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Hi Friends & Farm-ily,
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We wanted to send a little wrap up of the Spring, Summer and Fall season and give thanks to you all for your support this year. 2020 has been so challenging for all of us which makes Brian and I extra proud that WHF has not only been a place where our community can reliably access fresh food, but a place we can do so free from worry and hesitation. When we look after one another (by wearing masks and social distancing) we ensure as many folks as possible can have access to safe food options when we need it the most. Growing good food this year for you and your households has been an honor and a privilege.
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On a deeply personal note, this years many challenges were also compounded by the passing of someone incredibly special to us, my mom, Jackie. With the empty chair around the dinner table and all the new firsts the holidays bring, I’ve been especially missing her lately. She believed in the farm and beamed with light when telling people about her daughter and son in law’s farm out in Oregon. It was a place of happiness and magic and possibility for her .. so much so that she reserved herself a spot on one of our rocking chairs on our porch. At the end of every season she would tell me how proud she was of us, which always felt so good to hear. She believed in the importance of serving your community and growing good food is our way of doing just that.
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The farm has been a place of solace, bringing peace of mind and a way to channel life’s uncertainties through doing and working with our hands. The work that we choose to do and feel passionately about made more and more sense with each passing day. If this year has taught me anything it’s to really be present with each moment. To honor your feelings and to be there. If a wave of grief hits you while you’re harvesting leeks just go with it. There are moments of deep clarity that come after those waves.
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It has really helped to have the CSA to focus on during this difficult time. After more than a decade of growing good food for our community we have learned that providing households with fresh organic veggies is always a good thing. We’re finishing up our 11th season as Working Hands Farm which is crazy to think about. As we look back on the 2020 season we are proud of all that we accomplished. We look forward to serving this community for years to come and to CSA sign-ups beginning again in January for the start of the 2021 season.
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In 11 years we’ve harvested 35,770 CSA shares and over 975,000lbs of produce.
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This Spring/Summer/Fall alone we’ve harvested 4,500 individual shares from May through November!
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Thank you for being part of this farm, and the WHF farm-ily!
This time of the year, our hearts and minds are gearing up for the 2021 season (there’s just so much to look forward to!) and now that December is here we are feeling ready to write and look over notes and better prepare for the next growing season. This week, Brian and I will complete the first few steps of “Hippo Camp” from @habitfarming (which is run by Farmer Taylor at Footprint Farm/VT). “Hippocampus. It’s the part of your brain that is associated with space and memory. It’s also how I think about business planning. My goal with our annual business plan (we call it Hippo Camp) is to do all the thinking upfront, then rely on that plan to help alleviate decision making fatigue in the heat of the farming season.” – Farmer Taylor
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It’s a great way to close out the end of the year while everything is relatively fresh on our minds! Listing all of our Achievements/Disappointments (step 1) and then taking all that information and running it through the Stop Doing/Keep doing/Start Doing (step 2). One of the disappointments last year (in the 2019 season) included some crop loss due to disease brought on by the cooler more humid/wet summer (i.e. our onions which succumbed to downy mildew which we’ve never had before!). We changed things up in 2020 with how we grow onions this year and had a great crop! We did get downy mildew again this year but it was later and all the bulbs had already matured in the field. We even grew a downy mildew resistant variety that stayed green in the field up until harvest which was pretty amazing to see. Those are the big yellow onions you’ll see some of the winter shares. And we’ll definitely be growing it next year in larger quantities!
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One of our goals this time last year was to hire some more crew members. With Covid, we made the decision to not change a thing as we had no idea what kind of impact it would have on the farm. We continued to focus on refining our systems even more and we’re like a well oiled machine – which explains why we were able to harvest, plant, weed, irrigate etc for almost 200 shares/families this year with just 3 people (Brian and I and Farmer Rob). We’re setting a few vision boards going into the 2021 season… both personal and business and are excited to enter this next chapter as farmers.
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Over the course of our 28-week Spring/Summer/Fall Season your farmers grew and harvested…
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125,000 lbs of produce!
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Over the course of our 28-week 2020 CSA season your farmers have harvested and distributed 125,000lbs of freshly picked, organic, thoughtfully grown produce to our CSA members.
