Clagett Farm

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We plan to use this weblog to post announcements, photos and other farm information periodically through the course of the season.  You can check this web site whenever you have the time and interest, or you can request that all new posts to this site be emailed to your inbox.  To do this, type in your email at the top left corner of this page, and click "Subscribe".  We do not have access to the names of people who have subscribed, so if you choose this option, it will be up to you to take your name off the list or add new emails as you prefer. 

Incidentally, some of us have had problems with the old subscription service, which inexplicably emailed us a series of old posts at random a couple of times.  If you're having that problem, you might wish to unsubscribe and then re-subscribe using the option that's here now. 

We will also offer you the option of receiving weekly emails telling you what is in your share, and what we might hope to have in your shares in the near future.  That information will not be posted here--it will be a different email subscription.  You can sign up for this weekly email by going to http://clagettfarm.org/mailman/listinfo/fromthegroundup_clagettfarm.org.  You will be asked to give your email address and a password of your choice.  If you signed up for this email last year, you will continue receiving it.  If you change your mind, you can unsubscribe from this same website.   You can also view archives of old emails, in case you want to check out what we offered in the shares last year.   

Your farmer,
Carrie

CSA full for 2008

Wow!  Our CSA shares filled up with lightening speed on Monday.  There's plenty of demand for more CSAs if there are any future farmers out there. 

If you'd like to be notified when we begin selling shares in 2009, click here.

There's a great directory of CSAs and farmers markets on the Local Harvest website (www.localharvest.org) if you're still looking for someplace to buy local produce.

A great start to our new season--thanks everyone!

   

2008 CSA shares now for sale to new members

We are beginning our sale of CSA shares for the 2008 season. 

Reserve your spot by signing up on-line: http://www.cbf.org/site/PageServer?pagename=act_sub_restoration_clagett_signup

Or by calling our office at 301-627-4662 between 10am and 3pm, Monday through Friday.

We have a limited number of shares which we will sell to the first people who sign up.  We will respond to all sign-ups within a few days to let you know if we have space to sell you a share.  To those who sign up in time, we will send an email asking for payment.  If we do not receive payment within 7 days of that request, we will offer the share to whoever might be next on the waiting list.

This is a new procedure for us, and we hope that it runs smoothly.  No option was perfect, but we hope it will give everyone, regardless of whether they choose to pay by check or credit card, and regardless of whether they choose to sign up on-line or by phone, a fair opportunity to buy a share. 
Thanks for your patience.

-the Clagett Farm crew

Member survey results, 2007

We got about 150 responses to the survey this year, which is terrific.  Thanks so much to all of you who took the time to do that for us. 

I can't possibly mention all of the helpful comments and ideas, so if any of you would like to read the responses in full and check out the statistical summary, you may do so for a short time through SurveyMonkey--at least until we end our subscription with them.  Just follow this link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/sr.aspx?sm=WF9PtUfWHv0paNfG5sxqjYejTbFc5fSet6AOYLQCJ_2bc_3d .

Here's some of the information we've learned:

• The average number adults that you believe a share typically fed in 2007 was 2.5 (the most common answer was 2). 

• 77% of you supplemented your share with other vegetables.  The top 10 items purchased were salad mix (especially in summer, and especially lettuce), onions, potatoes, tomatoes, corn, carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, winter squash, and fruit (I'm sure fruit would have ranked higher if we had not specifically asked only about vegetables).

• The vegetables you would most like to have received more of in your share were similar to those mentioned above, but also included beans, melons and strawberries.

• You were more united in the crops that you didn't want as much.  The top item by a long shot was eggplant (61% of you!), followed by okra, turnips, radishes, kale, summer squash, collards, bok choi, cucumbers and chile peppers.

It's worth noting that we planted 1.5 acres of sweet potatoes and harvested zero pounds, while we planted 0.2 acres of radishes and turnips and harvested about 8000 pounds.  So whether you're laughing or crying about this, at least you can rest assured we're right there with you. 

