This past Saturday was a really lovely day, and I’m not just referring to the weather, though the weather was perfect! It was our CSA Day, my favorite of our many events, and I enjoyed getting to meet so many people in person! Lots of good conversations, about our yarn and our current knitting projects; about how good hakurei turnips (and their greens) are; sourdough and various fermentation projects; good sources for seasonal recipes; and more. We had quite the range in age, hometown, length of time in the CSA (new members to 20+ years), and in the number of times people had been to the farm. For many, it was their first time up here, and they couldn’t have picked a better day!
Andrew took folks out on two tractor tours (with a special stop to harvest strawberries), Rose and Hannah did a tour of the flower field, we had some lambs join us, I was in charge of snacks and chatting, and Amon and Jenna’s dog Annie was in charge of greeting everyone. A big thanks to Andrew, Rose, Hannah, Amon, Lyla, Isac, and the others who helped make it happen in the midst of a busy week, plus CSA member (and site host) Carol for helping me document it! We also had the April Farm Dinner that night (attended by several CSA members too – it was also great to meet you), plus lots of transplanting and bed prep to get done before the rain. Balancing farming and events/education/guests isn’t easy to do, but we pulled it off this weekend. The eggplant and peppers all got planted, CSA Day and Farm Dinner attendees had a great time, and as I write this on Monday morning, I can hear the hum of many tractors racing to get things done before the rain starts later today and the flower and vegetable harvesting teams have already harvested and brought in an (almost) unfathomable amount of flower bunches, heads of lettuce, and more.
Speaking of flowers… We’re starting off on our third full week of the CSA flower season and there have already been an unfortunate number of people who have arrived at their CSA site to find that their flowers weren’t there.
Three reminders:
1) Always check the sign-out sheet before taking flowers. It’s so disappointing when someone arrives and their flowers are gone. At some sites, it may be a theft situation (from non CSA members), and we will work with your site hosts to try and reduce the chances for flower theft. Same for boxes! Always check the list first!
2) After you take your flowers, make sure that the remaining bouquets are still in the water.
3) Keep the order cutoff in mind: Saturday night for a Tuesday box. By the time you get the Beet newsletter, it’s too late to get flowers for that week. Email me if you want flowers on a regular basis (with each box, every other box, etc.) or you can add them to any week in the CSA member store.
All of these reminders also apply to your CSA boxes. Always check the list first! Don’t take your box home, and after getting your produce, make sure the empty boxes are neatly stacked, and not too tall. This cutoff deadline also applies to skipping or donating a box, or adding anything to your box. We can’t accommodate late requests, so as you start figuring out your summer travel plans, don’t wait until the last minute to skip. Or you can always send a friend or neighbor to get your box.
Speaking of flowers, part two: this weekend, we’ll be leading tours of our flower field this Sunday as part of the Rustic Ramble! You can find out more information about this Capay Valley-wide event here.
Elaine Swiedler, CSA Manager
