As we hear stories and see first hand how our conventional food distribution system is being particularly challenged right now - produce rotting in fields unharvested, industrial meat processing lines being shut down, and the resulting limited selection at many grocery stores - it feels mighty good to part of a more resilient, localized, decentralized food system. We're proud to offer the freshest foods and pasture raised meats, all delivered without having to set foot in a grocery store. Consider one of our summer CSA shares - delivered weekly or biweekly from June to October - if you'd like to lock in some of your groceries this summer. Food security never tasted so good!
But it gets better than just fresh. With Bayfield Foods, it's not just fresh, it's local - food that is hand made and home grown right here in the Northwoods. Our local economies have been hard hit by closures and distancing, and making the conscious decision to purchase locally and support small farms and businesses has never been more important! The small businesses we support now are the ones that will remain after the dust settles from these trying times, and as a cooperative of 18 local farms and food producers, we'd like to sincerely thank you for your support. We're honored to be your farmers.
Here on our farm, we've been ramping up for spring planting. Believe it or not, these gorgeous tomatoes are headed out into the soil in the next few days inside one of our hoophouses. While they would never survive if planted outside right now (the ground was frozen this morning!) the extra protection offered by a hoophouse is enough to let them not only survive, but to thrive. And if it does get really cold again, we can put a portable heater in there for the night to keep the tomatoes happy until the sun comes back out.
To get ready for all those tomatoes to go in the ground, the kids and I have been putting our new broad fork to use, "tilling" hoophouse beds for planting, and I really like how it works. Previously, we used to use a regular walk-behind tiller for this task. However, after years of use, it began to take a toll on the soil in our hoophouses. All that tillage - spinning the soil to break it up for planting - had reduced the earthworm population dramatically, was creating a "hard pan" of soil at the bottom depth of the tiller tines that roots were having difficulty breaking through, and the structure of the soil aggregate had been tilled from nice rich coffee grounds into dust. After retiring the tiller and switching to manually forking the beds to prepare and loosen them for planting, the earthworms came back (they weren't getting all ground up in those tiller tines!), soil aggregate returned, and the hard pan was broken up - plant roots could get down deep where they belonged. This spring, we upgraded our digging tools from little digging forks to this big blue beast called a broad fork, which loosens a 32" wide swath of soil deeply and gently by stepping on the center bar, then pulling back on the handles. I won't lie - it's much more physically demanding work than steering a tiller. But like most things, we lose quality when we create shortcuts to go faster. It's been good exercise, and the boys and I can rotate when one of us gets tired. As organic farmers, we see first hand how important it is to take good care of our soil.
In addition to a huge selection of pasture raised meats, Lake Superior fish, home grown/home ground whole wheat flour (and so much more!) we've got a great crop of our Great Oak Farm organic spinach to offer this week for your farm stand boxes. Also, Melissa at Wild Hollow Farm said she can offer a very limited amount of fresh tulip bouquets for availability in the farm stand boxes as well. Remember, quantities in the farm stand store are selected on a first-come, first-served basis, so don't wait to build your box in order to get the best selection.
Once again, on behalf of all of us farmers in the Bayfield Foods cooperative, we are humbled by your continued support. We're all in this together, and we WILL get through this together! Stay safe, and be well.
Yours in community,
Chris Duke
Farmer, Great Oak Farm
CSA Manager, Bayfield Foods CSA
