Greetings Members-
This is the last Update before our first pick up next Monday, the 17th!
In this Update:
Spring Crops
Weather
Our New Crew!
Pick Up FAQs
Payment Info
Spring Crops
We have 5 named fields at our farm: Annie, Bernice, Clara, Dolores and Esther. This year the Spring section is in Esther, meaning that is where most of our first 5-6 weeks of harvest will be coming from. Other crops will be coming from our unheated greenhouses, and a little bit from other fields. During those first 5-6 weeks of the season, you can look forward to spinach, head lettuce, Asian greens, radishes, chives, fava beans, kale, chard, salad mix and a few surprises. We won’t have all of those things each week; but several of each of these in various combinations.
The Weather
In 5 of the last 6 years we’ve had to move our first pick up date back at least one week due to rain, usually. This year, we are not only starting a week earlier than ever, we’re actually going to be starting on the originally planned week!! We’re mostly caught up on our planting schedule- which was an unheard of situation 3, 4, 5 years ago. We’ve already seeded most of our summer crops and hope to put the tomatoes in the ground next week. The prophouse is filling up with peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, summer greens, lettuces, summer squashes, and much more.
Introducing our New Crew!
This is Karen, our Excellent Production Manager
& Crew Leader potting up your future eggplant
This is Filomeno, harvester, weedwacker-man
and all around great worker, keeping the orchard mowed
Bryan & Derrick’s Front Mounted Flail Mower works Great!
Our newest member of the Greeting Committee, Boba
Fett on the left. Our veteran farm dog, Tavish on the right.
Pick Up FAQ’s
What Day and Time is the First Pick Up?
Every Monday, beginning next Monday, May 17 and for the next 23 Mondays after that. Pick-up is from 5:00 to 6:30 pm.
We will be harvesting your share each Monday morning and bringing it to you that afternoon, so it won’t be available for you to pick up at any other site. If you receive this email you have signed up for the Farm pick up on Mondays. If you intended to sign up for a different site let us know right away.
Where is the Pick Up?
The address of our Farm is 29820 E Woodard Rd; directions are on our website. Our pick up will take place in a covered area off our ‘barnita’, so pull in to our driveway, and drive around behind the house and go forward until you see our set up.
What Should I Bring to Pick-Up?
Please bring an assortment of bags – cloth, paper or plastic – in a variety of sizes. Small boxes also work really well. There are always some items to weigh (like spinach or green beans), so plastic produce bags are especially good to have. We do not provide bags, so if you have them, we could always use clean (washed and dried) extra bags for those who forget.
What Will I Do at Pick-Up?
First, you hug your Farmer-she’ll be very happy to see you! Then you sign in; at the sign in table, there are newsletters or recipe sheets to take home. Then you look at the board which tells you how much of each item to take. You count and weigh the items listed on the board and bag them yourself. Sometimes an EXTRAS box is there for you to take what you want and to put in what you don’t. ?(But you’ll want to try everything, we’re sure of it!)
What about Eggs, Meat and Other Extras?
If you’ve ordered eggs from Terra Farma, they will be in a separate cooler and you’ll take from there. If you would like to order eggs now, call or email Mike or Linda right away so it can be available for next Monday’s pick up. mguebert@comcast.net or 503.849.8121.
We still have Salad Lovers’ shares available. It’s not too late to sign up for this; the first Salad Lovers distribution will be in 4 weeks.
Can Someone Else Pick Up For You?/Picking Up for Others
If you cannot make pick up you are encouraged to have a non-member come for you. Just get them to the right place at the right time, remind them to bring a few bags, and we’ll walk them through the process. If you are picking up for others, please take your time and do not feel rushed, and don’t hesitate to ask for help if you need it. You are taking up less time than if each of you came, not to mention saving fuel. Two or more members who live a distance from a pick up site, and near each other, are encouraged to take turns picking up each others’ shares. As much as possible, we will try to link up neighbors who live near each other.
Regarding Payment Balances
If you have only paid your deposit so far, you should pay your balance soon unless we have made different arrangements. Feel free to save the stamp and envelope and bring a check with you to pick up. Remember, for those of you splitting your share with another household, PLEASE always have the same (original) person write the checks. Thanks.
Shares Available
We still have shares available for all our pick up sites. If you haven’t renewed yet and would still like to, please call right away and we’ll just harvest for you on Monday and take care of money at pick up. If you know of others in your neighborhood that might be interested, please pass along our information. Remember, any new members that join as a referral from you will earn you $20! We also still have money in the Scholarship Fund and we’d love to help low-income folks who want fresh vegetables but think they can’t afford it.
We’re all really excited about the new season and look forward to seeing you! Please call or email if you have ANY questions.
Shari, Bryan and the Crew
Dancing Roots Farm
