On to the second week of 2014 CSA shares, and still no rain. Everyone might consider doing a rain dance for us and other CNY farmers. While we can irrigate, it is a tedious job laying the pipes, and checking for leaks throughout the day, so some good old fashioned rain would be very much appreciated. 

    Work share members may start contacting us about coming in to start putting in hours. There are many weeds to be pulled and other tasks. If you are interested in simply volunteering, let us know as well. 

     While harvesting has started full tilt, planting has not ended yet. Celery, winter squash, pumpkins and seedings of greens are still in progress. Leeks and kohlrabi are awaiting transplanting for fall harvest, and our hot peppers are almost ready to go in the ground. We've also been busy planting cover crops and pollinator friendly flower varieties. Soon when you drive by the farm there will be stands of Sunflowers greeting you as you get off the highway! 

    Gavy, Adonia, and Freyja have been enjoying helping out on Sundays with mom and dad, transplanting on the waterwheel. They are pretty darned good at it too! 

    

 

Many of our greens were a bit stunted by the dryness and are finally catching back up, so we hope to be giving more variety in coming weeks, including garlic scapes next week. Some small shares will get rhubarb this week, and we hope to get everyone rhubarb next week. Some of our broccoli is bulking up, but so sporadically, I'm not certain you'll get it in shares just yet.

Potatoes are popping through the soil, and the new asparagus beds are tall with ferns, waving in the breeze. Blueberries and wild bramble bushes (blackberries, logan berries, raspberries) are all loaded with blossoms and beginnings of fruit. Tomatoes are blossoming and starting to fruit and will need to trellised very soon.  Garlic is about waist tall and setting scapes to harvested very soon! 

We will be offering a few varieties of medicinal herbs this season too, including, chamomile, lavender, and  holy basil. If you are interested in any of these either in your share or in bulk for making teas or tinctures, let us know. 

 We're also planning to get strawberries from Gingerich Farms in the coming weeks. These are NOFA certified organic strawberries from a small family farm in Williamstown. I have dealt with them over the years through Grindstone and am happy to continue doing business with them for some of the great crops they grow that we don't, such as strawberries, yams, and Joseph's infamous cabbages. Last spring's strawberries across CNY were quite bland due to too much rain, so ideally this season's should be sweet and firm. 

We will be starting a new Farmer's Market in Franklyn Park in Rome next week, Wednesdays from 2-7. It is a beautiful historic park near Fort Stanwix, and we hope that it will be a success. New markets are tough to get off the ground, but I feel the demand is there for it to grow. It is a bit of a hike to get to, mostly because there is no direct route on highways, and is the same distance from the farm as Syracuse is. So if you have friends or family in the Rome area interested in organic produce, send them our way

This week's harvest will include  the following:
kale, swiss chard, baby pac choi, lettuce, scallions, radishes, and Grindstone Farm's asparagus and  spinach or arugula.

I won't be sharing any specific recipes for this week as many wonderful ones were shared by members in last week's comment section, using many of the same crops we will be harvesting this week. If you ever have any questions about what something is in your share, or what to do with it, just ask; either myself or another member would be happy to help. 

Here is Freyja, proudly posing with her tiny pepper seedling. While we just received our seeds from High Mowing and Johnny's, she was way ahead of us. Unintentionally she has become our farm poster child. All three of the kids are very excited to help, but Freyja most of all; wanting to be by our side every step of the way. Gavy has been busy making a sign for her "kids farm" and starting flower seeds, while Adonia has been target practicing with his bow and arrows, to help keep the pesky woodchucks in check. 

We have just completed our loan application for a high tunnel, and can't wait to break ground on that project.

To give a general idea of what to expect in shares this season, here is a list in no particular order:

Arugula, beets, broccoli, swiss chard, kale, collards, kohlrabi, nappa cabbage, green and purple beans, snow peas, zucchini, patty pan, cucumbers, peppers- hot and sweet, asian greens, leeks melons.

Heirloom tomatoes, and cherries-including sungolds, paste tomatoes, eggplant, onions, winter squashes, brussels sprouts, lettuces, mustard greens, spinach, tomatillos, pie pumpkins, carrots, parsnips, rutabagas, turnips, radishes, celery, 

herbs- basil, dill, cilantro, parsley, rosemary, thyme, chives...

and much more!

Travis and I will be heading to Wisconsin this week for another sustainable farming conference (MOSES), while delivering a couple root washers for Grindstone Farm. The lineup of workshops and adventure of travelling through the next Polar Vortex half way across the country should prove to very educational. 

I have set back my seeding schedule around this event, and will start seeding many crops first thing in March. I will be trying on a large scale this season doing much of my plantings by the moon. This is an age old method of planting, and is the core of biodynamic agriculture. So much of the natural cycles of the earth are centered around the moon phases, and the simple science behind it is convincing enough. 

