Farm Notes

For those of you who are not familiar with the farm or are new to Sanders Ridge Farms, here's a bit of history which might put the notes below into perspective...

Things I am grateful For

A GOOD hot water heater
Kate's homemade yeast rolls
Neil's sense of humor
Megan's wit (and upper body strength!)
That Kate had Neil

June, July, August, September...

CRAZY BUSY! Got a TON of stuff to fill in here...

October 25, 2006

A hard freeze is predicted for tonight - so I have a few 100 extra things to do to protect the plants in the fields - in addition to the harvest - before I leave for Winston! I just came inside from after checking the garden and harvesting for today's delivery. The wind is howling and my fingers are frozen - so I thought I'd come in for a few minutes and warm them up by sharing a couple of "Amazing Veggie" stories with you... (We've had VERY gusty winds the past two days . Wind chills in the low 30's out there right now...)

Sugar Snap Peas...

The Fall Planting of peas are over 2 feet taller than the crop grown this past spring. I guess it has been all the rain - but they are so tall they have gone above the trellis and have to be tied up. They have just begun to bear pods and it is my hope that the weather will moderate some out here info the next couple of weeks so they can concentrate on growing us some nice peas for us!

Celery...
VERY unusual these celery plants are.... I started them in the greenhouse LAST FEB! and planted them out in the Big garden in May (a month later then I was supposed to) Celery is hard to grow here in the south - most growers feel its not worth the time or space to even try because it MUST have consistent moisture with temps between 50 and 70 degrees at all times - or it will immediately "bolt" (means they give up and go to seed) But - I tried them anyhow and they did OK. Sold a case of teeny heads to a wholesaler in June and harvested some for you folks - and then have been just using the rest for herb cuttings... Long after they were supposed to have thrown in the towel - they were still hanging around though - and I needed the space they were in to plant out other veggies - so in the blazing heat of August - Megan and I dug them all up. I couldn't bear tossing them into the compost pile. Thinking that I could harvest the tops and dry it for season we literally just threw them into the holes where we had pulled up the sugar peas - next to the old church - and promptly forgot about them... Certain that they had bit the dust when I looked them over this weekend - I found that not only are they still alive - but they are beginning to generate NEW stalks! I'm taking pictures - as I know a few farmers who aren't going to believe it - I still can't myself (guess you can tell that)...

Peppers...
The peas and celery are amazing - BUT the BIG winner - are the peppers. Both varieties (the thinner "Jimmy Nardellos" and the bigger "Corno de Toros" that you have been getting ALL SUMMER LONG...) They were put in the field back in May from transplants started in the greenhouse last March - (which is about a month sooner than peppers like to take on the great outdoors - especially in the foothills!) The week we planted them - we had one of the gustiest - coolest weeks. (wind is harder on plants than any element they can encounter. The movement can weaken the cell structure in their stalks and stems, which can inhibit their ability to take in nutrients). They sat there for a month and did little more than just pout - until June. They have been producing copious amounts of beautiful fruit since - AND have had NO bug damage - VERY little sun scald - and NO mold or blight of ANY kind - ALL of which are REAL common and make pepper growing so difficult in the south. I have not had to spray them even ONCE for anything - and have only given them one shot of nutrients - (a cup of liquid fish emulsion each back in June when they began producing fruit) B

But most remarkable of all is that they have produced LONG after they should have. Peppers do NOT like changes in temps - or cold. And we have had PLENTY of both - all season long... This morning I went to look them over I was absolutely certain that I was going to find mostly shriveled up mushy fruit on those stringy looking vines. But nope. Even though the leaves have lost all their vitality - the plants are literally loaded with plump juicy peppers. It is remarkable that they survived the hard freeze and frosts we had a week ago. (just ask members Karen Liparulo and Bonnie Weymouth - who were at the farm the morning of the big freeze!)

With the impending freeze forecasted for tonight - though - I have made the executive decision this morning to go ahead and harvest all of those juicy babies today. They taste so good right now - both the green and the few that have managed to ripen to red in the chill - and so PEPPERS will be the better part of your shares tonight.

Although you have been getting them in the red stage - they are wonderful green as well - and thank s to all the rain and cool weather - they are more plump and sweet than ever. So - you can store them in the veggie compartment in the fridge - or in a cool spot in your house or covered porch for a while - or use them right away. Use them as you would any green or red pepper - raw or cooked. You'll be getting some big one's - great for stuffing - (they are terrific loaded with cheese and baked.) I am planning to slice up a bunch of the smaller ones and dry them for use in winter soups, sauces, and stews. This is an easy thing that you might consider doing as well - especially if haven't the room to store or use them soon... Once dried - just put them in a zip lock baggie and store in your freezer and use as needed. They take up only a teeny amount of space this way and you can enjoy the summer flavor all winter. (Remember that dried veggies take on a much more concentrated/intense flavor - so a little goes a long way...)

Over an inch of rain, daytime temps in the 40's, 50's and 70's, nighttime temps in the 30's, frost, and gusty winds up to 30mph... We've had it all this past week, haven't we? Everything is doing well though - even the newest transplants... (I planted 350 seedlings on Thursday - it rained an inch on Friday - the winds kicked up to 30 MPH on Saturday! But I planted them in the garden between the greenhouse and the barn - which provides a wonderful windbreak - so unless we get snow - I think they'll be OK!)

The highlight of the week happened Thursday. We were working outside in the back of the house sowing grass seed when we heard one of the hens singing the "I've laid and egg" song. No kidding - chickens have lots of specific clucks and sounds for many different things. There's the "here's a juicy bug" song, the "rooster, get off me " song, the "hey that's MY girl, get off her" song, and the "we're up - so where's breakfast" song. But the sweetest one by far is the one every hen sings when she's laid an egg. All the other hens and the roosters get excited too and start making a lot of extra noise as well. Then she jumps down out of the box and goes to get something to eat and drink and everything goes back to the normal chatter.

A soon as I heard her, I went in to take a look - and sure enough - there in the straw was a perfect brown egg - all clean and warm. I put it back so all the other hens could have a look - then just before they went to roost that evening I collected it so it wouldn't get pushed around in the nightly shuffle for prime perch space. Chickens are really cool (and very smart). The hen that laid the first egg was one of the larger ones - but I expect all of them will begin laying sometime in November. The greens are still growing - but I believe they will tolerate some cutting now - so I have decided to bag up a mixture of loose leaf blends for you - one will be baby salad greens, and one will be braising or sautéing greens...

Here's what you can expect: Baby Salad Greens (a mixture of Red Leaf Lettuce, a "freckled" Bib Lettuce, Arugula, Beet Greens, and Spinach), Braising Greens (a mixture of Tatsoi, Mizuna, Chinese Mustard, Red Russian Kale, Sugar Snap Peas, and Pac Choi), Sweet Potatoes, Onions, Carrots,Radishes, Herbs (Your choice of - Cilantro, Parsley, Sage, Oregano, Celery leaf, Rosemary, Dill)

Also - on the truck I will have for sale: Red Sails Lettuce (by the head), Sweet Potatoes, Carrots

Its been about the same this week as last - cold nights with hard freezes, then 50's to 60's during the day. Spent most of the week getting things ready for the (really) cold weather of winter.

Many many thanks to the 5 members who came to help out on Saturday. Sarah Grant and Anthony Girard, Erin and Noah Etheridge, and Susan Perkins - all rolled in here at 9AM Saturday morning despite the cold - and got right to work untangling and dismantling irrigation tubing and hoses, pulling up tomato and pepper stakes, and taking down all of the heavy fencing we used for trellising up the peas, beans, and lemon and green cukes. Susan Perkins spent the morning harvesting the seed from the dried pods in the okra patch. (I now have enough seed to plant out 10 times the okra we had this year!) And if that wasn't enough - she stayed an additional 2 hours and finished taking apart and rolling up the last 250 feet of heavy irrigation hoses and lines from the big garden. All in all, the 5 of them accomplished in about 4 hours - what it would have taken me 3 days to do. I thank you. (My back thanks you!)

