Clause Farms

I am so happy to report that we will have a who week that is dry and warm and is helping our fall crops finish up.  Today I was able to harvest and deliver the first of the Chinese cabbage and I hope everyone enjoys it. I am also happy to report that there will be no more turnips this year so everyone can stop complaining.  I need to know who is signing up for next year's CSA right away.

Well here it is the second week of October and it has dipped into the low 20's and snowed with no real warm up in sight.  Boy I sure hope they fix this global warming stuff soon!  All of our fall crops are tucked in tight in cold frames and under other covers and they looked pretty good yesterday afternoon.  The Eggplant finally died I thought it might not because those guys were so amazing but all good things come to an end and for them it was a violent death.  Maybe I'll be able to pull them out of the ground now unless it freezes solid before then.

We have teamed up with Greene Bean Coffee to offer their wonderful coffee to our members!  Visit their website at www.greenebeancoffee.com to see what they offer.  This is offered only to our current CSA members you must sign up for the produce, herb, or flower share to get this option.  As it stands right now you will need to place your orders through them and make payment arrangements (if it is agreed upon by the owners of Greene Bean Coffee we can take your checks to them).  Make sure Rich knows that you need your coffee ready to go Friday morning so we can put it in your basket.  He roasts and grinds it fresh but he needs a few hours to do this so don't think you can place on order late  Thursday and still get it!

Next year we will change this and may follow the csa model more for the coffee where you get a set weekly order but I don't think we will make it a you get what we have option as with other products in the CSA since some people don't like some coffees.

Wow what a huge influx of members to our CSA we now have all we can supply but we would love to sign people up for next year right now.  Cold weather is really slowing the summer crops but the fall is coming on fast.  We are planning the high tunnel so production for next year can start in just a few months.  Just tring to stay warm right now I hope my baby plants can too.   I stayed up all night starting greens that will grow mostly inside and be ready for Thanksgiving.  Mom and I tried to plant the garlic but it is just too wet we gave up after one row.  I found a somewhat dry spot to put the last row of radishes in I think they should make it before it snows.

We started pulling up the summer crops.  The tomatoes and squashes were looking sick and while the Eggplant still looks nice it isn't setting or ripening any fruit.  But where the tomatoes once stood spinach will soon sprout and where the cucumbers tried to take over the garden peas now climb and salad greens are being harvested.  We may not get frost for a few more weeks and that means I have high hopes for a long fall harvest.

Most amazing are the purple beans still producing since the begining of June and this was 2 year old seed on compacted ground!

After a long day of picking raspberries at a local farm we picked our own tomatoes and beans then it was off to the orchard for apples and some amazing grapes.  All of this will be canned and forzen while the kids sleep tonight and we drink Greene Bean Coffee and enjoyed for months to come.

I forgot our lunch today but not to worry I fed myself and the three youngest children right out of our garden.  On the menu:  3 kinds of tomatoes ox heat, brandywine, and yellow pear, zucchini, cucumber, sweet corn, green beans and apple.  It didn't matter that I had no way to cook any of it the kids ate it right up.  I have to admit the calf did look yummy but I wasn't so sure about eating her raw and I think that might have upset the kids.  Oh won't that be a fun day when I explain just exactly where the cow went and where the hamburger came from!