• It was fun to read which particular varieties of the crops we grew were your favorites.  We'll be following your guidance as we make our seed order in the next few weeks.  Top items mentioned were: lipstick peppers, spicy mix, all blue potatoes, bright lights chard, orient express eggplant, black prince tomatoes and royal burgandy beans.

• Most of you (74%) were satisfied with the recipes available to you.  We'll continue to fine tune how we share recipes, and work on recipes that fit the share as precisely as possible.  For those of you who mentioned you would like to know how to store the crops or that you need a more basic recipes for unfamiliar items, we recommend starting with From Asparagus to Zucchini, published by the Madison Area CSA Coalition.  We have copies on the farm we can sell you, or you can buy it inexpensively on-line.

• 74% of you were happy with the quality of your produce.  In fact it was the most commonly mentioned highlight of your shares.  But there were three items that  5% of you noted you did not eat because of quality problems: apples (buggy), tomatoes (soft or overripe) and broccoli (buggy).
  

• 92% of you found the staff helpful, informative and accomadating.  Your compliments of the staff and volunteers were very encouraging, and we would all like you to know that whatever helpfulness and good vibes that you got from us were the least that you deserve.   I don't know how conventional growers work as hard as they do without such supportive customers surrounding them.

• 15% of you noted the you-pick, especially of herbs and flowers, as one of the highlights of your membership, and 46% of you took advantage of the opportunity often, which is a big increase from years past.  Clearly the herb-flower bed has been a big hit, especially in a year when our most popular you-pick items--strawberries and tomatoes--were not producing very well.  Expect it to expand in the years to come.  It's a shame we cannot grow the same herb bed in the Dupont parking lot.  But we're trying to provide herb seedlings for your own balconies and urban gardens, and perhaps we can find a way to include fresh herbs more consistently in the Dupont share.  We also heard loud and clear that you still have trouble navigating the farm to find items in more distant fields.  We have a farm map that we will make more available, and we'll see what else we can do to make the experience easier.

• Almost unanimously, the most common suggestion for the pick-up sites was for more scales.  Got it.

• Most of you (85%) were satisfied with your communication with the farm.  But 14 of you mentioned that you would like to get your weekly email sooner, to tell you what will be in your share.  And 11 of you mentioned that you weren't able to get that email at all.  So we'll try to make that easier.

• 80% of you probably or definitely plan to buy a share again next year.  Great!  The most common response for your favorite aspects of the CSA was the quality and taste of the produce.  Other top reasons why you like being members are the fact that the food is fresh, local, organic, and you appreciate your connection to the farm and the friendly people involved.  Many of you also noted the wide selection of varieties, and that it encouraged you and/or your children to try new foods, eat more seasonably, and more vegetables in general.

• Of your least favorite aspects of the CSA, the most common reason was the inconvenience of the time and/or location of the pick-up site.  I would like to believe that someday there will be so many farmers' markets and CSAs that each of your neighborhoods will be conveniently served.  Currently, labor is the most expensive thing we buy, so making our distribution less efficient would increase the price of the share a great deal.  And yet your time is also your most valuable asset, so I empathize with you completely.  We will continue to make whatever minor adjustments we can that have the least effect on the price of your share, and you can continue to support CSAs, which will encourage more farmers to join us in serving you better. 

• It's worth mentioning the other two things that a significant number of you mentioned as your least favorite aspects of the CSA.  One is the drought and crop loss, which I also felt was the worst aspect of 2007.  Another 11% of you mentioned that you didn't get the mix of produce that you prefer (too much eggplant, not enough lettuce, etc.).  We will be increasing the price of the share in 2008, and part of that increase is because we need to increase the time and materials (such as irrigation supplies, and various fabrics to protect the plants and reduce weeds) we use to get a more consistent harvest from inconsistent weather and pest conditions.  We are mindful of our use of the Earth's precious resources, though, so we'll always have to bend our wishes to what the land can most easily provide.  We hope you'll continue to take that challenge with us.

Thank you all for supporting us in a year of challenges, for eating healthfully, for taking the time to appreciate good food, for being attentive stewards of the land and your community, and for your infectious joy.  Have a great new year!!

