MOUNTAIN BOUNTY FARM NEWS
Week 32/53 of 2020
Dear Farm Members,
It’s been a wild year for the farm thus far, full of twists and turns, challenges, and triumphs both big and small. Our membership is at an all-time high - a fact our farmers have taken on whole-heartedly in an attempt to feed as many folks as possible. One major constraint we’ve had to work around throughout this process has been the size of plantings made long before we knew what we were dealing with. The bulk of our planning is done in the winter, with seeding starting as early as January, and many crops going into the ground at the earliest opportunity. What this all means, really, is that we planted enough tomatoes in February for 700 CSA members, but are now harvesting and packing tomatoes into more than 850 boxes each week! Add to this the existing risks of farming, and multiply it out by many other crops, and it becomes clear what a puzzle we’ve been dealing with for the past few months.
But never fear, it hasn’t all been trials and tribulations! We’ve been incredibly impressed by the consistent quality and quantity of the produce we’ve been able to bring out of the fields each week, and our box values, as they typically do in the summer months, continue to hover well above the average cost per box. However, if you’ve noticed slightly smaller offerings of certain items, or that you see an item a little less frequently, this is probably why. The good news is that we made some serious adjustments to the size of our plantings back in the spring, and are just beginning to reap the rewards, so there’s a whole lot more food heading our way! This is what Community Supported Agriculture looks like- your boxes will always reflect the reality of the farm, lean yields and bumper crops alike. We hope that you’ve been as happy with the variety and abundance of produce as we have, and we look forward to many more weeks of goodness ahead.
Farmer Kale
THIS WEEK'S CSA CONTENTS
Disclaimer: Box contents are dependent on actual harvest, but this is what you’ll likely receive in your boxes.
REGULAR BOX:
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Melons
Carrots
Eggplant
Basil
Chard
Cucumbers/zucchini
Onions
Shishito Peppers
Scallions
SMALL BOX:
Melons
Carrots
Potatoes
Basil
Cucumber/zucchini
Onions
Shishito Peppers
SUMMER FRUIT SHARES: (Provided by Sunset Ridge Fine Fruits)
These shares run for 19 weeks until October 8th.
Bartlett Pears (Stillwater Orchards)
Yellow Nectarines (Mountain Sweet Farms)
Summer Flame Yellow Peaches (Lee Family Farms)
Fire Pearl White Nectarines (Lee Family Farms)
FLOWER SHARE:(Provided by Little Boy Flowers)
This is the fifth week of the Summer Flower Share. If you are interested in joining for delivery starting next week, you can sign up here: https://mountainbounty.csaware.com/store/.
JOHN'S BREAD is on a break this week. We'll be back soon!
RECIPES
Recipes may sometimes call for more or less of a certain item in your boxes, or an ingredient you might not have on hand. We encourage you to enjoy the creativity associated with eating locally and seasonally.
Thai Green Curry with Eggplant
Swiss Chard Salad with Bacon and Blue Cheese
HOW TO PICK UP YOUR CSA SHARES:
Check the delivery list each week and initial for your order on the delivery list. As always, please only take what has been delivered for you.
We ask that you only touch the box/bag/bouquet that are a part of your order.
We are asking that you pick up your box from the site and take it home with you to prevent the amount of time you are spending at your CSA site. If you’d like to pack it into a reusable bag, please feel free to do that at your car. Please bring your empty box back each week for reuse.
If you are sick, please send a friend to pick up for you and let them know about the pick up procedure.
All produce has been packed by farm employees who are in good health and following our food safety policies.
Please wear a mask to your pick up site and practice social distancing.
If there's a problem, please take what we’ve delivered for you and conta ct us by email or phone.
If you share your subscription, please make sure you check in every week about who will pick up so one of you does not accidentally take someone else's order.
MEMBER LINKS
Read our Welcome Letter
Log into your Member Dashboard (pay your balance, place your box on hold, update your account, renew your subscription)
Going on vacation? You can place your box on hold from your Member Dashboard.
Click the date you'd like to hold your box on the delivery calendar on the right side of your screen.
If you have multiple subscriptions, you'll have to place both on hold and you can toggle between subscriptions here.
When you place your vegetable box on hold, your subscription extends one week into the future since our vegetable shares are year-round.
When you place your fruit or flowers on hold, you'll receive a credit at the end of that season that you can use towards your next renewal. If you place your bread on hold, you are not charged for that week.
Interested in renewing your subscription? You can buy credits additional delivery credits at any time. More information can be found in our Member Handbook (https://mountainbountyfarm.com/updates-from-the-farm/2020/5/17/welcome-to-our-csa).
Mountain Bounty Farm
www.mountainbountyfarm.com