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May  2006

Friends and Members of CSA:

      A short note in this mid spring season to update and inform you of happenings here and what lies in the weeks ahead.
      As is somewhat customary of Colorado spring weather, we seem to jump from winter to summer all in the course of one day. March and April rains  and snows added to a rather cold, wet winter. The moisture has been wonderful, but has resulted in lighter amounts in our spring garden crop production. We are doing our best to keep up with share amounts until the later seeded crops  begin to mature, hopefully within the next several weeks.  
      The salad mix crops are usually a wide blend of lettuces, spinach, kale, chard, choi, endive and  greens. You may also find several less familiar crops such as lambs quarters, narrow leaf plantain, miners lettuce, pea shoots, edible radish tops, arugula flowers (white) and hon tsai tai and mizuna flowers (yellow). Some are planted, and some are volunteer. All are edible and good for us. Any grass, dirt, or bugs you may find made it past inspection and can be discarded during rinsing.  
      Spring garden will continue through May. We will occasionally add in some fresh eggs, and unique herbs as extras. This will be the last week for sprouts. Storage potatoes from last fall (Kennenbeck variety), will be in the shares this week. These are from the potato cellar at Lisollo farm, Silt Mesa. They are among the varieties soon to be planted to the field.
      Asparagus is variable week to week, and we’ll hope to harvest some early strawberries soon too Yum!
Elsewhere in the gardens and orchards, crops seem to be progressing well.  Spring pruning work is mostly finished. Peach, plum, cherry, and apricot crop set is still tenuous, although so far most have bloomed and are holding on well, with some thinning from earlier frosts. Only a severe freeze would create major damage. 
Although this is the “off” year for a big Valley apple crop, many trees are blooming nicely and will hopefully set well. Field strawberries are blooming heavy and seem to be setting lots of fruit.   As usual, we’ll work with other growers to fill in on fruit shares as much as needed.
            Many summer season tomato, pepper, eggplant, basil, and flower plants stand ready in the greenhouse hoping soon to find a more permanent space to expand and bloom in the  gardens. Small pots with cucumbers melons, and squash are growing nicely and will be set out beginning mid May.   Several main garden areas are seeded to later plantings of peas, lettuces, spinach onions and greens, with more to follow. These will be in the first summer garden orders second week of June.
      Layer egg production is holding steady but finding challenges from our neighborhood coyote family. A six foot electric fence for the past six weeks has helped contain them and the coyote. Baby turkeys will soon arrive to spend the summer and fall with us.
      A recent visit with Paul (Closer To Heaven Farm, Hotchkiss) confirms that meat broiler chickens will be ready to harvest by the third week of May. Most will run in the 6 pound range. We’ll pay them around $20 per bird, and the farm will add a few dollars per bird for transport and handling. Please firm up your orders for these and our Peach Valley grown turkeys soon.
      We also still have available a bit of last season honey. Bowen says the bees had a bit more difficult time surviving the winter, and we lost several hives. We’ll replace those this month with new queens and workers, and hopefully have plenty of great honey beginning the middle of the summer. Quarts jars are $12.50 and pint jars are $7.50
      Our man of the Maple Syrup,  Mark Rinehart, also has passed along the following information regarding this year’s northeast crop:
      Once again the sap flows in the sugar maples of Georgetown, New York,  and our friends are busy tapping the trees and boiling sap down at the saphouse. The Millers have been making their wonderfully tasty syrup for the past twenty years, taking their sap from a stand of trees called Mueller Hill in central New York. These trees stand off in the hills and are not affected by farm runoff or roadside residues. The weather this past winter was quite fickle, with warm winter temps, so trees were a bit confused. The early sap run began a bit darker than the typical light color of last season. In the end, however, taste and flavor will resemble the glorious syrup which we enjoyed last year.
Word is that although the season started slow, plenty of syrup is available and they currently have more than a hundred gallons on hand. Please get your order in for this great tasting, clean, family friendly syrup.   Thanks, Mark.
Once again, the farm has ordered a number of gallons of this syrup. We will pay the Millers around $45 per gallon, and add a few dollars for our handling. We can break this down into quarts jars, for a bit more convenience if you desire. Approximate cost will run $50 per gallon; $15 per quart.
      Many people have been asking about the summer Saturday Farmers Market in Glenwood Springs. The growers group has worked out an agreement with the RE 1 school district  and Glenwood Springs High School for this season, to use the parking area behind the administration building, one block north of the previous True Value location, at 14th and Grand. The area borders Grand and includes a grassy area which should make for a more pleasant environment for the market. We’ll work with school clubs and groups to foster their interests as they desire. The Market will begin around the end of June, and run until November, every Saturday from 8 am to 3 pm.
In September 2007, after main construction is completed, the market will return to the previous location. This will become the new front entrance to the high school and will include a pocket park and a visitor parking area. 
      This early May update also acts somewhat as a LAST CALL for all you who still desire to be included in the summer  subscription shares, due to begin in three to four weeks. About ninety percent of these shares are already sold out. A few shares remain for eggs and flowers bouquets, but let us know soon!  Mark all share requests and make at least  partial payment (working members should pay at least the membership fee).  Once we begin summer shares, schedules get crowded because fields and production demand our time. It is helpful to have records and numbers in place now to keep everyone happy later.
      We continue with great help from working members thus far also, and look forward to another  rewarding and successful season with all who participate with us. Ask us about opportunities to help or visit the farm.
Farm apprentices have also provided great help in the past weeks. Caitlin Finigan has been here since February, working in the gardens, greenhouse, and on the computer. We are grateful for her wit, humor, and substantial writing skills.
      Nick Cohon arrived over a week ago and will be involved in all garden and orchard areas. He plays a mean, old time banjo and comes with some previous farm experience. We are grateful for their youthful energy and enthusiasm toward farming. Please get to know them or invite them for a visit as the season progresses.
Don't hesitate to call or e-mail us with any questions that you may have about shares, costs, drop points, or farm pickup. E mail: pvcsawco @rof.net; 970-876-2850.
      Our web site at peachvalleycsa.com, currently has available all our 2006  information, subscription forms, calendars, maps, farm pictures and much more. We hope this will be a good resource for anyone needing  information throughout the season. Season registration can be done on line if you desire.
      This will be our last mailer before the summer season begins. (We'll call you before the first delivery.)  It is an exciting time as we anticipate a full and productive year. We are grateful for all of you who continue to support this effort through work and share purchases. Don't be left out of the good food season!

Toward a bounteous harvest and a peaceful world,
Kenny, Gail, and the Farm Crew