Howdy! It's another week on the farm in what always feels like a whirlwind of a summer season.
Farm News
This week brought dry wind, hard rain, and hot hot heat.We're in irrigation mode, making sure we keep things healthy. We did see some drying out of leaves from the hot, dry wind and the extreme heat of last week, but overall crops enjoyed the boost of sunshine and grew a lot. We should have a bit more variety to choose from this week.
We added one member to our team, Miguel, and we look forward to getting to know him. We also said goodbye to our son, Eli, who is off the farm for the rest of July. He was invited to a training camp as an athlete for volleyball Alberta, and this Saturday we found out that he made Team Alberta! This is a huge accomplishment for him and a dream come true. Wish him luck as he plays with his new teammates against other provincial teams in the Canada Cup next week. We'll keep you posted on how they do!
We hope your vegetables were good this past week, and that you can taste the difference that seasonal and local make. When I stopped in to Costco yesterday to pick up our youngest from a sleepover, I was astonished at how busy it was. It made me value your patronage even more because you could choose big box stores to get your produce! Choosing our farm is maybe counterintuitive, but I believe it is an act of hope. Our farm is not subsidized in any way, and our produce is not cheap as a result. But it is grown with soil care at the forefront, and with a vision for a food system that is authentic and sustainable.
Farm Tour
We've set dates for the farm tours this year! Mark your calendars for Wednesday, July 31 from 6:30 - 8:30, and Sunday, Sept. 15 from 10 - 12. We'll share with you how we grow your produce - you'll be able to see our regenerative & organic practices as well as the facility we use for washing and storage, and you'll be able to ask us any questions. Farm tours are a great opportunity to strengthen this little community that we have built together.
Our oldest, Silas, managing weeds in the squash and corn.
vegetable flowers!
Ranunculus blooms! It's my first year growing them, after having become obsessed with painting pictures of them last year.
Irrigation mode!
On Monday mornings, James and I walk through all of our fields. We talk about what has to be done, how to do it, what can be harvested and how much we can harvest for the farm box and for markets.
REMINDERS AND GENERAL TIPS/INFORMATION
Have questions about your Harvie account and how to navigate Harvie? Here is a link to the many help documents that Harvie has compiled for you: https://harvie.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/categories/115000048773-Harvie-University-Members
What To Do if You Are Away
You have three options:
1) BEST OPTION - Reschedule your share. This is our recommended option because it means you get your full value. We suggest rescheduling your share to a week near the end when you will get more storage-friendly items that will last longer, though you're welcome to reschedule to any date that works best for you. When you reschedule, you will get double your share for the week.
2) Cancel your share for the week. This can be managed on your Harvie account page. It must be done before the Wednesday morning cutoff time of 6 a.m. The disadvantage here is that you lose whatever you have invested into that share. So if you've paid 50%, then you forfeit that amount.
3) Have someone else pick up for you. In our experience, friends assigned this job sometimes forget, so just give them a friendly reminder!
Location Options and Info
King's University (East Edmonton) Friday pickups, 12-4, some flex if you have to come later. We will not retrieve any shares left here. Also, the main entrance is different than previous years. You will have to enter on the east side of Kings.
Breadlove Artisan Bakery (St. Albert) Saturday pickups, 10-2, no flex & closed on Sunday. We will not retrieve shares left here.
Awn Kitchen (Southwest Edmonton) Saturday pickups, 10-2, no flex. James will be here handing out your shares.
Uproot Food Collective (Central Edmonton)
Saturday pickups, 10-2, some flex, but let's respect the hours as best we can.
Strathcona Farmer's Market (Edmonton) Saturday pickups, 8-3, no flex.
The Butcher Block (Sherwood Park) Saturday pickup, 9:30-4, some flex, open till 5.
Get Real Natural (Fort Saskatchewan) Saturday pickup, 10-5, no flex
Sundog Organic Farm (near Gibbons) Saturday, 9-2, flexible
A few more tips in case you haven't read them yet...
*When picking up your bin at King's, Awn, Breadlove, Butcher Block, Get Real Natural or the farm, please make sure that you are getting the bin with your name on the label as we don't have anyone handing out the correct veggie boxes. We want to make sure that everyone gets the correct bin!
*Make sure that you set your preferences on your Harvie account. This ensures that you receive boxes tailored to you. Save the 5 star rating for things that you really love and don't give everything 5 stars because that skews the algorithm that the software relies on for building the boxes.
*Take advantage of the swapping and adding extras to further customize your shares! Remember to do it before Wednesday morning, 5:00 a.m.(basically Tuesday night unless you are a very early riser). Sometimes popular items sell out really quickly, so if you miss your chance on Monday, try again later on Tuesday after more customizing. Sometimes things that you want get put back on the options list.
If you miss the swap deadline, we can no longer make changes for you. We've tried to accommodate late requests in the past, but it's a lot of extra administration for us.
*Let us know if you ever want help navigating Harvie. You can send in a note via your Harvie account, or email us directly at jamesandjenny@sundogorganicfarm.ca. If it is a more urgent concern, call us at 780-447-3025 or 780-974-6249. We are here for you!
We hope you enjoy your shares this week. Stay cool and take care<3
Jenny, James and crew
