Derek from Glacial Till Farm says this is what a summer of farming does to boots. But thanks to all of you, he earned enough to buy a new pair :)
Week 2 of the customized shares went more smoothly on our end. We did have a couple of shortages that our farmers miscounted and a couple of items that our packers missed, but overall we are conquering the customized boxes.
While we have over 25 veggies available right now, plus lots of other products (bread, meats, dairy, etc.), I am listing no more than 16 items as options in CSA Shares. Our packing line is much more efficient with fewer errors when we have a limited number of items on the table. So if you want more variety, head over to our Webstore at www.nwpagrowers.com/login to check it out. If you are brand new to our CSA, you will need to sign up for our email list there before you can log in.
We had a cog in our system this week because our driver Gwen hurt her right knee (no idea how), so that left us one packer short and I had to deliver boxes for two days. But we got it done, and after two 14-hour days I am playing catch-up. If you emailed me and I haven't responded yet, I will be going back through my messages this weekend to make sure I didn't miss anyone. Or feel free to email again to remind me.
Leah from Grateful Life Farm shared this update:
Just like every year, May and early June have flown past in a blur of new animals arriving on the farm, feed deliveries, cutting grass, butchering, urgent construction projects, and transplants everywhere going into the soil as fast as beds can be prepared. The days are so long now that it has become our routine to work outside until the mosquitoes start to come for us around dusk, go swimming in the creek for a few minutes to cool off, then have dinner around nine.
We have placed a heavy focus on constructing our high tunnel, which is mostly complete, with only one end left to frame in and cover, and gutters to install for rainwater collection. The site had to be leveled prior to construction, leaving the soil very compacted. To combat this issue, we’re building up beds with composted rabbit manure and bedding, spoiled hay, and topsoil harvested from other areas of our farm. We’ve also inoculated with beneficial microorganisms, using techniques of Korean Natural Farming. Our friend and farm helper Josh has been teaching us how to make and use the preparations of KNF to benefit soil and plants. One afternoon last week I even got to plant tomatoes in a thunderstorm, rain pouring down the cover, me and my tomatoes sheltered and comfortable.
Our second batch of baby chicks arrived two weeks ago and are growing well, ready to transition to pasture pens next week. Right now they are sharing their space with 18 sweet baby turkeys and the 14 Partridge Chantecler chicks I incubated and hatched.
This season we will experiment with a new style of chicken tractor, under construction in this photo. One of the big advantages is that we can walk into this tractor upright to tend to the birds. Last weekend we harvested our first batch of chickens for the season.
You have all weekend to customize your share, and also to place Webstore orders. Check out the help document about what you can do on your Harvie profile. There are other FAQ pages if you have other questions.
Have a great weekend and stay cool!
Amy on behalf of your farmers
