Farm Visits and Volunteer Day at Circle Brook Farm -- A Guest Post too!

Acorn Squash

A Visit to Circle Brook Farm
by Farm & Fork Society Member Katy Chapman

We made it to the farm on Saturday and Farmer John put us to good work harvesting acorn squash, which meant picking them, rinsing the dirt off, and drying them with towels before putting them in a big bin for storage.  Now you know why your vegetables look so pristine when they arrive at pick-up! 

The kids also enjoyed wandering the fields looking for odd hybrid squash that had sprouted up here and there. While we worked of course!

The kids cleaning squash
with John

John gave us a quick tour of the barn and let the kids pick out a pumpkin each before we left. The kids enjoyed  learning about the farm and different vegetables. I left with a newfound appreciation for all of the work that goes into farming vegetables. All things considered, the Farm & Fork Society share is a bargain!!

*Now that he owns the farm, John Krueger has change to name of the farm from Starbrite Farm to Circle Brook Farm.

Lots of Acorn Squash

John's dog Lexie --
she likes to eat weeds.

Circle Brook Farm (Starbrite Farm) Fall Event Schedule

John Krueger will two more events at the farm this fall. These will all be opportunities to see the farm, help out a bit and to receive a pumpkin. He hopes many of you will be able to attend. If you are not able to make it out to the farm and would still like to get a pumpkin, you can visit him at one of his markets over the next few weeks. Montclair - Saturdays @ the Walnut St. Train station, 8 am to 2 pm. Hoboken - Tuesdays @ Washington St. and Observer Hwy. 3pm to 7:30 pm. They don't generally carry many pumpkins to Hoboken, so if you wish to pick one up there, please e-mail John Krueger in advance. (kruegerjohn@earthlink.net) Denville - Sundays @ the Upper Bloomfield Ave parking lot, 8:30 am to 1 pm.

Farm Visit, Campfire Singalong

Saturday, October 25 3pm ‘til ?  

This event will be weather permitting. John Krueger will give a short farm tour at 4 pm. You can carve jack o’ lanterns if there is any interest. Everyone will build a large fire at the back of the property. Bring your acoustic instruments and your voices.  Bring your own food and beverages. He will provide apple cider. Take home a pumpkin or two!

Volunteer Day

Sunday October 26, 11 AM

Come out and help prepare the garlic for planting. This will be done inside the barn, so it will be rain or shine. Dress warmly! This will be the last chance to get a pumpkin before Halloween!  If there is interest and the weather permits John will be happy to show folks around the farm in the afternoon.

Please RSVP to directly John if you will be attending either of the volunteer days or the Campfire event. Also anyone willing to come a little earlier for either of the farm visits and help out with parking or other logistics- your assistance would be welcome.   kruegerjohn@earthlink.net

Circle Brook Farm

Directions to Circle Brook Farm

Take I-80 West to Rt. 206 North.  Follow 206 for about 8 miles. Just after passing a Shell station (the 2^nd one) you will pass under a tunnel. The next left is High St., you will see a blue sign for County Route 606 and on the left a yellow sign for low bridge ahead. Turn left there, up a steep hill to a traffic light. Go through the light and follow Brighton St. for about 2 miles, it will turn into County 603 and you go down a hill and around a curve. Turn into the driveway at the 2^nd and larger yellow house with a red barn on both sides of the street. 141 Brighton Rd. Andover NJ 07821  If you miss the turn on High St. continue through the Boro of Andover and turn left on Brighton Rd, County 603 (Simon and Peters Sport Shop is on the corner). The farm will then be on the left in 1 ½ miles.

Photo Credit

Katy Chapman

2014 Starbrite Farm Event Schedule

Starbrite Farm

Starbrite Farm has a variety events scheduled throughout the season. Some start next weekend! There are 3 types of events: Farm Visit, Work Parties, and Volunteer Days.  Below are details on all the events and list of dates. 

Farm Visit
Potluck picnic with grills available for folks to bring hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken, etc. to cook. U-pick strawberry farm nearby if folks would like to come early to pick strawberries for themselves. We will be organizing a group of Farm & Fork Society members to go to this event.  If you are interested, please email us.  

