CSA Week 9, July 30- August 3

July 29, 2018

CSA Week 9 – July 30, August 1, 3

Dear friends,

Sorry to not write last week end. It was a full one and there just wasn’t enough time to go around. This has been a pretty relaxing week end, however, and has given me and Jack some time to just enjoy each other without the crowds of folks around. We heartily enjoy both states of being and feel lucky to be engaged fully in the world.

The weather this past week was miraculous in a way. Raina, who comes just once a week, was shocked at how much everything had grown in 7 days. Hot and wet and back and forth for how many ever days that was, moved everything along fantastically. And the abundant rain showers cooled us farmers off between the hot and humid periods.

Almost all of our early and midseason crops are mulched and coming along nicely – broccoli, Brussels sprouts, basil, parsley, celery, tomatillos, eggplant. We were able to start more lettuce, carrots, beets, and green beans. Now we keep things like chard, squash and cucumbers weeded as we pick each day. We are down to 4 purchased round bales of hay for mulching our new crops of cauliflower, cabbage, squash and broccoli. But Brent will make more hay from the fields this week to replenish our own farm supply.

Employee of the Week – Mario Mendes

Mario lives at Stetson School in Barre, a residential home for youth. He has been working with us since last season, and comes on weekends when we need him through the winter. This summer he has come many Saturdays and Sundays to help me move the heavy chicken tractors because Jack can’t do that anymore. Mario always arrives at work with a smile on his face and is a dedicated member of our full time staff who is always here, day in and day out – the only person on the staff for whom that is true. He and Brent have a special relationship like Bob and Ray or the Car Talk brothers. Together they make the rest of us laugh. Mario will be leaving Stetson in the fall and going back to Boston, where he has lived since he came here from Cape Verde 5 years ago. Thank you Mario for who you are and for your dedication to the farm family.

Mario showing off beautiful beet bunches.

 

Food this week

  • CSA
    • Kale
    • Squash
    • Cukes
    • Fennel – we have never offered this one before. I would love to hear from you what ideas you have for how to use it
    • Leeks
    • Carrots
    • Beets
    • Lettuce
    • Basil
    • Cabbage/broccoli
    • Beans – these are starting this week; we may or may not have many or any on Monday, but should have a decent amount by Friday. They are coming on very nicely, so look forward to them in the future. We have some nice purple striped heirlooms and also some more standard looking green beans

We can use your recycled plastic grocer y size bags

Yes, just leave them in your share bag – don’t forget to return it this week, and we will use them for packing vegetables. We can reuse the rubber bands too!

 Still taking members

Every week the price will go down each week (by $30 for larges and $20 for mediums), and it will be updated on the website – https://mhof.net/2018-csa-share-options/.      

Check out our Facebook at this address https://www.facebook.com/manyhandsorganicfarm… You can like us, refer us and also write a review if you enjoy what you are receiving. That all helps get the word out for our farm. Thanks for what many of you have already done to help us get the word out.

We are also on Instagram @manyhandsorganic. Clare and Lisa post pictures there all of the time.

NOFA Summer Conference

Check out this wonderful weekend for those who love to eat, grow, or advocate around organic food and farming, and environmental health Check it out here – http://nofasummerconference.org/. Jack and I organized this conference for 24 years and raised our kids on it. You will meet like-minded and truly positive spirited change-makers and practical people at this event. Come to my workshop at 1 pm on Saturday – No-Till Vegetable Soil Prep & In Season/Post Season Management

Julie