Tomorrow's distribution marks the halfway point of the season (24 week season with 2 one-week breaks). It is our 12th week, although we have already taken one of our week breaks. We expect that the next week break will be at some point when the summer vegetables begin to taper off and the fall vegetables come in. We will keep you posted when we expect that break to be.
How have you thought the season has gone thus far? For me, now that we are back to our own home and kitchen (you may remember that we were shacking up with my parents last summer, awaiting Amelia's arrival and didn't have an easy time using all of our veggies), we are savoring the fruits of Michael's labor. The other night we grilled a variety of our vegetables (leeks, eggplant, tomatoes and peppers) coated with olive oil, salt and pepper in a grill basket over charcoal. It made a simple, and delicious, side dish.
I am looking forward to see what next week's harvest includes (hopefully lots of tomatoes) so we can highlight Michael's delicious work at Amelia's first birthday party! I know that we will have plenty of melons to offer our guests for a refreshing dessert (don't worry, there will be cake, too!).
Speaking of melons, Michael tried to explain to me some complicated something-or-other about the storage of the melons harvested on Monday. In essence (I am going to give you the Cliff's Notes version because it's been one heckuva week (although it is only Wednesday) and I am exhausted), heirloom varieties are extremely more sensitive than conventional varieties, whether they be fruits or vegetables. This sensitivity is often why you only see heirloom offerings at farmer's markets and other specialty markets. They do not ship well and do not store well (for instance, heirloom tomatoes have a much thinner skin and are, therefore, more prone to bruise, split and early rot). On the flip side, heirloom varieties are SO MUCH tastier. In fact, my dad boldly proclaimed that our prudens purple heirloom tomatoes are the "best tomatoes I've ever had!" We try to select heirloom seeds when given the opportunity and when it is not cost prohibitive. We hope that you've enjoyed what we've produced to date!
This week's share will include: tomatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe, leeks, garlic, potatoes, asian greens, beets, eggplant (hopefully), peppers, and squash.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
I Get By With a Little Help from my Friends...
I want to take this time to acknowledge all of the different people who make One Acre Farm what it is.
First of all, I'd like to acknowledge myself (ha!). Without me, you wouldn't have this amazing blog, a lot of the Facebook pictures that are uploaded (Michael takes a picture and then texts it to me...I then surreptitiously (perhaps not so surreptitious now that I am outing myself) log on to Facebook at work to upload the photos, so that our friends have contemporaneous pictures of the Farm) and perhaps a grumpier Farmer Mike, who I have to talk off the ledge every once in awhile!
Okay, so enough about me. Let's turn to our good friend, Rob. He is trying to figure out his next gig and, as a result, we are the lucky recipients of his time and energy at the Farm. He and Michael work really well together, banter back and forth and are generally good at getting sh** done! Without his help, it is virtually impossible that Michael gets done all that it takes to run the Farm, produce a great product and still has time to spend time with our new family. It is our luck that Rob's hiatus has coincided with our summer season! We are tremendously thankful for his hard work.
We'd be remiss if we didn't give a shout out to Cyrus, who is a friendly Farm neighbor...who comes out to the Farm when he can to do whatever needs to be done..including the awesomely and amazingly task of weeding! Equally as important, Cyrus has kindly donated the use of his garage for Monday distributions, while we are waiting for the permission to allow pickup at the Farm. So, without Cyrus, I am not sure what we would've done to accommodate our new "Farm" pick-up location on Mondays! On a related note, Michael's parents provide their garage (and lunch for Michael) every Thursday for the Potomac pick-up location.
There are also many people who have come out to volunteer...including Sarah and her farmer-in-his-prior-life dad (who both work diligently and with great conversation), Michael's mom (garlic-cleaning and onion-weeding extraordinaire), Kevin (hand weeding...seriously, do you see a theme here?!?! Farmer Mike must really loathe weeding!), and Sarah, Patrick and Jocelyn (without who you wouldn't have onions in your share). [Note to our reaaders, there are always volunteer opportunities at the Farm. We won't turn any one away!]
Finally, we have a network of "professional" friends who Michael calls on all the time for advice, answers, and general venting. We have our local "fix-it" man, Carl, who fixes just about anything and everything that needs fixing (take it from me, Michael breaks A LOT of things!). We have Michael's mentors, Joan and Drew (who just so happen run Maryland's largest organic CSA north of Baltimore), who we have called upon for transplant seedlings (when ours didn't pan out), to purchase vegetables (if we've had a crop failure), and who Michael calls just about any time he has a problem that he cannot figure out a solution to. There is Lewis Orchards, who we have also bought extra crops from (corn, peaches, apples and pumpkins -- things that we cannot/do not grow but want to offer to our Members for purchase) and who recently supported us by purchasing some garlic! There is also Neal, the Farm's plumber, who got the well and irrigation up and running and who we've called a bunch of times to troubleshoot water issues.
