Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Week 16! Blog & Farm Update! Must Read!

Dear C.S.A. Community,

Thanks again for all your support this year! I hope you all had a good experience and see the value in what we do. Words can't describe how hard it is to grow without any chemicals and I am so grateful the community has given me the chance to run this program. Now that the season is officially over. I will give my thoughts, which I generally reserve until the end. Everyone has to experience an entire season to truly understand what a C.S.A. is and how to enjoy it. Now that you have, you know when the actual local seasons of vegetables are. It gives almost, or at least I hope almost everyone a NEW appreciation for food and the value we should all place on what we put into our bodies. In my end of year reflection I will touch on my thoughts on how the season ran from....these different perspectives.
  • Weather
  • Crop Quality
  • On Farm Efficiency 
  • Distribution
  • Corporate Sponsors
Also the date of the Farm Potluck for all of the C.S.A. members will be announced in this newsletter.
Each year we have a member appreciation day where we all can get together and share a meal and talk about the season. This is not required, but we would love it if you can come. If you do decide to come please bring chairs, a dish to share and your beverage of choice. The farm will provide plates, napkins, grill if needed, and water. We will also include hay-rack rides just for you. There will be a fire, so if you want to make smores you can. If you have not picked out your pumpkins this is an excellent opportunity to do so.

Official Date of CSA Farm Potluck:
Saturday, October 12th, 2013
12:00-3:00
(No Iowa Game)

Weather 2013

Many of you know that this spring was extremely wet followed by a relatively lengthy period without rain. This is somewhat typical after a severe draught. Statistically we should of had a drier year then we had. The wet spring did not create too many problems for us, we were able to get all the plants in on time. This was a bit of a challenge this year, but none the less we worked through it. As the season progressed the rain quit and once again our irrigation system came in really handy. When I say irrigation system this is not a sprinkler but a $30,000 pump 298ft. down in the ground. This pump has the power to irrigate every single row on the farm. Other than the cooler then average temperatures this season went quite well. The farm was able to fill all of the member boxes for the 16 week program. Thank the cooler than normal weather for the excellent cabbage yields we had this year.

Crop Quality

Crop quality this year was fairly good; the volatile weather added a few twists. As stated previously I was not very happy with the size of the green peppers. I have attributed this to a lack of heat and the wash out of nutrients in the ground during the extreme rains we had this spring. Green beans were pretty lackluster, but with all things consider the C.S.A. program continues to deliver on its promise of providing chemical free food every year. Not every item turns out perfectly every year and that is part of the beauty of this program. The tomatoes this year were excellent as usual, as well as so many of the items that we grow for you. What all of you received was REAL FOOD! Nothing added just what nature provides to us every year with proper care.

On Farm Efficiency

This is something that I am extremely proud of how efficient the farm has become with its distribution and packing of vegetables. All of the veggies are packed and cleaned in an incredibly clean environment, then stored at recommended temperatures. The farm managed to pack roughly 230 member boxes each week for 16 weeks. With just three full time people this is quite a feat. All of us on the farm, including Brett who works in the store are all involved with the picking, cleaning and packing of the vegetables. The most time consuming item that we picked were the cherry tomatoes. It took all of us roughly seven hours to pick. Farm efficiency is something that we strive to constantly be improving on or at-least looking for ways to improve. It is hard to think that just four short years ago we were only packing 37 boxes a week, we thought we were busy then;)

Distribution

Distribution of all of the veggies went quite well this year with very few hick-ups.  We will keep the distribution system for the 2014 year. I would like to thank the YMCA, Dr. Terri Cooper & Alpha Graphics for opening up their places of business and offering space, free of charge to promote wellness within the community. Without these sponsors there is no way we would be able to get our veggies all over the city without those locations! I thank them again for their generosity and belief in promoting wellness within the community.  Please support these local businesses that have helped support you all summer!

2014 Changes

This will be a great year for the farm. This will be our sixth year in business. Almost hard to fathom that I have been growing veggies this long already. There will be some minor changes to the program, as there are every year. There will be some slight restructuring in packages that are offered, which will include options for boxes and some tweaks in the pricing. Also, with running a C.S.A. program over the years you get a better grasp of what the actual cost of providing the veggies are. As stated previously everything is handpicked, packed, and the seeds are even started on the farm. This gives you the member security that what you are getting is truly chemical free and fresh. The membership cards and the store discount will remain the same.

*Normally I would not comment on this because once you receive your veggies you can do with them what you want. Although I will SAY, members that share their box never seem to get quite the full experience of the C.S.A and generally wish after the season started that they would of just purchased one on their own.

Many of you have asked about your discount for the following year. All members that sign up with us again will receive a discount off their C.S.A of $25. Also if you are a member of YMCA you will receive $25 off. To receive this discount you must mail a check to:

Bass Farms L.L.C.
P.O. Box 146
Mt. Vernon, IA 52314

(Please don't mail in check until 2014 prices are made public so you know what to make check out for)
In the memo please put "Returning Member". Also previous members will take precedence over new members again until December 31st, 2013. Then we open up memberships to the general public.

You will also be able to sign-up online by the end of the month. It takes a little bit for the website to update. 

Thanks again for all your support,

Chris Bass
319-558-8199

P.S. If you have any questions feel free to give me a call personally! The pumpkins are ready so please come get them whenever you would like!! If you have extra punches I can't stress enough to use them. This week we have picked the rest of the cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and kale. It will be available in the store cooler. There are many herbs still available to cut, please come cut them!!









I forgot to post week 15 and 16 menu on the blog, so for the record:

Week 15:

  • Peppers 
  • Tomatoes 
  • Brussels
  • Squash
  • Gongura
  • Kale
  • Pie Pumpkins
Week 16:
  • Peppers 
  • Brussels
  • Squash
  • Kale 
  • Tomato
  • Eggplant


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