Hunter Farms Logo
June 27, 2013
Greetings from the farm.  Last Friday, June 21st, we had our annual organic inspection.  The USDA sets minimum organic standards.  Accredited agencies, such as Pennsylvania Certified Organic (PCO), the agency that certifies our farm, are required to maintain these national standards.  The agencies do not employ the inspectors that come to our farm.  The inspectors are independent, and are trained by the Independent Organic Inspectors Association (IOIA) and report their findings back to the agencies.  While this degree of separation may seem unnecessarily complex, it helps to ensure that unbiased information is included in the report.  In addition to the annual inspection, it is mandated that at least 5% of organic farms receive unannounced inspections where soil and tissue samples are tested to once again ensure that standards are being met.  Although we will not have the final results of the inspection for several weeks, our inspector informed us that he did not find any issues of concern.  We will inform you when the new certificate has been issued.  Our current documentation, as well as the newly issued one, are always available to view upon request.
USDA Organic
Wildlife
Striped Skunk
We observed this handsome fellow working along the back edge of our east blueberry field.  We welcome skunks to our farm ecosystem because they feed primarily on insects and their larvae.  High on their list of delicacies are beetles and their larvae, which are one of the most difficult agricultural pests to control.  This juvenile striped skunk has his tail in the air, a behavior which indicates a defensive posture.  We decided that this is as close as we wanted to get. 
 
skunk
Skunk at work
CSA News

Week Three

 

Food Grade Crates: 

 

As mentioned in an earlier newsletter, we selected our delivery crates based on our ability to clean and sanitize them, upholding high standards in food safety.  We use commercial, food

Crates
Sanitizing Crates with Hydrogen Peroxide

grade hydrogen peroxide, which

is approved for use in sanitizing food preparation surfaces in organic operations.  These crates were a large investment for our farm, and we are unable to maintain an unlimited supply of them.  Returning these crates to us is very important, as we only purchased two for each shareholder to rotate through the season.  Please do your very best to remember to return the empty crate each week in return for the full crate.  Thank you.

 

Week 3

Box Contents

 

Please Note: this summary is written before you receive your box-please be aware that some guesswork is involved.

 

Kale

Lettuce

Zuchinni

Red Scallions

Baby Russet Potatoes

Broccoli?

Garlic Scapes

Chives

 

Link of the Week

Last week's link "Story of Stuff" was our most popular by far.  If you enjoyed that one, then you'll like this one, too.  This is one of many "stories" on the Story of Stuff Project site.  We recommend watching them all. 

A number of years ago, I became aware of similar information to that provided in this video about toxins in body care products and cosmetics.  This inspired me to begin making soap that is truly safe and natural.  Fresh Little Farm Girl products are available at Hunter Farms, where they are handcrafted from the highest quality ingredients. 

 

Story of Cosmetics

 

 
Sincerely,
Jessica
Hunter Farms

Hunter Farms | | [email protected] |
P.O. Box 478
Fairview, PA 16415




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