Yours truly,
Carrie Vaughn, and the rest of your admirers here at Clagett Farm

2007 Summary of Shares

Ever try to remember the name of a type of tomato that was in your share this year?  Or how many weeks we gave you potatoes?  This is the place to look.

We've created a chart that lists all of the varieties that we harvested (I did not include the ones we planted but failed in the drought).  And we've calculated how many weeks you received each crop, and the average amount you were offered of each crop over those weeks.  You can use Adobe Acrobat reader to view this file. 

Click here to download:
Record_of_2007_shares.pdf

We'll be asking you to fill out a survey, and sometimes it's hard to remember what you loved or missed back in June.  So this chart should help you remember what was in your share this year.

Hope you all had a terrific Thanksgiving!
-Carrie

(If you're having trouble with the link above, try pasting this in your web browser: http://cbf.typepad.com/clagett_farm/files/record_of_2007_shares5th_ed.pdf)

Quick schedule update

Here we are, in the midst of our final week of shares!  Honestly, when we were in the middle of this year's drought, I never thought we could make it all the way to the end of the season with reasonably-sized shares.  It feels like a miracle. 

Our last share pick up will be this Saturday, November 10.
Next week (probably Tuesday) we will be harvesting strictly for donation, mostly to Salvation Army and Reston Interfaith.  If you would like to join us, we would love your help.  We're not sure yet which days we will be harvesting, so if you'd like to make sure you are coming to help harvest rather than mulch garlic, give us a call first at 301-537-3038.  Next week we will also be emailing you a survey to find out what you liked and didn't about your shares this past year. 

Next weekend, beginning November 16, you are welcome to the farm to glean whatever remains in the fields. There will at least be lots of greens and herbs, and I have been told more than once by members in years past that they were eating salads from our farm's greens all the way through December.  Do you really want to get caught buying salad greens from the supermarket for Thanksgiving?  That would be silly.  We will post what's available on this weblog on November 15th, so feel free to check here if you would like to know in advance what you plan to pick before you come.  We'll post maps and signs around the farm to help you find what you're looking for.

Then the farm staff will take a much-needed break.  We'll resume making plans for next year, putting everything away for the winter, fixing up the new greenhouse, and lots of other chores after Thanksgiving.  Then Rob and I are expecting a baby in mid-January.  We're anticipating that this might delay when we send all of our returning members an invitation to sign up for 2008 shares.  So look for that in February.  New members will be invited to join by April.   Then 2008 shares will begin in mid-May! 

So that's the plan, at least.  We'll see you soon, I hope!

Your farmer,
Carrie

Would you like to deliver to Capitol Hill?

Our sad news to the current and future members in Southeast DC is that we will no longer be delivering to the Anacostia Farmers' Market after this year.  The farmers' market is ending, and we are using this as an opportunity to simplify our delivery schedule so we can focus more on growing great produce. 

This presents a terrific opening for someone who might wish to pick up a free share.  Consider coming to the farm each week during one of our regular pick-up times, bagging about a dozen shares, and then delivering all but your own to a home in the Capitol Hill area.  If the idea interests you, let us know and we'll chat about it further. 

-Farmer Carrie

Rain! Field update.

Hooray!  We've now had two good, soaking rains--one last Monday, and another yesterday.  Everyone's mood is lifted here.  But quite a bit of damage has already been done, and I thought it was worth another update.  I know this message is long, so if you want the summary: a lot of your crops died, life continues. 

• Sweet potatoes are gone.  They grew so slowly that they couldn't withstand the onslaught of deer that were recently displaced from the housing development next door.  I've never seen so many deer tracks in one field!  I don't think we'll get significant control over the deer population until this winter, so we replaced the crop in that field with a last minute planting of winter and summer squash, which they don't seem to like as much.
• About one third of the winter squash field (which includes pumpkins, butternuts, spaghetti squash, acorns, etc) germinated.  So what's there looks good, but the rest never came up because it was too dry.
  
