Category Archives: survey

In the Share – Week 23

cabbage, frost, survey

CABBAGE (F/P)  We are sending in an assortment of types:  Napa, Savoy (with ruffles) or smooth-leaved. 

GREEN PEPPERS (F/P) Ahead of tonight’s forecasted frost, we cleared out the pepper patch.  Expect a bit of color but mostly greens and purples. 

GREEN TOMATOES (F/P)  These are pure green tomatoes that should be cooked.  See Tom’s post for tips. 

LETTUCE (F/P)  One luscious butterhead per share.

SWEET POTATOES (F/P)  After a month of digging we finished the harvest on Monday.  All told, we brought in over 3,400 lbs. – a new record.  This week everyone gets cream-colored O’Henry’s.

BROCCOLI OR CAULIFLOWER (F)  More broccoli side shoots and the beginnings of a second flush of cauliflower.

HERB CHOICE (F)  Cilantro, dill, thyme or sage.

GOLD BALL TURNIPS (F)  We love these roasted with some herbs and olive oil.  Mix with other root vegetables or eat them alone.

LEEKS (F/P) Another round of leeks for all. 

NEXT WEEK:  More sweet potatoes, lettuce, herbs and beets.  Watermelon radishes, carrots and greens.

FARM REPORT:
Fall is here in all its glory.  The sun was shining on us as we dismantled the tomato patch on Monday.  The farm crew spent many an hour walking the rows and its always a little sad to see it go.

Before the season ends, Tom and I wanted to thank you all for your responses to the annual CSA member survey.   We were glad to hear that so many of you enjoyed the 2013 season as much as we did.  The survey is one of our most important tools as CSA farmers and we have been very fortunate for the past several years to have Gary and Jan Glauberman on the CSA Core Group as survey gurus.   We love to hear from you all and we use the information in our planning.  We also admit that when 96% of you say that the quality and quantity of the shares was on target, your farmers do sleep easier at night! 

There were a few comments related to the topic of how we decide what is in the share each week.  Tom and I have a rough idea of how much we want to provide of each vegetable when we plan out the year in January.  We like to have a good variety of greens, roots, and fruits with lots of favorites and a sprinkle of something different.  The herb choice is important to many.  Tomatoes, berries and broccoli always win the survey, but many of you also love beets, okra and turnips.

As the crops begin to mature, we make a list for the week of what is ready for harvest.  Some items like carrots, potatoes, onions and garlic are harvested in bulk and then doled out usually every other week for as long as they last.  Other items are picked the day of distribution and we often don’t know how much we will have until we bring it in. 

By the time we are a week away from the share going out we have a basic list.  By Monday, that list is fleshed out into full and partial columns and other items are added as the harvest begins on Tuesday.  By the time we send out the bulk list Tuesday afternoon we have a pretty solid idea, but nothing is definite until the final box is packed.  

We attempt each week to provide neither too little and too much.  We have some good vegetable eaters in the membership, but there are also many among us with busy schedules that don’t always accommodate time for food preservation.  For that reason, we endeavor to supply a week’s worth of produce and not much more.  Sometimes, like at the peak of the tomato harvest or before frost, we give may you a bigger dose, but usually we are careful not to overload the shares with too much of a good thing. 

We think that the last thing any self-respecting local foodie, organic-minded conservationist wants is to waste food.  The weekly bulk list provides for those of you who want to put up extra and it gives the farm an outlet for the excess. 

Well, that’s all I’ve got for now.  We’ll try to get to more survey responses next week.  Until then, happy frost day!!

In the Share – Week 19

core group, end of season dinner, survey
hot pepper wash

TOMATOES (F/P) They aren’t as pretty as they used to be, but they are packed with flavor.

LETTUCE (F/P) The cucumber beetles are after anything they can find, including the lettuces. We are picking them young while they are still nice.

RATTLESNAKE BEANS (F/P) We will have a pound for all this week, if our guess is right.

KOHLRABI (F/P) check out Tom’s post to hear from our one of our most misunderstood vegetables.

CABBAGE (F/P) our early-maturing green cabbages are ready. Still growing in the fields are red, savoy and Napa types.

CARROTS (F) The last of the stored carrots. We hope to have many fresh ones in late October and into November for the extended season.

RADISHES, KALE, COLLARDS, OR CHARD (F) Eating a rainbow includes the color green!

EGGPLANT OR OKRA (F)  The okra is being shy this summer but the eggplant is starting to kick in to it’s fall flush.

SWEET PEPPERS (P) We are mostly harvesting purple peppers right now while we wait for the other colors to ripen.

HERB CHOICE (F) Hot peppers, tarragon, or garlic chives.

NEXT WEEK: More tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and beans. Onions and sweet potatoes.

FARM REPORT:

pole bean pick

This past Saturday Tom and I joined the FSF CSA Core Group at our mid-season meeting. On the agenda: review of the CSA member survey results and the planning of the End of Season dinner.

The 9th Annual Fair Share Farm End of Season dinner will be held Saturday, October 27th, 4-6 pm at the St. James Lutheran Church (same spot as the Spring Sign-up). As always, the event is a potluck with some of the best food in town. Man, our members know how to cook! Kid’s crafts and a scavenger hunt. Halloween costumes are encouraged. Bring an instrument to play in the pre-program jam if you like. Keep your eyes out for an “evite” coming to your mailbox soon.

The 2012 FSF CSA survey results are in, with over 100 responses. Thanks to all of you who took the time to offer your thoughts and feedback. We actually want to know your answers to the questions in the survey and we use your feedback to guide us in our planning for the future. We were delighted to hear that over 90% of you plan to re-new your membership for 2013 and that you believe the CSA share is a “good value” and a “sufficient” amount of produce. 100% agreed that your time at the farm was productive and that distribution is clear and efficient.

Beyond the produce, many of you commented that you appreciated the opportunity to connect with where your food comes from, that there is a great benefit to the children especially in having that experience, and coming to the farm is a good remedy for the cubicle blues. Getting out of bed early, dealing with the heat and hard labor were your least favorite aspects of it all, but most acknowledged that they couldn’t have one without the other. Thank you again for all your comments.  I plan to include more on the 2012 survey in the following weeks.