2012 & 2013 Vegetable Distribution Lists (Veggie Disclosure)

Dear Community,

I publish these distribution lists every year good or bad to provide transparency to the C.S.A. consumer so they have a better understanding of what they are getting and what to expect out of our C.S.A. Honesty Rocks! Also the community needs to understand that Community Supported Agriculture is a legitimate program where you do get real vegetables from real farmers.

Thanks Chris

2012 C.S.A. Distribution

Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Week 5
Kohlrabi	Kohlrabi	Kohlrabi	Zucchini	Sweet Corn
Bak-Choi	Bak-Choi	Bak-Choi	Swiss Chard	Banana Peppers
Gourmet Lettuce	Gourmet Lettuce	Lettuce	Kale	Cucumbers
Green Onions	Radishes	Broccoli	Radish	Zucchini
Miscellaneous Herb's	Broccoli	Kale	Kohlrabi	Kale
Broccoli	Kale	Green Onions	Garlic	Potato's
	Green Onions	Garlic	Broccoli	Broccoli
Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Week 5
Potato's	Sweet Corn	Sweet Corn	Watermelon	Watermelon
Sweet Corn	Cucumbers	Watermelon	Sweet Corn	Cucumbers
Mixed Pepper's	Summer Squash	Summer Squash	Summer Squash	Summer Squash
Cabbage	Mixed Peppers	Cucumbers	Orange Tomato	Tomato's
Garlic	Cabbage	Orange Tomato	Red Tomato	Orange Tomato's
Cucumbers	Potato's	Green Tomato	Onions	White Eggplant
	Onion	Red Tomato	Cucumber	Pan Squash
		Pan Squash	Green Tomato	Green Tomato
			Herbs	Herbs
			Pepper's	Onions
Week 11	Week 12	Week 13	Week 14	Week 15
Orange Tomato	Tomato	Roma Tomato's	Winter Squash	Forgot To Blog
Red Tomato	Orange Tomato	Potato's	Potato's
Green Tomato	Kale	Winter Squash	Summer Squash
Summer Squash	Broccoli	Summer Squash	Pan Squash
White Eggplant	Cucumber	Pan Squash	Cucumbers
Melon	Summer Squash	Herbs	Eggplant
Cucumber	Pan Squash	Pepper's	Brussels Sprouts
Herbs	Herbs	Eggplant	Tomato
Pan Squash	Peppers	Kale	Habanero's
Peppers		Broccoli	Peppers
		Cucumbers	Herb's
		Brussels Sprouts	Broccoli
		Habanero's
Week 16	Week 17 Bonus		Pumpkins
Brussels Sprouts	Pie Pumpkins		3 Per Member
Winter Squash	Winter Squash		Store
Green Tomato's	Eggplant		%30 off
Cucumber's	Brussels Sprouts		Tomato
Eggplant			10-15lb Extra
Peppers			Per Member
Herbs

2013 C.S.A. Distribution

Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Week 5
Lettuce	Green Zucchini	Yellow Zucchini	Zucchini	Garlic
Bak-Choi	Yellow Zucchini	Green Zucchini	Cucumbers	Onion
Kohlrabi	Kale	Broccoli	Lettuce	Cucumbers
Kale	Kohlrabi	Kohlrabi	Broccoli	Green Zucchini
Herbs	Lettuce	Lettuce	Beans	Yellow Zucchini
Broccoli	Herbs	Cucumber	Cauliflower	Kale
		Herbs	Kale	Cabbage
			Herbs	Potato’s
Week 6	Week 7	Week 8	Week 9	Week 10
Peppers	Garlic	Cabbage	Cabbage	Kale
Zucchini	Onions	Zucchini	Zucchini	Gongura
Kohlrabi	Cabbage	Red Tomato	Cucumbers	Pepper’s
Lettuce	Green Tomato	Eggplant	Red Tomato	Turnips
Onion	Sweet Corn	Peppers	Cherry Tomatoes	Onions
Gongura	Peppers	Turnips	Eggplant	Red Tomato
Cucumbers	Kale	Onions	Pepper’s	Sweet Corn
Cabbage	Gongura	Garlic	Turnips	Potato’s
Eggplant	Beans		Onions	Tiny Pear Tomato
	Herbs		Potato’s
Week 11	Week 12	Week 13	Week 14	Week 15
Potato’s	Sweet Corn	Gongura	Winter Squash	Pepper’s
Red Tomato	Zucchini	Brussels Sprouts	Pepper’s	Red Tomato
Cherry Tomato	Cucumbers	Winter Squash	Brussels Sprouts	Brussels Sprouts
Onions	Peppers	Pepper Medley	Tomato’s	Winter Squash
Pepper’s	Red Tomato	Red Tomato	Eggplant	Gongura
Sweet Corn	Onions	Potato	Pie Pumpkin	Kale
Herbs	Gongura	Kale		Pie Pumpkins
	Cherry Tomato
	Potato’s
	Herbs
Week 16	Week 17 Bonus		Pumpkins
Pepper’s	N/A		3-5
Brussels Sprouts			Store
Winter Squash			30% off
Kale			Tomato
Red Tomato			#10 to #15
Eggplant			Per Member
Herbs

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

Week 15: Blog & Farm Update! MUST READ!!!!!!

