I figured since we are starting to get inquiries about the farm’s CSA that I should probably put up a detailed blog about what the CSA is and how ours works. Hopefully I can keep it from getting too wordy. I am writing a blog, not a book.
When CSAs started a group of people would buy a farm and hire the farmer who would then grow the crops, which the CSA members would share. Since then, CSAs have evolved into what we consider a CSA today. A farmer; who owns or leases ground, grows the crops for subscribers. Farmers use this as a way to market their product and it gives the subscribers super fresh produce and a connection with the farmer. This can be nothing more than picking up the weekly baskets or as involved as spending time working on the farm with the farmer. What CSAs offer varies greatly too. Some are only vegetables, but most usually include some fruit, flowers, herbs. Others include meat and poultry and other farm products. There are even a few that run all year round and offer everything a person would normally buy at the grocery store.
Our farm kind of runs the middle of the gambit. We offer mostly vegetables but have a bit of fruit thrown in and an occasional dozen eggs. We try to get flowers and herbs into the baskets also. We do include a Christmas tree in our CSA as that is the main income producer for our farm and it gives us a slight difference over most others in the area. For purchase as an add-on to your subscription we offer egg shares, extra portions and a canning share (descriptions later). We also offer firewood and this year we are adding pasture raised turkeys. We are excited about the turkey project. I am also checking into the possibility of being able to add value added products into the CSA. Laws have recently changed on farmers selling products they make from what they produce. This will take a bit of resaearch to get that all figured out. But I hope that I can give everyone something a little extra this season.
We will be working on our delivery routes as we get subscribers. If we get enough subscribers to cover the costs of a farther drive out we are happy to add more drops. We are also willing to stop anywhere along our designated route to drop off a basket. A good example would be pulling off at Mulino school on our way to Oregon City.
Add-ons; Extra person -For people who have a bigger family than the half share and full share. This is an extra portion of vegetables for an adult. It also works for families who are vegetarian and might need more veggies. Egg Share – A dozen eggs with every basket you get. Will be a minimum of 20. These are in addition to any other eggs that are in the weekly baskets. Canning Share – This is 100-120lbs of vegetables for canning. It usually breaks down to 50lbs tomatoes, 25lbs each of beans & cucumbers we add in tomatillos, beets and other vegetables. Firewood- 1 cord split and seasoned firewood. Can choose delivered or picked up at farm. We’ll also email everyone when we know what is available for the week and give you the option of purchasing any of the extra produce we have. We grow extra to sell off farm but give you 1st chance at purchasing it. This year we will have additional apples and turkeys to sell.
Baskets will run from mid June through October. During the U-cut season you come up and choose a Christmas tree (up to 6′ or that amount off a larger tree) and a 12″ wreath or 12′ of cedar garland. If we can keep the greens going we will have some of the last of those and any other produce that we can keep available. Most every basket will have greens of some sort, a salad blend of lettuce and then a variety of what is currently ready to harvest. June tends to be greens, turnips, peas, cauliflower and other cool weather crops. As we get into July the summer crops start to come on around mid month. That will include summer squash, early tomatoes and beans. As we get through August and then September we start to add cucumbers, peppers and other warm crops. As things wind down in October we start going back to cooler crops but will have squash and pumpkins.
Our produce is all grown naturally. We are not organic but grow things that way. To become certified organic is a huge expensive hassle that I don’t have the time or patience to deal with. We use organic fertilizers, soil amendments and soils (in our raised beds). We try organic methods to conrol outbreks of pests and disease. But note; this means you will have occasional holes or blemishes on your produce. We also live at a higher elevation and run behind farms down in the valley. On average we are 2 weeks behind valley farms. So some of your stuff will be a bit slower to come than what you would get from other places.
But being up in the hills has other advantages. The farm is a part of the Molalla Farm Loop. During the summer we open up the farm to the public, they can come take hay rides through the farm (94acres), we have picnic areas, paths through the woods for walks and fresh produce for sale. As a subscriber to our CSA this access is included with your subscription. Again, we are checking into the county regulations but are working on a couple of camping spots where you can come up and spend the night on the farm. In the summer when it is sweltering hot down in town, we often have some nice shady areas to relax in.
Our main goal is to be able to offer you fresh produce throughout the summer. And do it in a manner that is sustainable on a farm that you have access to in order to enjoy this beautiful place that our family has been blessed with. We like to keep things transparent so that you really kow what we do and how we are doing it. So we encourage you to come up for visits; take a look around and see what’s going on. Pack a picnic and go down to our ponds, its a great place to chill and listen to all the birds singing. As subscribers to our CSA you are welcome to come up as often as you would like. We do on occasion close the farm so that we can take a day or two for family. My kids are growing up awful fast and I want to be able to spend a few days throwing a line in the water with them here and there.
Well I think I am about hitting book status with this. I hope its a fairly good explanation. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like to join our CSA.
Have a great day
