Working Hands Farm 2013 CSA Week One

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Hi friends!

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Thanks so much for your words of encouragement after announcing our early start to the season.  We’re so happy to have your support and makes us feel great about all that we do.  We’re just as excited as you are to let the season begin and to celebrate with a bountiful harvest this week!

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Flow of the CSA.  Over the next few weeks we will all begin to get into the flow of pick ups, harvests, seasons, you name it.  Habits are interesting things (the human mind in general is mind blowing) and a CSA helps to hone in on habits and ultimately changes your lifestyle (in one form or another).  We remind you to be patient, to be excited and to enjoy it.  There are so many decisions that one person must make everyday, a daunting task at times – revel in those food choices your farmers/seasons are making for you each week.  Get creative & be inspired.  Ask questions & be open – you’ll be surprised what you might find as the season unfolds.  Past members have suggested going to the grocery store after you have received your crate.  It saves you trips and also may save you from going to the grocery every week (Your farmers know that you always leave the grocery with way more than you intended)  thus cutting down on food costs!

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When weeding in the garden on Sunday a friend and I were speaking of how the garden helps to show you to yourself.  A little metaphor for all the things we go through in life on a whole.  How difficult and how beautiful it can be all in one.  It’s about the process – and through this process we are all learning together.  Feel free to find a little community in this farm – be proud to be part of something important – and to pat yourself on the back for taking care of yourself (and loved ones.)   These veggies (and eggs) that you will be nourishing your bodies with for the next 20 weeks are grown with love, passion & happy living soil.  We hope that you truly enjoy all the benefits of eating fresh (picked THAT morning), eating seasonally (sorry, no tomatoes in December), and local (your local farmer, Brian and I, need the support of his/her community)

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Home Delivery.  Home deliveries will take place on Tuesdays (May 21st – October 1st) in the late afternoons.  We will drop off your crate on your front step, porch, or lobby if you live in a building.  Please let us know if you have any questions ahead of time.  Your produce will be there to greet you upon arriving home today!

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Farm Pick Up.  Farm Pick Ups take place on Wednesday (May 22nd – October 2nd) & Thursday’s (May 23rd – October 3rd) from 4 – 6 pm (make sure you come on the right day!)  We harvest everything fresh that morning so it’s important to come between the pick up times to give your farmer’s the time to harvest, wash and pack all the CSA shares. (Farmer Brian says, No we will not pack your box early for you so don’t ask.)  Pick Ups also need to take place by 6pm as we need time to cook dinner, milk the cow, feed the chickens, muck the stalls…

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There will be a sign for farm parking (which is by the white barn) and pick ups will be beneath our shade structure upon entering (if it’s raining we may switch to the barn.)  All the crates are packed exactly the same and on the first couple of pick ups we’ll have everyone sign in before grabbing their crate.  Your farmers will be available at pick ups to say hello, answer any questions and share recipe ideas etc.  If you are unable to come pick up your share, you can either arrange for a friend or family member to pick it up for you or give us 24hr notice and we can donate your box of goodies to Truffle the pig and maybe Otis too!  All unclaimed boxes will be donated as we don’t have any means of storing them (i.e. refrigeration) on the farm.

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Crates.  Our CSA crates are hand built (by your farmers) as the hope is to use them for years to come.  We believe this to be a more sustainable practice as the alternative (cardboard, paper etc) only last a year or two – not to mention we love the aesthetic and nostalgia it brings together with all the fresh bounty nearly toppling out of it.  It is an extra thing we do for the CSA (at cost to your farmers/farm) and we love it.  In order to keep producing crates, it’s very important to return them each week.  It’s one of those things that makes a huge difference to your farmers in performing at our highest efficiency as it’s just the two of us harvesting for 25 families everyday (if we don’t have enough crates there is nothing to put your produce in.)  Past members suggest leaving it in the trunk of you car, on your door step or by your back door (so you remember to grab it.)  It’s a small but very important role that you play in order to make this CSA flow smoothly!  We thank you in advance for helping us in that regard.

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Egg cartons, Berry Boxes, Jars etc.  For all those who purchase egg shares or buy eggs at the store we reuse our paper egg cartons!  Please save up your egg cartons for us and return them, or leave them in your crate for home delivery (please no plastic or styrofoam.) We also reuse all berry boxes (1/2 pints, pints, quarts) so you can return those as well.  We are a thoughtful farm in terms of minimizing waste and reuse what we can!

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We have any exciting season ahead with over 60 different types of vegetables and several different varieties of each (it’s never a dull moment on the farm!)  Enjoy the leafy greens and cool weather brassica crops that you will find in the first few week’s of the CSA.  As well as the sun sweetened strawberries whose season is never long enough!  The greens will be tender, delicious and untouched by the heat that summer brings.  Enjoy them while they are here!  Thanks again for all your support and we look forward to sharing in the bounty with you this season.

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Many thanks & cheers to a happy harvest!

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Jess & Brian

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dirty hands, clean hearts

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