshoppers were over four inches in length, and one of these big ones could take out single newly transplanted plant all by itself. And we had literally thousands of them. We built PVC frames and used screens to protect the new winter crops we planted, but they were set back by these voracious monsters, as were the summer crops, especially the squash.

We also have had to deal with extremely cold and bitter winter conditions. The frames we built for grasshoppers worked well for supporting frost blankets as well as plastic sheeting, thank goodness. It is truly amazing the temperatures plants will take if the wind can't damage them. Wind protection we have discovered is the main ingredient to keeping a garden healthy in the winter.

Our customer's coolers have been full every week, regardless. Not always as full as we would like, but then there are the weeks where we have more produce than will fit in the coolers. But this is the fun of a CSA, you live with the natural rhythm of scarcity to abundance. We do like to give our CSA shareholders first crack at our abundance. For example last fall when we knew the pepper plants were about to be killed by a hard freeze, we had lots of extra peppers at the drop off. Shareholders were asked how many they would like. We did bring some back to the farm, for our freezer, but only after the shareholders had all they wanted.

Yes, we do eat from the garden, but we figure one share for us. We do not sell the extra, we give it to our shareholders or the seniors in the area. Any shares not picked up are given to Seniors that are extremely low income so they can eat well for a while, anyway. If we have a large excess, like we had with melons last year, we took them to the local low income Seniors Residence. It was fun to unload enough melons so that every resident could get a nice dessert.

This year promises to be much better. Last year, our gardens were started with the market in mind, but then we changed our minds and started a CSA. We had lots of different tomatoes and melons, but not much else for the summer. This year, we are starting fewer tomatoes and melons, but lots of other stuff like yard long beans and summer greens. This winter we have created special beds for growing root crops, so they are starting to come onto the menu. Many root crops are not too fond of this cold weather and growing very slow, but come spring, we will have some. We are trying experiments to see what grows well here. We are going to try for potatoes, beans, celery and other goodies. We do have two large beds of onions, but whether or not they have survived all these hard freezes is questionable. We have never had a problem with our onions before, but they have never looked as bad as they do this year.

We are still an adventure in eating. Between sixty and eighty percent of the varieties we grow are ones we have grown and loved. But, every year we will try new stuff, new varieties, new types of vegetables. This is half the fun of gardening and of belonging to a CSA. We also let you know in a weekly newsletter what is happening on the farm and what will be in your cooler. We include cooking tips, how to prepare for unusual foods, and suggestions on how to use the wonderful produce we grow. If you have a favorite you would like to see in your cooler, let us know. We do like to grow for our shareholders, when possible.

Our growing methods are sustainable. We grow mostly heirlooms, or at least open pollinated vegetables to help protect the bio-diversity of our world. We also find that they taste better. We do grow a few hybrids, all non gmo, such as summer lettuce by Johnny's seed. If I can find an heirloom that can take the heat, we will discontinue the hybrid, but lettuce belongs on a summer menu, so we try.

We use no chemicals on our land. Our fertilizer comes from compost, rabbit manure, worm castings made into compost tea, and additives like kelp, oyster shell and alfalfa meal. We use manual removal or prevention of bug damage or bug traps. We have not even sprayed with insecticidal soap for years. While we do lose some stuff to the bugs, and yes the grasshoppers did cause havoc last year, spraying chemicals is not the answer for us.

Once our beds are built, they are never tilled again. The top couple of inches is raked but it is never dug again. We never put our weight on the beds, so we don't compact the soil. This is important to protect the soil food web. The natural bacterial in the soil is what make the minerals in the soil available to the plants. Tilling kills this bacteria, so no till is better for the plants. It is also better for the environment as we are not using equipment that burns fossil fuels to maintain the gardens.

The shares are delivered in coolers, with an icepack so if you are busy and not heading straight home, no problem. Your share will keep in your car until evening. We do have a $50 deposit payable at joining, that is fully refundable provided you return all our equipment and give a full month's notice of leaving.

Our summer shares, which start probably in June, come in two sizes, a full share for $120 per month and a half share for $60 per month. The full share is 10 to 12 items, and the half share is 5 to 6. When winter arrives and the summer gardens are finished, all shareholders have the option to downsize their share, since the winter garden is predominantly greens. Payment for shares is due by the first of the month.

Our CSA runs all year, delivery is four weeks per month on Sunday. Any month with a fifth Sunday is our week off. Delivery is available in Huntsville at the Huntsville Community Church, between noon and 2PM. Shares are also available in Bedias, at the farm on Saturday, between 4PM and 6PM.

We will be having fun days at the farm for our shareholders, one in the spring when the new lambs are on the ground and one in the fall, when things cool down again. As always, we are here to help our shareholders learn to garden and to grow for themselves. Farm visits are welcome with very little notice. Shareholders have free admission to any seminars we are running on the farm.