I am sure that I've left out some people. Trust me, it was not on purpose. The point of this post was really just to give some shout-outs and let you all know that there are a lot of people that (knowingly...or in other instances, unknowingly) support our humble little venture. We appreciate the efforts of everyone, including each and every member. Just be being members you are a bigger part of One Acre Farm than you ever could know!
This week's share includes: tomatoes, eggplant, onions, leek, beets, carrots, potatoes, garlic, bell peppers, hot peppers and squash.
First of all, I'd like to acknowledge myself (ha!). Without me, you wouldn't have this amazing blog, a lot of the Facebook pictures that are uploaded (Michael takes a picture and then texts it to me...I then surreptitiously (perhaps not so surreptitious now that I am outing myself) log on to Facebook at work to upload the photos, so that our friends have contemporaneous pictures of the Farm) and perhaps a grumpier Farmer Mike, who I have to talk off the ledge every once in awhile!
Okay, so enough about me. Let's turn to our good friend, Rob. He is trying to figure out his next gig and, as a result, we are the lucky recipients of his time and energy at the Farm. He and Michael work really well together, banter back and forth and are generally good at getting sh** done! Without his help, it is virtually impossible that Michael gets done all that it takes to run the Farm, produce a great product and still has time to spend time with our new family. It is our luck that Rob's hiatus has coincided with our summer season! We are tremendously thankful for his hard work.
We'd be remiss if we didn't give a shout out to Cyrus, who is a friendly Farm neighbor...who comes out to the Farm when he can to do whatever needs to be done..including the awesomely and amazingly task of weeding! Equally as important, Cyrus has kindly donated the use of his garage for Monday distributions, while we are waiting for the permission to allow pickup at the Farm. So, without Cyrus, I am not sure what we would've done to accommodate our new "Farm" pick-up location on Mondays! On a related note, Michael's parents provide their garage (and lunch for Michael) every Thursday for the Potomac pick-up location.
There are also many people who have come out to volunteer...including Sarah and her farmer-in-his-prior-life dad (who both work diligently and with great conversation), Michael's mom (garlic-cleaning and onion-weeding extraordinaire), Kevin (hand weeding...seriously, do you see a theme here?!?! Farmer Mike must really loathe weeding!), and Sarah, Patrick and Jocelyn (without who you wouldn't have onions in your share). [Note to our reaaders, there are always volunteer opportunities at the Farm. We won't turn any one away!]
Finally, we have a network of "professional" friends who Michael calls on all the time for advice, answers, and general venting. We have our local "fix-it" man, Carl, who fixes just about anything and everything that needs fixing (take it from me, Michael breaks A LOT of things!). We have Michael's mentors, Joan and Drew (who just so happen run Maryland's largest organic CSA north of Baltimore), who we have called upon for transplant seedlings (when ours didn't pan out), to purchase vegetables (if we've had a crop failure), and who Michael calls just about any time he has a problem that he cannot figure out a solution to. There is Lewis Orchards, who we have also bought extra crops from (corn, peaches, apples and pumpkins -- things that we cannot/do not grow but want to offer to our Members for purchase) and who recently supported us by purchasing some garlic! There is also Neal, the Farm's plumber, who got the well and irrigation up and running and who we've called a bunch of times to troubleshoot water issues.
I am sure that I've left out some people. Trust me, it was not on purpose. The point of this post was really just to give some shout-outs and let you all know that there are a lot of people that (knowingly...or in other instances, unknowingly) support our humble little venture. We appreciate the efforts of everyone, including each and every member. Just be being members you are a bigger part of One Acre Farm than you ever could know!
This week's share includes: tomatoes, eggplant, onions, leek, beets, carrots, potatoes, garlic, bell peppers, hot peppers and squash.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Optimism is (not) my middle name
Although I have never really worked in the corporate world, I do know there
are some terms that you aren't supposed to use. For example, you don't say
something is "bad," instead, you might say it's "not as good as it could be."
Or you don't have "problems", you have "challenges".
I like to be less optimistic and call this week's share "bad" and that there are a few "problems" that I want to inform you about so we are all on the same page.
