May – What a month!

We survived the freeze and the frost. The only loss was 1 pepper plant in the hoophouse. We did a lot of covering and preparations for the unseasonable cold weather. It all paid off. Apparently the crazy weather continues!! We have gone from below normal to above normal and very dry. We haven’t had much rain for May but the crops are doing well in the field and the pond is full.

This month is where we lay all of the groundwork for the season. Many seeds are started, plants repotted, transplanting into the field, and direct seeding in the field really gets going. Most plants take 1-2 months to reach maturity for harvesting. Some crops like winter squash take up to 3 months. Timing these tasks with the weather can be a challenge.

CSA Deliveries begin

Week #1 : Tuesday, June 6th – Friday, June 9th (Bi-Weekly -Week A)

Week #2: Tuesday, June 13th – Friday, June 16th (Bi-Weekly-Week B)

Are you a Bi-Weekly CSA Member? Please READ

You will receive an email to confirm the week that you chose when you joined for the season. Some of you joined last fall, so please check that your summer schedule still works. If you need to make a change, we will need to know as soon as possible

Meet the Farm Crew for 2023

Marcus, Joely & Joe – This is the crew that will grow, harvest, and deliver your veggies this season. We are a small operation with all of us taking on many tasks of the farm. Thank you for choosing us to nourish you this summer.

Farm News:

All of our plants are started with certified organic seed. We purchase 99% of our seeds from High Mowing Seeds and the remining 1% from Johnny’s Selected Seeds. Our seed potatoes are purchased from Nature’s Circle Farm. The season is off to a good start. Crops planted in the field: snow peas, celeriac, grape tomato, eggplant, mini sweet peppers, jalapeno, green cabbage, cauliflower, kale, scallions, potatoes, swiss chard, bok choy, red kale, arugula, lettuce mix, radish, green giant Tatsoi, beans, mustard greens. Planted in the hoophouses: red cabbage, tomato, bell peppers, English cucumber, parsley, summer squash, zucchini

On the transplant list: kohlrabi, lettuce heads, scallions, Asian greens, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, basil, delicata squash, cucumbers, sweet corn.

Your first delivery day is coming. Are you ready?

The first few weeks of the CSA are a bit lighter. As all of the crops catch up to the weather, the shares really expand in quantity. These early weeks are a great opportunity to get into the groove of utilizing your fresh weekly veggies. Have a plan.

Now is the time to prepare for how you will handle your veggies and store them so that they can remain their freshest as long as possible. Some items that are handy to purchase if you don’t already have them are a greens spinner, some type of container for storing produce at optimal moisture levels, produce storage bags.

At our house we use the following for cleaning and storage: 5qt Cuisinart spinner, Debbie Myer Green bags, and Rubbermaid Fresh Works. (Amazon links for description – no affiliation)

Here are some photos from the farm this past month. We have a new piece of equipment this season, a waterwheel planter. It has been a back saver for us “older” farmers.

Social Media:

Instagram: @egfcsa

Facebook: Due to technical difficulties we now have a new FB Page please like & follow us there https://www.facebook.com/EGFCSA

Private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/egfcsa – request to join the group and turn on notifications

Pinterest : There are boards for every vegetable for inspiration when you don’t know where to start https://www.pinterest.com/egfcsa/

Direct links to our social media are always at the bottom of every website page.

Have you seen the new handbook? Take a look before deliveries start.