Work Parties
For those who want to get their hands dirty can lend a hand at the farm. John Krueger could certainly can use the help. He will have two work parties in the spring, before deliveries begin. These are major events when he will need as many hands as possible to assist in covering two high tunnel greenhouses. Members should meet at John's house located at 141 Brighton Rd. Andover, NJ 07821. If you arrive late, they will be working down the street at 110 Brighton Rd.  You will see the greenhouse inside the deer fence, on the north side of the barn. Please do not enter the paved driveway between the house and the barn.  Bring gloves!

Picking Onions!

Volunteer Days 
On weekends both before and during the delivery season, John Krueger will have volunteer days. These will be to help with transplanting, cutting up seed potatoes, and harvesting labor intensive crops like peas, and beans. For these volunteer days members should notify John Krueger directly by e-mail of their intention to attend. Send John an e-mail during the week prior to the event and not weeks or months ahead. (kruegerjohn@earthlink.net)

Calendar of Events

Volunteer Day #1

Saturday, May 10

10:00 AM

Help cut up seed potatoes and help with greenhouse transplanting.

Work Party at Good Hand Farm
Sunday, May 18
10:00 AM
Cover high tunnel greenhouse #1

Work Party at Good Hand Farm
Saturday, May 24
10:00 AM
Cover high tunnel greenhouse #2. 

Farm Visit
June 7 (Rain date June 8)
Arrival Time: 11:00 AM
Field Tours: 11:30 am and 1:30 pm

Volunteer Day #2
Sunday, June 22
10:00 AM
Help with pea picking.

Volunteer Day #3
Sunday, June 29
10 AM
Help with pea picking.

Volunteer Day #4
Sunday, July 6
10:00 AM
Help with the garlic harvest.

Volunteer Day #5
Sunday, July 20
10:00 AM
Help with bean picking.

Volunteer Day #6
Sunday, July 27
10:00 AM
Help with bean picking.

Volunteer Day #7
Sunday, August 4
10:00 AM
Help with onion harvest.

STARBRITE FARM END OF SEASON “STOCK UP”

Starbrite will be offering one additional share to be delivered on Friday, November 22nd or Friday, November 29th (or maybe Monday, December 2).  This will be a “stock up” share and will include various vegetables that store well, so that you will be able to enjoy produce from the farm well into the winter months. The total weight of this share will be between about 50 lbs.. Approximately a third of the share will be an assortment of butternut, acorn, buttercup (kabocha), delicata, and sweet dumpling squash. The share will also include an assortment of root vegetables such as carrots, beets, parsnips, turnips, celery root and radishes. John expects that the root crops will comprise about 10 lbs. of the share. They had a great potato harvest this season but the onion crop has not kept well.  He has made arrangements to buy some organic onions from a farm in NY State. There will be about 20 lbs. of potatoes and onions in the share. The potatoes will include some fingerling, all blue and all red potatoes. Also included will be cabbage, and whatever greens they still have in the field at this time, such as arugula or other mustards, and spinach. It is possible that there will be broccoli, cauliflower, or Brussels sprouts, but he cannot guarantee their availability at this time. The cost of this final share will be $70, which is an excellent value, equivalent to a wholesale price for the produce included.

The potatoes, onions and squash can be stored in a cool dry place such as an attached garage or enclosed porch, where they will not freeze. The root vegetables and cabbage will best be stored in your refrigerator. 

John knows that this final share will not work for everyone, but he hopes that many of you will be able to participate. Doing so will help him to make use of the produce that he has in storage, as well as utilize what remains in the fields, and will help him with the funds that I need for the pending farm purchase. 

If you are interested in supporting the farm but cannot use so much squash and potatoes, you may want to consider purchasing a stock-up share to be donated to a food bank or soup kitchen. Also if you would like to donate a lesser amount, Starbrite will donate one lb. of potatoes or squash for each dollar donated. 

As always, Farm John thanks you for your support and patronage.   

