Greetings CSA Members! Your CSA box next week will be packed on the autumnal equinox—September 22nd—a date that marks the official end of summer and beginning of fall. As we transition from the end of the growing season to the peak of fall harvest activities at Featherstone Farm we are finally witnessing the results of months of diligent planning and hard work for some of our most important crops.
The first succession of our storage carrots began leaving the ground last week aboard our new carrot harvester and afterwards they were met by our new wash line in the warehouse. These are two big investments this season that will make harvesting and washing carrots more pleasant for us Featherstonians.
Also in the realm of root vegetables, we have unearthed and greeted most of our beet crop and began harvesting some turnips. Much of our 14 acres of winter squash has left the fields and now resides in the oak bins where they will be cured and stored until they are distributed to the CSA and wholesale accounts over the coming months. The beauty and diversity of the winter squash varieties we grow provides a welcome distraction from the arduous task of harvesting the squash!
A sure sign that summer has drawn to a close is the fact that we had our final harvest of heirloom and slicer tomatoes last week. We will, however, continue to harvest cherry tomatoes until the first frost. The first frost will also spell doom for our other nightshades (the eggplants, bell peppers and chilis), while the cooler temperatures simultaneously bring relief to our brassica crops (including kale, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower).
I’m already feeling a bit nostalgic about this summer as the shorter days, cooler nights, and hints of yellow on the wooded hillsides remind me that autumn has arrived. Mid-April, when I began working at Featherstone, seems like eons ago. For me the last 5 months have been a whirlwind of new experiences as I explore the world of organic agriculture with the guidance of coworkers who have many decades of combined experience growing vegetables. Hired as a Horticulture Technician, I mostly work with the Field Production Team on a wide variety of tasks related to the propagation of our crops—especially seeding, transplanting, bed preparation, irrigation, and weed control. Recently I’ve also had the pleasure of stepping in on a substantial amount of the harvest efforts. As Stephanie, our Vine Crop Manager, plans on moving on to other opportunities back in her home state of Michigan this winter I am preparing to assume the management of her cucurbit crops (the melons, winter squash, cucumbers and zucchini) as well as strawberries. I look forward to continuing to grow (pun intended) my knowledge base as I learn how to manage these crops.
2020 has been a bizarre year in the world at large, and, from my understanding, an unusual year here at the Featherstone with an exceptionally hot and dry summer, some bumper crops, and the difficulties created by the coronavirus pandemic. Yet in these seemingly apocalyptic times I have found solace in the rhythms of work here at Featherstone. The satisfaction of watching our sweat equity and the land produce gifts of wholesome organic vegetables is something I will not tire of anytime soon.
I hope your CSA share brings you as much joy as I experience in the production of the vegetables that greet you every week.
Best,
Liam Bonk
Horticulture Technician at Featherstone Farm
