End of Season news
Greetings shareholders (and non-shareholders reading our blog)
Here it is the middle of Saturday night and the temperature is already down to 39 degrees. By the time you read this you'll know the answer but here I am worrying, "is there going to be a frost tonight? Does this mean that our eggplants, bell and hot peppers, tomatillos, tomatoes and basil will all die tonight and the only thing we'll have for our final two weeks is lettuce?
The weather forecast. earlier today said a low of 40, however when I was driving out in the country, past the farm of another CSA, this one out in the mountains of Rappahannock County, I saw they had gone to the labor and expense of covering large section of their farm with row covers, a white woven material that you can put over crops to protect against a light frost.
It's now fifteen minutes past midnight and the temperature has dropped to 38.
I guess there's not that much I can do. We don't have that much row cover and besides I don't see our Great Pyreness as much help putting out the row cover and its definitely a two person job.
So, instead of worrying about it, here's the end of season farm news.
First is the cheese. I'm going to put in a cheese order with Farmstead Fresh this coming Tuesday. Do you want any?
For more information about the cheeses available go to their webpage
http://farmsteadfresh.com To simplify the order I'm taking orders for 5 lb blocks only. Email me with your choice by Monday evening.
There will be a discount on the price listed. The larger the order the bigger the discount so I don't know yet.I do know that by putting in a group order we won't be paying the shipping cost, so there will be, at least, that much of a price discount.
Apple cider
I have an apple press to make apple cider and I've been inviting shareholders out to make their own cider. This is a real family friendly type of activity.
Email me when you want to come out
Sunday, October 5th between 11-2
Saturday October 11th 11-1
Sunday Octover 12th 11-1
Saturday, October 18th. 11-1
The cost for using the cider press is free. Part of being a member of our CSA. You do have to have apples though. Either bring your own or use the ones I've bought. These are cider apples, seconds (more likely thirds). $15 a bushel.
You also need to bring containers for the cider. A bushel of apples produces 3 to 3.4 gallons of cider.
Apples for making apple sauce (or eating). If you are the energetic type and also have space to put canned apple sauce (while its called canning you're going to be putting it in jars) one of the easiest things you can do with an excess of apples is to can them.
A bushel of top quality apples cost $25. My next trip to the country for apples is Tuesday. If you want some send me an email. Include the variety of apples you would like.
Gleaning.
the act of collecting leftover crops from farmers' fields after they have been commercially harvested or on fields where it is not economically profitable to harvest.
While most gleaning is a way of finding food for those that don't have enough (In the DC area there are several organizations whose members glean and then give what they've collected to feeding programs). we let our shareholders have first crack at our fields after our season is over. In fact, gleaning, for some of our shareholders is the highlight of the season.
Gleaning, this year, is on Saturday, October 18th, from 11 until 2 pm You don't have to tell me you are going to attend or not. What you do need, though, are some shoes fit for walking through uneven fields, maybe a pair of gloves and something like our tote bag to put your found vegetables in.
Winter eggs.
Even though our delivery season is over on October 18th our chickens will continue to lay eggs. These eggs go to our renewing shareholders who don't mind driving out to the farm. Over the winter, if you want to come out and get eggs, email me first so I can check to make sure there are eggs available.
And finally renewing.
every week I've been sending out with the vegetable list the discounts you get if you renew now and pay at least half now. Even if you haven't written a check yet if you are going to renew send me an email telling me what size vegetable share you are going to want. Also next year, the scarce egg shares go first to early sign up shareholders.
It's now 12:45, and the reading from my temperature gauge is now back up at 39. I hope that means no frost tonight.
Leigh
Here it is the middle of Saturday night and the temperature is already down to 39 degrees. By the time you read this you'll know the answer but here I am worrying, "is there going to be a frost tonight? Does this mean that our eggplants, bell and hot peppers, tomatillos, tomatoes and basil will all die tonight and the only thing we'll have for our final two weeks is lettuce?
The weather forecast. earlier today said a low of 40, however when I was driving out in the country, past the farm of another CSA, this one out in the mountains of Rappahannock County, I saw they had gone to the labor and expense of covering large section of their farm with row covers, a white woven material that you can put over crops to protect against a light frost.
It's now fifteen minutes past midnight and the temperature has dropped to 38.
I guess there's not that much I can do. We don't have that much row cover and besides I don't see our Great Pyreness as much help putting out the row cover and its definitely a two person job.
So, instead of worrying about it, here's the end of season farm news.
First is the cheese. I'm going to put in a cheese order with Farmstead Fresh this coming Tuesday. Do you want any?
For more information about the cheeses available go to their webpage
http://farmsteadfresh.com To simplify the order I'm taking orders for 5 lb blocks only. Email me with your choice by Monday evening.
There will be a discount on the price listed. The larger the order the bigger the discount so I don't know yet.I do know that by putting in a group order we won't be paying the shipping cost, so there will be, at least, that much of a price discount.
Apple cider
I have an apple press to make apple cider and I've been inviting shareholders out to make their own cider. This is a real family friendly type of activity.
Email me when you want to come out
Sunday, October 5th between 11-2
Saturday October 11th 11-1
Sunday Octover 12th 11-1
Saturday, October 18th. 11-1
The cost for using the cider press is free. Part of being a member of our CSA. You do have to have apples though. Either bring your own or use the ones I've bought. These are cider apples, seconds (more likely thirds). $15 a bushel.
You also need to bring containers for the cider. A bushel of apples produces 3 to 3.4 gallons of cider.
Apples for making apple sauce (or eating). If you are the energetic type and also have space to put canned apple sauce (while its called canning you're going to be putting it in jars) one of the easiest things you can do with an excess of apples is to can them.
A bushel of top quality apples cost $25. My next trip to the country for apples is Tuesday. If you want some send me an email. Include the variety of apples you would like.
Gleaning.
the act of collecting leftover crops from farmers' fields after they have been commercially harvested or on fields where it is not economically profitable to harvest.
While most gleaning is a way of finding food for those that don't have enough (In the DC area there are several organizations whose members glean and then give what they've collected to feeding programs). we let our shareholders have first crack at our fields after our season is over. In fact, gleaning, for some of our shareholders is the highlight of the season.
Gleaning, this year, is on Saturday, October 18th, from 11 until 2 pm You don't have to tell me you are going to attend or not. What you do need, though, are some shoes fit for walking through uneven fields, maybe a pair of gloves and something like our tote bag to put your found vegetables in.
Winter eggs.
Even though our delivery season is over on October 18th our chickens will continue to lay eggs. These eggs go to our renewing shareholders who don't mind driving out to the farm. Over the winter, if you want to come out and get eggs, email me first so I can check to make sure there are eggs available.
And finally renewing.
every week I've been sending out with the vegetable list the discounts you get if you renew now and pay at least half now. Even if you haven't written a check yet if you are going to renew send me an email telling me what size vegetable share you are going to want. Also next year, the scarce egg shares go first to early sign up shareholders.
It's now 12:45, and the reading from my temperature gauge is now back up at 39. I hope that means no frost tonight.
Leigh
posted by Bull Run Mountain Vegetable Farm at 1:45 AM
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