Hello CSA Members,
Lately I can feel the shift in seasons all around at Featherstone Farm. The harvesters are starting to pick the last group of watermelon and cantaloupe and and we are making plans to start picking winter squash over the next couple of weeks! Farmers are always a little ahead of most of the world when it comes to the change of seasons. We always have to plan for what’s to come next, no matter what season we are in. It is most exciting in the winter to dream of spring, but fall is my favorite time of year and it holds its own charms for a farmer. The nights and mornings get cool, which is a welcome shift from the heat of the summer. We begin to harvest bins of winter squash, and later crops like beets and carrots to store for winter. It’s rewarding to know that our hard work will continue to feed your families all winter long!
One of our winter squash fields, ready for harvest!
This week we spent a lot of time cleaning up already harvested fields to make way for cover crops. We have had some long and dusty days, but for good reason. Cover crops have many benefits for soil health and in turn future crops. They greatly reduce erosion, reduce weed pressure, and add nutrients to the soil. Just as farmers are always looking to the next season, we are also looking further into the future. We are aware that the work we do now will continue to have ripple effects for many years into the future.
As the season shifts into fall, I hope you and yours find enjoyment in the changing season and continue to enjoy the food we grow for you. We are thankful to be trusted to grow your food; it is both a responsibility and a gift to care for the land and the health of our local community through farming.
Be well,
Stephanie Rock Nerby
Vine Crop Manager