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That’s 857lbs of produce per weekly share which means our members paid $1.49/lb for all their fresh, local, organic produce this season.
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(Some socially distant high fives are definitely in order!)
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All while supporting the ecosystem of this farm and its farmers by ensuring we make a livable wage whilst growing the best darn produce you can find…
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From Spring to Fall, the shares averaged 28lbs (with lighter shares in the Spring and heavier shares in the late summer and Fall) and included 12-20 items (the average throughout the season was 16 items) with a great variety of crops and delicious tasting veggies that have inspired many fantastic home cooked meals.
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Some interesting highlights from this year’s Spring/Summer/Fall harvest (we’ve harvested..):
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Carrots for 21 shares,
Broccoli for 12 shares,
Tomatoes for 12 shares,
Sweet Corn for 11 shares,
Bulb Onions for 23 shares,
Zucchini/Squash/Cukes for 18 shares,
Garlic for 28 shares,
Strawberries for 10 shares,
Melons for 6 shares (with 2 double melon weeks),
Mixed Peppers for 15 shares,
Cauliflower for 9 shares,
Winter squash for 8 shares,
Celery for 9 shares,
Beets for 11 shares,
Shishitos for 8 weeks,
Mixed Bunch Greens for 19 shares (3 weeks double bunch),
Lettuce heads for 12 shares,
Bagged Greens for 24 shares (7 weeks double bagged greens)
Cabbage for 8 shares,
Sweet Potatoes/Potatoes for 17 shares (9 weeks both)
Eggplant for 7 shares,
Radish, Turnips for 9 shares,
Herbs (parsley, basil, sage, thyme, oregano etc) for 21 shares,
Tomatillos (3), Fennel (7), Peas + Favas (5), Pac Choi (5), Chicory (5) for 5 shares and on and on and on!
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There was an average of 16 items per share over the course of the season!
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We are just so proud of our members and are constantly inspired by all that you accomplish from season to season! Your commitment to eating well and nourishing yourselves and loved ones is really something to be proud of.
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Thank you to all our members for your continued participation and excellent efforts! All throughout the season, the WHF CSA member’s page has been active and buzzing with many delicious recipes, helpful hints and encouragement. The Facebook Members Page the conversation and experience continues well after the produce leaves the farm and the visual component really hits it home for us. The interaction and shared experience validates all the long hours and hard work we do. It shows that it’s worthwhile and the goals of the farm are being met because the food is being utilized and thoroughly enjoyed. This part of the experience is important to us… because beyond the delicious produce our CSA aims to improve our CSA members quality of life! We want to play a part in ensuring that they can live long, healthy lives and be productive members of society. This interaction helps us to see that our goals are making a difference in our community. And it is you our members who are making the upfront investment for the betterment of us all! Pretty amazing stuff!
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Some of my favorite advice that one of our member’s gave a few seasons back (in their 7th season now) to a 1st year member is “Make friends with your knife, cutting board, sink, dish towel, salad spinner, stove, and oven. They aren’t instruments of drudgery, they are keys to liberation. The time you spend prepping and cooking food is time to think and be present in the moment–“mindfulness” is a free benefit of CSA membership, so take advantage and enjoy it!” We hope all of our members have enjoyed this free benefit of membership not to mention the many delicious meals that have been created and savored in all 200 households that our CSA program grows for.
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Mark your calendars: our 2021 CSA sign-ups will begin on January 1st. Spread the good word! Word of mouth is the best way to help us grow and sustain our small farm. Please share our website (workinghandsfarm.com) and encourage interested friends, family, neighbors & community etc… in signing up for their CSA share next season! Many thanks for your help from all of us at Working Hands.
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Thanks for believing in your farmers every step of the way and for being a constant reminder of why we do what we do each morning when we rise. Thank you all for supporting your local farm (and farmers), for buying direct, for choosing to feed your household with the best possible farm fresh produce that you can both know and trust.
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Happy Holidays to you all and take good care.
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With kind regards,
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Your Farmers
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Jess & Brian
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working hands farm 