CSA's and other community related things.......

 

So what's a CSA?  

Community Supported Agriculture...

We decided to sign up for a winter CSA, lasting for 9 weeks (2nd week of January - mid March)  The fee was $207 and seemed very fair, also supported a local farmer.  Will we do it again?  Probably not but glad we did it as it was a great lesson. 

I drove out to the farm every Wednesday by 11 am to pick up our weekly share.  There were times I got home and scratched my head or looked up recipes for unknown squash varieties.  I'm pretty much an acorn or butternut squash gal.  There were varieties we received I have pondered over growing and it took those things right off my "To-Grow" list.   The other, don't bother growing were sweet potatoes.  Sorry but I like the store bought organic ones better.  We received sweet potatoes 2 or 3 times and each time was a bit of a let down; although Kirby and chickens loved every tender morsel!  

I learned I'm a better gardener than I thought because we received a lot of carrots, onions and potatoes.  All, I had in abundance in the ground or basement.  Things going in that basement next year: cabbage and winter squash, maybe a few apples.  (my basement where we don't have a bar or theater or you can play ping pong but you can have a good game of whack a mole!)  We got small bags of parsley (also still picking in the garden), dill (my freezer is full of fresh dill), garlic shoots (I have so much garlic) and so it went.  

I was hoping for way more green stuff.  Like kale, lettuce and bok choi etc.  We would get a small plastic sleeve of one of those greens but it was not enough for even one salad.  We eat quite a few greens.  I know the farm has high tunnels and other winter growing setups and knowing the turn around time on greens is pretty fast I was surprised there were not more greens.  I was also surprised at the shelf life of the lettuce.  Yes, it's a tender green but if I didn't eat it in the van on the way home it was wilted.  Not even an ice cold water bath raised the dead.  The hydroponic lettuce I buy from another farmer in Oberlin will last two weeks (saving time & gas).  Not sure why but this is very curious.  

Also a surprise!

Items not grown and pre-packaged.  Mrs Millers cherry jam, ya not this Mrs Miller!  We don't eat sugar or use jams and jellies.  It's sitting in the fridge because I don't know what to do with it but cannot bring myself to chuck it.  Potatoes in those damn plastic netted bags!  In fact so much of what we received was in a plastic bag, and put in another plastic bag to get it home it's a biggest reason I will not participate again. Even the "Garlic Expressions" bottle is plastic and full of canola oil.  Ya, no canola oil in this house either as it is inflammatory.  I'm already inflamed daily just picking up all the plastic on the beach and in the parks.  Ya, what about that community mindfulness?  We also got a jar of salsa.  I am a home canner, I have salsa in the basement.  

Ok am I being a little harsh?  For us as a family trying to eat as close to the earth as possible; I don't think so. We did enjoy the pea shoots, swiss chard and other greens.  However if you're the "average" American buying food from the local Piggly Wiggly or Costco you probably think this is a great CSA and that is fine and I am truly happy for you and your support of a local farm family!  

The biggest goal for 2023 is to grow greens through the winter.  Whether that will be a hydroponic set up or grow tunnel I'm not sure yet.  But after 9 weeks that was the biggest take away; we want greens and no plastic. 

Meanwhile green is happening here! 

they won't go outside next week but the following week for sure!  The seedlings are strong!  I left them outside yesterday during a wind, snow and pelting rain day.  By the time I arrived back at happy acres I cringed to even see how much damage Mother Nature had inflicted on these little seedlings.  They had been subjected to high wind, rain and ice for over 4 hours.  The pictures above were taken this morning.  Everything looks great, indeed thriving.  So they will go out, covered with a frost cloth and stern talking to about bucking up to March gales, although on second thought maybe they should give me a stern lecture on bucking up. 

And here we go again........ caught red handed in the chicken coop.  

The trash bandit was young and immediately relocated to distant land. 

He didn't try to tear my hands or face off and was relatively docile compared to past masked marauders.

I have been watching the mother of all raccoons make a nightly raid in the coop.  If I caught this thing it would be like a hooking a marlin on worm. Forget the Old Man and the Sea, more like the Old Woman in the Coop.  I am not sure it even fits in the Hav-a Heart trap.  I have baited the trap with sardines and dog food, tuna fish and dog kibble, the smeller the better and nothing.  Thought I'd give it one more try and trapped Petunia.  I felt so bad!  I stay up all night checking the trap because I don't want anything traumatized more than me.   I apologized profusely, opened the door and she scurried away, grumbling.  I shook out the tuna and shrimp tails but they were still there in the morning.  The chickens were so happy for the leftovers. 

I walk around the garden making arm long lists of chores, it's daunting.  Then the wind blows I get a snowflake up my nose and retreat to the studio.  Argh the studio....... time for a change!  

I was sitting here cutting out decal after decal and decided to watch a documentary on Joe Humpherys, the god father of fly fishing.  If you don't know who he is you need to know!  The man is a legend.  He is still alive and still fishing the streams of Pennsylvania and or anywhere the trout are running at the age of 93.  I've watched the documentary on his life three times now.  It occurred to me, we all need be this happy living!  The documentary was not a movie about fly fishing but more a wonderful lesson on how to truly live and be joyful in what you do.  He moves constantly!  He doesn't garden but the man fishes.   I am sitting here cutting out these fucking decals and hating this.  I love throwing, gardening, fishing, paddling etc but this sitting on my ass cutting out decals and then sitting on my ass applying the stupid things is killing me.  It's gonna upset a whole bunch of people and I've already applied to a bunch of shows; paid the jury fees but thankfully not the booth fees.  Not sure where I'm headed but it's going to be very different.  I have given these pots the death stare.  I will finish out what I have and be done!  The financial part is still a quandary but I just cannot make these pots much longer.   Feeling a bit lost in the studio for the first in a very long time. 

Make a bowl of popcorn, put your feet up and treat yourself to a wonderful movie: 

Live the Stream,