If you are interested, please email millburnshorthillscsa at gmail.com. (Non-members can participate, if you have a friend who is interested.)

Letter from John Krueger

Hi Folks, 

Well we started out too dry and too cold and now we’ve had too wet and too hot. So in just the first two months of the growing season we’ve covered all the bases. Someone asked me a few weeks back if I thought it would continue to be dry and I replied that I reckoned it would remain very dry until it began to rain too much (I didn’t actually say “reckoned” that’s just literary embellishment). I didn’t expect, nor wish to be proven correct so soon. But it seems that extremes are the new normal and we’re just going to have to cope and adapt. 

The truth is the farm looks great and thing are going fairly well. The rains came just in the nick of time and just as we finished our first rotation of the sprinklers around the fields. I was able to get decent germination on most of the direct seeded crops with the overhead irrigation. While the transplants weren’t really growing much during the dry spell they really took off after the rain. The lettuces, radicchio, and brassicas are growing exuberantly and the spinach looks splendid. One of the few casualties of the dryness and heat is that the purple bok choy is bolting (for you newbies that’s farmer talk for flowering or “going to seed”). We will have to cut it soon and hold it in the cooler for next week’s first delivery, or it will be lost. The heat came just as we were setting out the solaneceous (tomato, pepper, eggplant) and cucurbit (squash, cukes, melons) crops which thrive in hot weather. The summer squash had actually been planted a few weeks earlier and were growing aided and protected (did I mention we had a frost on May 25!) under a cover of an ag fabric which holds in some warmth at night.  They have now been uncovered and look fantastic, with many already bearing small fruit (yes, dear friends, zucchini is a fruit). 

So there you have it, we’ve been working hard for you and in spite of the climactic challenges we are planted up (Well, almost!) and on track for a great season. I hope to see many of you at the farm visit/picnic this Saturday. I really enjoy the chance to show off the fields. If you can’t make it on Saturday you are welcome to visit on Sunday or on one of the pea-picking volunteer days coming up. 

One more week ‘til fresh veggies!!!  

Yippee!       

Farmer John

Letter from John Krueger

Hello Everyone, 

Welcome to the 2013 Starbrite Farm CSA season and to the first installment of my weekly updates. These will serve to apprise you of the work we are doing at the farm each week, of the success’ we are having and the challenges we may be facing, and what to expect in your share for the week.  I strive to make them as informative and entertaining as possible.  Typically the first order of business is to talk (frequently complain) about the weather. 

In some ways this spring has been the opposite of last year’s early warmth.  Winter just didn’t seem to want to loosen it’s icy grip, with very cold nights and blustery winds well into April. For some crops that we usually plant in early April, such as the peas, we had to delay planting because the soil was still too cold. Even after planting 10 days later than usual, 3 varieties of snap peas germinated so poorly that they had to be abandoned. I planted another variety of shell pea in their place. In one very important way however, this spring has been similar to 2012; that is lack of precipitation. While not quite as severe as last year’s spring drought, owing to some snow fall over the winter, it has nevertheless made our spring planting a challenge. 

Mid-April is when we begin transplanting thousands of lettuce, radicchio and brassica (cabbage) family plants. These take root and begin to grow rapidly-if they have water. This is also the time when we are direct seeding many cool weather crops such as spinach, beets and carrots that need moisture to germinate. During the last 3 weeks we have been moving the sprinklers several times a day to insure that the plantings would come up. Because of this we were unable to irrigate the transplanted crops except by driving around the field with a water tank dribbling water directly onto the thirsty plants. Fortunately we have now gotten some good rain and the transplants are beginning to grow nicely. I delayed writing this update until after the predicted rain because I didn’t want the first update to be all doom and gloom. 

I can also report that the spinach has germinated nicely, and beets, carrots and other crops are beginning to pop up their heads up as well. We have nearly finished planting more than 5,000 lbs. of seed potatoes and about 80,000 onion plants. Next week we will begin transplanting summer squash, tomatoes, ground cherries and eggplant and I will begin seeding beans as well as more arugula, turnips, radishes and broccoli raab.  We’ve been working hard and the greenhouse is full of plants almost ready to be set out. With just a little cooperation from the weather, we are poised to make this the best season ever!