In years past, a share around this time of year, right before the tomatoes came in, would be tons of squash, zucchini and cucumbers. My first planting of these three items did terriblly. Why? Some plants love being covered with 'row cover,' (an "industry" term for a woven fabric used to protect baby plants from the nasty bugs that love to eat them. Some plants that need row cover as new plants are eggplant and all plants in the brassica family (broccoli, cabbage, asian greens etc)).
I have never covered the squash, cucumbers or zucchini before, but a few weeks after I seeded it, I noticed lots of damage. I figured the plants would bounce back, which didn't happen. Squash is usully very easy to grow; in fact, I remember one member telling me that this was the time of year in her hometown that people locked their cars, not for fear of theft, but that people would leave extra squash they didn't want! I was always planning to have a second planting a month later, which I did plant and of couse covered. They look amazing and should be ready soon.
I know the shares have been great so far, with an avergae of almost 9 different items a week, but this week will be different. Hopefully I have built in some goodwill with you and a bad week every now and then is ok. You can expect:
Potatoes, Garlic, Leeks, a choice between (turnips, eggplant and squash) Basil, green peppers, hot peppers, and greens.
See you tomorrow!
I like to be less optimistic and call this week's share "bad" and that there are a few "problems" that I want to inform you about so we are all on the same page.
In years past, a share around this time of year, right before the tomatoes came in, would be tons of squash, zucchini and cucumbers. My first planting of these three items did terriblly. Why? Some plants love being covered with 'row cover,' (an "industry" term for a woven fabric used to protect baby plants from the nasty bugs that love to eat them. Some plants that need row cover as new plants are eggplant and all plants in the brassica family (broccoli, cabbage, asian greens etc)).
I have never covered the squash, cucumbers or zucchini before, but a few weeks after I seeded it, I noticed lots of damage. I figured the plants would bounce back, which didn't happen. Squash is usully very easy to grow; in fact, I remember one member telling me that this was the time of year in her hometown that people locked their cars, not for fear of theft, but that people would leave extra squash they didn't want! I was always planning to have a second planting a month later, which I did plant and of couse covered. They look amazing and should be ready soon.
I know the shares have been great so far, with an avergae of almost 9 different items a week, but this week will be different. Hopefully I have built in some goodwill with you and a bad week every now and then is ok. You can expect:
Potatoes, Garlic, Leeks, a choice between (turnips, eggplant and squash) Basil, green peppers, hot peppers, and greens.
See you tomorrow!
Thursday, June 28, 2012
The Great Garlic Harvest of 2012!
Last Fall Michael found a local farmer friend who was selling a bunch of garlic seed (which, by the way, is actually the individual cloves of garlic) at a very low price ($3/lb vs the usual $11/lb). Being the bargain shopper that he is, he couldn't resist a good deal, even if it meant that we would have garlic coming out of our ears this season.
We had to endure the smell of the garlic as it dried out, in preparation for planting, in my parents' basement. I am not sure how we avoided eviction -- I think it's because I can count on one hand the number of times my parents actually entered their basement in the six or so years that they've lived there.
When Amelia was brand new, we had to find the time to separate every single garlic clove from the 100 pounds of garlic. It was surprisingly tedious and it hurt! After a short time of separating the cloves, my hands were aching and getting calloused. I think I checked on Amelia sleeping more in those hours than I did during her first few weeks of life -- anything (maybe even pinching her to wake her up) to get out of the garlic torture chamber!
Then, we rallied troops to plant the garlic in October. Amelia and I treked out to the Farm to check on the troops...we put her in the Bjorn and she "helped" plant, too! In total, the "deal of the century" resulted in the planting of an entire field of garlic -- 17 rows of garlic at approximately 175 feet per row. Which means (based on some calculations that I did not do, mathmatician that I am) that Michael and his crew just harvested -- wait for it -- almost six thousand individual garlic bulbs!!
Which means, members, buckle up! I have just invested copious amounts of money in Orbit, the gum company.
We had to endure the smell of the garlic as it dried out, in preparation for planting, in my parents' basement. I am not sure how we avoided eviction -- I think it's because I can count on one hand the number of times my parents actually entered their basement in the six or so years that they've lived there.
When Amelia was brand new, we had to find the time to separate every single garlic clove from the 100 pounds of garlic. It was surprisingly tedious and it hurt! After a short time of separating the cloves, my hands were aching and getting calloused. I think I checked on Amelia sleeping more in those hours than I did during her first few weeks of life -- anything (maybe even pinching her to wake her up) to get out of the garlic torture chamber!