We are looking forward to Dick and Vic's return from their vacation, and spring! 



The blank canvas of late winter:

CSA Q & A

There are many factors that go into planning for another season of farming, let alone a first season of a new farm. The art work to the left is just some sketches that lead to the final "logo" seen on the top of the blog, on our facebook page, and egg labels.  While my main passion is sustainable agriculture, I also have a deep love for fine arts, and truly see little difference between the two! Both are a mix of science and attunement with the world we live in. 

 As with being in tune with the natural world, our hens have also found their balance of rest and production, and have tapered off on their laying over the last few weeks....They are picking back up, and eggs will be available soon.


Q & A
As we start getting CSA sign ups rolling in, there have also been a slew of questions that I hope to answer here. 

One of the most asked inquiries is: Is Grindstone Farm offering a CSA? 
 The answer is no, they are not. They will continue offering local and organic produce through the healthy box program, and wholesale markets, but will not be offering a CSA. Having been in operation for over 30 years, owner Dick DeGraff is ready for a much deserved downsizing, and that is how we came to a lease agreement to grow our own farm. We will be working cooperatively with one another as well as some of the other nearby farms Grindstone has done business with over the years to provide fresh organic foods to our communities, and supply the growing demand for locally grown food. 

Why doesn't CSACNY.org have any information about our farm? 
CSA CNY is a non profit group of volunteers and sometimes it takes time to get to things like that. We hope that this doesn't deter folks from signing up, but maybe encourages folks to volunteer their time. 

Can I still get special orders and Wholeshare orders with my CSA? 
Yes, we will be coordinating with both Grindstone Farm's store and Wholeshare to continue providing other items we don't grow to be delivered with your shares as you've been able to do in the past. 

Can I still get a pre packed share instead of building my own box?
 While we offer the build your own box option for our market pickups, it is not standard. Depending on pickup site the way you get your share may vary. We offered this option for folks who have dietary restrictions or have picky eaters in their household. We want people to eat the food they bought, and from our years with Grindstone have found that many people just feed their compost with unfamiliar foods. 

What pick up sites will be available?
 So far the only confirmed pick up sites are Oswego, Watertown and a Syracuse farmer's market, and on Farm pick up tentatively Sundays. While I love that people open their homes for the CSA,  the POD leaders on Fellows Ave in Syracuse and Walnut St in Fayetteville have been the only members that has confirmed that they will continue hosting a drop site. We invite folks to host if they have a covered space to distribute from, and we would like at LEAST 10 shares per each drop site. We would like to look into another market in the Syracuse area, as the lease for the Regional Market is fairly high compared to others and would like to try the Westcott Community Center one instead. We will be relying on input from our members to determine where the best pick up locations would be. 

Is your farm certified organic?
Yes. We are certified by extension through NOFA-NY. While our eggs are not certified, our free range hens are supplemented daily with organic food scraps and waste from the farm, keeping a steady supply of organic nutrients throughout the seasons, and maintaining a rich golden yolk color. 


What veggies can I expect in my shares?
We will be offering much of the same variety that Grindstone Farm has offered in the past, while selecting varieties that we know to do well in the soils and climate. From asparagus, strawberries, various greens, radishes, peas in spring; tomatoes, peppers, summer squashes, beans, eggplant, blueberries in summer; beets, carrots, winter squash, potatoes, onions and cold hardy greens in the fall, we aim to remain diversified in our selection to provide variety each week.  Also we will be working with some experienced orchardists  to improve our apple and pear quality. 

Why no spring or winter shares?
After having been part of Grindstone's extended seasons for numerous years; we realize that offering these share options is not only a lot of extra work, but also requires the high tunnels which we are not leasing from Grindstone. While we intend to put one of our own up in the spring, one is not really enough to offer shares from. Any early crops grown in our's or Grindstone's high tunnels will be a available on their online store, at farmer's markets, or from some of our local wholesale customers, such as Real Foods Co-op. As far as winter shares go, we are working on a winter harvest share that would include late fall harvests from ours and other local farms, and might include canned goods from our surplus,  meat, eggs, or cheese from other local farms as well. 

Why no cheese shares?
We are starting our first season, and want to keep things simple and offer our own goods. You will still be able to order Cranberry Ridge's wonderful raw goats milk cheese from Grindstone Farm's online store to be delivered with your CSA.

Are there discounts available?
While we offer a 10% if you sign up and payment is received by Jan 31st, and a $45 savings for on farm pickups, there are no other discounts being offered this season. However we are willing to work out payment arrangements with families upon request. 

I hope that this helps answer some questions folks have about our CSA, and please don't hesitate to contact us with any other questions not covered here. Any suggestions pertaining to interest or ideas about a possible  coffee share, or fall harvest share are welcome as well. Also pickup site suggestions are welcome!

We wish all our friends and family a very healthy and happy new year!