Thanks for joining the CSA. I appreciate your support. Don’t forget about the farm visit coming up on June 8^th.   

Farmer John

(For details on Starbrite Farm events click here.)

2013 Starbrite Farm Event Schedule

Farm Visit 

June 8th (Rain date June 9^th) 11:00AM

This will be a potluck picnic with grills available for folks to bring hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken, etc. to cook. There will be tours of the fields at 11:30 am and 1:30 pm. Saturday the 8^th will be the primary day for the CSA groups with Sunday the 9^th as a rain date and for those who would like to visit but cannot make it on Saturday. John Krueger will be inviting customers from his markets on Sunday as well. There is a u-pick strawberry farm nearby if folks would like to come early to pick strawberries for themselves. He will also try to recruit some volunteers to pick some for a shortcake dessert. More details will be provided as the date approaches.

Work parties and volunteer days: There are many people who would like to come out to lend a hand and John Krueger certainly can use the help. He will have 2 work parties in the spring, before deliveries begin. These will be major events when he will need as many hands as possible to assist in covering his 2 high tunnel greenhouses. On weekends both before and during the delivery season he will have volunteer days. These will be to help with transplanting, cutting up seed potatoes, and harvesting labor intensive crops like peas, and beans.  For these volunteer days members should notify John directly by e-mail of their intention to attend. Please send him an e-mail during the week prior to the event and not weeks or months ahead.  John's email is kruegerjohn@earthlink.net

Work Parties

Saturday, May 4, 10:00 am
Work Party at Good Hand Farm to cover High tunnel greenhouse #1. 
Members should meet at John Krueger's house located at 141 Brighton Rd. Andover, NJ 07821.  If you arrive late, he will be working down the street at 110 Brighton Rd.  You will see the greenhouse inside the deer fence, on the north side of the barn. Please do not enter the paved driveway between the house and the barn.  Bring gloves!

Saturday, May 25, 10:00 am
2^nd Work party at Good Hand Farm to cover high tunnel greenhouse #2. See info above for May 25. Bring gloves!

Volunteer days 

Sundays at 10 am (except 4/29), Meet at 141 Brighton Rd., Andover.

Saturday, April 27, 10 am: Help cut up seed potatoes and help with greenhouse transplanting.

Sunday, June 23 and June 30, 10 am: Help with pea picking. 

Sunday, July 7, 10 am: Help with the garlic harvest.

Sunday, July 21 and 28, 10 am: Help with bean picking. 

Sunday, August 4, 10 am: Help with onion harvest 

About John Krueger and Starbrite Farm

My name is John Krueger and I am the owner/operator of Starbrite Farm. I have been interested in organic gardening for over 25 years, as an avid gardener, and as co-founder and an officer of the Cook Organic Gardening Club. I earned a B.S. in Environmental Science from Cook College, Rutgers University in 1989. 

In 1996 I was hired as Farm Manager of Heirloom Harvest Farm in Blairstown NJ. During my six years at Heirloom Harvest I was able to draw on my experience as an organic gardener and to gain experience in the techniques and equipment for larger scale vegetable production. I was given the opportunity to attend numerous conferences and workshops related to organic farming. 

In 2002 the owner of the farm decided to discontinue operations in NJ. I was determined to continue my involvement with organic farming and that year I began working with Richard Moran at Starbrite Farm in Hardwick Twp. NJ. Dick had been farming organically on his property for 10 years since retiring. In 2003 Dick allowed me to take over operation of the farm and I began working with the Bloomfield-Montclair CSA and selling at the Montclair and Morristown farmers markets.

For the 2006 season I was chosen to be the farmer for the Downtown Harvest CSA in Jersey City. During the 2007 season a new CSA group in Westfield was added and Starbrite Farm supplied produce for 200 members among the 4 groups. 

