We made it! Thank you for participating in our very first winter farm share. I think this season set a new precedent for our season extension abilities. This week, we will offer a superb lettuce mix, and all the usual suspects from the past several weeks like carrots, radishes, and bok choy. Since you will not be getting a full share next week, it's a good time to load up on extra vegetables. These cool weather weather crops will continue production past our expectations, so let me take a moment to tell you about an idea Kaden and I discussed this week.
Between February 19th and April, we will continue pick ups and deliveries with a "Salad Share". Each week, salad share recipients can choose from a salad and shoots mix, lettuce mix, mesclun mix, microgreens mix, and a root crop like carrots or radishes. We will continue to carry extras like honey, eggs, jam, and hot sauce. The cost of the shares will be reduced to $22, and the weights will be adjusted so that you will get at least 4-5 vegetables. I will finish creating the season tonight, then Harvie will have to spend some time creating the season. Emails will be sent to all of you when the season opens next week. Those on auto-renew will be automatically signed up.
In April, we will begin our full farm share season. The season will run for 13 weeks, from the first week of April until the last week of June. I'm really excited about all of the different vegetables we will have growing for yall! We have already planted lots of leafy greens and roots, plus we have started tomatoes, kale, collards, napa cabbage, purple broccolini, and more bok choy! I'm also looking forward to all of the sugar snap peas, green beans, squash, butterbeans, and all the abundance that comes with Spring! I'm going to be opening the Spring farm shares in the next few weeks. When you register for the season before it starts, it really helps us with the crop plan and growing exactly what we need.
To every single person who became a member after the farm share season began, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. We started the season with not as many members as we had in the Spring. However, we had a really successful membership drive in January and I'm excited to say that on the last week of this season's farm shares, we are harvesting for more shares than ever before. Please know that choosing to buy your vegetables from our farm has made such an impact on the success of our future seasons. While I'm creating this delivery, Kaden is with the work crew, setting up a well for our new irrigation system. We would not have been able to afford that investment without all of you who joined after December. It is going to allow us to bring water to our new field block, which increases the size of our farm by 40%!
This farm share season also allowed us to purchase organic certified soil amendments, which were delivered yesterday! Things are starting to busy around here! I mean, not like it hasn't been busy-in January we sold more vegetables than we ever have. Between the days of row cover, harvest, and deliveries, I noticed a big shift in my mindset. For the first time since 2017, I started thinking "can we grow enough vegetables to meet demand?" instead of "can we sell all the vegetables we grew?". That is a priceless feeling. Our biggest initial hurdle to entering full time farming was finding a customer base. Few restaurants care to source local food, food distributors pay pennies on the dollar, our part time farming had reduced our social capital with a farmers choice pay-up-front CSA, and farmers markets were not consistent. Thus, we decided that the direct to consumer business model made sense for our operation and location. Key features like customization, pick up locations, and vegetable selection would not be where they are today without honest feedback from our members.
Attached below is a link to an end of season survey. I had to right click and open it in a new tab. It should take just a few minutes to complete. Surveys provide us with invaluable information on how to make your farm share experience better every season. Perfection is a a lofty goal, however we strive each day to grow the highest quality vegetables, and ensure that you can access the local food you want, easily and conveniently. Your answers are anonymous. Yes, it is the same survey as above, I just wanted it to be the first thing folks saw in the happening.
Thank you all for making local food part of your new year in 2022. I'm just ecstatic that we persevered through the winter. Louisiana might not get very cold, but we experience cold fronts with drastic temperature differences that absolutely destroy crops. I know several local farms who lost almost all of their crops at the beginning of January. Just wild. It's hard to find a dang word besides grateful to describe how much appreciate every single one of you for believing in us, and supporting our farm this season. Stop on by for a visit sometime!
Have a wonderful Valentine's day!
Your farmer,
Conrad Cable