We met with the CSA CNY (www.csacny.org) planning board Wednesday this week. As they have; since 1998 contracted with Grindstone Farm to grow for their CSA, we met with them to discuss some of the changes we'd like to make from the existing CSA offerings, and the couple of folks  from the planning group felt they were necessary changes, and were very supportive of moving forward supporting our CSA. Which is very exciting for us, as CSA CNY is a  not for profit group of volunteers who are active in advertising and education for the benefit of organic agriculture, and other sustainable activities to build a brighter future. 

While over the past few years, active involvement in the planning group has dwindled, there is still a core group of committed individuals who are motivated to table events, and put together advertising materials.  It is my hope that we will see the involvement grow from it's present standing and bring the "community" back to the CSA model. So we are working together to come up with brochures to distribute at the upcoming (Dec 6&7)Plowshares Craft Fair, an annual event organized by the Syracuse Peace Council. (www.peacecouncil.net) 

Since the group is volunteer based, we will be directing folks to our website for info and contacting to ensure an optimum level of customer service, and free the limited volunteer group up to work on other endeavors. We do encourage you to take part in planning meetings if you can, or  volunteer in other ways in your communities, to raise awareness of sustainable agricultural practices, participation in community gardens, etc. If you cannot attend meetings, but would like to volunteer at the farm, distribute flyers,  or just become active within your local community, and would like more tools or info, please contact me at [email protected]  and I will do my best to help you. If you are interested in us giving a talk about CSA's, organic agriculture, or the local food movement, I would be happy to arrange such an event at your work, event, school, etc.   Remember, CSA is a COMMUNITY effort!

Upon sign up there will be a member agreement form, as well  as an option to go in and set preferences. This is so we can determine what folks really want to see in their shares based on what we grow, and help us in our field planning. Although we cannot  guarantee that you will always get exactly what you want, we hope, by starting our first season  CSA small; to personalize  your share as much as possible. This in a way allows you to actively participate in the field plan, and your input will be utilized to determine what we will grow. Because we intend to be a CSA exclusive farm, your input is very important to us.  While we want to provide you with foods you know your family likes, we also will encourage you to try new foods, by sharing recipes here on the Farm News Blog. I will do my best to add in descriptions of crops, but there are so many references  for nutritional information, photos, recipes,  and more, including Grindstonefarm.com; all over the web, I most likely will offer links to those sites and allow you to explore and learn more on your own, and  free up time for us to farm. You will also have the opportunity to schedule vacations, make a payment plan, and enter preferred pickup days. As of now we have no confirmed pickup sites except on farm. We would like to have at least 10 shares to justify a pickup, and if you are interested in hosting a pick up site, please contact us. You will also have the opportunity to continue placing special orders from grindstone to be delivered with your share, as well as wholeshare orders. We will coordinate with Grindstone to make this work, as many present share members have expressed that they appreciate being able to have these options. 

We are excited moving forward to have the support and encouragement from many of CSA CNY's shareholders over the past years, and thank those of you who have been supportive of Grindstone Farm in the past. It is our hope you will give us a springboard for our first season, while continuing to support Grindstone's growing efforts.  

There is a 10% discount for paying in full by Jan 31, as well as a 5% discount for choosing on farm pickups. By choosing on farm pickups, you will have the chance to see where your food comes from, participate in u pick offerings, and save money.  If you have any questions about our farm or our CSA, please contact us!

Also, please check out the links in this entry to see the many great things that CSA-CNY, Syracuse Peace Council, and Grindstone Farm have to offer. All three are incredible organisations and we look forward to continuing growing with them. 

This week, Travis worked till the wee hours of the morning navigating our CSA sign up soft ware and while there seem to be a couple bugs, we are ready to start accepting membership. 
 While it is very user friendly, we found that while the program requires a password, it doesn't give you the option in sign up to make one. You have to follow the link from the confirmation email to create a new password in order to create one at all. this allows you to go into your account, set preferences, set vacation dates, and view your balance. Other than that detail we are set to start immediately offering monthly egg shares, and are offering discounts for signing up for veggie shares early.    At this time we are accepting payments by check only. We also are accepting down payments, so you can secure your share without breaking the bank.  Since we are starting small with room to grow there will be  a limited amount of shares available this season. 

Some of the differences you'll see from Grindstone Farm's CSA is that we are offering two different sized shares, and also offering a create your own box option at our farmers markets. These decisions are based on feed back from current Grindstone Farm CSA members, and largely appeal to us as well. We love the CSA model, however realize many people are turned off from membership due to the lack of flexibility, so we aim to create a more inviting CSA  that allows you to purchase a CSA that fits your family size and preferences. 

We are looking forward to the 2014 season, and continuing to grow and provide fresh organic food, and fresh free range eggs to our friends and neighbors. We hope you are too!

If you have any questions about our CSA or our farm, please feel free to contact us.