Then, we rallied troops to plant the garlic in October. Amelia and I treked out to the Farm to check on the troops...we put her in the Bjorn and she "helped" plant, too! In total, the "deal of the century" resulted in the planting of an entire field of garlic -- 17 rows of garlic at approximately 175 feet per row. Which means (based on some calculations that I did not do, mathmatician that I am) that Michael and his crew just harvested -- wait for it -- almost six thousand individual garlic bulbs!!
Which means, members, buckle up! I have just invested copious amounts of money in Orbit, the gum company.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Let Me Tell You 'Bout the Birds and the Bees...
Well, not so much emphasis on the birds, but definitely a lot of emphasis on the bees! As most of you probably know (don't feel bad if you don't), bees are very critical to the growth of our food. Their hard work pollinates the flowers which ultimately become the fruit (or vegetable) of the plant. I don't think I realized that most vegetables grow out of the plant's flower (squash blossoms turn into hearty zucchini, tomato flowers turn into juicy, ripe tomatoes, and so on and so forth). I obviously remember something about pollination that we were taught in elementary school science, but I honestly thought bees were nothing more than a nuisance...one that you aren't supposed to swat away but that your natural instinct is to swat like hell until they get out of your face.
This year, Michael sought out local beekeepers who were in need of a place to keep their hive. It'd be beneficial for the farm and could also be a potential source of fresh, raw honey for our members. After listening to Michael "interview" several beekeepers (the conversations were somewhat interesting), I thought he was going to lean towards the beekeeper who had an already-established operation and needed more land for his hives. Shortsightedly, I thought this because it seemed like the best chance for access to significant amounts of honey...which our members in the past have loved. In retrospect (and maybe if I was listening a little closer rather than playing Scramble with Friends (can I even say that or is it trademarked? I should probably know...), his choice was obvious: the beekeeper who was interested in learning about bees but didn't have any because he didn't have any land. It was meant to be: a struggling farmer without access to land finally has a large plot of land (that he obtained access to through a very thoughtful and amazing friend) and is able to "pay it forward" to the struggling beekeeper who needs land in order to start his desired craft. And, so, this is how One Acre Farm came to have bees. (Michael also just informed me that there are actually two beekeepers (one that is more experienced) that have hives on our property, but, for the poetic license of my story, let's just pretend I didn't know that). (Ed. note: I need to give credit where credit is due and the more experienced beekeeper is not as random as I am making him out to be. He is actually very legitimate, uses novel methods and is an all around "hard core dude". Michael's words, not mine).
The other day, Michael called me excitedly to tell me that he and the more experienced beekeeper (again, for poetic license, let's just say it was the new beekeeper) had pulled a fresh, hot honeycomb from the hive. It sounded incredible. I can only picture the two of them like my favorite childhood character Winnie-the-Pooh (trademarked, copyrighted, patent pending I am sure -- see above), hands cupping the honey and dripping -- no, running -- down their fingers. Hopefully this mutually beneficial relationship will also mean that we'll have fresh honey to offer at some point in the future. Stay tuned...
Your share this week will consist of: garlic, (the last of the) garlic scapes, bok choy, lettuce, turnips, cabbage, fennel, and mustard greens. Until next time...
This year, Michael sought out local beekeepers who were in need of a place to keep their hive. It'd be beneficial for the farm and could also be a potential source of fresh, raw honey for our members. After listening to Michael "interview" several beekeepers (the conversations were somewhat interesting), I thought he was going to lean towards the beekeeper who had an already-established operation and needed more land for his hives. Shortsightedly, I thought this because it seemed like the best chance for access to significant amounts of honey...which our members in the past have loved. In retrospect (and maybe if I was listening a little closer rather than playing Scramble with Friends (can I even say that or is it trademarked? I should probably know...), his choice was obvious: the beekeeper who was interested in learning about bees but didn't have any because he didn't have any land. It was meant to be: a struggling farmer without access to land finally has a large plot of land (that he obtained access to through a very thoughtful and amazing friend) and is able to "pay it forward" to the struggling beekeeper who needs land in order to start his desired craft. And, so, this is how One Acre Farm came to have bees. (Michael also just informed me that there are actually two beekeepers (one that is more experienced) that have hives on our property, but, for the poetic license of my story, let's just pretend I didn't know that). (Ed. note: I need to give credit where credit is due and the more experienced beekeeper is not as random as I am making him out to be. He is actually very legitimate, uses novel methods and is an all around "hard core dude". Michael's words, not mine).
The other day, Michael called me excitedly to tell me that he and the more experienced beekeeper (again, for poetic license, let's just say it was the new beekeeper) had pulled a fresh, hot honeycomb from the hive. It sounded incredible. I can only picture the two of them like my favorite childhood character Winnie-the-Pooh (trademarked, copyrighted, patent pending I am sure -- see above), hands cupping the honey and dripping -- no, running -- down their fingers. Hopefully this mutually beneficial relationship will also mean that we'll have fresh honey to offer at some point in the future. Stay tuned...
