Newsletter- Winter 2006/2007
NEW IN THE GARDEN
Last year’s season gave you heirloom tomatoes, more greens than ever, tomatillos and parsnips. This year has been designated Spring Hill’s Year of the Bean! In addition to the French filet beans we’ve grown, we’ve ordered seed for wax beans, purple beans, a standard green bean, romano and dragon tongue beans. We’re also planning to give shallots a try. We’ve had fun experimenting with them in salad dressing, sautéed with vegetables, and making shallot/herb butters. Their mild flavor is really nice. We’ll also be trying some different heirloom tomatoes, sungold cherry tomatoes, rosemary and some new varieties of this ‘n that.
SHARE OPTIONS
Standard Vegetable Share
18-20 weeks of seasonal vegetables from mid-June through late October.
Every Other Week Share
Spring Hill’s “Every Other Week” share gives you a full bag of vegetables every other week.
Winter Delivery
Our winter delivery is a one-time delivery of storage vegetables. It includes potatoes, onions, garlic, winter squash, cabbage, carrots and typically a couple of other root crops like parsnips and beets.
Sustaining Membership
Even if you’re not ordering a vegetable share, you can still be part of Spring Hill by becoming a “Sustaining Member.” You’ll receive Spring Hill mailings, are welcome at all Spring Hill events and are invited to share in the bounty when you come to the farm. Make a donation.
(Other donations are welcome as well and will be used for special farm projects.)
Share Price
In accordance with the Core Group’s “sustainable wage” discussions, the share price has been raised just enough to keep farmer wages in line with the rise in the consumer price index plus a one percent raise. The average cost per week of a standard share is $24.75. (See sign-up form)
DEADLINE FOR SIGN-UP MARCH 15th!
Plan to have your 2007 sign-up information and deposit to us by March 15th. If you know you’re not going to join the farm, please send us an e-mail or give us a call. We will begin taking new members after that date and will need to know how many shares we have available.
FARM NEWS
Although we wouldn’t know it from the weather, we are beginning to see other tell-tale signs of Winter’s end: basketball season for Maggie and David is almost over; the syrup equipment is cleaned and hauled to the sugar bush ready for the first run of sweet maple sap; next year’s firewood is cut, stacked and covered; seeds are ordered, and the greenhouse potting mix has arrived. All this signals that our winter laziness is soon over, and it will be time to get back to work.
We do feel plenty rested after a nice relaxing winter break. We attended a few workshops, read some books, watched some basketball, and finalized our plans for the 2007 season. One of the annual planning items is the purchase of some new farm equipment that either improves the quality of the produce, or contributes to the overall efficiency of our operation. This year we plan on adding another 350-foot line of aluminum irrigation pipe and roll-up side curtains to our three hoophouses.
We also have been involved in the bigger agricultural world. Every five years or so Congress writes a new comprehensive agricultural plan: The Farm Bill. This multi-billion dollar package has profound impacts on all of us: it shapes what we eat, how much our food costs, and who benefits from the different agricultural subsidies. With a change in Congress, there is a fresh opportunity to push for a federal farm policy that is friendlier to sustainable agriculture, rural communities and the environment. In early March, Patty will travel with Land Stewardship Project to lobby Midwestern legislators on behalf of a more sustainable agriculture.
All in all, we are very excited about beginning our 16th year as a community supported farm, and we are looking forward to seeing all of you this summer!
You don't have a garden
just for yourself.
You have it to share.
~Augusta Carter
