Spring 2009 CSA

Newsletter January 27, 2009

This Past Week

As of last night we received 2” of rain here at the farm. Albeit cold, the rain is very welcome and provides a nice relief to our hectic planting schedule. Fortunately we were able to get all of our potatoes, as well as a few tomatoes, in the ground before the rains began. The weather forecast for next week is warm and dry, which should allow us to get most, if not all, of our tomatoes in the ground. In the greenhouses this past week, we were able to seed basil, zucchini, cucumbers, cantaloupe, summer squash, and more tomatoes. With an effort to provide some color to our landscape, we also seeded some sunflowers and zinnias.

Field Update

The broccoli and cauliflower seems to be growing well; however the bugs are still giving our napa cabbage some problems. The carrots and beets are steady and will likely benefit from, along with the weeds, the rain. Strawberries have not been mentioned lately, but some of the plants are beginning to flower, which should result in berries developing soon. Lettuces appear to be growing well as we begin our transition from winter varieties to spring/summer types.

When Do We Begin Etc?

Although the crops will be the ultimate deciding factor, the April 15th-22nd timeframe appears to be the window that we will begin our spring harvest and deliveries. In light of some of you already letting me know what specific Pick-UP location you desire, I will be probably be requesting, via email, your choice once again.

More Pick Up Information

A few of you have asked me to address more info about the “mechanics” of picking up my box. Although subject to be “tweaked,” you will be notified via email when the “Pick Ups” begin. When you arrive at the PU location, a box of non-perishable vegetables will hopefully be waiting for you. A cooler will be present that will contain your salad greens and other chilled items. If the cooler is unmanned, a clipboard will be adjacent from which you will check off your name as receipt for your produce. When you leave you will have hopefully retrieved both your box and chilled items. The goal is for every PU location to have a volunteer nearby, so if there is a misunderstanding you can speak to someone who can help.

As mentioned last week, just in case you are interested, we now have an archive of these weekly updates located on our website at http://woodduckfarm.com/newsarchive.php

At the Bayou City Farmers Market this Saturday, March 14th, we will have the following:

• Baby Salad Mix
• Micro Arugula
• Micro Cilantro
• Micro Green Blend
• Snow Pea Shoots

Until next time,

Van
Cell 713 876 8645
csa@woodduckfarm.com