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Dear Common Thread Members and Friends,

We're just a couple weeks away from the start of the CSA!  We still have plenty of CSA shares available so there's still time to sign up and tell your friends about it. It's been a cool spring and although we're still aiming for the first week in June, we'll be in touch with members to confirm the first day when we know that the veggies will be ready.  

Quanah and Ethan planting peppers
Earlier in the week Lauren, Ethan, Quanah and Serena transplanted our fourth succession of lettuce, lettuce mix, fennel and broccoli and put in our second planting of peas. We already put in several rounds of those thing plus kale, beets, chard, escarole, scallions, mini-onions, onions, potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, peppers, cucumbers, eggplants, dill, cilantro, carrots, spinach, arugula, radishes, turnips, broccoli raab, bok choi, kohlrabi, chinese cabbage and leeks (whew!). Starting tomorrow, after the colder nights have passed, we'll plant the first zucchini, field cucumbers and tomatoes as well as celery and early flowers.

As the planting season intensifies and the harvest season
Our new tractor, thanks in part to the NY State Beginning Farmer Grant Program
Delicious salad!
approaches we are glad to be bringing on a few more crew members. Quanah joined us 2 weeks ago as our fifth apprentice (we'll post his bio on the website soon). Serena, Melissa, Olivia and Tiernan are all joining us as part time crew members.  Packard, Lauren, Ethan and Alice have now been with us for a couple months as apprentices, their bios are on our website.  Thank you to John and Adam for volunteering on the farm! 
 
 I (Wendy) am feeling inspired to share a bit of my own journey with food and diet with you all.  Of course as a vegetable farmer I have eaten a good lot of vegetables and lots of local and whole grain foods for many years but this winter I went on an anti-inflammatory diet to contribute to the healing of back and hand injures.  I temporarily cut out sugar, caffeine, wheat and dairy and then reintroduced them at much lower levels and was amazed at how different I felt when I was more careful about what I eat.  I had known I was a little too dependent on a sugary snack for an energy pick me up, but only when I cut it out did I realize how much better I feel with only low levels of sugar.  I also discovered that when I cut back on wheat and dairy I end up eating less processed and heavy food and have had a feeling of greater well being.  I have been eating lots of vegetables with a smaller amount of whole grains, fruit and good local meat and eggs.  I have been especially enjoying having big salads with lots of little tasty tidbits in it like the one in the picture which has lettuce and kale (from a greenhouse attached to our house), kohlrabi and carrots (still good from last year), apples, goat cheese, lox, egg, and olives.  I cut a couple small heads of lettuce from the fields today... my family was excited to eat the first veggies from the field from this season!   
Asher flame weeding carrots - torching weeds before carrots emerge

We still have lots of CSA shares available and space at all our pick up sites.  A few pick up sites will only run if more folks sign up, including Morrisville, Utica National (employees only), Norwich and Manlius.  We still have funds to sponsor shares for low income participants, as well as the ability to set up payment plans.  We are able to accept food stamps from CSA members who pick up at the farm or the Clinton Farmers Market.   

We are posting photos and updates on our facebook page regularly, so if you enjoy keeping up with what is going on on the farm we encourage you visit our page to see more photos and news.  You are also welcome to post your own photos and comments on the facebook page.  

Yours in the field, Wendy and Asher