Looking Ahead

Dear Farm Friends,

Just thought I'd pop in and give you all an update on the farm. Even though it feels like it's been drama, drama, and more drama, over the past 2 years, lately, it's just been back to farming, and I like the pace of that much better. While I can't control what Nature throws at me, at least I know it's nothing personal. 

 

We're harvesting a nice fall crop every week right now for our CSA members who are making all sorts of delicious meals with it. Soon, we'll be picking a nice little taste of what is normally winter crops, in that this year, I planted some broccoli and cauliflower outside this fall and it's doing well. Normally, I reserve those sometimes finicky crops for the high tunnel, especially cauliflower, where I can control things a little better. But they're both about to be ready to harvest - missing Thanksgiving by about a week - as they're just not full size yet. But we did harvest some green beans, greens, summer squash and fresh herbs.

We're looking for a few new members for the winter and into 2026. 

We're prepping the tunnel for winter shares now and with Tim's BCS the rows should be in great shape this year. I've already dropped our stall waste from the horse barn in there and run the disk over it - now it just needs to be tilled under, get the irrigation run in the rows and planted! 

I've got cauliflower and broccoli transplants started in our little seed house, and radishes, spinach, fennel, cilantro, lettuce, greens and more will all go under cover for our winter season. 

Meanwhile, the seed catalogs are trickling in for spring planting! Now, I'll be honest with you, I really thought I'd be retired by now, but I'm feeling much better about the workload these days with Maleke and Tim here more regularly. Sharing the heavier work with stronger and younger folks is very helpful. I appreciate them both more than I'm sure they realize. Even though my plans to put in an agri-village for folks hasn't worked out, my mission to keep growing good, clean healthy food - with integrity, lives on. 

The other good news is the young lady working with me here at the farm is working diligently to devise a way to turn the farm into a non-profit operation. She's a real go-getter, I tell ya. Bee keeper, grower, volunteer, Veteran, with doing service for others at the center of her heart - she's aspiring to do even more!

Nothing would make me happier than to turn the reins over to her with this vision.

It'd mean the agricultural aspect of the place would live on, the non-profit(s) that owned it would have permanent homes w/o fear of being booted out of their borrowed places, ever again, the community that rallied around the farm and WANTS it to stay a farm, would continue to be served by it, the environment would be spared as it wouldn't end up a giant parking lot or warehouses, and I'm sure services would be expanded.  

 

While I’ve done what I can to support our local food bank and SNAP recipients, a non-profit would have access to grants and resources that I don’t, enabling it to reach further and help more people in need. It could also provide the whole community with a much-desired return of the farmer's market, and perhaps even a pick your own section, a market store, coffee shop, or eatery— just a few possibilities, while continuing and expanding the CSA, and host more farm events again. I honestly see the potential for a well-rounded public-private operation here one day.

My fingers are crossed that a group can pull together, with the philanthropic resources needed, and pull off an even better version of what I envisioned. 

  

Until then, we grow!  

So if you're interested in helping support this "little farm that could", and has since 2008, join our CSA today! You can join for yourself, or, sponsor a family that struggles to afford access to fresh, locally grown farm food. Either gift a share to someone you know, or we'll work with someone we know here locally.

 Enjoy your Thanksgiving - be grateful for the farmers and workers who made it all possible - and  

 Eat Your Food - Naturally! 

 

Farmer Marie