Greetings!
Have you had enough strawberries yet?... Me neither! They are really starting to come in now, and we've got more than enough for every member to get a pint. Feel free to swap more pints into your box (there may be an additional charge) or purchase extra. They'll only be around for a few more weeks.
Speaking of swapping, a few members have asked for assistance with the swapping process. As always, please feel free to reach out to us if you are experiencing difficulties. There's also this swell help article (with a video!) to walk you through the process.
Another question I've been getting is "What happens if I miss my pickup?" While I can't guarantee it, I always do my best to get folks the shares they've paid for. If you realize you missed your pickup, please email me ASAP. We generally hold shares until the end of the week, and I'm happy to try to arrange for you to get your share at another pickup. If you miss a week, though, you can rest easy knowing that the produce won't go to waste-- on Fridays, we donate any leftovers to Campus Kitchen, a student-powered, hunger relief program.
This week, we have an update from Vicky Fry of Fry Farm in Bethlehem. They take great care of their soil and it really shows in the quality of their produce!
"The 2019 spring growing season is in full swing here and we have been quite busy planting and harvesting. One of the interesting (and maddening!) things about farming is that every year presents a unique set of environmental challenges. We went from a very wet winter to a dry opening of spring to a mid-April flood. However, we are thriving and producing some beautiful crops. Aside from our cool season greens and roots, we're also enjoying an early crop of zucchini and cucumbers in our Caterpillar grow tunnels. Our blueberry bushes and fig trees are off to a great start and we hope to haul many of those in this year. On the technical side of things, we have worked to reduce the amount of tillage that is done on the farm. Agitating the soil can be harmful to beneficial bacteria and reduce productivity over time. Growing our soil and all the "critters" living in it is the most important part of what we do. Overall, this is going to be an exciting year and we are so happy to be part of Collective Harvest!"
... Let's eat!
~Lisa
