Welcome back to the farm everyone! We are so excited to see all of you under our new pavilion (in the photo, before we set up the stands) and super happy to finally harvest our first vegetables from the fields. With the season now in full swing, our weekly schedule is fairly predictable. Here’s what we’re usually doing each day:
Monday
We begin each week by harvesting for the Tuesday pick up in the morning. With the help of paid staff, work for shares, and volunteers, we try to get as much as we can out of the fields before noon. The quicker we get vegetables out of the sun and into cold water, the better the vegetables look and the longer they keep in our cooler and in your fridge.
Some days we spend part of the afternoon finishing wash up and tucking things away in the cooler. Sunny afternoons are always a good time to weed or prepare more ground for plants.
Tuesday
We spend some time in the morning harvesting a few more vegetables before pick up begins at 10 am. Once everything is picked, we set up the pavilion with the week’s vegetables and update the chalkboards. We also asses what is available for pick-your-own. Once pick up begins, whoever isn’t managing the pavilion can head back into the fields to continue tasks such as weeding or planting.
Our tomato plants require a lot of attention in June and July. In the afternoons, if it’s sunny, we may spend the afternoon trellising and pruning the plants. If it’s raining, we will most likely do the greenhouse seeding for the week. We also monitor the CSA pick up and are available to check in with our sharers and answer any questions.
Wednesday
We don’t schedule anyone else to work at the farm. As a result, it’s the one day of the week that Kerry and I don’t need to manage any people. This is immensely important because it allows us to focus on tasks that require more skill and attention, such as tractor work, fixing a leaky irrigation connection, or installing deer fencing around certain crops. It also gives us the chance to check in and set goals and expectations for the upcoming week.
Thursday
Thursday is similar to Monday in that we harvest and wash vegetables for the Friday CSA pick up. We also catch up on projects we started at the beginning of the week.
Friday
Friday is very similar to Tuesday. We harvest first thing in the morning, set up the CSA pavilion, assess what’s ready for pick your own, and then head back out into the fields.
Saturday
Saturday morning is the best time to do a field walk and assess what will be ready to harvest the following week. We try to have an accurate list of what you should expect in your share each week, so we continuously check to see when crops will be ready to harvest. We have a small group of work-for-shares come out to help us complete big projects that we weren’t able to finish during the week. We also see many of you who come to complete work hours!
So in case you ever wondered what’s happening at the farm today, now you know! I look forward to seeing all of you soon.
Until next time,
Ember
