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This has been a glorious February. The pruning party had amazing weather and a good turn out. We got a good chunk of the pruning done and Juve managed to clear the cut branches over several chipping sessions. Thanks to all the members and friends of “La Finquita” for their help. We have been busy transplanting into the green houses.
Farming is frustrating. Juvencio re-prepared the beds in the greenhouse after the floods at the beginning of February. Many beds just washed away completely as water raged through the gopher holes and took all our soil with it. I transplanted two beds of Chinese broccoli and returned the next day to find the slugs noticed them as well. Many were half eaten in the course of several hours. A gopher tunneled in the same bed. The Dark Eyed Juncos ate all the sprouting beets and the pill bugs (rollie pollies) finished off all the emerging carrots. The sprouting broccoli and overwintering cauliflower are in full swing, 6 weeks before the season starts. The kale we hoped to overwinter and give at the start of the season next month is flowering now and will be gone by then. We work super hard to tend the soil, raise the seedlings, plant the seeds and the 10 plagues (maybe there are 20) get us every time. The plagues include pests such as slugs, rollie pollies, cucumber beetles, birds, gophers and weather. All of these things are out of our control. We can mitigate but we can not prevent all the damage and cost in wasted time, money and sweat that goes into growing vegetables.
Membership is another area of farming that I wish would take care of itself. We want our members to stay with us, many of you do. Many of you plan to remain but don’t send in your deposit, so that keeps us looking for more members. We are trying to firm up the membership for 2015. Please do send in your deposit, please do spread the word. Please tell your friends it is time to join our CSA.
I will be at the first ever:
CSA Share Fair: Spring Starts Here
Saturday, March 21, 10 – 2, Free
At the Redd, 831 SE Salmon St.
Our season opens April 12th. We will hold our annual potluck, farm orientation and tour and general fun member get together on April 12 from 2-6. Please bring your family and dish to share, plus pizza topping to the farm that afternoon. Vegetable pick-up will begin that week. Monday members can pick up from Sunday afternoon until Monday night. Thursday members can pick up anytime after 3 on Wednesdays to Thursday nights. Many more details to come as the season approaches. I am waiting for the frost to thaw to go out and finish planting all those beds Juve has prepared. We will prune, plant and weed as much as we can today. Here’s to keeping ones head held high in spite of the plagues and disappointments.