Hello Friends,
Normally I send out multiple videos throughout the season via the ESF youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ4exoDfXX4vPM9xJf8VNdQ
but this year I have had trouble uploading them in a timely manner, so here we are again.
This will be the last CSA delivery this year and the final CSA delivery for a long time to come for Earth Spring. Community Supported Agriculture has been how I started farming professionally since 2002 in Austin, Texas at a small farm called Oasis Gardens. Oasis was a 6 acre farm in the city of Austin that was mostly a very dedicated group of hands-on "work shares" who helped me to hand seed, plant, weed and pick beautiful harvests from the central Texas soils down where Boggy Creek meets the Colorado River in Texas. Oasis was where Diem and I met and where Sage was born in a little stone cottage that I built with friends. And it was where Diem and I dreamed our future of having a wellness center on a farm someday out there..... Fast forward to today and we moved to Pennsylvania to be closer to family, hers in Harrisburg and mine in NY. Diem has a successful Acupuncture practice from our home on the farm and I am working, sometimes within shouting distance from the back door, on the farm. Our dream is reality with an incredible amount of our energy and effort and with a huge input from our family and friends in the community, be they here in PA, NY or DC and beyond. The CSA model has been a unique way to connect with people from all over the world (you all are from all over the world) as has been our farm stand on the farm and the market in DC. I have been getting sentimental packing the CSA boxes the past few weeks especially reading the name of you who have been members for many years now.
The future of the farm is being designed around more time with the kids and Diem. We have been looking at some other farms and how they operate within the boundaries of sanity to make a lifestyle that offers some flexibility during the summer months. CSA requires a high level of logistics that in tune requires a level of attention that doesn't necessarily allow for family time during the summer months. Other than that one little point, I would be CSA farming forever!
Anyway, growing the farm store will be a top priority as well as developing larger wholesale contracts with buyers from DC, Baltimore and Philadelphia fro the next 10 years.
Thank you to all of you who have been with me just this year or from the beginning. The farm, it's land, it's strutters and name couldn't have been possible without your belief and sustained contributions to the model that make Community Supported Agriculture work.
Remember: This week you will have until Wednesday morning to make your order and the delivery date are different - not the usual Friday pickup and Saturday delivery, we will be hosting pickup on Monday 11/19 and delivery to DC will be on 11/20 next week.
Turkey orders: This is your last chance to order through ESF: only mediums and larges are left now, and the prices will range from around $50 to $100 depending on the final weight.
Email me by 11/14 Wednesday, this Wednesday and I can have one ready for you.
Thanks and talk soon!
Farmer Mike