• Our first two successions of sweet corn did not survive.  The third and fourth are ready this week.  They have substantially fewer ears than normal, but we're trying our best to get everyone one good ear. 
• We have two tomato fields.  One stopped producing completely for a while, and has now begun flowering again.  We were finally able to irrigate the second field, which has been plugging away like a champ. 
  
• I have been in awe of our summer squash fields.  Most years they are exceedingly susceptible to fungus and insect damage. We plant it five times so that as one succession dies, the next one begins producing.  Our 3rd and 4th successions never grew without any rain, but hallelujah, the 2nd one just keeps on kicking out fruit.  We just planted the 5th succession, so let's hope the 2nd round waits another month to kick the bucket. 
• We have never taken such special care with our eggplants, and they have never been so abundant. 
• Peppers were looking pretty sad in July, but now they are irrigated and looking much better.  The sweet Italia peppers have been especially tasty lately.  And we have a number of chile peppers we'll begin harvesting this week.  They've survived neglect and dry weather miraculously, and we should have quite a few poblano peppers for the share this week.  Get out your chiles rellenos and mole recipes!
• The garlic is still drying happily in the barn--you should get a head per week through November.   
• We have an extra garden bed of basil planted in front of where your cars park at the washing station, so ask us if you don't see it.  We have more than we can give away, apparently. 
  
• We ambitiously planted three different successions of 4 varieties of sunflowers this summer.  They were supposed to bloom one row at a time for 9 weeks.  But they were all too clever for me.  They waited and waited and then last Monday after our first rain in months, they ALL bloomed.  So please please please come pick sunflowers!  They're in the field beside just past the washing station all glowing yellow and black and happy as can be.  We've tried to bring some to Dupont but they don't travel well nor fit well in the van, so it's much better if you can make a little trip to pick them. 
• We plant beans and cucumbers in the same series of successions as summer squash.  The 2nd succession of beans has been producing in fits and starts, but still lives.  There's a good chance when these die, we'll have no more beans for the season.  Better luck next year.  Cucumbers fared even worse.  The second succession never began fruiting, and that looks like it for the year, unless our fifth succession finds a way to produce before the first frost. 
• Melons.  Like the sweet potatoes, what the drought hasn't taken, the deer and groundhogs have.  Not only do we have a higher population of animals than normal, but in dry years they can't find enough clover in the pastures so the vegetable fields usually ignore.    I still see some plants and they've begun flowering again, so maybe we'll get a few eventually.  There's a couple of volunteer melons at the washing station which get watered regularly and avoided by the shy deer.  Those fat melons have been taunting me--as if to prove what a little irrigation could have done if I had laid my plans better. 
• Considering our yield of potatoes in past years, I think this year they did quite well.  We're estimating we have enough this year for everyone to get a pound and a half each week for five weeks. 
• Okra is the most drought-resistant plant I've ever seen, once it gets established.  We have lots of healthy, productive plants that we'll be putting on the you-pick list soon.
• Of the fall crops that we are just now planting--broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, greens and roots--we're trying to increase our original plan to make up for the lack of sweet potatoes and winter squash. 
• Our strawberries are June-bearing, so why are we mentioning them now?  We planted next year's crop this spring and they've been hit hard.  We're investing significant cash in a fall-planted variety and the re-usable black plastic it gets planted into.  So there's still a chance we'll  recover.
• And just in case you thought plants were all we're growing this year, we are also expecting a baby.  Yours truly is pregnant, due in January!  Since I know terrifyingly little about how to grow humans, your advice and hand-me-downs are welcome.  I'm still trying to figure out how we'll include it in the share next year.  You-pick?

Happy rain, everyone.
-Carrie

Let it Rain

I hope you have been enjoying a lot of outdoor activities in all this dry weather.  For us, it's been quite a bear.  We had a thunderstorm a week ago that brought less than a quarter inch of rain--not even enough to sink into the soil.  So as the weeks go by without any moisture, your strawberries have been getting smaller and smaller.  Today we couldn't even find enough to fill all the pints we had planned to give out. 