The greens in the field and the ones in the greenhouse are coming along but the cold has definitely caused all to slow down - and so I will be harvesting pick and come again - again - this week for you (rather than being able to cut entire plants, I'm taking only the larger leaves and bagging them up for you.)

Highlight of the week: (other than the Fab 5's showing up to save the day on Saturday) - Last Tuesday - after I got back to the farm from delivering to you in Winston, I went out to check on the baby chicks. Well - chicks are kind of skitterish when they are contained - and they tend to go all nuts when I open up packhouse door... They sort of stampede- and cram themselves into one corner and then to another etc. On this night, when they all rushed out of one corner into another, I noticed one little girl at the bottom of the heap. She didn't get up. She just lay there - flat as a pancake (no kidding flat as can be...) I figured she was dead - but when I picked her up, she wasn't cold. I have seen this before - when chickens are little babies, the least bit of stress - like getting cold - or getting crammed into a corner by 24 other chicks - and they'll sort of just give up and resolve to die... She looked like she had resolved already and then some, and was mostly dead. I thought what the heck - maybe if I could bug her a little - she'd change her mind and stay on this side... I took her into the house and put her in a box on a towel under a heat lamp with some food and water nearby. She just lay there - flat as a pancake. So I picked her up and bugged her a little bit (stretched out her legs, massaged her wings and rubbed the top of her head) - which seemed to really annoy her. She fussed at me (tweeted lightly) which I took as a good sign. In the morning she was still alive - but still flat as a pancake. So I bugged her a bit as before. I checked on her at lunch and she was laying next to the waterier - and THAT was a really good sign. Later in the day she made her way over to the food and by the evening she started looking not so flat. The next day, she managed a wobbly stand for a few seconds - teeter to one side and flop back down. She would do that every time I would come over to her box each time standing a little bit longer before flopping down. Yesterday - she was walking some as well. I have an old cat ("Miss Kitty") who is going on 16 - and she has taken up sleeping next to the box (Miss Kitty LOVES the heat lamp). This morning, while Miss Kitty slept practically in the box, the little chick had stood up and was poking her head out of a handle in the side of the box, peeing up a storm... Miss Kitty - was hissing at her about being woken from her nap - but the chick acted fearless - like she could care less that a hissing cat was within clawing distance from her face... It was cute. She's going to make it I think. (If she does, I'm going to name her " Eileen") Goodnight Eileen - goodnight...

Your shares this week will include: Red Sails Lettuce, Turnip and Mustard Greens, Radishes (I learned this week - thanks to Susan Perkins, that they are WONDERFUL cooked - sautéed in butter and salt and pepper and/or butter and honey. The greens are really good in soup too. I put them in my favorite minestrone and they made it so rich and hearty...), Swiss Chard (couldn't give you a lot of chard this week - but you'll have enough for a side dish or to add to your favorite soup, stew, or pasta dish), Spaghetti Squash, Onions, Herbs (your choice of cilantro, parsley, oregano, sage, dill, chives, tarragon) Heads up: the next couple of weeks expect turnips, rutabagas and collards. I will be at West End at 6:45 PM for those of you who might find that more convenient.

This week we worked on the interior curtain system for the Big greenhouse (to help keep the veggies from freezing when the temps get in the 20's...) and we have been working on a new 11/2 acre garden space we're adding for 2007 (so that we can accommodate additional CSA memberships as well as all of the vegetable and herb needs for The Kitchen at Elkin Creek restaurant!)

The most notable activity this week has been starting the new winery! Neil jumped on his bulldozer between rainy spells and cleared the site so we could get started on the zoning and permit process. It was really exciting to site out the building footprint and to finally be able to stand in the space where the winery will actually sit. As we stood there though, and realized the 10 billion things that would need to happen between now and the day we serve the first glass of wine - the Fall of 2008 suddenly felt dauntingly right around the corner... (And I thought I was busy THIS year!) We'll have some photos for you on the web - so you can watch the progress - and you are always welcome to come up and visit and see it as it happens as well!

Remarkable Recovery
On Friday I released "Eileen" from her infirmary box - and put her back in with the other 23 chicks and I am happy to report that she is doing fine. (you would never know that just a few days ago she was flat as a pancake! ...)

Tomorrow's Shares Will Include:

Mustard and Collard Green - medley
Turnips and Turnip Greens
Carrots
Radishes (if desired - But be sure to let me know if you DON'T want any - today!)
Pac Choi
Herbs (sage, parsley, cilantro, oregano)

Special Announcement
Next Tuesday (11/27) is the last delivery date for several members (Goldsmiths, Powell's, Wakefield/Bender, Sables, Garver/Joiner, Betty T., Bennets, Madden's, and Flowers) - it is also 2 days before Thanksgiving - and I was thinking about how this might impact your Thanksgiving menu and/or travel plans... (I realize that some of you are going to be the "cookers" for others - and some of you are going to be just the "eaters" of someone else's cooking!)

Over 3 inches of rain fell this week on the farm - and the wind has been - well, just plain brutal... I was working indoors on Thursday when I heard a knock on the back door. Neil was standing there with a very concerned look on his face. (He is ALWAYS smiling - so I knew it couldn't be good.) I opened the door and he said "I've got some bad news for you". Pointing over his shoulder, I saw immediately what he was talking about. The chicken house was sitting upside down. We ran out to survey the damage - fearing the worst. Much to our surprise (and great relief) all of the birds were huddled into one corner of the yard and immediately accounted for. It took us a while to wrestle the house back upright and pointed in a direction where the wind couldn't get it a second time, and were totally surprised to find it didn't have a dent or scratch on it! Neill concluded that the wind had to have lifted it up completely (and - at a time when none of the birds were inside or under it too) - for it to have landed on its head so cleanly. (The tin roof could not have survived the weight of the house in a rollover...) We were amazingly lucky.

This week I'll be bringing turnips, and greens (collards, turnip and mustards) a speckled leaf lettuce, carrots, and pac choi. (And I'll have plenty of extra to sell off the truck as well if you need more for your Thanksgiving plans.)

If you need something fun to do this coming Sunday (and something different to eat than turkey!) - the Kitchen at Elkin Creek is hosting a silent picture dinner. Chef Jesse will be serving homemade pizza and specialty burgers - along with 2 silent movies -(with a live piano player providing background music). It will be a casual/laid back - starting around 5:30 or so. I'll be there along with Neil's extended family - so join us if you can. To make reservations call Chef Jesse Williams at 336 416-9363 or e-mail him at elkincreekwinery@aol.com (see directions at www.elkinmill.com)

I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving. I imagine that holiday leftovers might have you short on space in the refrigerator - so I am going to try to bring you veggies that can either sit out in a cool spot or at least - take up less room in the vegetable compartment...

This week, the veggies out in the field are trying desperately to dry out from all of the rain while the ones in the greenhouse are fighting off an attack of the aphids! Unfortunately with moisture and cool temps - come insects - and aphids are definitely the bug of the Fall/Winter season. They LOVE moist cool conditions. Aphids are tiny soft-bodied bugs that are really hard to fight off. They hang out on the underside of leafy veggies, and reproduce by the billions. You can combat them by simply spraying them hard with water or using a gentle (but expensive) insecticide called Safers Soap. But spraying the underside of leaves - where they are cleverly hiding is VERY hard to do... So - alas, they are a fact of garden life - and a good reason to always soak any leafy veggie (even store bought ones) briefly in cold water with a sprinkle or so of table salt. (The little boogers die swiftly and drop to the bottom of the pan or sink...)

