Availability for May 10

It looked going in that I’d spend most of this weekend working inside as the gardens got some much needed rain. We did get some Friday night, but the rest of the weekend was just perfect for getting things done outside. The beds got weeded, drip hoses got laid out, the veggies that never recovered from the freeze got ripped out (and in some cases replanted), and the summer veggies started going in. We usually get a late frost the second week of May, but it looks like it’ll only get to the low 40s. So, in went about 60 heirloom tomato plants (about 30 different varieties), eggplant, cucumbers, squash, and beans. I started with my favorite bean (“Kentucky Wonder”) but I’ve got six other heirloom pole beans to try that different people have suggested to me. We’ll see if any of them can de-throne the Kentucky Wonders (and really, I don’t see how they possibly could).

We’ve got many, many new offerings this week. Too many to list here, but the “New Products” gizmo on the website does a pretty good job of showing off the goods. We have many heirloom lettuces, several fresh herbs, flower bouquets, zucchini, broccoli, and more. Cedar Grove Farm returns from winter this week with eight items. There’s 15 pounds of spinach offered (and really, that’s a lot of spinach). The list goes on.

There are five new “products” listed that aren’t products at all. Under the “Event Reservations” category, you’ll find listings for the five farm tours we have scheduled for this summer. It really helps our planning if you could reserve your spots (and in fact, spots are limited!), so if you plan on coming to any or all of them, just add the appropriate number of reservations to your order. The first tour is Saturday, May 19th at Two Swallows Farm in Comer. In general, the schedule for the tours are 10-noon group work sessions, then lunch on the farm (provided for all our volunteer farmers-for-the-day), followed by the tour itself. I’ve also added “Farm Tours” to the grower listings page, so our tour coordinator, Marc Tissenbaum, can keep us all updated on the details.

I spoke today with a neighbor of Milky Way Dairy. The fellow there, Mac, has been raising pastured hens for eggs for five years, and he’s looking for a market. “I’ve got just the place,” I told him, and starting next week you’ll find his eggs listed through Locally Grown. We’re always short on eggs in a big way, and he’ll be able to add 30 dozen or so to our listings each week. The hens are pastured, and he supplements with a grain mix he makes himself, including oats that he grows and a certified organic mineral mix. The more eggs we have available, the more demand there is, so we’re very glad to have Mac aboard. If you’ve tried any of the pastured eggs we offer, you’ll know why.

And, speaking of Milky Way Dairy, last week’s milk run had our pickup truck at (really beyond) capacity. We’ve run the numbers, and it looks like we can justify driving out to the dairies every week instead of twice a month. So, this will be the last week without dairy. We’ll go to Milky Way next week and the week after, and then starting June 7th we’ll alternate between Split Creek/Diamond Hill and Milky Way.

Even then, it won’t take much more growth before our pickup will be inadequate. Most folks think a refrigerated truck is the next step up, but at the Georgia Organics conference, visiting speaker Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm in Virginia turned us on to the small buses often used by churches and senior centers. Turns out those places buy them new every ten years or so, maintain them perfectly, and then have problems selling them when it’s time for a new one. Joel now uses one for his farm’s deliveries, and it sounds like just the thing. I’m not sure we could afford one even at the rock bottom prices they go for, but if you belong to a church or group with one who is either looking to sell (or even lease) one, have them get in touch with us.

I think I’ve gone on for far long enough, so on to the food! Thanks so much for all your support, and please continue to tell your friends. The more customers we have, the more growers we have, and the more our community as a whole benefits. We’ll see you Thursday, from 4:30 to 7pm at Gosford Wine!