In 2007 I began leasing an additional 7 acres from Good Hand Farm in Andover Twp. In 2008 I began leasing a part of Circle Brook Farm which is adjacent to my fields at Good Hand Farm. The property includes a large house where I now live and house workers, and a large barn.      The barn is the center of our operations; it houses 2 walk-in coolers and serves as packing house, mechanic shop and lunch room, among other functions. The entire Circle Brook Farm encompasses 80 acres and includes a second small house and barn. It has been my hope and dream since 2008 to one day purchase the property. 

In 2010 the farm served approximately 400 members through 7 pick-up sites. In 2011 planting in Hardwick Twp., at the original Starbrite Farm property was suspended. For the 2012 season I began renting a 10 acre parcel in Allamuchy, about 5 miles from Andover. The property features deer fence and a well/water system. In 2012 we served 650 members and sold at 3 farmer’s markets- Montclair, Teaneck, and Denville. There are currently distribution sites in Montclair (3 locations), Westfield, Jersey City, Morristown, Newark, Metuchen, Staten Island, Caldwell, and Millburn.

For the 2013 season I hope to add at least one new group and increase membership to about 700 members. I expect that this will also be the year that the dream of farm ownership becomes a reality. I have tried to set aside money over the past 4 years and have almost what is needed for a down payment. I have been in negotiations with the owner and in  conversation with several banks that may be willing to make the loan. I am anxious to begin planting fruit trees and bushes, and slowly begin expanding into production of eggs, and other grass fed animal products. I have a grand vision of a diversified and integrated farm, something akin to the typical small farm of 100 years ago, except with the cutting edge techniques and materials available in the 21^st century. It will be a sustainable operation producing nutritious food for as many folks as possible with a minimum of external inputs; one of many emerging “model farms” that are leading the way as we learn to farm for the future. 

2013 Millburn-Short Hills CSA

The Millburn-Short Hills CSA runs 23-24 weeks from June 14 to November 22, 2012.  Pick up is every Friday.  Members can purchase vegetable and/or fruit shares with add ons of egg and pasta shares. You cannot just purchase eggs or pasta shares. 

Produce Share: 
Certified organic vegetable delivery from Starbrite Farms in Andover, NJ, $625. The quantity of each week’s share varies. Share produce may include but is not limited to tomatoes, summer and winter squash, garlic, onions, different types lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, beets, eggplant, peppers, swiss chard, beans, herbs, carrots, cabbage, spinach, and more. Usually 5-10 types per week.  Vegetable share runs for 24 weeks.

Fruit Share: 
Organic (eco- certified) fruit delivery from Breezy Hill Orchard in New York, $322. Weather permitting, shares will include cherries, strawberries, raspberries, apples, peaches, apples, pears, nectarines, rhubarb and possibly cranberries (from an organic farm in Massachusetts). Fruit share runs for 23 weeks.

Egg Share: 
Egg share (pastured, free range, anti-biotic and hormone free, organic brown) from Knoll Krest Farm in New York, $115. One dozen a week for 23 weeks.

Pasta Share: 
Fresh homemade pasta made with free range, antibiotic and hormone free, organic brown eggs from Knoll Krest Farm in New York, $115. 12 oz per week, a different shape and flavor each week for 23 weeks.

Pick up hours: 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Day: Friday

Pick up location: Wells Fargo parking lot in Millburn at the corner of Essex and Spring Streets behind Bhakti Barn Yoga

Download the 2013 Contract here.  
(Included in this document are instructions on how to fill out checks and forms.  Any questions, email millburnshorthillscsa at gmail.com.)

Download Rules and Regulations here. 

Millburn-Short Hills CSA Rules and Regulations:

By becoming a member of Millburn-Short Hills CSA, you assume the risks and reap the rewards of being a member of a community supported agriculture group.  Please recognize that there is no guarantee of the exact amount of produce to be received each week. The farm cannot offer refunds, should you be unable to continue through the season. The farms strive to provide us with the highest quality products at a reduced rate from market price throughout the season in exchange for your advanced commitment to the farms.  By submitting your contract you are also agreeing to the following rules and regulations of the of the Millburn-Short Hills CSA. Rules are subject to change slightly once season starts.