The fields are still absolutely soaked. So saturated they are - that puddles are visible everywhere - on every farm - not just this one, causing there to be many idle hands in this neck of the woods... Neil said that he couldn't bring himself to go up to the "store" anymore until we get a dry spell... (The store is S&H Farm Supply and its the place where ALL the local farmers go to buy supplies and it is where you will find them ALL on rainy days - or at noon time - when Bobbie the bookkeeper has cooked up a big pot of something good for lunch and dessert...) Neil said that the long faces are just getting to be too much to take. Most of the farmers make a good portion of their living off of corn, soybeans, and tobacco. The rain has kept them from getting the corn and beans harvested - as well as the wheat planted to ready the fields for tobacco next spring... Neil said that he can't remember a time when it was so wet in the fall that wheat couldn't be planted in time... I feel so bad for them all. Here I am all bent out of shape because I can't get my garlic planted and these folks are worrying about making their Farm Credit payments for the rest of the year... Its really heartbreaking. If I had a fairy godmother, I would wish her to make a major shift in the mindset of both the local consumer as well as the local farmer... How different it could be if the farmers could afford to diversify and spread out their risks by organizing a co-op to supply fresh produce, meat and dairy to the local cities - the way its done in Europe. It is possible, I'm certain (if only I HAD a fairy godmother - or - if only feeding people locally was as lucrative to policy makers as corn for ethanol - and sugar for everything else!)

Most of my time this week was spent doing research and planning for next season. For many organic seed varieties and for seed potatoes, I have to budget for and place orders with suppliers within the next 4 weeks - in order to be sure to get them before they run out... I am also having to drop back and punt with my crop planting plan - as it has not only been too wet to plant garlic - but we have also missed the window of time for my plan to plant the weed suppressing cover crop - winter rye - and the nitrogen restoring crop - hairy vetch. I had to buy the seed in the late summer to be sure that I got the organic stock needed before it sold out - and so it is sitting here with no where to go but up in the barn for next fall... These two crops were going to be a major addition to my farm plan for the 2007 season as I was banking on them to help to reduce my labor expense (and back pain!) The rye was going to provide a sort of "living" mulch in which we would plant spring and summer vegetables (a trick I learned at a farm seminar I attended at State...) The hairy vetch is a legume that was going to help supply next year's veggies with a natural source of nitrogen...) Now I'll have to come up with another strategy for both needs - rats! (But that's the way it goes with farming!)

Tuesday your shares will include: Rutabagas (similar to a turnip. See LOTS of new recipes for them on the site), Cabbage (a mild textured chinese variety that's really good in stir fry or soup), Onions

These three veggies will probably provide all the "poundage" required for this week's share. If not, I will also pack a Pac Choy and/or some more of the freckled lettuce.

Its been another very windy week here on the farm. Still hasn't dried out enough to get into the fields yet - but we are hoping that the winds we are getting today will make it possible to get out there with the tractor tomorrow! If so, we are going to go ahead and plant the garlic and winter rye - even though its so late. We've decide to gamble the cost of the seed - that the weather this winter will be mild enough to make up for the lost time. Its a long shot - but we weighed the option of not sowing it - and it makes more sense to take the chance in hopes of reducing soil erosion over the winter. (The Rye - if it can establish a decent enough root system before really cold wet weather arrives - will help to hold the top soil in place, and to build the microbial life within - giving us a more naturally fertile/healthy start in the spring...)

The highlight of the week was turning the new - 24 chicks - out with the older girls. They had simply outgrown their little brooding pen (I was having to change their water 3-4 times a day - as several of the little girls had taken to "roosting" on top of the waterer - which quickly rendered the water below a bit on the "chocolate" side - if you catch my drift.) The day we moved them it was warm and pleasant - but of course - the next day it turned wet and so windy that the poor things wouldn't (couldn't) leave the shelter of the hen house - as they would have been blown all the way to Forsyth county! That meant that they were forced to mingle in tight quarters with the older birds who REALLY made a sport out of bullying and bossing them around. Its been a lot of fun to watch the proverbial "pecking order" in action as the bigger birds bully and boss the littler birds around. The real entertainment is watching the little banty chickens Until the baby chicks arrived on the scene - THEY were the lowest on the totem pole - being smaller than the big breed birds. The new chicks are going to eventually be huge - but right now they are smaller than the Banties. It will REALLY be fun to see if the banties maintain their dominance when the chicks grow up - in just a few short weeks. My bet is on the banties... They are small - but they don't act like they KNOW it! (You should see the little bantie rooster courting one of the large breed gals! (He is small ONLY in size - not attitude!) Keeping the new chicks warm out in the big yard is proving to be a challenge - as they want to roost with the bigger birds at night rather than their own little brooder. So - I had to hook up heat lamps in BOTH houses (I dread the power bill!) and I went ahead and covered both houses in plastic too. Also, the little ones weren't in the big yard 5 minutes - when they discovered how easy it is to slip though the mesh of the electric fence. (The grass IS greener on the other side! And they LOVE to nibble the new shoots and chase the bugs they flush!) The electric fence is more for deterring 4 legged predators INTO the fence - rather than keeping the chickens inside. It was wet the day we turned them out and so I didn't turn on the electricity (didn't want to cook them!) - so they have gotten used to coming and going without consequence. Its going to be a real shock (bad pun - sorry!) when I do decide to turn it on during the daytime... I took some pictures of "December on the Farm" See the chicks, gardens , and greenhouse - http://www.sandersridge.com/december_2006.htm

Tomorrow, your shares will include the following: Braising Greens Mix (Mizuna, Red Russian Kale, Chinese Mustard, and Tat Soi), Pac Choi, Purple Top Turnips (with tops), Salad Mix (Speckled Lettuce, Swiss Chard and Arugula)

Brrrrrrrr! Its been EXTRA cold (set a record here in Boonville) Lows dipped into the mid teens here on the farm. It wouldn't have been so bad - if it weren't so windy AND dry too. ( 0 humidity + 25 mpg icy wind + 16 degrees = mummified vegetables!) I was supposed to deliver some vegetables to a market in Greensboro on Friday - but I couldn't get them out of the ground! (The turnips and carrots were frozen solid through and through... Would have needed a hacksaw to extract them!) I'm glad I took those pictures of the crops in the fields last week "before" the snap. I don't have the heart to post any "after" shots. (a lot of wilting and limpage going on out there now.)

Other than the cold - the only other notable event was being invited over to Kate's house for "dinner (that's lunch in Yadkinland). It was a BIG deal - because for a while there - we weren't sure that Kate would ever be feeling well enough to fix up one of her wonderful farmhand lunches... To fill you in - Kate is Neil's Mom. She had a bad fall back in September that put her in the bed and her recliner for weeks and weeks. Being incapacitated is a very unusual thing for Kate and for her family - as she is so independent and self-sufficient. She lives in the old homeplace - an 1890's farm house - that is in the hollow down across the street from this house. She is as active as can be. At 86, she drives like Richard Petty and her house is the hub of Shore family events year 'round. Every so often - she will cook up a true southern "farmhand" lunch - and invite 2 of her 4 sons over to "dinner". Neil (56) is the youngest of her 4 "boys" and typically, she will invite Neil and Keith - (his oldest brother) one week, and Clark and David (the two middle brothers) - over another week.... Back in Sept. she and her best friend Olivia - who is also in her mid eighties - were shelling a "mess" of half runner beans I'd grown for them - for ME! (She knew I wouldn't have time to put any up for myself and so the two of them had bagged up a couple of dozen freezer bags full - so that I would have my own cache for the winter. ) They worked in the shade of Kate's side porch and just as Kate was carrying a big bowl of shelled beans into the house to blanche them - she lost her balance and fell backward - "beans a' flying" she said... Although she didn't break any bones (which is a miracle and a blessing), she did "shake up her insides badly" so much so - that it took 2 MRIs and weeks of physical therapy before she finally was able to get around on her own again - and - (thank goodness) to feel up to cooking again!

Neil called me on Wednesday to tell me I was invited to join him and Keith on Thursday. I was so excited. I made a point NOT to eat much that night or the next morning so I could take full advantage of her incredible cooking. Kate knows that I don't eat meat and so she always thoughtfully serves up something meatless for the whole crew. Thursday it was her homemade salmon cakes and milk gravy (which Keith and Neil REALLY like...) She made a double batch of her INFAMOUS homemade yeast roll/biscuits - and topped the meal off with a homemade apple cobbler.