Dear Members,

By now hopefully you are all munching on the vegetables in your shares! Now that we are approaching the end of the season I will give further instruction's on how the pumpkin program will work & the last week of the C.S.A. The program is sixteen weeks long and will officially end after you receive next week's box. I hope all of you have a better understanding of your local foods system now. I know myself and all of the staff at Bass Farms are incredibly grateful we have so many wonderful members, so thank you! Without the members, the program would not be possible. If we have a bonus week the shares must be picked up at the farm if you want them. I will email all of you if this happens. The farm officially closes the last day of October, so your discount is good until the end of the season. I will start to put pumpkins out this weekend, but the majority of the pumpkins will not be out until next weekend. Be sure to come get your allotted pumpkins. You must present your punch card. No size limit or color, just get what you want ( x 3) per member. You will know when we are ready when the hill is covered and the hay bail maze is out!:) The free hay-rack rides are every Saturday & Sunday in the month of October. They run all day long. We also set up slingshots with tennis balls for the kids to have fun with.  October is a great time at the farm so make sure to come out! Don't forget, all activities are FREE!!!

Every year when the season come's to an end, I will give my reflection on the C.S.A. season. Every year presents us with new challenges! Working on the farm this past five years I have learned more then I could have ever imagined. The farm teaches so many life lessons. Many of you asked in the spring why we plant so many varieties of veggies and now you hopefully know why. Not everything turns out as planned. Farming is challenging when you can't predict the weather or what bug might come through your farm and demolish a crop. In the end it all works out. Which is quite incredible when you consider not a single chemical was sprayed on the farm. Five years running now:) I hope you all had a good experience with our program and I would love to have all of you as customers again. Now that you have your first season under your belt, you are seasoned veggie eaters! Bass Farms Certified! Watching the flow of growth at the farm and the veggies that each different season brings is simply amazing.

On the flip side every year gives us issues. We had an incredibly wet spring which made it difficult to get all the crops in on time. The lack of early summer heat also affected the size of our peppers. Every year we are tested and presented with these growing challenges. These challenges are really only chances to learn and become better.

Thanks again for supporting our program!! Lets keep this movement going!

Fun Fact:

We packed between roughly 1500-2250 bags of produce to fill all of the boxes each week. We got this down to a science after the first few weeks. I am very proud of how efficient we made the process.

Next weeks blog will highlight,

• Memberships for next year
• Pricing
• Early Sign-Up Discount

Thank you,

Chris Bass
319-558-8199

Week 14:)

Dear C.S.A. Community,

Week 14 is here. The items this week are tasty.

• Winter Squash
• Pepper's 
• Brussels Sprouts
• Tomatoes 
• Egg Plant 
• Pie Pumpkin

Thanks Chris 

Week 13 C.S.A. Distribution!

Dear C.S.A. Community,

This year is flying by and week 13 is here already. Quick Update on the length of the C.S.A., the season runs 16 weeks long. I hope everyone thus far has enjoyed their chemical free veggie's. This week will be the first week we start to distribute the brussels sprouts. We leave them on the stalk, this adds to their longevity in your fridge. The sprouts are able to draw out nutrients in the stalk. When you are ready to prepare them I would pluck them off of the stalk. Then I always remove the first layer of foliage before I wash them. Brussels get a bad rap, properly prepared they are one of my favorites. Also the small pepper's in your pepper medley we distribute each are mildly hot. We have started the distribution of banana pepper's and jalapeños.  Also in this week's box is a long slender item. This item is De La Cata squash. Cut down the center and cook like you would cook acorn or butternut squash. Excellent in Flavor and in quality.

Preparation Suggestion: Sprouts

After cleaning I cut the sprouts in half and sauté in medium size pan. I cook lightly in oil and brown one side of the sprout. When it is browned on one side, it is done. You can modify this to your delight. I put parmesan cheese and fresh basil in the pan when I cook mine.( Basil can be substituted with Gongura)  Hope this helps.... :

Farm/Weather Update

Surprisingly after all that rain we had in the spring we have been in a very dry spell on the farm. We are using irrigation regularly to maintain the health & growth of the veggie's. The farm is still cleaning the items we have already ate. Each week you will start to notice that the field will get cleaner and leaner until all the veggie's are gone. The same is happening in the back field you just don't see it. Fall items are going to be here slightly early due to the mild summer and then a week of extreme heat. Never to early though for winter squash.

Items This Week:

•  Gongura
• Brussels Sprouts 
• Winter Squash
• Pepper Medley 
• Tomato 
• Potato
• Kale

P.S. Sorry for the late blog. I am getting Married tomorrow and it has been a crazy week. The store will be closed on Sunday. Enjoy your Veggie's! Even though I am getting married this weekend I can still be reached @ 319-558-8199. I am always available for you!

Thanks Chris, and the soon to be Mrs. Bass.