Hello! And welcome to the official start of the CSA season! Welcome back to all of our returning members, you guys know the drill - it's time to customize your boxes for your pick up next week. Welcome to all of our new members and thank you for deciding to try out a season with our farm. Community Supported Agriculture is not the cheapest, fastest or most convenient way to get food (altho we try really hard on all of those points!!), but instead is valued for the quality of food that you get - the nutritious and super fresh produce, a connection with the farmers who grew the food, and a connection to your community as you meet other CSA members and pick up either at the market or on farm. So kudos to you for trying out something new, we hope it exceeds your expectations.
The season is just beginning, but we've been busy at the farm for months now preparing. This past week included much planting (lots of salad, scallions, celery, tomatoes, beets and more) as well as cultivating, harvesting, washing, packing and going to market. We've wrapped up a lot of pre-season projects that we try to fit in to make the year more productive and efficient. Finishing and planting the tunnel above was one of the big ones.
So, down to business, what's this about customizing?? If you're happy with your box as is, then we'll see you at your pick up. But if you'd like to 'tinker' with the contents of your box, then click the link and tinker away. You're able to swap even more freely than in the past (i.e. farm produce for much of what was previously extras), you can add on to your box, or you can double up on items that you want more of. A word of caution, especially to those new to the CSA, this is just week NUMBER 1. And we've had a very cold Spring in NW Montana, that's another way of saying that we don't have much variety available yet. So you'll notice that the options are mostly green right now. That will change rapidly as we start to have more and more crops come online. That's the essence of being a CSA member -- understanding that Spring is very green and limited, but looking forward to the many colors and bounty of mid-summer and fall. We'll get there!
So, what else is available should you wish to tinker?
- Farm Fresh eggs from the Miller Farm
- Mixed daffodil bouquets from Dragon's Breath Farm
- Bread and Bagels from The Gracious Table
- Honey from McLaury Apiaries
- Lots of plant starts from our own farm: tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, kale, cilantro and wonderful 'Spring Garden' packs that contain several crops that you can plant right now (broccoli, cabbage & cauliflower).
- Our fabulous new Hoot Owl Farm tee-shirts. If you choose to get a shirt, then you can let us know what color and size you'd like at your pick up. We have cream and green available in adult sizes S-3XL, and yellow available in kids S-L. The shirts were designed by our very good family/friends and fellow CSA members Jodi & Brady Turk -- thanks guys!
** Some of the extras are available in limited quantities, so if you don't see what you're looking for as an option when you customize your box, then that means that it's no longer available as another member grabbed it up first. That's one reason why some All-Star CSA members like to customize as soon as they get their email for maximum options. ***
We look forward to seeing you all at pick up. Let us know if you have any questions or issues as you navigate week #1!
Cheers, Bonnie & Rudy