Man was it outstanding! The tradition is that everyone comes in from the field, takes off their boots at the front door, washes up, and sits down together at the big table in her sunny soft green kitchen - at noontime. Everything is on the table when you sit down, in pretty decorative and well worn used mix/match of bowls, pitchers, and ladles. Let me tell you - it is a sight (and smell) to behold. Almost as delicious as the cooking - is the company. (I always end up laughing so hard I'm afraid I'm going to spew milk from my nose.) Keith loves to pick at me - and I love it back - especially about being a vegetarian and my other "fern fondling" ways... On this day - he passed me the HUGE bowl of gravy and then watched as I ladled it all OVER my salmon cakes as well as the 2 rolls I had crumbled up on my plate. (I had observed the roll crumbling trick at a previous lunch...) He was SO proud of me (that I had done right with the gravy and all) - but chided me about leaving a spot of biscuit uncovered ("have to cover them up entirely to be totally righteous with the gravy - you know") And - when I went for seconds - he watched every spoonful lustfully - making certain I was leaving enough in the bowl for him and Neil to have thirds! Another usual treat at dinner - and one I especially look forward to - are the stories that Neil and Keith will inevitably tell - about things that the four brothers did in their youth. Kate will sit there and listen, laugh and occasionally inject her own humorous recollection - - or her blanket disclaimer "now that's the first I've heard tell of that tale". At this lunch, Keith and Neil told about the time that the two of them, along with brother Clark and 3 other fellows, went on a hunting/camping trip for 2 weeks in Colorado. I won't go into detail but the story included a drafty tent, non-stop snow, infrequent bathing, bad camp food, and a very old worn down outhouse... I ate - and laughed - until I hurt.

Tuesday's share is going to include: Green Bell Peppers! (which were going to be delivered as a surprise in your LAST share on the 19th. That was before the temps in the greenhouse dipped below 20 degrees!) Chinese Cabbages, Collards (a wider leafed variety than what we harvested earlier), Spaghetti Squash,Onions

It was just 1 year ago this week that we put the top on the Big Greenhouse and Sanders Ridge Farm began. I can't believe that tomorrow night is the 12th and final week for the the Fall season - and my last delivery to the West End for the year... (The time went by faster than gravy and biscuits at Kate Shores dinner table!) It has been one of the hardest - and one of the best - years of my life. I finally got to live my dream of eeking out a living with my hands in the dirt (instead of on a keyboard) but what really made the year special - was the privilege of serving such an appreciative, enthusiastic, and kind group of people. I thank you ALL for making this first year so positive and so wonderful... Your enthusiasm has been like Ben gay for my soul - really... It helped me to get up and get out there and keep on track especially those days when I found myself leveraged to max in terms of energy (and self confidence!) So - thank you - thank you - thank you!

Between now and the start of the Spring Membership term in 2007 (sometime in March) - I only have about a billion things I need to accomplish... The short list includes:

Finalizing the Spring/Summer/and Fall Membership Season and getting it out to you!
I'm hammering out the costs, delivery site(s) and schedules and will let you know when it is posted up on the site so can begin signing folks up, ordering seeds and root stock, mapping out the plantings schedules, and lining up the labor, supplies, and equipment needed for growing, harvesting, and delivering... We anticipate doubling the number of Members for 2007 (up to 75 members - to include a West End Food Guild, and potentially a Washington Park, Sherwood Forest, and a Mount Airy Food Guild...)

Finishing up the renovation of this old farm house so that we can provide a "Destination Rental"...
for groups and individuals needing a base camp to tour the Yadkin Valley wineries and foothill attractions and events, and/or for company or association retreats, and/or for a personal retreat for individuals wanting a place to hide away and relax - or even learn/observe or have hands on experience - growing/harvesting organic vegetables and herbs, growing/harvesting grapes, - even making wine! (we'll be harvesting the grapes from our vineyard for our own use this coming year - rather than selling our fruit - so that we will have our own wines available when our winery opens in 2008!)

Starting the construction of the Sanders Ridge Winery (opening in 2008)
The zoning meeting was this past Monday and went without a hitch! Neil, with the help of his behemoth track loader - has carved the winery's footprint out of the forest beside the lake, and we are READY to build!

We meet with the architect this week to work up the final building plans. It will be a cozy but elegant post and beam - timber frame construction with lots of glass, stone and wood. The facility will have a wine tasting area, an intimate but comfortable restaurant featuring hearty meals made with our own organic vegetables and herbs, and a farm stand featuring seasonal fresh vegetables, fruit, herbs, and flowers, and even canned and baked goods from the gardens. The winery will also offer banquet/meeting/reception hall facilities, and small, intimate cabins in the woods for weekly and weekend rental. Walking trails will also be carved out of the forest, wetlands, lake area, and open fields - for bird watching, nature journaling (or just plain wandering...)

Completing and submitting our Application to the USDA for "official" Organic Certification...for the Sanders Ridge Farm (and for the berries, figs, and two grape varieties in the Sanders Ridge vineyard!)

Now that we have a year's worth of growing and harvesting under our belts, we can submit the application with actual production documentation. Once received, the certifying agency will schedule a farm inspection and (hopefully) certification will be granted by next Spring... The application fees will be around $850 (and the process and fee must be renewed yearly!) and will take between 3 to 6 months from the date we submit it - depending on the inspector's schedule. (I am hoping that by submitting it this winter - with a full year of documentation - we'll be able to beat the spring/summer rush and move along in a 3 month timeframe - rather than a 6 month one!)

Whew! just TYPING OUT the short list was exhausting! (We welcome any input, suggestions, and ideas you might wish to offer!)

Tomorrow's shares will include (and I will bring extras of each) :Turnips and Rutabagas (they will store well - so you don't HAVE to cook them all this week!), A beautiful, juicy green "bib" type lettuce, Pac Choi, Tatsoi, Onions, Carrots

I also have plenty of fresh cilantro and dill - and dried basil - for anyone who would like some!

Also - one of you might not have gotten your collards last week. (I came back with an extra bag full) - so let me know who you are and I'll be sure to bring you another bag full! See you tomorrow night. I WILL be on time! (Sorry about last week!)

2007 the Year of EXTREMES - a (painful) Re-cap! (DETAILS follow)

It all begin about this time last year - and ended - uh, well, actually, it hasn't... (it was February 5, 2008 when I wrote this text, and 74 degrees outside.) Uh-oh.

The day I dropped the application for certification into the "outgoing" box at Boonville PO, the weather seemed to turn upside down. Temps became unseasonable warm (about like it is this Feb - hmmm) and that's when it all began... The spring was way to warm - with 3 weeks in March 70 to 85 degrees, then way too cold - with Easter weekend temps plummeting to 18 and 21 degrees for 3 days in a row. Then it got way too hot for the duration of the season with twice the number of 90+ degree days and several 100 degree days. It only rained twice. The first rain came in June, (2+ inches in ONE hour) just hours before 100's of drop dead georgous tomatoes were ready to pick, causing them to drink themselves silly and immediately split and crack. The second rain of the season didn;t come until August - and was only 4/10 of an inch, but JUST enough for the tomatoes to binge again - and it was swell, split, and compost - all over again. On top of the heat and lack of rain, the WHOLE year was WAY too windy - which only served to evaporate every molecule of moisture and mummify anything hanging on a stem, vine, or trying to bloom from one.

Despite all the wild swings in deliveries (I made the first delivery - at the spur of the moment - TWO weeks BEFORE the season was due to even start, and - I had two and three week gaps between deliveries only to dump double shares on you for three and four weeks in a row), YOU NOT ONLY STUCK WITH ME, but bunches of you sent me thoughtful emails or expressed words of kindness and encouragement when I was in town - as well as other acts of random kindness like a $200 donation to help with farm expenses - and a hand-knitted toboggan! (The CUTEST thing, orange with a little green stem on top - like a pumpkin!)

Its all a blur to me now (I believe I have contracted farmer's amnesia, which I'm told, hinders recall of certain details about the previous season which in turn puts the farmer into a state of perpetual bliss and excitement at the beginning of each new season until he/she comes to their senses - sometime around July... I'm told its believed to be a soil born disease, because the more one is exposed, the worse it seems to get...

