We are eager to plant as many vegetables that grow in any one short desert season as we can manage with our acreage, propagation space, time and labor resources. However, our planting list is not always our harvest list as some crops do well while others may not, such is the risk a farmer and a CSA member takes! You may scroll down the Harvests page in our blog at www.wholeearthcsaharvests.blogspot.com to view the contents of members' weekly shares throughout the season for a realistic idea of what we were actually able to harvest for people thoughout each season. In each season typically, some crops that take the longest to mature will only be ready for harvest toward the end of the 10 week delivery session.
We focus our plantings on rare and Heirloom varieties and minimize our dependence on hybrid varieties. This supports biodiversity by creating a demand for seeds of plant varieties that may otherwise become extinct through a lack of growers. A great many of our varieties come from seeds found through obscure and ancient sources during growers travels in other countries. This all translates to an opportunity for members to enjoy the uniqueness, beauty, variety and nutrition of vegetables from around the world not commonly found at the grocers.
Monday, July 14, 2008
What if I can't eat all those vegetables!
From my own experience as a former CSA member and from the feedback we have received so far from our members, I can relate to you the likelihood that, as members, your family will be eating more vegetables than you are currently. At first this may be challenging, perhaps even overwhelming. To support you, we offer a blog with recipes we post and a world wide web chock full of infinite more recipes at your fingertips!
Currently, members who do not eat their full share have creatively "split" their share with another person or family either by previous arrangement or informally by offering, that is, "sharing" items from their share with an extended family member, neighbor, co-worker, friend or someone who would otherwise not have access to such healthful food. This is another way of expressing and experienceing the "Community" aspect inherent to Community Supported Agriculture and members who have done so have almost exclusively found it to be rewarding and fun.
Currently, members who do not eat their full share have creatively "split" their share with another person or family either by previous arrangement or informally by offering, that is, "sharing" items from their share with an extended family member, neighbor, co-worker, friend or someone who would otherwise not have access to such healthful food. This is another way of expressing and experienceing the "Community" aspect inherent to Community Supported Agriculture and members who have done so have almost exclusively found it to be rewarding and fun.
Do you grow your vegetables organically?
Growing "organically" as the term was coined in the 1940's in England and 1960's in the US, originally meant supporting the whole ecosystem that plants thrive and develop most naturally in, primarily by building the soil using natural (not synthetic) amendments like compost and manures. It also meant not using high doses of isolated chemicals such as synthetic nitrogen to superficially boost plant growth at the expense of plant health and nutrition or the health of the farm ecosystem as a whole. In principle, it meant that when farmers supported the health of the environment that plants grew in, the result would be the healthiest and most nutritious plants.
Since federalization of the Organic Standards, the word has now become a legal term indicating compliance with governmental standards developed and regulated generally with large agribusiness in mind. Now, farmers cannot use the term "organic" in its original sense without legal ramifications. This in effect has changed the implications of the term "organic" for those who grow your vegetables and herbs according to the above principles which are the same general practices that the organic standards aim to enforce.
For clarification, we grow all naturally (using only soil amendments that at least would be USDA Certified Organic) but are not pursuing "USDA Organic Certification". All natural means we only use "organic" fertilizers in the form of fish and seaweed emulsion, prepared manures, and compost. Pest control has been mechanical only, meaning row covers over the emerging seedlings until they are big enough to outgrow any pest damage. Our experience has been that pests take over only when plants and soil are unhealthy, or the crop is simply "done" for the season. We respect the natural cycle of the plant. Our focus is supporting biodiversity and contributing to the saving of endangered varities by favoring heirloom and open pollinated varieties, and growing wholistically by integreting organic and biodynamic (see
http://www.biodynamics.com/biodynamics.html and co-creative science techniques (see http://www.perelandra-ltd.com/Co_Creative%20Excerpt_W34.cfm ). We're happy to provide more info at your request.