We do have irrigation on some fields, and on the potted tree nursery.  The two wells have been running non-stop for weeks.  You can thank those wells for our sweet carrots and lettuce.  But the grass and clover for the cows (and deer) has been quite slow to grow, so I expect the deer will start taking a greater portion of our vegetable fields soon. 

But thank goodness, the meteorologists are predicting rain with the cold front that's coming tomorrow.  So be sure to wash your cars, hang your clothes outside on the line, do a rain dance, say a prayer, and do anything else you can to bring the rain!

-Carrie

Cold spring

What a cold spring we are having!  Fortunately, the crops have not perished among all this frost, wind and snow.  But the low temperatures and gray skies have definitely slowed their growth.  So we're estimating that the first share will be delayed by a few weeks.   Think warm, encouraging thoughts for your little spinach and lettuces!

Some good news: 
We just planted a half-acre of new strawberry plants which we will be harvesting in 2008.  And this year's garlic crop looks better than any I've seen before.

Your farmer,
Carrie

Shares full

That was fast!

All of our shares filled up within the first few days.  We still have to iron out which orders get the last few slots, but to be sure, if you haven't faxed or mailed your order by now, I'm afraid we cannot accept your order.  We have emailed everyone whose order arrived by Tuesday, so if you're surprised you haven't heard from us, let us know. 

This is one of the worst jobs at the farm--turning away people who would be great customers.  If any of you know someone interested in starting a CSA in the DC area, tell them the market is ripe for more supply.  In the meantime, everyone is still welcome to work for a share, or visit our farm stand at the Anacostia Farmers' Market on Wednesdays from 3-7pm from June to November, between U & V Sts. on 14th St., SE.  I also recommend visiting www.localharvest.org for a directory for other local CSAs, co-ops and farmers' markets. 

We still have some half-price shares we can sell to low-income folks, so if you know anyone interested, please spread the word.  Anyone who qualifies for WIC, EBT or disability is eligible, as well as anyone who makes less than 185% of the federal poverty level (email or call us for details--301-627-4662).  These are full shares at half the price--equivalent in size to our full-price share and work share.   

-Carrie

2007 CSA Order Form for new members

If you would like to become a new member of From the Ground Up CSA at Clagett Farm, now's your chance!  Click here to download 2007_order_form.pdf .  You may mail or fax the order form with your check or credit card number.  We will take them in order of the date the payment was sent, so if you mail your order form and payment, we will use the date of your postmark.  That way someone who faxes her order is not more likely to get a share than someone who mails it on the same day.

The prices and pick-up sites for this year are the same as they were last year.   Click here to veiw a detailed description of our CSA for the 2007 season.  We welcome your questions, so if you need more information, please feel free to email us at clagettfarm@cbf.org or call us at 301-627-4662.

A note about your pick-up site:
Many people find that they cannot make it to their pick-up site in a particular week, or they forgot to pick up their share.  We want to help!  You may pick up your share at any pick-up site within 7 days before or after the one you missed.  So for example, if you normally pick up at Dupont but you know you'll be out of town on a particular Tuesday, you can come to the farm on the Saturday before or after the share you're missing, or you could come to Anacostia the day after the share you missed.  As another example, if you sign up to pick up at the farm on Tuesdays, but would prefer to pick up on Saturday on occassion, that's no problem either.  Here's the rules to remember:

• Please make sure we have you signed up for your most frequent pick up site and day.
• We have limited space in our delivery van, so please do not pick up at Dupont more than 4 times if that is not your regular pick up site.
• You are encouraged but not required to tell us in advance that you will be picking up at a different pick-up site.

When do I buy a share in the 2007 season?

If you have been a member of our farm before, then NOW is the time to purchase your share for the 2007 season.  We want you back!  And we want to guarantee a space for you.  We sent several email invitations to all of our 2006 members in January, so if you did not receive them, then let us know because something went wrong.  We will hold your space for you until February 28, 2007, so don't delay!

If you hope to be a new member, come back to this weblog on MARCH 1, 2007.  On that day we will post an order form and information about the 2007 season.  We will take orders according to who pays us first, and generally the Dupont pick-up is the first to fill up.  We will not accept orders from new members until March first. 