Anyhow, of what I CAN recall - there were many days in 2007 when the challenges of the extreme drought and endless heat made it hard to even get up out of bed and face the day. But like farmers do, we did. We harvested before dawn to keep things from cooking BEFORE you got them, tossed 1,000 of pounds of cracked, shriveled, inferior produce and plants into the compost heap, replanted when we could, and cursed the brick hard ground when we couldn't. But - unlike Neil and other life-long farmers who seem to be able to deal unwaveringly with whatever SHE over whom we have no control tosses their way - I couldn't have, were it not for your encouragement, patience, and mindful appreciation. If this were any other business - I would probably be closing up shop rather than gearing up - excitedly - to do it all over again. THANK YOU Food Guild Members and Truck and Farm Stand Customers! YOU ARE THE GREATEST!!! Thank you for your contagious enthusiasm and your desire to sign up again for another ride in 2008!

Well, the spring-like weather has really extended the life of the outdoor gardens... Surprisingly - many of the plants that I thought were done for after the early cold snap a month or so ago - decided to stay in the game a while longer - and I have a BUNCH of nice things to harvest today... (This morning's frost is sure to make them sweeter than ever...)

I've been busy working on the house and also on my garden/CSA plans for this spring (more info to follow soon). But I miss my weekly run to Winston and seeing you all - so - let me know if you would like to stop by the truck tonight for any of the following - and I will pick and pack and make a stop in Winston - at the usual place - 1000 West End Blvd - at 6 to 7 pm tonight.

Here's what I can bring:

Collards (REAL tender - medium sized leaves... Fixed up a bunch on New Years Day - and they only took a few minutes to cook!)
Turnips (both large and small ones - and both the purple type and the white Harkruies...)
Tatsoi (greens for braising. Its twice the size it was a month ago)
Mizuna (greens for braising or for salads)
Fresh: Dill, Cilantro, and Parsley
Also - I do have broccoli and Brussels sprouts, though not a ton (probably have about 5 pounds of each to harvest today) so - "first emailed - first served"...!)
See you tonight (maybe!)

Hi Folks - and Happy New Year. FINALLY locked myself away in my office long enough to get all my ducks in a row and write up the business plan for 2007. (Whew! I'd rather pull an acre of pigweed - barefoot and gloveless - than to sit down at the computer and do paperwork!) I will TRY to keep this short and sweet (my resolution for 2007... Briefer e-mails!) (Those of you who have been receiving my weekly ones from the farm KNOW that brevity isn't something I'm known for. - as I have a tendency to get carried away - like I'm doing right now (soorrrry) Anyhow, I've crunched every number I could scrape up from all the bits of paper accumulated over the course of this past season - and am ready to introduce the 2007 season membership options to you!

But first (there she goes again...) I just needed to tell you that the 2006 season was absolutely outstanding! The farm spent almost twice what it brought in - but that was to be expected with all of the infrastructure we needed to build, repair, or replace. You have to know that I couldn't have asked for a more enthusiastic and receptive membership and walk-up customer base - and I thank you ALL for making our first year so very worth the work, effort and expense.
Because of your enthusiasm - I actually had to turn business away this past year... As many of you "West Enders" know, I originally only planned to serve about 5 families in 2006 - on 1/4 acre of garden space - so that I could spend the majority of the season researching, getting our USDA Organic Certification, and basically just getting my "garden legs" ready for THIS year. But - by mid-May - the word of mouth exposure spread faster than chickweed in a cow-pie - and brought in so many membership inquires that before I knew it, Neil and I dug up another acre and a half and were serving almost 40 members weekly, as well as most of the produce for The Kitchen at Elkin Creek.

I just needed to say THANK YOU! THANK YOU! for your support. (If more farmers had this level of local support - the world would be a much safer place indeed...)

So back to the 2007 Season and Food Guild/CSA membership... Neil and I have put our heads together to try and figure out - if - (and how) - we can take on more members this season, while continuing to provide the quality produce and service you deserve - AND get the new winery built! (Yep - we finalize the building plans next Tuesday and will start construction the second we can get the crew in to pour footings this spring!)

We have concluded that with the infrastructure put into place this past year, and with the help of a couple of full time employees during the major planting and harvesting months, we can expand the CSA membership to 100 shares, grow exclusively for The Kitchen at Elkin Creek - AND operate a weekly market stand on Saturday mornings at The Wherehouse in downtown Winston-Salem. (Wheee!)

2007 Membership Options - and how to sign up...
So without without further adieu (and rambling from me) go to http://www.sandersridge.com/the_farm_2007.htm and scroll down to the bottom of the page for the 2007 Membership details and how to sign up - (while I cozy up in my big chair and start pouring over the 3 foot tall stack of seed catalogs I have been waiting to tear in to!)

Note that I will be taking the memberships on a first paid for - first served basis - so if you decide you'd like to join, print out the order form available at the end of that page and mail the info and payment to me as soon as possible. (I need to finalize my seed and supply orders and pay for them before the end of the month to insure availability as quality organic seed is in great demand again this year - especially organic seed potatoes, sweet corn seed, and greenhouse and heirloom tomato seeds...)

Planning to "put some food by" this year?
That's Yadkinese for canning, freezing or drying produce or fruit... If you are - and would like for me to grow it for you - let me know what, and how much, and when you might want it - and I'll arrange to make it so.

Possible New Delivery Locations...
In addition to the West End drop off, folks in Sherwood Forest, Wake Forest University, and Washington Park - as well as Mount Airy and Dobson areas - have expressed interest in renewing or joining, so if you live in these areas - PLEASE let your neighbors know about the CSA memberships available - and maybe give them a gentle nudge to join - so that I can establish delivery spots in these areas for you as well... (If I can get over 5 members from each area - then I feel I can justify planning a weekly stop there.) I even have 2 families driving up from Charlotte weekly - so if you know anyone in Charlotte (or points in between) tell them about us too!

How can we make the membership better in 2007
Anything you might wish to share or suggest - would be much appreciated...
For those of you who were members of our CSA this past year, tell me what would improve our service or provide even more valuable to you. For those of you who have been a member of another CSA - are there other offerings/features/products we might consider adding to our service?

Before I finalize my seed orders, it would be especially helpful to know types and varieties of vegetables you particularly liked - would want more of (or maybe less of?) You can view the list of the varieties we grew last season here: http://www.sandersridge.com/varieties.htm
That's all for now (finally!). I'll start planting seedlings Feb 1st and we'll begin selling vegetables and herbs mid-March (at The Wherehouse in Winston on Saturday mornings 9 to noon) And then - before I know it - CSA deliveries will begin May 1st- so in the meantime I'll be working to update the web site with new recipes - upcoming plans for the winery - new varieties and descriptions to the vegetable list (like TONS more sweet corn and some really cool gourmet potatoes) - AND posting ALL of my farm notes and photos from this past season...

As always, please feel free to come out to the farm for a visit. (I have PLENTY of vegetables growing this winter in the greenhouse if you need to see something green - or to take home with you!)

PLEASE forgive the lapse in correspondence. The past few weeks have been pretty full (and event-FULL)

I wasn't able to write to you earlier as planned (our cable/internet connection has been in and out the past week or so while Time Warner was doing some sort of software upgrade. And if that wasn't frustrating enough - everything got even more complicated when evidently I hit the underground cable connection to the farm with the tractor... They finally figured it out and repaired this afternoon. (RATS! It was my first intensive week on the tractor by myself - and I was SO proud that I hadn't run over anyone - or anything.)

Anyhow, a lot has been happening here over the past 2 weeks. I'm too pooped to go into a lot of detail tonight... So here's the short version (I'll fill in the details next week.)

The biggest event was (again!) - the weather. "Mother" really slammed us with the big winds - but what really caught us by surprise was the hail storm Sunday before last... Marble sized - it packed a punch when it came along with the gusty winds. (I have a photo of the swiss chard for you to see. I thought it was bug damage at first. Looked almost like cigarette burns - but Neil took one look at it and recognized it immediately as what hail - driven by wind - does to leafy things. He's seen it a time or two...)