This from Matthew Moore: I also am the manager of my family's conventional farm which surrounds the organic piece. In regards to the pesticide and herbicide use surrounding the 2 acres it is something we take veryseriously. We are not certified through the USDA. We grow at and above their standards. The USDA along with the other 15 organizations which you can be certified through require a minimum of 30 feet of distance between the organic and conventional crops, we are well outside of that measurement. That being said, I am not very comfortable with the magical 30 feet of air that is supposed diffuse anything put down on those opposing field, so as a farm manager I demand that nothing be sprayed within 100" of the field as well as stopping spraying with any wind drift conditions that may endanger or crops. I also plan for the placement of crops around the organic field which use little to no pesticides and herbicides, ie:radishes. (being a short-term crop those 'tools' are not as necessary). We do not use any weed control on the surrounding ditches other than a hoe or a tractor disc. Thank you for your time in listening to this long answer, but we take these concerns very seriously and appreciate your taking the time to ask about these issues.
Since federalization of the Organic Standards, the word has now become a legal term indicating compliance with governmental standards developed and regulated generally with large agribusiness in mind. Now, farmers cannot use the term "organic" in its original sense without legal ramifications. This in effect has changed the implications of the term "organic" for those who grow your vegetables and herbs according to the above principles which are the same general practices that the organic standards aim to enforce.
For clarification, we grow all naturally (using only soil amendments that at least would be USDA Certified Organic) but are not pursuing "USDA Organic Certification". All natural means we only use "organic" fertilizers in the form of fish and seaweed emulsion, prepared manures, and compost. Pest control has been mechanical only, meaning row covers over the emerging seedlings until they are big enough to outgrow any pest damage. Our experience has been that pests take over only when plants and soil are unhealthy, or the crop is simply "done" for the season. We respect the natural cycle of the plant. Our focus is supporting biodiversity and contributing to the saving of endangered varities by favoring heirloom and open pollinated varieties, and growing wholistically by integreting organic and biodynamic (see
http://www.biodynamics.com/biodynamics.html and co-creative science techniques (see http://www.perelandra-ltd.com/Co_Creative%20Excerpt_W34.cfm ). We're happy to provide more info at your request.
This from Matthew Moore: I also am the manager of my family's conventional farm which surrounds the organic piece. In regards to the pesticide and herbicide use surrounding the 2 acres it is something we take veryseriously. We are not certified through the USDA. We grow at and above their standards. The USDA along with the other 15 organizations which you can be certified through require a minimum of 30 feet of distance between the organic and conventional crops, we are well outside of that measurement. That being said, I am not very comfortable with the magical 30 feet of air that is supposed diffuse anything put down on those opposing field, so as a farm manager I demand that nothing be sprayed within 100" of the field as well as stopping spraying with any wind drift conditions that may endanger or crops. I also plan for the placement of crops around the organic field which use little to no pesticides and herbicides, ie:radishes. (being a short-term crop those 'tools' are not as necessary). We do not use any weed control on the surrounding ditches other than a hoe or a tractor disc. Thank you for your time in listening to this long answer, but we take these concerns very seriously and appreciate your taking the time to ask about these issues.
Why do members commit for the whole season?
CSA's operate differently from retail buying situations because a farmer must plan the season for a certain number of members, each being offered a share of the harvest which is grown specifically for them. Planting of course, needs to happen several months in advance of harvest (in fact, I am preparing to plant now in July for harvest in fall). So as you can see, the investment on the part of the farmer is a long-term one, even longer than the purchaser of the share.
A CSA applies the term "member" consciously because it indicates a commitment on the part of the person buying the share and the farmer who grows for them. Because, there is a limited number of shares available determined by my labor and land restraints, I would have to essentially commit a whole share for the whole season and turn away another who would be interested in commiting to the whole season in order to allow someone to sample a bag for one week. In essence, this is why without each member's prior commitment for the whole season, I cannot plan successfully for the whole CSA membership.
A CSA applies the term "member" consciously because it indicates a commitment on the part of the person buying the share and the farmer who grows for them. Because, there is a limited number of shares available determined by my labor and land restraints, I would have to essentially commit a whole share for the whole season and turn away another who would be interested in commiting to the whole season in order to allow someone to sample a bag for one week. In essence, this is why without each member's prior commitment for the whole season, I cannot plan successfully for the whole CSA membership.
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