CSA Newsletter

Hello Everyone-

Can I begin a newsletter without talking about the weather? I'm sure I can, but boy, these cool mornings are worth mentioning. Thank you, September!

I know you're anxious to hear how last week went, with the interns running the farm. With Paige and Justin on vacation, John, Ashley and I were left to our own devices to harvest, weed, plant (a little), irrigate and maintain it all ourselves. Well, in a nutshell, we survived. And the farm did, too!

We had the benefit of Paige and Justin doing a field walk with us last Monday, helping compile our "to do" list for the week. They helped us decide what was to go in your weekly shares and they set us up nicely for the week, divying up responsibilities and bestowing each of us with certain crops over which we were "Harvest Master". It was fun to have a little kingdom for awhile.

Ashley rocked CSA preparation and kept the cooler in order. She figured out what to take to Market and how much of it. She inventoried our produce and projected how much we expect to harvest this week, which will help Paige and Justin plan for this week's CSA share and restaurant orders.

John was field boss, and ruled the roost in all things field work (but not because he had a chicken following him around all week). This meant weeding, trellising and harvesting some big crops. Always a level head, he was an asset when questions popped up. We'd put our heads together and come up with a plan we all felt good about.

And I was water-girl. Watering all of our little fall seedlings in the greenhouse and irrigating the fields. I thought a LOT about water last week...wanting to give everything enough water to thrive, yet not too much in which to drown. We'll see very soon how I did.

Lucky for us, this time of year provides a bit of a lull, so our to-do list was manageable. We happily finished our list and then some. Still, our days were full and I think we all appreciated the opportunity to take on more responsibility. We got to try our hands at this farming thing even more earnestly and undoubtedly, we've grown because of it.

One lesson that really drove itself home this week is just how very important observation is to farming. I already KNEW this, but this week provided me with more experience in this skill set. Farmers are very busy, but good farmers, I'm learning, are very busy and in-tune with what is going on in every field and with every aspect of the farm. I got a taste of what must be running through Paige and Justin's heads this week and phew! it's a lot to think about! (Why do those plants look wilty? Is it the heat? Too much water? Too little water? The result of pest pressure or disease? Is this ready to harvest? The right size? The perfect ripeness?) There is so much to pay attention to, and then you have to decide how to act on what you see. Farming really does employ many skills and one is a keen awareness of one's surroundings. And just to keep it interesting, those surroundings change constantly.

Our pro-volunteer Stef in the okra a few weeks ago. It's even taller now!

Our Huge Okra
As some of you have heard, I am in really into okra this year. I've written a song for it, I've pickled it (two ways!) and I don't mind harvesting it, despite it's pricklyness and itchy after-effects. But perhaps what I'm most impressed with is its size. Our okra plants are HUGE. Some have to be over 12 feet tall!

Former Farm Apprentice Natalie

Natalie in her own okra

Speaking of okra, for those of you who know Natalie, one of the interns from last year, you'll be happy to know she's doing well and growing okra and other great things on 3/4 of an acre in Winston-Salem, NC! As a volunteer last year, I had the pleasure of working, chatting, singing, and of course, picking okra, with Natalie. I made the trek up to Winston-Salem a couple of weeks ago to visit and check out her "garden". She's growing all the "normal" things in addition to a few things to set her apart, namely spilanthes*, the tooth ache herb (or, as Natalie refers to them, "electric buttons") and catnip. She's doing well; learning a lot, growing beautiful food and loves making her own schedule. She plans to continue farming and may join up with a couple of other organic growers next year.

*We also grow spilanthes, for any of the curious who want to try this mouth numbing flower.

Tips For Keeping Flowers Fresh
Since we've been "sharing" our flowers recently, I thought I'd pass along some tips I discovered on keeping flowers fresh longer.

First, use a large enough container that allows the stems a little room to breath

Pull off any leaves that will be submerged in water to keep away bacteria.

Fill your container with a mixture of water, flower food (i.e. sugar), and antibacterial solution before adding your flowers, and refresh every few days when you change the water.

Try one of these preservative solutions:

a teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide and a tablespoon of sugar in a gallon of water.

3 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons white vinegar per quart (liter) of warm water.

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons sugar

A few drops of vodka (or any clear spirit) and 1 teaspoon sugar.

When trimming, use a pair of very sharp scissors or pruning shears and do so with the stems under lukewarm water. Cut off about an inch from the bottom of the stem at a 45 degree angle to improve water uptake.

Change the water often, at the very least, every 2 to 3 days. Re-cut 1/2" from the base of each stem and remove any foliage that may become submerged after re-cutting.

Keep your flowers out of the sunlight and away from appliances to keep them cooler. Also, keep them away from the fruit bowl, as it gives off ethylene gas.

We appreciate your support of Serenbe Farms and hope you enjoy the shares as much as we enjoy growing it for you!
Have a wonderful week!
Apprentice Gretchen