So here we are, the first official day of Spring with still close to 2 feet of snow on the ground! But the snow has not deterred us... All our onions, the first planting of leeks, lettuce and kale for the high tunnels are popping their lovely green heads from their soil. Sweet and hot peppers, eggplant, and an array of heirloom tomatoes have been seeded along with many herbs, including sage and parsley. Freyja (our 4 year old daughter) and her friend Quinn also excitedly planted a bunch of flower seeds. Between Freedom Rains Farm and Grindstone Farm, we filled up the greenhouse in record time, while we're still digging our way into the other greenhouses.
While we were hoping for last week's warmer temperatures to continue melting all this snow, it sure is better than the negative numbers we all felt throughout the month of February. On the brighter side the longer days have encouraged the chickens to start laying more eggs, and they can get out and stretch their wings in the sun and mud without freezing their toes off. A reminder that we do have monthly eggs shares available for the months of April and May if you'd like to start getting your eggs sooner
Farm events/ projects
We were invited to Cicero Public Library last week to give a talk about sustainable agriculture and CSA's and though the turnout was a small gathering, there were many great questions asked and conversations that took place, and I'd like to thank Adrienne Canino for organizing the event. Along with this event, the library announced they are starting a farmer's market there; Tuesdays, starting late in May (time TBA). For further questions about this and other wonderful events they host, please check out their facebook page. For Cicero CSA members, you will now have a choice to build your own box Tuesdays at the market, or continue picking up Thursday afternoon.
At the last CSA-CNY meeting we discussed organizing a pre-season dinner event. In past years, this had been done as a meet and greet potluck event, but over the years participation waned, and it was ended. We were thinking of trying a presale farm to table catered event instead this year. We are hoping to get feedback from members as to what they would be more interested in. So if you have any thoughts or ideas, please let us know!
Drop Sites: A reminder that our Westside/Downtown drop site has been changed to Middle Ages Brewery and that we have added a site in Camden, as well as in Mexico at the Black Creek Café and Treasures. Aside from Fellows Ave drop site in the Westcott area, and the Watertown farmer's market being no longer sites; all of last year's sites remain the same.
We are heading into the season in great shape, despite the last frosty gasps of winter. There were many snowfalls in January and February that had us concerned for the high tunnel. It has been rated to handle "snow events" but snow events in CNY are much different than PA where they're made. It came out with flying colors aside from some wind damage to the doors despite the record snow fall. We plan to erect another high tunnel on the farm, with last year's profits and a grant from NRCS as soon as we can break ground. We have the wonderful support of our customers to thank for this chance to grow our farm. Hearing from last year's members how excited they are for this season's shares just gets us more psyched for the season too! If you're one of those counting down the days to fresh spring crops, let folks know, and help the farm grow! Leave a review on our facebook, eat local grown or local harvest pages, or tell a friend, share a brochure, or all of the above! Word of mouth is the best form of advertising and frees us up to spend our time and money producing great food.
Ag Report: Recently a news article broke about Wisconsin's organic demands outgrowing it's production. While Travis and I were there in Lacrosse in late February for the MOSES conference not only did we get to meet many organic vegetable farmers from rural Iowa to inner city Milwaukee, we also had the chance to talk with many conventional grain farmers who are branching out to grow organic. This is promising news from the grain belt. While driving through the heartland, I couldn't help but cringe at the cattle cars rolling by in the -10 air. When I pondered whether the cows would freeze to death, Travis reminded me that they were probably stocked in there so tight they'd be fine. While we were excited to see bare ground on some of the fields we passed by, the realization that much of what we were seeing was a monoculture of various feed grains with monolithic mills spattered in between here and there. A chilling reminder of how brutal and wasteful our present food system is right now. Wisconsin is home to the second largest number of organic farms second only to California who is experiencing the worst drought in decades with no end in sight. Permaculture/organic practices have proven to offer much relief for farmers in the dry state that provides nearly 1/3 of the nation's fresh produce.
While we feel for the farmers struggling there, water was one of the main reasons we stuck around NY to farm. Many years ago, mountain farm land in NM, or cheap ranch land in TX sounded so inviting, but there was always the issue of water. Hydro Fracking became a concern for us as the debate got heated, as all the water that surrounds us would be no good if irrevocably polluted. The continuation of the fracking ban in NY I see a s a boon for NY farmers to grow from, pushing for greater levels of sustainability. It is an oppurtunity to create a clean energy model for the state as well. In addition to the ban on fracking NY ag sales broke sales records in 2014. Senator Richie has proposed her Grown in NY project, which aims to refund upstate producers who were left out of the state's budget, allocate money to help farmers get their product to their customers in various ways including food hubs, regional distribution chains etc. While all this is really exciting, and important for local agriculture thriving in the face of a complex global food system under the stresses of a changing planet, we need to continue to show that a clean food system is the path we need to be on. Be it local or global; c'mon, what NYer doesn't love a good orange or banana? But shouldn't we encourage sustainable agriculture in all our food purchases? The demand for clean food continues to grow as the corporate food giants are feeling the pressure. This is great news for everyone.
And it is us, in our kitchens, at the farmers markets, local co-ops, CSA's, in the grocery store, or garden, who are creating this change. It has been you, our members who have helped grow our farm, not legislation from Albany. Some of the best advice I've ever been given on running a successful business is to let your customers grow your business; and so far it's proving to be sound advice.
As we patiently await the REAL arrival of spring (it was only 3 years ago in 2012 that we were baking in the sun and swimming in the pond on the first day of spring!) there are more seeds to plant and eggs to collect and firewood to bring in. This spring, unusually around the end of May, we will be harvesting the very first asparagus from the new planting we did last spring. While the harvest season the first year will be short, we are counting of plenty of asparagus from Grindstone Farm to add to shares. Once the asparagus fiddleheads and crocuses start popping up, we'll know spring is here to stay. In the meantime we'll continue filling the greenhouse for field plantings and waiting for the first bit of green to pop through the snow.
