The weather has been very mild so we are expecting many plantings of cool weather crops to do well. Our chicks had arrived and are doing well for out CSA meat program. The rain the last two days interrupted the planting of some more spring cover crops. The green house has a bountiful amount of chard, kale, bunching onions, spinach, carrots, beets, greens, raab and lettuce. I will incorporate a cover crop also known as green manure into a planting bed within the greenhouse today. Next week we will plant the tomatoes for the Spring CSA, in that newly prepared bed.
What a boring winter, I love walking into the greenhouse and seeing so much GREEN!
Community Supported Agriculture aka C.S.A. Membership Information
MEMBERS Name: _______________________________________________
Address: ________________________________________________________
E-Mail: _________________________________________________________
Phone: _________________________________________________________
Payment/Share Schedule:
Spring Trimester
Week of May 7 to June 25 ( 8 Weeks) Cost $ 120.00
Summer Trimester *Bonus Bucks Eligible
Week of July 2 to September 3 ( 10 Weeks) Cost: $ 180.00
Fall Trimester *Bonus Bucks Eligible
Week of September 10 to November 12 ( 10 Weeks) Cost: $ 180.00
Winter CSA **** expanded, but still limited membership****
Week of November 19 to December 17 (5 weeks) Cost $ 90.00
Full 33 Week Season: Paid in advance: save 5% (value $ 570.00) Cost $ 540.00
Healthy Months * for Students and Couples *Bonus Bucks Eligible
(10 shares over 20 weeks) July 2 to November 5 Cost $ 180.00
Meat and Poultry Shares* (Chicken, Muscovy Duck and/or Pork)
**Custom dates and requirements ***separate document
*payment in full is expected one month prior to the start date of each program to reserve share.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
CSA Member Pledge: Heritage Homestead will make every effort to ensure that each member receives their weekly share ( approximate amounts – Summer 6-10 lb.. and Fall 10 – 15 lb. ) on the appointed delivery date and time. Each member is responsible for pick up at the appointed time and location. If circumstances arise that you are unable to pick up your share, the member must make arrangements to pick up the share the next day at another standard pick up location. Any share not received will be passed on to those in need. Members acknowledge that this program shares both the benefits of working with your local farmer, but also the risks. A productive season will bring many varieties and quantities of fruits and vegetables. The member also acknowledges the inherent risk of farming, such as severe weather, disease and crop failure. Every effort will be made to supply each member with the appropriate share for each weeks delivery. Should some unexpected or catastrophic event occur no refunds will be made.
HERITAGE HOMESTEAD
Community Supported Agriculture:CSA’s have become a focus point to help you know your food, farmer and have a sense of security concerning food issues. Participation in a CSA helps you feel good about where and how food was grown. It provides someone that you have a personal relationship with who cares about your food the way you would want. When you shop at the local mega mart, you might wonder where that fruit or vegetable had come from, how many “food miles” did it travel, when was it picked, how long did it sit on a loading dock exposed to various elements, was it forced to ripen in a food vault, was the farmer treated ethically? A CSA allows you to know your farmer, know your food and partner with them to meet your expectations. CSA’s aren’t a retail operation, they are a cooperative venture, a partnership and sometimes a friendship with the folks who grow your food. Some CSA’s allow members to work on the farm helping to grow their own food, while off setting their costs.
Heritage Homestead aka Brian and Debby:We began raising our own vegetables 33 years ago, just after the birth of our first child. Concerned for the safety and welfare of our four children we expanded our garden each year. Now we supply our children and their children with wholesome, nutritious fruit and vegetables. Now days, they arrive here at various times of the year and help us with storage and canning. Extra hands are always a good thing! Two years ago, we planted an orchard of fruit trees. Twenty four different varieties of apples, several varieties of pears and cherry trees. We continue to improve our plantings of raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and strawberry plants. We have 250 Asparagus plants. This year we added a new flock of laying hens for those who love fresh eggs. Our melons, (featured in an article of the Watertown Times) we were a huge hit at the farmers markets; many admirers said that they had never had such a tasty melon: that’s right, and it wasn’t shipped from Peru, China or Mexico! We wait all winter long for the fresh greens and salads of Spring and Summer. It’s SPRING….here come the goodies!
We continue to grow our fruits and vegetables the same way that we have for our family. We aren’t Certified Organic but we grow things the same way. As we don’t ship our products to corporations we haven’t felt the need to expend money and time to meet those guidelines. That money and time ultimately converts into costs, that are passed on to the consumer. We don’t use petrol-chemical fertilizers, toxic herbicides or insecticides. Most of our farming supplies come from Martin’s Supply here in St. Lawrence County. Ask us about our Hi Brix farming methods.
Heritage Homestead
4052 County Route 10
De Peyster, NY 13633 Email: SafeFarmFresh@Gmail.com
NOFA Farmer Pledge member, Garden Share Bonus Bucks Supporter
Seedlings started for the greenhouse, Seed orders are in. New tunnel being ordered. CSA surveys are in. A boring winter, I’m looking forward to some green landscape and some warm weather!
We are prepping the fields for cover crops as quickly as we can. The raspberries look as if they are slowing down. Melons, summer squash, and Cukes have tailed off also. The replants in the greenhouse are looking great, picking the lima beans today. Wow, those bell peppers are a brilliant red!
September 15th and it’s possible to have some frost tonight. I have to pick for the CSA program today and prepare for the worst. Last year there were calls for 34 degree nights in September, but it never fell below 40. The hoop house is planted for the CSA program and I will do some succession planting in the next bed today also. Shipping more bushels of tomatoes. melons and potatoes tomorrow also.
We sure would like some sunny weather to finish off the tomatoes, melons, peppers and eggplant. Prepping the fields for the fall with cover crops. Replanting the greenhouse for fall crops and installing the row covers in the field to kick the fall crops in gear.
…that I can recently remember. We need some sun to ripen up the tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and melons. The cherry tomatoes, peppers, green and yellow wax beans are flying off the stand and the farmers market table. The red potatoes are now ready, and their skin is a vibrant red, a box of them is stunning. The fall plantings and succession plantings are almost done. The Fingerling Potatoes are coming up this week, I can’t wait to serve them for our dinner, let alone bringing them to market!
Melons are coming now, the first sets are ripening and are sure to please. Cherry tomatoes are in full production and the Tomatoes and Canning Tomatoes are coming nicely! We’ve had a lack of rain, but our drip irrigation is compensating for that. The farmers market is a wonderful chance to meet some new folks and to catch up with our customers. Peppers are popping : ) The CSA folks just got some of the best peppers we have ever grown! Beautifully formed, thick walled, visually appealing and absolutely delicious!!! Eggplants are due next week. Stay tuned!