The Bad News...
The lettuce, kale, broccoli, and swiss chard all took a pretty serious beating. I've been waiting to see what might need to be replanted and what might recover and whether or not I'll have enough ready to begin delivering May 1st.

I've concluded that it would be prudent to wait at least one week to make the first delivery... I think we'll need at least that amount of time to let things plump and bulk up... So, I'm shooting for May 8th as the first delivery day. And, rather than tacking on an extra week at the end of the season - I am going to try to make up for the delay - by simply increasing the weight of your shares during the spring and/or summer season... (don't worry - I'm not going to hit you 6 pounds of radishes one week and say we're even... We have SO MANY good things coming up - so it will be a gradual addition and will include a variety of things you will like and appreciate getting more of...)

The Good News...
If I had written to you last week - it would have been a sad email - but its amazing what a difference a week - and some decent weather has made... Much of what made it through (and there is more that DID - than didn't...) appeared to go into a state of shock. Everything stalled - like it was waiting to see what was coming next before deciding whether to grow - or just throw in the towel. After yesterday's gentle shower (and a fish emulsion, worm poop, and chicken poo cocktail) most everything looked - well, almost perky today... Even the vineyard is beginning to flush with green again. The difference from a week ago is really hard to believe and I am so relieved...

Also good news is that the warm forecast for this past week and for next week too, gave us the confidence to go ahead and plant out everything else on schedule. (our last frost date for this area is April 25th.)

In the past 10 days, we have planted and staked - 160 + tomato plants (6 varieties), 120 pepper plants (4 varieties), also, 3 varieties of summer squash, 2 varieties of cukes, some celery, 3 kinds of beets, the first planting of sweet corn (9 - 130' rows - called Sugar Pearl - can't you just taste it! ) and 325 pounds of seed potatoes (5 varieties - 9 - 80' foot rows and 4 - 120' foot rows!). We'll be starting the okra, Edamame, 4 types of winter squash, pumpkins, watermelon, cantaloupe, 3 types of green beans - and more - next week...

So hang in there with us. It will be worth the wait. In the meantime, I'll be at the Werehouse tomorrow from about nine till I sell out - (of the last of the vegetables from the greenhouse. Juicy spinach, some red russian kale, lots of very pretty lettuce and swiss chard, and eggs!)

Talk to you later in the week!

I am SOO excited! The cool moist weather yesterday, today and tomorrow are a sight for sore eyes (and hands, and backs) not to mention PERFECT for plumping up the lettuces and greens earmarked for your first harvest share, AND, "The stork" might possibly be making a delivery to the farm soon (No... You KNOW my "nesting" days are WAY behind me), AND, I will finally get a chance to meet you all (again, or for the first time!) - this coming TUESDAY!

First, The News From the Farm....
The forecast for the last week of April - for warm temps - gave us the confidence to go ahead and plant out ALL of the tomato and pepper seedlings, summer squashes, cukes, and direct seed the first sowing of sweet corn, and Edamame - despite the knowledge that killing frosts can still happen in the foothills up until about the 25th or so. The temps zoomed up - and stayed in the upper 80's - even 90 one day. This could have been a problem - but thanks to the drip irrigation system we have set up throughout all of the gardens here on the farm, the transplants didn't suffer from the heat and are doing well.
(FYI- 1 The irrigation system is one of our biggest farm expenses, and the biggest pain in the neck to install, operate, and work around. (the slightest touch from a hoe or harvest knife means you have to drop what you are doing and run and get a "goof plug" or another 100' of drip tape and repair the resulting "geyser"). BUT, it has proven time and again to be the single most valuable component (over worm poop and a good chiropractor) to production quality and yield. Um, well, that is - uhh, next to YOU, Mother Nature... (yeah right!)

FYI - 2 The secret to growing food sustainably, which is what "organic" is all about - is to stay ahead of the pest and disease curve... We do THAT by babying the soil AND by keeping every plant blissfully happy from seed, to seedling, to transplant, to mature productive parent stage... Little to no stress will make them practically invisible to bad bugs and disease, and very attractive to good bugs and bees. (And hungry people! And, unfortunately - hungry birds and rodents as well!) Bad bugs, molds, mildews, blights, etc, can wipe out an entire crop, and they are attracted to plants that have been weakened by stress. So, by going the extra mile from the very beginning (using the freshest seeds from reliable sources and the best seed varieties for our climate and soil types, starting them in soil blocks made from the best soil mix, and handling them very carefully from transplant through maturity, and making sure they have the right amount of water at all times), we reduce the time/money and environmental impact of applied "inputs" to fight invading bugs and disease... )
On Monday, while the tomatoes and peppers were basking in the sunshine and thriving in the heat, the cooler season veggies - the ones tagged for delivery over a WEEK away - the ones I DELAYED delivery of - so they could beef up a bit! - well THEY went into "pouting" mode (that's when a plant stops doing anything other than sit there looking wilted and inconvenienced) - and SOME of them (mostly pac choi and arugula) even went into "bolting" mode. (That's when the plant says - "That's it! Its too dang hot - I'm settin' seed and getting the heck outta here!".

This of course, put the farmer into "panic" mode. I was thinking - "Crap! Will I have to delay delivery AGAIN? Better start coming up with - Vegetable Recipes for Christmas and Hanukah Dinners" this keeps up..." But, like an answer to a prayer, Mother Nature sent this most wonderful weather at just the right time... (only I KNOW she did it just to mess with me... After all, she sent high 80's on the days I was on all 4's setting out tiny beet and flower transplants - and a blistering 90 degrees when I was lugging and hooking up miles of heavy irrigation hoses all over the place...)

Yesterday - while it was cool,we worked in hyper-drive getting all of the herbs, onions, and flower sets in the field. (my little one row seeder nearly got a friction burn as I ran down 3 - 100 foot rows trying to get the edemame directed seeded before it started raining!)

Hopefully the cooler temps and rain will last JUST long enough to get you some really juicy greens into your share boxes next week - and BEFORE stressing out the Tomatoes and Peppers!

The STORK!?
2 weeks ago, a little black bantam hen I call "Betty" ('cause she reminds me of "Betty Boop" the cartoon character. see http://www.bettyboop.com/forums/ if you are under 50...) - started brooding, meaning she started sitting on a nest of eggs - seriously sitting - like not getting up or barely moving for 23+ hours a day... Its a really neat thing to watch a hen in this mode. They take their work VERY seriously - and will sit quietly - all fluffed up (so they cover all the eggs) and they sit, and they sit, and stare, and blink, and sit, and sit. You can reach up under her and she will sit tight as can be - I've even gotten worried and tried to hand feed her some food - but she doesn't seem interested. Occasionally she'll get up, turn around, carefully push and roll the eggs over - and then fluff herself up as big as she can get and sit gently back down. I have only seen her get up once - and that was when another hen (actually 2 hens came in to join her on the nest - which was really a funny site - as the nesting boxes were made for a medium sized breed chicken, and all our hens - with the exception of Betty and 2 other bantams - are all heavy/large breed birds...) The hens have 12 nesting boxes to chose from - but many of them like this one best for some reason. I've been checking several times daily - to see/hear for peeps. I have a photo on the web site...

Anyhow, Betty's been sitting over 2 weeks now - and I hesitated to mention it before because she is a young bird (just started laying herself) and sometimes when they are young like that, they'll just lose interest halfway through the incubation period and not to go back. BUT - she's been there close to the 21 days needed to hatch an egg - so maybe...

There are at least 12 eggs in the nest - though not all will hatch as they were laid at different times by many different hens (only one of them looks like it could actually be hers. Bantams lay much littler eggs...) If she does manage to hatch some, I'll need to move them and her to a "Nursery" pen - pretty quickly, where they will be protected from snakes (as well as the electric fence, and jealous adult hens) - and so Betty can keep them warm, and get them to water, food etc. Just before she started sitting - we had moved the "egg mobile" down into one of the gardens to a place much farther from the house - so I have to trek a ways to check on them. I can't hear the peeps from the house so I'm checking on them MANY times a day... I am so excited!
Now for the part you've all been waiting for -

Tuesday's Delivery!