While we were hoping for last week's warmer temperatures to continue melting all this snow, it sure is better than the negative numbers we all felt throughout the month of February. On the brighter side the longer days have encouraged the chickens to start laying more eggs, and they can get out and stretch their wings in the sun and mud without freezing their toes off. A reminder that we do have monthly eggs shares available for the months of April and May if you'd like to start getting your eggs sooner
Farm events/ projects
We were invited to Cicero Public Library last week to give a talk about sustainable agriculture and CSA's and though the turnout was a small gathering, there were many great questions asked and conversations that took place, and I'd like to thank Adrienne Canino for organizing the event. Along with this event, the library announced they are starting a farmer's market there; Tuesdays, starting late in May (time TBA). For further questions about this and other wonderful events they host, please check out their facebook page. For Cicero CSA members, you will now have a choice to build your own box Tuesdays at the market, or continue picking up Thursday afternoon.
At the last CSA-CNY meeting we discussed organizing a pre-season dinner event. In past years, this had been done as a meet and greet potluck event, but over the years participation waned, and it was ended. We were thinking of trying a presale farm to table catered event instead this year. We are hoping to get feedback from members as to what they would be more interested in. So if you have any thoughts or ideas, please let us know!
Drop Sites: A reminder that our Westside/Downtown drop site has been changed to Middle Ages Brewery and that we have added a site in Camden, as well as in Mexico at the Black Creek Café and Treasures. Aside from Fellows Ave drop site in the Westcott area, and the Watertown farmer's market being no longer sites; all of last year's sites remain the same.
We are heading into the season in great shape, despite the last frosty gasps of winter. There were many snowfalls in January and February that had us concerned for the high tunnel. It has been rated to handle "snow events" but snow events in CNY are much different than PA where they're made. It came out with flying colors aside from some wind damage to the doors despite the record snow fall. We plan to erect another high tunnel on the farm, with last year's profits and a grant from NRCS as soon as we can break ground. We have the wonderful support of our customers to thank for this chance to grow our farm. Hearing from last year's members how excited they are for this season's shares just gets us more psyched for the season too! If you're one of those counting down the days to fresh spring crops, let folks know, and help the farm grow! Leave a review on our facebook, eat local grown or local harvest pages, or tell a friend, share a brochure, or all of the above! Word of mouth is the best form of advertising and frees us up to spend our time and money producing great food.
Ag Report: Recently a news article broke about Wisconsin's organic demands outgrowing it's production. While Travis and I were there in Lacrosse in late February for the MOSES conference not only did we get to meet many organic vegetable farmers from rural Iowa to inner city Milwaukee, we also had the chance to talk with many conventional grain farmers who are branching out to grow organic. This is promising news from the grain belt. While driving through the heartland, I couldn't help but cringe at the cattle cars rolling by in the -10 air. When I pondered whether the cows would freeze to death, Travis reminded me that they were probably stocked in there so tight they'd be fine. While we were excited to see bare ground on some of the fields we passed by, the realization that much of what we were seeing was a monoculture of various feed grains with monolithic mills spattered in between here and there. A chilling reminder of how brutal and wasteful our present food system is right now. Wisconsin is home to the second largest number of organic farms second only to California who is experiencing the worst drought in decades with no end in sight. Permaculture/organic practices have proven to offer much relief for farmers in the dry state that provides nearly 1/3 of the nation's fresh produce.
While we feel for the farmers struggling there, water was one of the main reasons we stuck around NY to farm. Many years ago, mountain farm land in NM, or cheap ranch land in TX sounded so inviting, but there was always the issue of water. Hydro Fracking became a concern for us as the debate got heated, as all the water that surrounds us would be no good if irrevocably polluted. The continuation of the fracking ban in NY I see a s a boon for NY farmers to grow from, pushing for greater levels of sustainability. It is an oppurtunity to create a clean energy model for the state as well. In addition to the ban on fracking NY ag sales broke sales records in 2014. Senator Richie has proposed her Grown in NY project, which aims to refund upstate producers who were left out of the state's budget, allocate money to help farmers get their product to their customers in various ways including food hubs, regional distribution chains etc. While all this is really exciting, and important for local agriculture thriving in the face of a complex global food system under the stresses of a changing planet, we need to continue to show that a clean food system is the path we need to be on. Be it local or global; c'mon, what NYer doesn't love a good orange or banana? But shouldn't we encourage sustainable agriculture in all our food purchases? The demand for clean food continues to grow as the corporate food giants are feeling the pressure. This is great news for everyone.
And it is us, in our kitchens, at the farmers markets, local co-ops, CSA's, in the grocery store, or garden, who are creating this change. It has been you, our members who have helped grow our farm, not legislation from Albany. Some of the best advice I've ever been given on running a successful business is to let your customers grow your business; and so far it's proving to be sound advice.
As we patiently await the REAL arrival of spring (it was only 3 years ago in 2012 that we were baking in the sun and swimming in the pond on the first day of spring!) there are more seeds to plant and eggs to collect and firewood to bring in. This spring, unusually around the end of May, we will be harvesting the very first asparagus from the new planting we did last spring. While the harvest season the first year will be short, we are counting of plenty of asparagus from Grindstone Farm to add to shares. Once the asparagus fiddleheads and crocuses start popping up, we'll know spring is here to stay. In the meantime we'll continue filling the greenhouse for field plantings and waiting for the first bit of green to pop through the snow.
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