At long last, on December 28, we signed the papers on the farm. We are now farm owners, renters no more.
COMING SOON: An exciting, new, amazing season!
The final CSA pickup was two weeks ago, and I have been remiss in getting a timely final blog post finished. I did take on a seasonal job with UPS, and that kept me pretty busy for about 10 hours a day… and it also got me back in physical shape. But here I am, on New Years’ Eve, getting it done!
The final CSA pickup of 2017! Savoy Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, Kale or Chard, Onions, Garlic, Delicata Squash, Two kinds of Potatoes, Candy Carrots, Sweet Beets, and Radicchio.
This has not been my favorite farming year. But once you start, you have to finish, and I believe we finished strong. I tend to remember the negatives: Replacing all the greenhouse plastic skins because we had to cut them after 6″ of heavy snowfall; The weeks of waiting to plant in the spring because it would not stop raining, then the missed weeks of harvest because we hadn’t been able to plant on time. And then the near-stroke injury I suffered in May that made it impossible and life-threatening for me to do any physical work…until October!
35 degrees and foggy, winter harvest day.
But it’s important to remember the good as well: How I successfully downsized the farm business, and ended up making nearly the same profit. How we had two truly amazing teenagers working for us all summer to help get my work done. How we ended up making it to the end of our 40 week season with plenty of food. And, with the help and support of our incredible community, we raised $80,000 and WE BOUGHT THE FARM!
White Christmas means work here! The forecast said rain was coming after the snow, so all the snow had to come off the greenhouses, lest they collapse under the weight.
Now we start making loan payments, and property tax payments, and doing many improvement projects that we haven’t wanted to invest in without a secure future. We’ll be building a barn, building a new farm stand, and burying our irrigation lines. Improving drainage around our structures, improving access to spaces we want you to be able to see, and encouraging you to explore our farm more. We feel that our farm belongs to all of you who ask us to feed you, and you should see it all. We’ll be announcing the date for our Farm Purchase Party sometime this spring, so keep your calendars handy!
Savoy Cabbages are wrinkly, and more cold-hardy than their smooth brethren.
NOTE: We still have 40 CSA spaces to fill, and it would be reassuring to know who is planning on joining us for a spectacular 2018. If you haven’t enrolled yet, please do so soon. Even a deposit will help with our winter and spring farm expenses, and there is no extra charge for making payments, as long as your CSA share is paid in full by March 1. Here’s the form link in case you need it. 2018 Farm Flyer. Let me know if you’d like an invoice to pay by credit card.
Thank you so much, and we wish you all the best in 2018.
Shelley, Mike, Della, and Cosmo
Whistling Train Farm 