Autumn's green beginnings

Tanya Banks holds a bottle of Green Light Fire ant treatment.
Unfortunately, her little boy, River, stepped in a fire ant mound and got several stings. We treated him with ice water , Sting-Stop and monster tatoo bandaids. It's a shame we have to deal with these imported visitors to the farm.

Here we are nearly at the end of the CSA season with a good crop of Kale. It should be hardy through the chillier days and nights to come.

These little bok choy plants give the impression of new beginnings- which sounds redundant. But on the farm, autumn heralds the Return of the Greens. Last week, volunteers planted many kinds of greens and this week, with cool weather, watering and a little raing- they're thriving.

There's an excitement on the wind as the farm continues to thrive.

Week 17 (Sept 15, 2007)

Field Notes:

Burgeoning Celeriac Root

James, Kristen and John working on transplants.

This Week's Share: Arugula, Basil, Eggplant, Garlic, Green Beans, Peppers, Swiss Chard, Tomatoes, Squash




This week's squash comes to us from Farmer Patrick. These are delicata squash.

The Value of Volunteers

Another beautiful Saturday morning at New Earth Farm. The temperature is about 75 degrees, and our farmers are being assisted by Kristin and Andrea, farm volunteers, and Tom Baker and Ted Call, CSA volunteers. I'm in the kitchen slicing cantalope and peaches, checking the coffee and turning off the rice/millet combo. Our Norfolk group driver, Glinda and her daughter, Kylee have called in from London Bridge Road- arriving early to help. Before 8:30, the farm is moving with helping hands.

We've been doing some thinking about the relationship of volunteering to the CSA. It seems that most CSAs require volunteer hours, and some CSAs allow a lower fee for those who do more volunteer hours. Some people think that a CSA is about " getting a box", while others come to walk in the fields and ask what's coming up, what got eaten by not-so-good bugs and so on. For these two years, I've felt the lingering appreciation for the folks who come of their own good will to help turn "produce" into vegetables that will turn into meals. They say " it takes a village " to raise a child, but it also takes lots of willing workers to make the CSA be much more than a food buying club.
Folks who want Organic Food any way they can get it- can get it- online, in big stores like
Whole Foods or Trader Joe's. But the people who want to be connected to a farm do their best to find a CSA near them. Sometimes they have to get on a waiting list. Sometimes a member invites a friend to share the share. It works.

Membership in a CSA isn't like getting married- but it is about staying with it through the season, even when you're tired of okra or eggplant. You hang in there because you belong to a farm.

Today, Farmer John was feeling really tight in his muscles-as a hard working farmer, carpenter, he counts on his body for all his labor. We talked about all the wonderful healers who are members of our CSA, and I suggested that we ask Stephanie or Chris Wall about a massage. Stephanie said she'd be glad to help. When John asked about her fee , Stephanie said, " John, you're my farmer." Of course John intended to pay for his massage, but it was her response that moved me. How many people can say " You're my farmer"?

I want to thank all CSA volunteers anywhere. If not for CSAs many farmers would have given up the thing they love most- growing food. If not for volunteers, there might not be so many CSAs.

Muchas Gracias, Volunteers!

Week 16 (Sep 8, 2007)

In this week's share:

• basil
• eggplant
• green beans
• okra
• onions
• potatoes
• swiss chard
• lamb's quarters
• this share also has garlic

The Buzz at New Earth Farm

A week ago Farmer John took a few of us over to look at the beehives. He told us fascinating things regarding bee behavior (bee-havior?). Apparently, if the hive gets too crowded the worker bees (females) will grab up a few drones (males), take them to the entrance of the hive, pull off their wings and kick them to the curb--(metaphorically speaking - I don't believe bees have the ability to kick, although I vaguely remember an old saying involving 'bees knees'). In addition, when mating time comes around the queen flies out of the hive and heads straight up towards the sun. The drones follow her racing to be one of the few to successfully mate with her. The irony being that those who do mate then fall tragically to the ground...dead (sorry fellas). The bees can even sense when the queen is sick and will begin to raise another queen to take her place.

This amazing behavior inspires one to research more about the world of the apiary and also brings to mind Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). I am sure most of the people reading this post have heard about this, but for those who haven't, CCD is the recent discovery that bees are leaving the hive and not returning. They are not turning up dead in hives or near them, they are just disappearing all together. There are many theories about the cause (increased cell phone signals, GMO's and others) and anyone wanting to learn more can research it on the web.

The issue, though, deserves to be more widely noted in mainstream media. If bees go, not only will we lose a fascinating part of nature, but the key to our food pollination as well. There is a quote attributed to Einstein: "If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live." The validity of this statement could be debated, but is a world without pollinators really a world be want to live in?

Week 14 (Aug 18, 2007)

In this week's share ... Eggplant Green Beans Lambs Quarters Lettuce Okra Peppers Potatoes Swiss Chard Tomatoes

"Organic", "Cage-Free" and Other Labels

Today's Grist includes a brief article on certifcations other than "organic". Indeed, if you're like me, you'll look at this picture and wonder if these "cage-free" hens are much better off than their caged counterparts.

What a Community!

Hello all CSA Blogreaders!

The CSA pickup on Saturday the 11th of August was one of my favorites this season. Part of the reason may be that I was away on retreat at a Cistercian Monastery for four days, and returning to the farm confirmed for me the good work that is being done here- how farming serves so many people, physically and spiritually. When we formed the CSA, we couldn't imagine the feeling of warmth and community that was being created. Each week, John, Jonathan and Craig are out in the fields by 6 a.m., harvesting. Volunteers arrive a little later and help pack the boxes- this week we had Kristen, Tanya and Olga( from Columbia). Then as soon as Cathal shows up, he's got his hands busy helping, taking photos, assisting with sharers' arrivals. The more the merrier, they say, and in the case of a Saturday morning at the farm, the axiom couldn't be more true!
We have such wonderful families who are members of the farm as well, and the kids are kind, curious and lovely. And let's not forget to mention the canine members of the farm- Dee's dog, Sasha( a miniature dachsund) and Scott's dog Fletcher( the Portuguese water dog). It seemed that this Saturday was filled with energy and joy. I was also surprised by the arrival of another teacher, Ruth, who works with me at All Saints Day School, with our member Kate. We had a grand tour of the farm, snacking on purslane, lamb's quarters and sungold tomatoes along the way
I hope to read more of your thoughts here. The blog is for us all. See ya next time!

Week 13 (Aug 11, 2007)

In this week's colorful share: Cucumbers - Market More, Suyo Long, Boothby's Blonde Eggplant - Globe, Japanese Green Beans Okra Parsley - Italian Squash - Yellow Swiss Chard Tomatoes - Sungold, Juliet, and slicing tomatoes including a few hierlooms.

Field Notes:

Craig Daly - Media Sensation

Click here for an article in this week's Portfolio mentioning our very own Craig Daly and his summer job on a certain "organic farm in Virginia Beach". It's worth picking up the print version, however, as it includes a centerfold shot charming photo of Craig. Expect to have to wade through throngs of admirers to get to your box on Saturday ...