Our farm has a unique way of getting the work done. We have Adam and I, two Full-time employees, and a team of over 30 worker-shares who work a 3 and a half hour shifts each week in exchange for their CSA box. It’s an impressive assembly of community members who work in relay taking their shifts and turns. This makes our farm a continuous revolve of familiar faces who appear and disappear and then re-appear again at their scheduled times, like an orchestra of people playing their notes and instruments in key and on beat. Me, the daily constant. The orchestrator. Japanese Eggplant
It’s fascinating to watch. To watch this community of people come together over a box of food who eagerly wish to participate in the food system. We have an eclectic assembly of workers that range from their teenage to senior years. Some have experience on other large or small vegetable farms, and some have never done any kind of gardening in their lives. It’s interesting to hear their stories and see what brings them here. Some are here because they love the idea of working for food and taking an active role in growing their own food. Some love the barter system, the athletic experience, or the opportunity to get to play in the dirt for one morning a week-a refreshing way to mix up the work-week for someone with an office job.
No matter their experience level, their background or their reason for coming, they all have something in common; our workers are the hardy kind. These are the consistent, reliable, committed and enthusiastic folk that could help you raise a barn or re-build after a natural disaster or something. They’re wonderful people to know, my favorite kind of people in fact. They show up in their work boots and sun hats with water bottle in hand and ready for anything-no matter the weather forecast.
It’s nice for us full-timers too to have fresh faces and fresh conversation and fresh ideas circulating through our mornings and afternoons. Sometimes the conversations turn political and the mornings pass by quickly. Everyone brings their special talents and history and background, everyone is accepted, and it feels like a democracy…or something very extensive and diverse.
My social life might also be lacking considerably if not for this community of helpers who also happen to make up my circle of friends. I think these people, some in their fifth and sixth season here, have gotten to know me very well. I tend to be a bit on the work-aholic side of the spectrum and it can be hard to peel me away from the farm between the months of May and October for a social gathering or leisurely outing. I need these people to come here to not only help get the work done, but to help me keep a certain level of social sanity in my life that I probably would not otherwise get.
The farm is alive in so many ways. We have the soil and microbial life, for which we all owe homage, we have the food culture in our boxes that explodes like fireworks into your lives and bellies and homes, and we have this vibrant community of people who make it all happen with their bare hands and kind words and truthful commitment. We are thankful for the workers and the shareholders alike. This farm is truly a special place because of the colorful quilt work that holds it together.
Watermelon or Cantelope- A red watermelon or an orange Cantelope.
Red Cabbage- A dense head of cabbage to add color to your life.
Green Beans- A generous 1.38lbs of green beans for everyone this week. Imagine the time it takes to pick all of those beans! Some of the beans got wet this week because it was raining while we transferred the beans from the cooler to the packing shed to bag them up. Beans really don’t like to be wet or they will mold in their bags. We recommend using up your beans ASAP. They’re better when they’re fresh anyways!
Eggplant- You may have received a standard black eggplant or you may have received a long, Japanese eggplant. They are very similar in flavor, but vary a little in how you can cook with them in the kitchen.
Broccoli- Beautiful, tight and perfect heads of broccoli this week. Just about enough broccoli for everyone- but we ran short on the last 25 boxes or so. Still, every box left the packing line bulging and would barely close.
Red Beets- The greens on these beets still looked okay, so we kept them on. Beets will keep well for months if you remove their tops and store them in a plastic bag in the fridge.
Summer Squash- A waning summer squash harvest. Enjoy your squashies while they last, they’re going out of season!
Cucumbers- Going, going…. Almost gone! We had a good run on cukes while they lasted, but we still have plenty of amazing food coming up to put in the boxes!
White Onion- A fresh onion for every family!
Workers Pickin’ Peppers
Sweet Corn- A generous 5-6 ears per member depending on some of the sizes. A fair amount of raccoon damage in the sweet corn patch this week. We still have one more week of sweet corn givings up ahead and we’re hoping to keep the raccoons out of it for one more week. Thanks to Mugzie, our guard dog, who stands watch out there for us every night.
Hungarian Hot Wax Peppers- These are the long, lime-green or slightly orange-ing banana pepper. Technically they’re a hot pepper, but these are very mild.
Jalapeno Peppers- These ones pack a little more punch, don’t let the kids get ahold of them!
Tomatoes- A growing tomato harvest. This week we had a nice giving of 2.78 lbs per member.
Sun Gold Cherry Tomato or Sweet Red Bell Peppers- The sweet peppers have begun! This is very exciting for me! If you didn’t get a red pepper, you did get some cherry tomatoes, so all is fair in love and war!
Baby Head Lettuce- Some very small heads of lettuce this week that we felt like we needed to pick because they were bolting from the heat, long day-length and worsening drought on the farm.
Red Curly Kale- A beautiful bouquet of red curly kale this week for the cooking-green lovers out there!
