Sorry for taking so long to get this up 🙂
Welcome! I know there is a lot of writing here, but it is week 1 😉
Here’s a recap from the email I sent out last week: If you know you will not be able to pickup, please login to your farmigo account (you created one when you signed up with us) 48 hours in advance and make changes so we may plan accordingly. It is your responsibility to remember your box. Unclaimed boxes are donated locally, or if it’s been an extra hot day, dumped to the livestock. Asking us to make up a forgotten box is the same as asking for double.
Please pick up during your time frame ;). Asking for another box because you forgot is the same as asking for double. I know that might sound rough…but it is true and it has happened.
Handy info out there: Stillman’s Blog, the Member Connect Page on the blog, Stillman’s Farm facebook page – where I generally post what might be in the box at the top of the week, Instagram, and the CSA Pinterest Board where I pin recipes I like and your pins too J
The following is directly out of last year’s letter…but I liked it J Farming is not a particularly consistent business. It may not be obvious, or something anyone even thinks about, but because we do not control all the factors that affect production, it is impossible to guarantee results. When you consider your favorite coffee shop has an exact formula for how they make their coffee, the results are the same every time. Your farmer knows exactly what everything growing on the farm needs, but there are so many factors out of his control (sun, rain, high wind, and worse) that he must constantly make adjustments to ensure a good harvest. If the weather was very predictable (and it’s New England, so it isn’t) we could exercise more control and guarantee consistent results. This is the very reason why I write every week “these are things you may get”. Also, we could grow all the same variety of lettuce and ensure that every member received the same exact kind as the other member from week to week, but I rather like that you can see some variety, experiment a little, and even encourage you to open your box and take a peek; so you might get a chance to try the Golden Beets or the Red Romaine, or the Ruby Chard. Yes, switch boxes to try something different or new! Also, as we pick every single day of the week, it is possible that on Monday we were not picking peas, but by Friday we were. Or, sometimes, at the beginning of harvesting a particular crop, we choose to bring what we have to share with the CSA members, but there isn’t enough for all the members, that day, or even that week. HOWEVER, in 15 years of CSA deliveries, I have found it magically works out: over the course of 16 weeks, everyone receives the same value. Item for item, there might be variations, different but equal. Within reason, we welcome your requests and substitutions to make this your most perfect CSA J
You MAY have these things: strawberries, lettuce, beets, chard of some color, peas of some type, and perhaps something else green. We grow many varieties of lettuce, beets, kale, etc. Check out the blog for details, or post to facebook, if you are unsure. The greens have only been rinsed, but we leave the fine cleaning to you! None of them have been sprayed (this will be obvious at times with little pinholes from the flea 2qA@QqbeetlesL).
Please pick up your box every week, return your boxes without destroying them, read your letter, email us with questions (after you have read and re-read your letter ;)), login to your farmigo account to make contact and pickup changes, and have fun with all the goodies!
Farm Dirt
Farm Dirt is where you will read about what is happening at the farm, wildlife sightings, our family, etc.
Bears, bobcats, many bluebird families, turkeys and deer are busy on the farm. The tree frogs pipe up at any time of the day and sometimes are deafening. The toads and all the other frog sounds fill the late afternoon and night. Butterflies and assorted wasps and bees are everywhere. It’s awesome.
The hops are at the top of the wire and growing; we added a few more varieties this year and have quite a bit ready to use in the freezer (please ask if we should send some into you). The row crops are looking awesome and I could not help but take pictures of the lettuce in the field yesterday. There is TONS of stuff planted all over the farm and all we can do now is pray for normal (read not extreme) weather.
I have been entrenched with planning for the BPM and am happy for the stability of CSA starting J
We encourage you to become part of the farm and be connected to your food and farmer; visit, check out the crops, sample in the field, picnic, watch the birds, amphibians, and insects!
Eat well,
Geneviève Stillman