By Saturday night, I will have posted a detailed outline of the weekly delivery locations, directions, and times - as well as a listing of which members are assigned to what location - on our web site on this page: There will also be a list of members who have not yet indicated a delivery preference...

If you have not yet indicated a delivery preference, OR - if you would like to change the location for your delivery, please email me (cindy@sandersridge.com) ASAP and let me know where you want your share delivered each week.

Share Boxes...
I have decided rather than using plastic and paper bags to pack your shares in this season, I will use commercial waxed produce boxes. I have purchased 2 boxes for each member. They will have your name on them so that we can easily exchange empties for fulls each week.
The boxes hold up pretty well - and will hopefully last the entire season - which makes it a more sustainable packing solution. They will also help me to transport the volume of individual shares on my truck and trailer, as well as keep the contents fresh and cool.
I do need to pass the cost for the boxes on to the members. They aren't real expensive ($1.00 for the Half share boxes and $1.25 for the Whole share boxes). I would have gladly absorbed this expense myself, but with gas prices, and additional expenses for replacement seeds and re-planting veggies that didn't make it through the freeze and hail, the farm budget is stretched tighter than a well rope....
I will be collecting the cost from you individually either by check through the mail or at pick-up time during May. I'll have more on that as well as all of the delivery schedule and location information posted on the web site

What will be in next Tuesday's Delivery?
I'll update the list on Monday - but its looking like you'll be getting:
• A speckled Romaine lettuce called Forellenscluss (try saying THAT 3 times!)
• A baby variety of Pac Choi called "Shuko
• Tri-colored, sweet Radishes called "Easter Egg".
• And, as the first "installment" of the May 1st "missed share"... AND - IF it looks like there's going to be enough -
I'm going to include a blend of baby salad greens (a Romaine called Jerico, baby red and golden beet greens, baby Red Russian Kale, and Arugula)

Also, I will know by Monday whether or not I will have extra produce to sell off the truck - and what it might be.... Looking forward to meeting you all in a few days!

I wanted to give you a heads up about what to expect in your your share boxes this week and to let you know that the amount you will receive is going to be much lighter than I anticipated... (I could deliver the "weight" but the quality would just not be what I want to serve you... )

I had hoped that waiting another week and the cooler/damp weather forecast for this past weekend, would keep the majority of the vegetables from prematurely bolting, and allow them time to recover and plump up, but I was wrong.

The combination of above normal temps and the very dry, very windy conditions took more of a toll than expected and as we harvested this morning and again this evening it became apparent that the quality of what we were picking was just not going to pass muster, for me at least. (Carmen and Ramundo Rojas work with me on the farm part-time and they keep several pet "bunnies" at their home for their two little boys... Whenever we harvest or thin the vegetables, we'll put trimmings and sub-standard vegetables into a separate box for them to take home to their pets. Well, today - the "bunnie box" spilled over into 3...)

We still have some nice things to deliver, but its just not going to be as much - and I wanted to make sure that everyone, especially the new folks, understand that this is an unusual circumstance, and that we'll do our best to make it up both in warm season vegetables, and later this fall, when we can once again plant, grow and harvest the cooler crops. (Note that I also will not have anything extra to sell off the truck this week - or at the Werehouse).

I also wanted to let you know now - that I will need to "pause" the next 2 deliveries. We had to pull up nearly all of the cooler season crops - as they had begun to "bolt" (set seed). Without them in the queue, there's going to be a gap before the warmer season things are ready to harvest... THEY (the tomatoes, peppers, carrots, corn, beets, cukes, squash - and more, are looking pretty good so far - all except the basil - which didn't like the cold snap they experienced last night... (I will plant more - it grows fairly fast - so don't worry...) Honest folks - I went to feed and water the chickens around 7 am this morning and there was ice in their waterer! No Joke... May 7th - and there was frost in the lower part of the garden. I couldn't believe my eyes. Neither could anyone else up here... Neil's brother Keith lost all his beans and potatoes because they were planted in a lower part of his garden. He's just across the road from us. (Fortunately all of our tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and corn - are in the high part of our garden this year - or it would have been a much sadder day for me...)

Despite the set-backs, I'm excited about finally getting to meet all of the new members and seeing all the 2006 members again this week. It is my hope that you will take this in stride along with the rest of us here - and enjoy the season yet to come. Warm (but sleepy) Regards,

May 18, 2007

Before I get to what's been happening on the farm this week - I wanted to let everyone know that we WILL have a delivery this coming week - Tuesday May 22 and Saturday May 26!

Its been 2 weeks since I last wrote to you and for both weeks, I'd have to say that "water" has been the buzz word - with "not enough" - and "in the wrong places" - as the story lines...

not enough water
We have had little to no rain up this way, and that and the very windy conditions - have made the soil hard for emerging seedlings to sprout and grow through. In an effort to keep the fields and newly emerging seedlings hydrated, I spend a good part of every day (and into the evenings) adding and repairing irrigation lines as well as running from one end of the farm to the other switching and moving hoses, resetting timers, and poking a dibble in the soil to test for moisture. Our poor water pump (and I) have never worked harder.

Tuesday before last (our first harvest and delivery day!), I had 2 volunteers here at the farm helping to pack shares, 3 field helpers harvesting, AND "Handy Gal" Jennifer Joy - (home repairwomen extraordinaire) doing finish work on the farmhouse so it was a busy day to say the least... I went into the farmhouse about noon to fill up my water jug and noticed that there was no water pressure. We had water out in the field and greenhouse so it was real odd not to have any at the house as they are all on the same well and pump. I had been installing irrigation lines in the garden next to the house, so I figured a hose must have blown or (more likely) I left something open and running by accident... I dropped everything and retraced my steps - but couldn't find a leak. I needed to get the shares packed before the helpers left at 1, so I forgot about it until around 3 when I got to thinking that I REALLY ought to try and get in a shower before I came to town to meet everyone. Neil was putting out his own fires all day at the vineyard dealing with winery construction issues, frost damage to the muscadines from the day before, (can you believe frost on May 7th!) as well as an issue with the lake... (which is water story #2). I waited to call him with the news until I was about finished packing.

"water in the wrong places..."
Neil dropped what he was doing and came right over - which turned out to be a really good thing. As I pulled out of the driveway I saw water gushing out of the place where the basement sump pump discharges and I knew immediately that it wasn't going to be a pretty sight... I ran over to the basement steps, which are outside, looked down into the stairway and there was Neil - muddy, greasy and worn out from running the dozer at the winery site all day, knee deep water - boots and all - scooping out leaves and looking most unhappy. (I wish I had a picture...) A water pipe connection had come un-done under the house and water had been silently gushing freely all day. Leaves blown into the basement during one of the recent "wind events" had clogged the sump-pump and the water had gotten all the way up to the new furnace and hot water heater. He was sure that the brand new water heater and furnace were both toast. I hated to leave him there with all that - but I had to make my deliveries (and without a shower... hope no one noticed just how badly I needed one!) BY the time I got back to the farm, he had the leak fixed and had checked out the hot water heater and furnace (which were both fine) I was in awe - but he said it was nothin' - most farmers are jacks of all trades - just out of survival...

On that same day, Neil found out that the dam for the lake at the winery site might have a "major" issue. The lake has been slowly loosing water over the winter and the fellow who is doing the grading and foundation work for the winery was certain he could fix it pretty easily by fortifying the dam's core with the hard red clay they would be digging out for the barrel room/wine cellar. They had begun digging out the core that day - but water kept seeping into where they were digging. They dug and dug and dug until they couldn't dig any deeper without falling in -- trying to get below the leaky place - but water continued to seep in even though they were well below the lake bottom - and the lake was drained dry! (At about the same time I called Neil to tell him about the water pressure at the house - they had just concluded that the water at the dam's core was coming from a spring - and having a water source IN a dam's core is definitely the wrong place. Not very good news on top of MORE not very good news...) It took most of this week but they ended up digging out a HUGE hole (I posted a photo on the web site) to get around the springs. The good news is - by tomorrow (Saturday) Neil says they should have it the dam plugged AND the winery cellar and foundation dug too! As soon as he can find the time, he'll start filling the lake back up - which will be fun to watch... (He has hooked up about a mile of metal irrigation pipe and run it way up over the hill through the big woods and down to the watershed lake on the other side of vineyard. He'll run his old irrigation pump with his big tractor - and pump the water from one lake to the other...)