Your share this week will consist of: garlic, (the last of the) garlic scapes, bok choy, lettuce, turnips, cabbage, fennel, and mustard greens. Until next time...
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Season's Greetings!
Nope, I am not confused. Nope, it is not Christmas in June. It is the start of that other season...the CSA season! It is upon us and underway...we started our first distribution last Thursday (Capitol Hill and Potomac) and had our first pick-up at the farm (well, sorta...we are temporarily using a member's garage near the farm until our landowner can make the farm's entrance somewhat safer due to the hidden driveway) on Monday. I can speak from personal (non-biased, of course) experience that this week's share was by far the best first share that Michael has ever had! The greens are delicious -- I used the lettuce and radishes in my lunch salads, I made my first batch of kale chips (mighty fine, by the way, but a little salty...I will have to cut back on the sea salt next time around. Another digression -- any suggestions on how to store them? However I stored them last night turned them into a soggy mess by the morning), creamed chard pasta with chicken and garlic scapes, and bok choy with hot sausage and barley. We have been eating well this past week! Please feel free to share your recipes in the comments or on our Facebook page. Everyone loves to hear suggestions of what others are making with their veggies.
A lot of hard work has gone into making the very first share so successful. A lot of planning (field rotations, crop rotations, seed selection, natural fertilizer selection (I swear, there were mathematical equations in a very complex Excel spreadsheet), plowing, planting, weeding, etc.) happened during the "off-season" all while Michael was playing the very important role of a stay-at-home Dad! The most rigorous of these tasks will continue throughout the season. I doubt anyone out there believes that farming is easy work. For those of you who were able to come to the first Farm tour, you now should have a greater sense for the scale of work that Michael does -- for the most part -- on his own. I know that his vegetables are so delicious not only because they are locally grown and extremely fresh but because I know how much he literally toils (and stresses) day in and day out to churn out the best "product" that he can. I am insanely proud of him and hope that you all appreciate the fruits of his labor as much as I do!
You can expect some of the following in this week's share: broccoli, collards, lettuce, red bok choy, radishes, garlic scapes, swiss chard, and arugula.
A lot of hard work has gone into making the very first share so successful. A lot of planning (field rotations, crop rotations, seed selection, natural fertilizer selection (I swear, there were mathematical equations in a very complex Excel spreadsheet), plowing, planting, weeding, etc.) happened during the "off-season" all while Michael was playing the very important role of a stay-at-home Dad! The most rigorous of these tasks will continue throughout the season. I doubt anyone out there believes that farming is easy work. For those of you who were able to come to the first Farm tour, you now should have a greater sense for the scale of work that Michael does -- for the most part -- on his own. I know that his vegetables are so delicious not only because they are locally grown and extremely fresh but because I know how much he literally toils (and stresses) day in and day out to churn out the best "product" that he can. I am insanely proud of him and hope that you all appreciate the fruits of his labor as much as I do!
You can expect some of the following in this week's share: broccoli, collards, lettuce, red bok choy, radishes, garlic scapes, swiss chard, and arugula.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
2012 Enrollment is Now Open!!!
We are excited to announce that enrollment is now open for the 2012 season! Check out our website, http://www.oneacrefarm.com/ (the Membership Info page) for our 2012 Enrollment Form.
We are currently planning on having a distribution at Capitol Hill only this season. If any returning members have interested friends, neighbors or co-workers who may be interested in joining, please spread the word that we are now accepting members. We are also canvassing whether there is any interest in a pick-up location at the farm. If you are interested (or know others who are) in picking up at the Farm, please email Mike at michael@oneacrefarm.com.
Finally, we have established a Facebook page! Search for us "One Acre Farm" and like our page! We are hoping that the Facebook page will be a forum for members to interact with each other as well as with us.
Here's to a bountiful 2012! Until next time...
We are currently planning on having a distribution at Capitol Hill only this season. If any returning members have interested friends, neighbors or co-workers who may be interested in joining, please spread the word that we are now accepting members. We are also canvassing whether there is any interest in a pick-up location at the farm. If you are interested (or know others who are) in picking up at the Farm, please email Mike at michael@oneacrefarm.com.
Finally, we have established a Facebook page! Search for us "One Acre Farm" and like our page! We are hoping that the Facebook page will be a forum for members to interact with each other as well as with us.
Here's to a bountiful 2012! Until next time...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)