6-1-2008
Hi Groundswell CSA
supporter and
member!
We are feeling
more confident
about your
vegetables with
the warm moist
weather today
and in the
forecast- we
planted all the
peppers and
tomatoes in the
past two days as
well as beans
and squash-
3000+ feet of
plant ground
covered. We
hope to get the
eggplants and
basil in
tomorrow if the
ground is dry
enough.
Here are the
logistics for
the coming week.
First please
take a moment to
join the google
group so you can
get messages
throughout the
season.
Next Tuesday
and
Wednesday
(June 3 & 4)
in Holland
and Grand
Rapids
respectively,
mark our
first
pick-up days
of the
season.
You can pick
up between
4:30 and
6pm.
If you do
not show up-
or send
someone in
your place
you will not
receive the
vegetables.
This is
true for
every week
of the
spring/summer/fall.
We do not
split shares
for you- we
only sell
whole
shares, many
if not most
of you are
splitting
shares and
you will
need to
arrange with
your friends
how you will
split it-
we wish to
remain
uninvolved
- unless you
are
splitting
with a low
income
family we
can help you
then.
Your balance
for the
share is due
on the first
pick-up we
will be
checking you
off and
taking the
balance as
you come or
go from the
pick-up that
day- unless
you have
made other
arrangements
with us.
Another
important
change from
last year is
that
we will not
be bringing
plastic bags
to pick-ups
That is why
we are
giving each
share two
bags- one
small and
one large -
This first
week's
veggie
forecast is
(per share):
Two bags
Two plants
(tomato or
pepper plant
and another
choice) - if
you want
plants
please bring
containers
or a bag for
them!!!
A choice of
two types of
seed from
our storage
for your
garden.
Sorrel
(lemon
flavored
green)
Lettuce
Radishes
Sage or
chives
perhaps
another
green- we
will see how
the spinach
looks!
June- the
salad month!
It is a
little slim
this first
pick-up as
the weather
has slowed
the growth
of
everything.
Thank you
very much!
We look
forward to
meeting
you!!
Groundswell
Farmers
5-2-2008
With an
extremely cold
night in the
teens now behind
us, we are
transplanting
every moment.
There shall be
many onions for
all if the
season goes
well, all the
bulb onions are
planted and Anna
may be planting
leeks as I
type. The
first spinach,
carrots, beets,
salad greens,
radishes and
turnips are in
the ground and
were followed by
a good rain
today. They
should germinate
nicely with this
weather and make
for early crops
as we had last
year. Next up
is planting
some cabbage-family
plants and
lettuces into
the field.
Also, with
sorrel, sage and
chives in their
second season,
we will have
herbs much
earlier--there
will be sorrell
the first week
when June
arrives.
Our time in
the field thus
far has been so
so pleasant.
The weather is
just perfect,
not too hot or
cold, the soil
is warm and dark
and exactly like
chocolate cake
as we tuck in
the plants.
Even my
shoulders feel
less sore than
years past,
though pressing
thousands of
plants into dirt
works some
muscles that
have rested all
winter. We're
outside in it
all day, basking
in the dirt.
When you
visit this year,
you will see two
new farm
members--pigs
Babbette and
Sweetpea. They
love attention
and are really
just kidlike,
playing hide &
seek behind
their abode,
chasing each
other in glee,
wrestling around
for fun. Mostly
they root
through the soil
with their
noses, eating
roots and
whatever they
take a liking
to. They never
tire of this,
except for their
many naps in the
shade. For a
little
excitement, once
they eluded
their fence and
wandered the
farm for 15
minutes before I
barricaded them
in a building
that's under
construction.
My heart almost
stopped when a
pig walked non-chalantly
past me in the
driveway. I
didn't chase
them, I just
called Anna for
back-up, offered
food and water
and waited for
them to go where
I could
sequester them.
Fortunately,
they were in
their pen before
dark and no
damage done.
When the fields
are planted it
could be more of
a risk--pigs in
the carrot patch
would force me
to chase them
and I am not a
swift runner.
4-10-2008
Welcome to Groundswell CSA!
Today we just got our final membership in the mail, making us an
80 member CSA. This is a special year and your support is
very encouraging as it is the third and final year before we
apply for organic certification. I also thank you for
sending kind and thoughtful words our way. We are loving
this year!
There are a few logistical items below.....
Pick-up- first days
Our first pick-up days are the first Tuesday and Wednesday
in June, the 3rd and 4th respectively for Holland and Grand
Rapids. (The website is not updated- don't trust dates there
yet!) We will send plenty of reminder e-mails/ mail or phone
calls about time and place.
Payment
We expect to have received your full payment of $400 on or
before June 3rd or 4th- whichever pick-up day applies to you
unless you have made special arrangements with us.
