Hi Everyone,
As we enter the second half of April, we are thankful for the “regular” Michigan weather we’ve been getting. The warm-ish, mostly sunny days, and the cool nights feel normal. Nature is such a great teacher, reminding us to take things one day at a time and enjoy the variety that each day offers.
As we are planning for our first CSA pickup (for the members that signed up for a 30 week share) to be Saturday May 01, just 13 days from now; we are getting supplies ready and thinking about the details that we need to take care of to help keep things smooth.
We have decided to use reusable plastic totes instead of waxed boxes. We made this decision as wax boxes are only reusable so few times, and are a challenge to sanitize. With the plastic totes, the useful life should be extensive; and they can be effectively sanitized and cleaned between uses.
Each member’s shares will be packed into totes and brought to the pick-up location each week. We ask that everyone please bring back their empty tote as you come to pick up each week’s share. We are planning on having 2 totes per member, so bringing back the empty ones is crucial.
A few notes on produce storage:
It is highly recommended for everyone to plan to go directly from picking up your shares, back home and putting the produce away as immediately as possible.
We will pack all produce either into plastic bags or into fiber pint or quart baskets. Everything in a plastic bag should go into the refrigerator, and everything in a fiber basket can be left on the counter (out of direct sunlight). The bags help preserve the freshness and moisture of the produce, and the fiber basket allows produce to breathe. Our intention is to use our produce knowledge to help you, and keep it simple at the same time.
A few notes on what to expect in your shares and other details:
Our intention is for the CSA shares to provide a good value in terms of quantity, as well as be truly exceptional quality produce. Each box will contain a diverse range of peak-season produce, varying over the course of the season. We partner with other local farms in creating our CSA shares.
The weekly newsletter will list what items will be in each box, each week. We are working on finding the best day to send the newsletter. We are balancing giving as much advance notice with being fully accurate. As the season progresses this will be easier. In the Spring it can be more challenging because of the impact the changing weather can have on when produce is ready for harvest. We will find a good rhythm as we go.
The newsletter will also list what farms each item came from. In addition to produce from our farm, we are currently planning on working with 2 other local farms that are growers we respect and can rely on. Cinzori Farms of Ceresco and Gardenworks of Ann Arbor. We are thankful to each of them for working with us, and trust that it will help ensure that each week’s CSA share is the absolute best it can be.
Here is the schedule we are planning on currently. We are expecting a few inches of snow on Tuesday night… If anything changes, we will send an update.
· 30 week shares being May 1st
· 26 week shares to begin May 15th
· 20 week shares to begin May 29th.
If you don’t remember what membership duration you signed up for, or want to add weeks, or make any adjustments, or have any questions at all, please feel free to reach out to us.
We hope everyone has a great week!
Warm Regards,
Adam and the Country Valley Farm Team
Visit us on Instagram @countryvalleyfarm and see pictures from the farm.