Hello from the Full Sun Farm! Here begins the 2010 CSA season. We have many members this season, as well as those who have been with us for many years, Welcome new and old! We’re looking forward to seeing you all at market, out at the farm, and around town. For those of you that were with us last year, Jonathan, the brilliant writer had moved on, so we’re back to my straight reporting style. Speaking of interns, we have Megan back for a second year on the farm, and we have Nick from South Carolina, and Maggie up from Atlanta. They seem to be settling in with the work and enjoying what they’re learning. They may try their hands at writing a newsletter from time to time.
Just a couple of points to remind everyone about…all the CSA boxes are the same, everyone gets the same box, no substitutions. If you can’t make it to the market to pick up your box or are out of town, you can have whomever you’d like to pick it up. If you forget to pick up your box, assume that it is gone. We usually give any left over boxes to homeless and/or women’s shelters, so it does not go to waste. But we would prefer for you to pick up your box, so put us on your calendar-every Wednesday from now until the end of October. At times the market crew will stay in town for dinner, so here’s our cell # if you’re going to be late…828-712-2477.
The offerings this year will be much the same as in years past with some exceptions and a few additions. We’re growing celery and celariac this year, along with more cilantro and leeks. Some of the varieties of tomatoes are new, but we’ve kept our favorites. Many of the tomatoes we’re growing this year are grafted, which means we’ve taken a variety with a very vigorous root system and grafted it onto the scion, or top potion, of our favorite heirloom varieties. We should be getting harvests of tomatoes for a prolonged period. More tomatoes! The two of our greenhouses are already planted with tomatoes with some little fruits on some of the plants. As in years past we’ve been experimenting in season extension techniques. This spring we planted our greens out early and built little “greenhouses” over them in the field to get them growing faster. If you’ve been to market in North Asheville you’d have seen and maybe tasted the successful outcome of the experiments. We have some early summer squash and cucumbers growing under similar conditions. So we should have some fruits off those plants by the end of the month or very early June. There are sugar snap peas, beets, and carrots that are getting close to harvest as well. The potatoes are in the ground. We’re growing Red Pontiac, Adironack Red, Russian Banana, German Butterball, Green Mountain, Purple Viking, and Nicola. Lots to look forward to! We’re planting almost every day now or sowing something in the greenhouse. In the next two weeks there is a big push to get all the tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and basil planted. All you worker members start your engines and come on out.