Abbe Hills Farm CSA

Thursday, Dec 10

Greetings everybody,

Well, except for the face-numbing cold and the shoulder-high snow drifts, it's a pretty nice day.  So good to see the sun.  You will be jealous to know that the furnace in my underground house has been turned off since 8:00 this morning.  As soon as the sun comes out, this house warms up so nicely.  Even at night, it doesn't get all that cold with the furnace off.  Someday, I'm going to make some drapes, which will help a lot to hold the afternoon heat inside after the sun goes down.

I'm headed out now to try to plow my driveway.  It may or may not happen. Depends on if the tractor will start, and if the snow isn't frozen so hard that my blade can handle it.  I've seen one road grader and one pickup with a blade go by my house in the last 36 hours.  I don't really want to go anywhere today, but it's nice to have the driveway open, just in case.  Plus, I'm registered and paid up for a workshop on storing fall crops in Madison, Wisconsin, tomorrow morning, so I hope to get cleaned up enough that I can go.

The cooler is still above freezing.  So far, so good for the leafy things.  The potatoes, onions, and squash are safe and sound in my garage.  There are still too many complications for me to get your vegetables to you tonight, and tomorrow I'll be gone.  Saturday morning, I have committed to be at the Mt. Vernon farmers market.  There's not enough room in City Hall for me to bring your things up there for you to pick up on Saturday morning, and likely not enough spunk left in me to do it Saturday afternoon. 

So, how about having the next pick up on Sunday afternoon.  I can be ready for you about 1:00, and can stay open until 4:30 when it starts to get too dark and cold.  It will be much easier to do the pickup in the daylight.   If you can't make it on Sunday, I can take you on Monday sometime, but it would be great to see as many of you as possible Sunday afternoon.  I'm not sure how nice the greens will be since they will have been harvested for a week already, but I think we will get at least some good eating from them.  If it suits you, I'd like to give you all the potatoes, onions, and squash that I had planned to give you between now and Christmas on Sunday.  Since there will likely be no more greens, this could then be the last pickup of the season.  I think that might save all of us lots of trouble over the next two weeks.

If you CAN make it on Sunday, will you please zap me a note.  If you CAN'T, tell me that, too, and tell me a time on Monday that would work for you.  The only weakness I can see in this current plan is the 40% chance of rain/sleet/ice that is showing on the Channel 9 forecast for Sunday.  But let's not worry about that until the time comes.

Let me know what you think,

Laura

Wednesday, Dec 9

Greetings shareholders,

I just came in from watering the chickens.  It's not all that nice out there. 

Actually, my driveway is plugged, and I wouldn't be surprised if my road blows shut sometime today, if it isn't already.  The chickens and cats are fine and will handle the cold without too many problems.  (The cats will just sleep right through it.)  The remaining crops in the hoophouse will likely be killed tonight, although it will be interesting to see what happens.  Spinach and arugula might make it through.  The only thing I'm really concerned about it the cooler.  I've got it jammed to the ceiling with greens from the hoophouse, and I'd really like it not to freeze inside.  As the air temperature goes down, I wonder how long the cooler will be able to hold its heat inside.  I'm keeping an eye on it, and I've got a heat lamp ready to go in.  As long as we don't lose electricity, I'm hopeful I can keep it warm enough to get through the next few days and nights.  I'd like to have the things for you, and also for the farmers market in Mt. Vernon on Saturday morning.

Thankfully, I didn't have to give my talk in western Iowa yesterday.  The ladies over there called it off.

So, no vegetables this afternoon.  Maybe tomorrow afternoon.  Whenever the wind stops blowing, we will sort it out.  I'll keep in touch.

Have a safe day,

Laura

895-6924