Two Hens a settin'
As I mentioned last time, the little "banty" hen "Betty Boop" has been sitting on her nest full of eggs for over 20 days now - with no sign of any chicks yet. It is likely that most of the eggs she has been tending to got too cold even though she worked very very hard to keep them warm and covered - (we have had several nights in the 40's and 50's and she's been trying to sit on about 12 eggs - and she's little!) She hasn't given up though. I've left her to her duty and keep checking several times a day for "peeps" just in case. Yesterday afternoon - I noticed that another hen has decided she's ready to be a momma too - but - like many of the other hens - she has a preference for that same nest (they take turns laying in that ONE nest - even though they have 12 others to chose from... I don't know what it is about it. There all the same size. The "view" is the same...) When I went last night to check on them - it was the funniest sight... The other hen, (we call her Jemmiama) is the BIGGEST hen we have on the farm, and Betty is the smallest - and NEITHER one was going to make a concession about the space... Jemmiama completely fills up the nesting box - so Betty just sits on Jemmiama! I ran back to the house for the camera and here you go. (I hope that if a chick DOES hatch under these two - one of them will notice and GET UP so the little thing can breathe!)

Saturday night, I was up late doing some work on the farmhouse. I got hyper-focused on the shelving I was building and didn't get out to tuck the chickens in until about about 2 in the morning. (They always go back into their henhouse - the "Egg Mobile", just before the sun goes down and roost for the night. That's generally when I'm ready to turn in too so I always go down just after dusk to latch their "pop-hole (door/ramp) so nothing can get to them during the night...) It was very still and quiet outside at that late hour. As I got close to the pasture where they are presently "parked" I heard a faint but distinct "peep-peep" of a baby chick. I ran back for my flashlight, went into the egg mobile and politely parted the birds on the roosts in front of Betty Boop's nest and listened. Betty was alone in the nest thank goodness - (Jemiamma had taken up her brooding in the nest next door... Guess she got tired of having Betty sitting on her!) I heard the peeps again, coming from under Betty - muffled but strong. When a chick is born - it will begin peeping way before it actually hatches out - sometime 24 hours before... I couldn't tell if the chick was still in the egg or not and I REALLY wanted to take a peek - but it would not be in the chick's best interest if I upset Betty (she could accidentally crush the egg before the chick is ready to emerge - or - do damage to the other eggs in the nest) - so, I just kissed Betty's little head, whispered "good job" and said goodnight. I was up at 6:30 (Sunday) to go and see. The morning is when Betty routinely leaves the nest to take her once a day quick bite and drink. As soon as I opened the house she came out with all the other girls and I went in for a look. Sure enough - there was one egg that had a crack in it and a little teeny poke hole. I could see the egg move and the chick's beak and an occasional wet feather through the hole as it stirred and worked at getting out of the shell - peeping away! I wanted to stay and watch - but I knew Betty would soon return - and I had volunteers coming to work at 7 AM. I checked back again about 3 hours later and the peeping was now much louder. It was hard at first to see it but there was a tiny little bottom stirring and huddling for warmth under Betty's breast feathers. Betty let me part her feathers just enough to catch a glimpse. The chick was still wet - so I took a quick look and let then it get back to momma's warmth.

(Note Betty's bare skin showing just below my finger... Hens pull their breast feathers out when they are brooding - so their skin will be next to the eggs and chicks...)

Just a quick reminder that there will not be a delivery this week.

Been working especially hard this week. Replanted okra, edemame, and corn due to poor germination (thanks to cool weather when it should have been warm), and another batch of swiss chard, (hail and wind beat the first planting up pretty good, and the planting in the greenhouse, was started back in November, so it is about done now.)

I've hooked up every last inch of irrigation hose, drip tape, and every single emitter - ever purchased in my 20+ years of gardening - in order to get water to all the plants that are growing, as well as those I'm trying to coax out of the ground. 8 hours Sunday and 6 yesterday, was spent in just hand watering-in nutrients. I use a foliar spray for most of the nutrient needs - which is quick and easy to administer. However, when things are flowering (setting fruit) - or stressed - (and our plants are doing both!) - they need an extra boost of nitrogen if they are going to produce well and stay healthy. Nitrogen inputs are granular in form and require water - which we use to get around these part in the way of "rain" - in order to work it down into the soil where the plant's roots can get to it. The potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and squash are all at the fruit setting stage, and some are a bit stressed from all the fluctuations in field conditions - plus, the drier it gets, the worse they need help - and, as member Bonnie Laskey's Mom put it "Boonville can't even buy a drop of rain!", so - until Mother Nature is done goofing around (again!?), me, a hose, and the well and the plump are going to have to be the rain...

Betty Boop and baby "Biddy" Boop (whoa - say that three times) are doing well and the other three
setting hens are still at it. The chickens are really going through the water too - drinking up their 3 gallon pan 2-3 times a day. They weren't even trying to get out of the fence this past week, preferring to stay under the egg mobile all day.

We'll have a delivery next week (June 5 and 9) - even if its just beets and chard! (The beets are getting big, and if the watering and feeding are successful, the chard will be plumping up - so I will need to get both to you while they are looking good.) The tomatoes are getting big too and I anticipate they will begin to ripen soon - however I will need to wait until I have enough for all - before I start adding them to the shares.

My new challenge (like I need another one!) is trying to come up with a better strategy for deterring the mockingbirds from getting to the ripe tomatoes before I can. So far, hurling rocks, screaming, and insulting their ancestry, isn't working too well, (didn't work well last year either and they did a great deal of damage to my early tomatoes), and I'm afraid they have developed quite a fondness for them. Day after day they sit on the tomato trellises literally watching them grow - until they see me coming - and we start playing dodge the rock. A few of the bolder ones even venture in to check on the greenhouse tomatoes - and all (but one) of those have figured out how to get out without getting hit by flying dirt clods.

I have officially declared war on mockingbirds, so if you have any good ideas on how to fight them (without destroying our precious tomatoes) pass them along. And - if you know a good rain dance we sure could use it. (and say a prayer for the pump and well too!)

I'm off to start up the watering (and practice my pitching!) I'll write again soon. Warm (and dry) Regards,

First I'd like to thank BARRY for the perfect rain he brought our way! Everything is responding well - including many previously depressed farmers in these parts... There were happy faces all over town today! There will be a delivery tomorrow June 5th to Washington Park (5:30 PM), West End (6PM), and Sherwood Forest (7 PM). The delivery for Elkin Creek will be Wednesday, (I'll give the Elkin folks a call tonight to explain why we are needing to move the delivery day up a notch - and make to sure its OK with all). The Werehouse delivery will be Saturday (the 9th). Your shares this week will include: Beets (golden, Chioggia, and Red), Swiss Chard, Carrots, Basil (enough to make pesto!) Email me tonight - or by noon tomorrow - if you would like eggs, dill, cilantro, oregano, rosemary, or tarragon!I will also have some extra veggies to sell off the truck: Kale, Lettuce, Radishes, and Eggs - possibly, depending on how many the members order this week...

This week I re-planted the Okra and Melons that didn't do well at first planting, direct seeded 2nd and 3rd plantings of cukes, summer squash, and cilantro, finished direct seeding all of the winter squashes and pumpkins, as well as some flowers for cutting! I mowed (and mowed and mowed) in and around all of the gardens, and I will spend the rest of this week getting the other parts of the farm - and all my paperwork - ready for the USDA inspection next week (EEEEKK!) Betty Boop and Biddy are doing well, the other 3 hens are still sitting - and one more is looking as though she might get in the act as well. (so - more peeps are anticipated soon!) Be sure to check the web site for recipes...Mark your calendars for Saturday, June 30, 2007 10:00 - 2:00 for a Farm Tour here at Sanders Ridge and a Potluck Lunch sponsored by