CSA #31

Dear CSA-ers,

This week’s preassembled bag will contain Spring Mix, Butternut Squash (Amish Grown), Collards, Carrots, Mixed Tomatoes, and a Head Lettuce. Custom orders may be placed on the website between now and Tuesday evening on the website at: http://magneyfarm.locallygrown.net/market

This past week was wrought with successes and calamities. We always seem to find that adaptability is the key to moving forward. On the front of successes, Thursday’s CSA was a race against the chilling winds of a cold front and the onslaught of pint-sized traffic hazards known as “trick-or-treaters.” The team worked together and completed harvest and then distributed the CSAs as planned. No children were harmed in the process, and we hope that all of you who received vegetable bags this past week were pleased with the fresh and healthy vegetables therein.
This week’s calamity was the record setting hard freeze we experienced Thursday night and Friday morning. Though we expect November to bring freezing temperatures, a 8 hour sustained low under 29 F is unusual for the first day of the month. Unfortunately this caught us a bit off guard. We were able to get the majority of the lettuce plot protected under frost cloth, but our two brassica plots were left without protection. Brassicas are fairly frost hardy, but in truth, we did sustain significant foliar damage to many of the plants. Sweetness of the leaves should go up with the frost whip, though the visual leaf quality may be down. Few crops were outright lost, but this is a substantial and disappointing set back. Most tragically, a near-ready Brazilian variety of broccoli was all but killed back. That variety had seemed like a great bet when it was 90 degrees at the start of October, but such is the nature of farming.
We’d like to close with a bright note on the success of our farm to table dinner. It was a lovely night and we enjoyed hosting all of you who were able to attend this year. Coordinating an event of such magnitude with the facilities available to us represents a huge triumph of teamwork for everyone involved. Stacy, Rachel, Caroline, Patrick, Hannah, Eric, Grandma Sue, Ray, and Angela were all instrumental in the various components of making this come together. Farm events are something we would like to do more of in the future, and if you didn’t make it to this one, we would love to have you at the next.

None of what we do would be possible without you, our CSA customers. Through the difficult times and the great ones, we thank you for supporting our endeavors towards local, sustainable agriculture. We are so grateful to be a part of your community.

Sincerely,
The Magney Legacy Ridge Farm Team