A note from your farmer
After a couple of lackluster weeks of harvests for the CSA boxes we have a lovely assortment of new crops to harvest and send out this week. At these times we get the feeling that some of our members think were playing a trick or game and hiding all our extra special delicious crops somewhere. It may be hard to believe, but even with our 70+ acres in production for CSA, it is possible to have very, very little to harvest at a particular point during the year. Almost always this is due to lengthy periods of excessively wet field conditions. Climatic conditions from June 7 through June 19th prevented us from working in the fields doing any kind of tillage, planting, weeding, fertilizing, etc. Most vegetable production is fairly complex, but growing for CSA is extra complex and demanding because of the need to continuously harvest and deliver a well balanced, diverse assortment of produce. With great weather this is already a significant challenge. With extended disruptions to planting and general field work it is not possible to come through with the intended crops at the desired time, thus leading to potential dissatisfaction when you pick up your shares. We always plan to plant a certain quantity of crops which relates to the number of members we anticipate signing up. What we actually harvest is a result of various things, but the largest deciding factor of what ends up in your CSA box is the WEATHER! For people whose daily lives are relatively unaffected by weather, this may seem mind boggling that the darn weather affects their CSA share. Farmers and field workers are intrinsically linked to the daily weather and how it affects them. In April and part of May we long for the awful Long Island wind to stop blowing from the East or the North, so we and the plants can thaw out. In the summer it's such a rare treat to have a nice cool moist Easterly breeze, or a crisp North wind like we had this past Sunday. This past week we were lucky enough to enjoy high humidity and temperatures in the mid 90's and the searing sun for more than 10 hours a day!!! But luckily there was a nice breeze for part of it. Talk about things that slow down production! Yes, the farm keeps on rolling, just a little slower.
Which brings me to the main theme of last week... irrigation. That is about all I did last week - the whole week- plus a little tractor work. I think it's been 3-4 weeks with no rain and the unirrigated parts of the farm are either dust or completely dried out vegetation. With heat like last week all of our crops need loads of water, so that's what we must provide. Luckily we can, and we managed to do it. We irrigate with aluminum pipes with sprinklers that are hand moved from section to section, and also with a fair amount of drip hoses on crops like tomatoes and cucumbers. As you will see in your shares this week the cucumbers are very happy with the heat and the water they get from their drip lines. Now that we have watered the crops we need to start watering the other sections of the farm so we can prepare for our late summer and fall plantings.
We appreciate your patience as we deal with the various weather issues that have affected the farm. We would also like everyone to share in the excitement of looking forward to the best months of the CSA season...coming soon! As always, everyone at the farm works diligently to uphold our end of the CSA relationship by growing as much high quality, nutritious, organic produce as we can. We also hope to bring some joy to your lives as we share this unique experience.
Happy Eating from our family to yours... -Farmer Matt
Upcoming Events!
SHARE: A Celebration of Education
August 11th from 5-8pm
Join
us at the farm for field-to-plate fare prepared by top local chefs,
fabulous live music, spectacular auction and lots of fun! All to
benefit Peconic Community School and alternative education on the East End. $75/ticket. Enjoy the sun setting over the farm fields - bring your friends - it's going to be a fabulous evening! GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!
SAVE THE DATE
Our CSA Harvest Festival will be held on Sunday, October 20th! (Please note the date change). More info to come!
Connect with your Farm
We welcome you to explore our website to learn more about our farm
and the wonderful things you can do with your weekly share.
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If you have questions or concerns about your share, please do not
hesitate to contact us. That is one of the benefits of knowing where
your food comes from! Your farmers are happy to hear from you at info@goldenearthworm.com at any time, for any reason.
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