• You will only pick up during the designated CSA hours of 12 PM and 3 PM.

• You will volunteer for possible for site shifts if needed. (Currently no volunteers are needed)

• You will park designated parking spots in town.  Do not double park, block other drivers or park in handicap parking spots.

• You will bring your own bags.  The farmers will not provide bags or boxes for you to carry your shares. 

• You will get only exactly what is listed in shares.  There are no substitutions.  The farmer only provides us enough produce for the allotted shares. 

• You will take pasta and eggs ONLY if you have purchased shares.

• If you split a share(s), you will divide after you leave.  Do not leave your partner’s half for them to pick up. 

• You will sign in. 

Starbrite Farm Event Schedule -- Volunteer Days

For those interested in volunteering at Starbrite Farm, following are all the details and dates. 

Sundays at 10 AM

Meet at 141 Brighton Rd., Andover 

Bring sun protection, drinks and snacks.

DATES

Sunday, August 19 - Bean picking

Sunday, August 26-  Bean picking

Sunday, September 9 - Bean picking

Sunday, September 16 - Bean picking

Sunday, October 7 - Winter squash harvest

Sunday, October 21 - Winter squash harvest

Sunday, October 28 - Sweet potato digging

For these volunteer days, CSA members should notify John Krueger directly by e-mail of their intention to attend. Please send him an e-mail during the week prior to the event and not weeks or months ahead.      kruegerjohn@earthlink.net

Farm Events

2012 Starbrite Farm Event Schedule

June 9 and 10, Farm Visit 11:00AM.  
This will be a potluck picnic with grills available for folks to bring hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken, etc. to cook. There will be tours of the fields in the afternoon. Saturday the 9th will be the primary day for the CSA groups with Sunday the 10th as a rain date and for those who would like to visit but cannot make it on Saturday. I will be inviting customers from my markets on Sunday as well. There is a u-pick strawberry farm nearby if folks would like to come early to pick strawberries for themselves. We will also try to recruit some volunteers to pick some for a shortcake dessert. More details will be provided as the date approaches.

Work parties and volunteer days:
I know there are many people who would like to come out to lend a hand and I certainly can use the help. We will have 2 work parties in the spring, before deliveries begin. These will be major events when we will need as many hands as possible to assist in covering my 2 high tunnel greenhouses. On weekends both before and during the delivery season we will have volunteer days. These will be to help with transplanting, cutting up seed potatoes, and harvesting labor intensive crops like peas, and beans.  For these volunteer days members should notify me directly by e-mail of their intention to attend. Please send me an e-mail during the week prior to the event and not weeks or months ahead.            kruegerjohn@earthlink.net

Saturday, May 12, 10:00 AM
Work Party at Good Hand Farm to cover the greenhouse. Members should meet at my house- 141 Brighton Rd. Andover, NJ 07821
If you arrive late, we will be working down the street at 110 Brighton Rd.  You will see the greenhouse inside the deer fence, on the north side of the barn. Please do not enter the paved driveway between the house and the barn.  Bring gloves!

Saturday, May 26, 10:00 AM
2nd Work party at Good Hand Farm to cover a high tunnel greenhouse that we have moved from it’s original location in Hardwick Twp. See info above for May 12. Bring gloves!

Volunteer days
These will be on Sundays at 10 AM (except 4/29), Meet at 141 Brighton Rd., Andover
Sunday April 29, 1PM. Help cut up seed potatoes and help with greenhouse transplanting.
Sunday May 6 and May 20, 10AM. Help with transplanting or greenhouse construction.
Sunday, June 24 and July 1, 10 AM- Help with pea picking.
Sunday, July 8, 10AM- Help with the garlic harvest.
Sunday, July 22 and 29, 10AM- Help with bean picking.
Sunday, August 5- Help with onion harvest


2012 Balkan Wassail at Breezy Hill Orchard

Come to this extraordinary event on Saturday, May 12th and help us celebrate Spring during this ancient Celtic tradition.  We'll sing to the apple trees for a bountiful harvest, dance to the beat of Balkan Brass Band music by Zlatne Uste, sponsors of the incredible Golden Festival in NYC and long time farm friends, and feast on a sumptuous menu of local, Hudson Valley food, wine and cider.