Vegetables- whatcha got?
This year we are growing a few additional items that are not
listed on the website, sweet potatoes, okra, and brussle
sprouts. For monthly baskets go to
http://www.groundswellfarm.org and go from there
to the Join the Farm link, scroll down to the middle of the
page and click on Sample baskets- there are monthly baskets
there of what we have generally. There is usually even more
variety- we are growing a lot of hot peppers this year and
dill and sage will come occasionally- we also have the
occasional leek and parsnip choice in the fall.
3 Hours of Work
As far as the three hours of work- we are flexible about
this generally with regards to what you do to contribute,
think about what your strengths are if they do not include
weeding or getting dirty (MUCH funner than it sounds). If
you want to help write addresses on envelopes for an event
or lead a children's activity at a potluck on the farm, or
maybe you are part of a band and can provide music for a
farm festival one time. There are lots of ways. Also, if
life is just too hectic this year, we won't be knocking on
your door demanding your time in October.
Spring work day
We will be thinking about a work day this spring to allow
those who can't come in the summer months. We will let you
know probably no more than a week in advance- spring is very
touchy and we do our work as the weather dictates. The fall
is a time where we will have to harvest large amounts of
potatoes and winter squash.
Googlegroups
Finally, we will be sending an invitation out to become a
part of our online googlegroup. (some of you are already in
it). This will be the way you get our weekly updates
throughout the seasons- so keep an eye out for that. The
group will allow you to keep in touch how you want to, with
us, other members, to answer each others' questions and
share recipes, etc.
Thanks for reading and we will be in touch soon.
Anna
4-9-2008
The last few years, our list of projects in April seemed
insurmountable, necessarily immediate, foreboding. We are
either less intimidated or we are actually getting the hang
of buying equipment, building things and making the dozens
of phone calls that start a season on the farm.
The seeds and the fields, this time of year, are less an
infinite task. Spend a beautiful Saturday afternoon poking
the soil with round and wrinkly peas, shaking straw into a
thick mulch. Or a morning in the greenhouse and you've
squeezed a field full of peppers into a square foot of
'acreage' on a heated germinating table. These are given.
We know that the field will call us to plant it, that the
greenhouse schedule will be filled with the dates and
amounts needed to plant, our easy-to-follow recipe for 3
acres.
In 2006, building a greenhouse, getting a water-well, buying
a truck and finding the hundreds of tools you need to buy,
build or borrow left many lists unfinished. Even last year
seemed not entirely certain, yet we crossed off buying a
tractor, building the walk-in cooler and countless small
essentials. At least now we could be certain that the crops
would grow, the CSA members would enjoy the veggies we've
grown.
This year's new projects: Buying a specialty tractor for
weeding, building a comfortable home for two pigs, getting
health insurance. Two of these are projects we had planned
for year 1 and year 2, but now are nearly done. We are
researching building a second greenhouse and a pole barn or
other structure for winter tractor storage, probably in
2009. And soon we will own our land, a cause for
celebration that you will hear more about when the papers
are signed.
None of these things seems impossible (this morning!) None
are so urgent that the farm will implode. None requires
Anna or I to learn a new skilled trade, so common in the
first season when plumbing, construction, electrical wiring,
marketing and small business accounting & tax preparation
were new, unknown and absolutely necessary to the success of
the farm.
It will all happen. The crops will grow with only a few
disappointments. The season will find us trying to harvest
it all.
1-21-2008
Happy New
Year- 2008!
The seed
orders have been sent with many exciting additions- there
are a few ones added that are not usually high on the veggie
lover list- like Brussels sprouts and okra- but eating them
fresh is like eating a completely different vegetable.
We will
also be trying a white sweet potato along with the orange.
We also added a few different herbs and tomatoes of course!
Hopefully
this inspires you to confirm your membership for Groundswell
CSA 2008-- 22 weeks of vegetables, June- October!
You may
send your deposit of $100, the rest is due on the first
pick-up date, or the total amount. Please print and sign the
membership form and send it in with your check.
The form
is found at our website-
www.groundswellfarm.org follow the Join the Farm
link. Thank you and hope you are all staying warm through
the winter storms-- dreaming of fresh green salads and sweet
crunchy carrots.
Send
your form and check to: Groundswell Farm
6527 Quincy Ave.
Zeeland, MI 49464
Also we
have plenty of openings for new members so if your neighbors
or friends are interested let them know or send this message
along!
See you
in the Spring!
Anna
Hoekstra
(616)
635-7978- for any questions!
If you
sent your deposit in already or paid in full- please ignore
this message! You can call me to confirm that we got it if
you wish.-- Thanks
