Well, the first week of the CSA is upon us! Are you ready? We're excited to pretty much end all our market sales and focus on feeding our CSA tribe! In past seasons, we juggled CSA and farmer's markets but with COVID-19, we're going all in with CSA bringing on Harvie and learning the logistics of custom pre-boxing your orders!
Honestly, Sheri and I are pretty nervous about the whole deal. We know you are depending on us and we don't want to let you down. We've capped the CSA and we have literally hundreds of people who are begging to join. So, consider yourselves part of the elite Redfearn Farm CSA members!
This first couple weeks will be the most difficult for us because we are transitioning from indoor tunnel production to outdoor crops. That cold snap last week set some crops back a week or two as well. We'll get through it. We always do. For you new members, just know that we will be greens and roots heavy the first several weeks because the warm season fruiting crops are not yet producing.
If you haven't already joined our Private CSA Facebook group, you need to do it! Our incredible members and our incredible Cooking Coach Robin share all kinds of exciting ideas for using our seasonal produce! This is the time of year when you really might need the help because, this is NOT when all the familiar summer crops are coming in but when the new and unusual stuff is in full swing. So, get connected and reach out for help! There will also be recipe links in your customized Harvie email once your box is finalized so you can get ideas for everything in your box.
Since we are all new to Harvie, let me take a minute to explain how things are going to work. This email will have your custom curated box that Harvie has created just for you based upon your preferences (remember me suggesting you go in there and rate them?). Each week, Harvie uses your preferences and our harvest estimates to build you your share. You should see in this email exactly what Harvie picked for you. Now, there's a button to swap out items.
If you like your share the way Harvie built it, you don't have to do anything, but if you'd like to modify it, you can hit the "swap items" button. Here are really good instructions on how to do this that I'd encourage you to read.
You'll have until 8:00AM Tuesday to make any changes you'd like to your share contents. After that, it locks down and we get the final pick list so we can go out in the fields and start harvesting for your shares. Once we pick and pack everything, you'll get another email with your final share contents and your pickup location details.
When you go to your pickup site, we'll be there (except for Friday self-serve) with your particular box labeled with your name and contents. Just come on up, give us your name (Hard to recognize everyone with masks these days) and we'll find your particular box and set it out for you. The items in the box will be pre-bagged in a large plastic bag (I know, hate the plastic use, but we think it's the safest way right now). You can then grab the bag out of the box and go. It's that simple!
FRIDAY SELF-SERVE NOTE: For this pickup, your labeled box will be in the shed type walk in cooler to the left of the house. Just open the door and look for the plastic crate with your name on it. Grab the bag from inside the plastic crate and set the empty crate outside the cooler and make sure to close the cooler door all the way.
Super excited to get to know you better this year! We have never before felt more passionate about growing great food!
During this crisis so many more meals are being prepared at home and we are proud to help make that possible at your home!
We're in this together! Let the 2020 CSA journey begin!
Your farmers,
Dave and Sheri
We are really proud to be your farmers! We hope you
