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.

Holy Heat! Week 12;)

Dear C.S.A. Community,

Week 12 is here! Despite the extreme heat and dry conditions we managed to get quite a bit of work done on the farm this week. The irrigation has been running often lately. The ability to water the plants is such a crucial part of growing vegetables due to their vulnerability. Once again their are a zillion tomato's this week. This is always good news but there are more then normal. All of this is due to heat making them turn quickly. So use those punches if you need any extra's! The herb bed and the basil is also plentiful so cut to your delight anytime at the farm.

Week 12 Menu:

• Sweet Corn
• Zucchini or Cucumber 
• Pepper's 
• Tomato's 
• Onions
• Gongura 
• Cherry Tomato's
• Potato's 
• Herbs

I hope everyone is enjoying their boxes. If anyone has any recipes that they would like to share with every one please email me how you utilize certain items that you get and I will post on the blog for everyone to enjoy. (Chris@bassfarms.org) Also we can alway's be reached at 319-558-8199. 

Thanks, Have A Great Holiday Weekend,

Chris Bass

Farm & C.S.A. Update! Must Read!

Dear C.S.A. Community,

During the course of the year we get asked all kinds of questions about the farm and how it works. So every year I write an article that explains how the farm works and a little bit about the dedicated people that work on the farm to provide everyone with chemical free food. Now that you hopefully have an idea of how a C.S.A. works I will explain ours in further detail. I will be answering and discussing the common questions people have had throughout the years; and if you have any that I have not answered please ask.

From an employee standpoint the farm wakes up at 6 a.m. every M-F. There are two employee's there at 6 and another two will arrive by 8. We pick all day on Monday and Tuesday. Also often on Wednesday mornings. We pick all the time, those are just the dedicated times where we pick in bulk as a team. It takes us as a team roughly seven hours to pick all the tomatoes for the C.S.A. including the cherry tomatoes. This is where we differ from a grocery store. They go in a back-room we go in "the back 40". Many of you might not know this, but everything is hand picked and packed on the farm. On Wednesday we spend the entire day packing your boxes. The same people that pick those wonderful boxes also distribute them on Thursday and Friday. During our free time during the week you can find us weeding, cleaning, picking, and doing an assortment of tasks. We are usually weeding;)  
There is an enormous misunderstanding of how much effort it takes to grow a 10+ Acre Garden without the use of pesticides or herbicides. I could have someone pull weeds all day every day and they might never get all the weeds. I really appreciate our weed whippers and mowers. Although with this huge garden we are able to effectively manage the weed population through processes we have developed over the years. I hope that you as customer's can tell a difference in the taste and are happy eating a product that is not tainted. These are products produced in your back yard, not across the world.

Many people also often ask what the farm has done to mitigate the risks that the customer has, so they get lots of food on a consistent yearly basis. So, as a veggie farmer you can only manipulate mother nature so much. With our irrigation we eliminate the need for rain. Although nothing is better for them then a natural rain. We are in Iowa, we really should not have to even think about irrigation, but weather is volatile some years. Irrigation gives us more control over the speed at which they grow at, and how much moisture they receive. Another benefit is that we don't pump from a pond we have a 100 GPM (gallon per minute) well. We irrigate with clean water. The farm also plant's all of the plants in plastic raised beds, this gives  us some control over weed pressure and can heat the soil slightly higher. This also results in a higher rate of success for our transplants we put out in the field. One issue we take especially serious is, soil maintenance and building the fertility of our soils on the farm.

We plant a lot of veggies and some might wonder why they got potato's one week and not the next etc.. The weather dictates a lot of what is in your boxes each week. It can also dictate the size. Such as some of the peppers being undersized this year, this was due to lack of heat. Then on the opposite end, the cooler then average temperature gave us a monumental cabbage season.  In turn, weather effects each year and what is distributed. That is why we have to plant so many varieties because not everything works every year and we still have an obligation to get you healthy food, and we plant a variety just in case. The farm truly has not sprayed a pesticide or herbicide on any veggies, in the five years it has been open and I consider this a wonderful accomplishment considering the challenges. Potatoes are weather dependent as well. If the soil is too moist and it has not been for quite a while it makes it difficult for us to dig potatoes on the farm. The moisture has to be just right so the machine can properly dig the spuds. Although when we do have the opportunity to dig, we will dig enough for two weeks. We also have to stagger the plant date of each veggie, so we can continually harvest on an item that we grow.

At the farm we have many goals, but our main goal is to continue to refine and create a C.S.A. program that can be sustained long term as long as the community wants it. The farm has almost done this. We have to make a few refinements, but we are close. We strive to provide you chemical free food and we want everyone to have options when it comes to where they purchase their food.

I hope you are all enjoying your 30% discount in the farm store. There are all kinds of wonderful items in there. If any of you still have questions about your punch card please give us a call @ 319-895-6480.
I also hope this gives you a little more insight of what a C.S.A. entails and how ours operates internally. Also if you want to stock up on beef please do so before the month of October. Once October hits the meat sells really fast and we only have 2 cows left.  Just a friendly reminder.

Thanks for reading!

Chris Bass
Chris@bassfarms.org

Week 11 C.S.A Distribution!

Dear C.S.A community,

We have picked you another great box of veggie's. The staple items are really producing well. If you need extra tomatoes for canning just let us know. Also tell your friends that we have loads of extra tomatoes.

Item's Week 11

• Potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Onions
• Pepper's
• Sweet Corn
• Herbs (Alway's Located on Farm)

Don't Forget we have plenty of free range eggs, and beef. Also if you need basil for your tomatoes please cut some. If you have any questions regarding your punch card or membership please call 319-895-6480.

Thanks Chris