January Update
As we near the end of January we hope we have seen the last of the 20 degree weather. The farmers had little motivation to brave the cold. We started seeding in flats and putting them on the hot benches yesterday when it got up to 40, we’ll see how they do. We are in the process of getting the hoop houses ready to seed, but again nights that are so cold are not conducive to germination.
We are still harvesting a few greens from one green house. Those greens are getting ready to bolt (make seeds and turn bitter)so the race is on to get new crops growing for the start of the season come April. We had a surprise on January 13th, Juvencio went out to feed the sheep and found 2 baby lambs. We rounded up the llamas from our neighbors and brought them back to stand guard. We know this year will be a challenge, with those coyotes hot the heels of our lambs.
We had a great vacation from the farm when we drove to California after Christmas to spend New Years with old friends in Santa Cruz and Martinez. We played on the beach, walked in the redwoods (a tiny bit), drank tea in China Town in San Francisco and ate the best Dim Sum ever. We got to hang out with friends and have our kids mingle and create deeper bonds. It was a nice break and even though it wasn’t warm we did feel the sun on our skin for 7 days.
On our return to the farm, our house interior had been repainted, the last of the carpet had been removed and the old fir floors had been refinished and our kitchen counter got a makeover. Prior to our departure we had moved everything out of our house, into a “POD”. We got home and had to move it all back in and now our house feels like a new house.
Along with new house we got a new puppy. We have been contemplating this for a long time. After the death of our beloved Malaika we had a hard time imagining a third dog fitting in. Diego and Juvencio had met a puppy in December at our friend Josh’s and had actually put dibs on her. On January 6th they went out to feed the cows in McMinnville and brought her home. We named her “Fiora” and she is a very sweet, smart and fun loving puppy, who is a border collie/Australian Sheppard mix. Luna is busy training her to do tricks and she is getting used to farm life. She has a lot of instinct to work with other animals and she loves to dig and play in the dirt. We’ll see how that plays out once we have crops planted.
So we begin . . . our CSA subscriptions are not quite full. We still have about 15 shares to fill. Please have friends email us at lynjuve@msn.com . Your referrals make great new subscribers! The majority of members have decided to share their subscription in an every other week fashion. If you are finding there are too many vegetables we strongly suggest this method of dividing a share with a friend. It is much better to get a full share every other week than to “split” the weekly vegetables. It is very hard to do something with 2 beets and ½ a cabbage and one head of lettuce. Please do consult with us and we will help out finding a partner. We are interested in you having the very best experience with our CSA and your vegetables.
The annual pruning party is scheduled for Saturday February 16. We will start at 10 and work until we are done or you are “done”. Please bring hand pruners, gloves, loppers and a dish to pass. Kids can come but it is probably best to bring older ones that will not be hurt by falling branches. This is a work party, no experience required. We will prune our entire orchard, clean up the fields, move compost and have fun. Please check your email prior to coming if there is especially bad weather, if there is light rain the party will go on.
Our season begins April 14th with the opening potluck. The details will follow but mark your calendars now. We will have the first harvest available for pick-up on Monday April 15 or Thursday April 18 depending on your pick-up date. Stay tuned for more farm updates.