Seido Salifovski will join us with Romskiboji playing Macedonian Romani (Gypsy) Music, and Carl Linich will be performing Georgian music with the Bard Georgian singers.  Steve Kotansky will teach Balkan dance and Seido will do a drum workshop.  Other surprises to be announced so stay tuned to our Facebook page for details.

Our wood-fired pizza oven will be fired up and going strong, and our fantastic artisan hard ciders will be available for tasting if you are over 21.  Vegetarian options available.

Adults - $50 ($60 at the gate)
Kids 6-18 - $15
Kids under 6 - Free!

To Rsvp, call the farm at 845-266-3979 or join our Facebook event page.  Get your tickets now!

Visit www.hudsonvalleycider.com to purchase tickets via Paypal. Please call ahead of you are planning to camp at the Orchard. (Add $10 per person for camping.)

Breezy Hill Orchard
828 Centre Road
Staatsburg, NY 12580
Tel: 845-266-3979

Letter from John Krueger, Starbrite Farm

Hello Everyone,

Welcome to the 2012 Starbrite Farm CSA season and to the first installment of my weekly updates. These will serve to inform you of the work we are doing at the farm each week, of the success we are having and the challenges we may be facing, as well as apprise you of what to expect in your share for the week. I strive to make them as informative and entertaining as possible.

The CSA veterans among you know that the first order of business is to talk (frequently complain) about the weather. We farmers dream of that perfect season when it’s not too hot and not too cold, when it rains just enough and at the right times, and we are spared hurricanes and hailstorms. It’s still early in the year but it’s already clear that 2012 won’t be that mythical season. After a dry and mild winter, spring seemed to be arriving early and I was excited about being able to get a jump on the season and begin plowing fields. Many of you know that I take a couple of trips during the off season and this year I cut my last trip short by a week, because I was watching the weather, and felt that it was time to get to work. Unfortunately the unusually dry spring conditions quickly turned into a spring drought, with several promised rain events that did not materialize. During the 7 weeks from early March until present we received less than an inch of precipitation. This combined with the unusual warmth and persistently windy condition quickly dried out already dry soil. I had to chuckle as I rode my tractor across the fields with dust swirling all around me, and my I-pod “randomly” played a song called “Living in a Dust Bowl”, followed by Dire Strait’s “Water of Love”. “If I don’t get some water soon, be dead and gone by the afternoon”.

We were able to get the onions planted earlier than usual, although the high winds beat up and dried out some of the smaller plants and we will have to replant to fill in some blank spots. We’ve been moving the irrigation equipment around from field to field, to wet beds where I needed to plant seeds and for the garlic and leek crops. We have had to move drip tape lines across the field of peas, soaking each row for 3-4 hours before moving the tape to the next bed, to insure their germination. We have been transplanting kale, cabbage, broccoli and other spring crops and have had to use the water wheel transplanter, a machine that is normally reserved for planting on plastic mulch. This is a more labor intensive means of setting plants out, but with these conditions, the only way to insure their survival.

Fortunately, as of this writing we are getting a good soaking rain. We are predicted to get about 2 inches and so far it has fallen at a nice steady pace with no heavy downpours. The drought is broken and hopefully we will have more regular precipitation during the remainder of the spring. As for the snow that may come on the tail of this storm system, I don’t expect too much accumulation and it won’t hurt anything that is growing in the fields at present. I have to say though, all spring I’ve been predicting we would have snow in Mid-April! We can now get back on track with the spring planting. I expect that it will be a dry season overall and we are prepared for that. In many ways a dry year is better than an overly wet one like 2009 and 2011, but rest assured whatever Mother Nature brings us, we will do our best to deal and adapt.

Happy Spring!
Farmer John