The prices this year are the same as last year:
$405 to pick up at the farm on Tuesdays 3-7pm or Saturdays 1-4pm
$405 to pick up at the Anacostia Farmers' Market on Wednesdays from 3-7pm, and
$445 to pick up near Dupont Circle on Tuesdays from 5-7pm.
And just as the last 2 years, if you would like to switch pick-up sites a few weeks out of the year, you do not need to give us advanced notice. 

Here's to another season of fresh, healthy, local, eco-friendly food!

Looking back at 2006

by Carrie and Gail

Now that the 2006 season has ended, we thought it would be helpful to give you all a summary of how things went.

2006 Season Results: The Raw Numbers
77,474 pounds harvested
~    an increase of 9,119 pounds from 2005
~    an increase of 11,416 pounds from 2004

Distribution:
~    51% sold as full-priced shares to CSA members
~    7% earned by worksharers
~    45% distributed to low-income individuals (up from 36% in 2005)*.

The Share
~    27 weeks (an extra week from 2005)
~    average share was 7 pounds (down 1 pound from 2005)

2006 Season Results: Our Thoughts
Our goal was to distribute 50% of our harvest to low-income folks this year, so we got closer but did not quite reach it.  Even though we increased the number of total pounds harvested, the increase went more to low-income families which resulted in a lower per-week share average for CSA members. In the end, you received roughly the same amount of vegetables as last year, however, because we extended the share by one week.

It is clear to us that the average weekly share size this year was too small, and increasing the size and value of your share will be our primary focus for 2007.

Feedback from CSA Members- Thanks!
    As in previous years, many of you (63.2%) felt that a single share typically feeds 2 adults.  And most of you (85%) supplemented your share with other vegetables, such as onions, carrots and summer lettuce.  There were no items that a majority of you wanted less of or none at all. There were 11 items that most respondents wanted more: asparagus, beans, beets, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, cauliflower, corn, spinach, strawberries and sweet potatoes.

We had a total okra crop failure this year, and perhaps that means many of your prayers were answered.  As ever, this is a polarizing vegetable.  64% were happy that we got none at all while 36% of respondents wanted more.

Spinach and strawberries were the only items that no one wanted to get less of, which offers us one of those rare opportunities when we could please EVERYONE. Fruit (blueberries especially), onions, celery and brussel sprouts were the ones that ranked highest among new crops we should start growing next year.

And of the specific varieties that people prefered, all types of tomatoes were the stand-out favorites, especially Striped German, Black Prince and Garden Peach.  Among the heirloom tomatoes, the Striped German is a very poor producer and what we can harvest usually spoils before it gets to the pick-up.  But man, it sure is delicious.  During tomato season, it’s not a bad idea to plan on a picnic at the farm!  Picking your own tomatoes and eating them straight off the vine is one of the enjoyable moments of being a shareholder in a local farm; tomatoes will never taste the same once they’ve been put in a truck.

The vast majority of you appreciated our additional labeling this year, with some good suggestions.  My favorite comment was, “The kids enjoyed taste-testing different varieties. They tried veggies they wouldn't normally eat in the name of science.”

We heard loud and clear that many of you missed getting the weekly email about what was in the share.  We'll try this winter to iron out a system that allows you to easily choose what kinds of emails you get from us so no one's inbox fills with junk and everyone gets the information they need.  Bear with us!  On the opposite side of the communication spectrum, we're finally getting close to saturating the need for recipes.  There were several requests for more summer squash and kohlrabi recipes.

Most of you (70%) were satisfied with the quality of all your produce, but there was a significant number who were disappointed with the bugginess (11 respondents) and/or poor taste (6 respondents) of the sweet corn.  Sweet corn is a troublesome crop for organic growers because the best way to eliminate corn ear worms is to dab the corn silks at just the right time with Bt (an enzyme lethal to caterpillars but non-toxic to everything else) and horticultural oil.  This can be quite time consuming and expensive.  Corn also has a narrow window when it is sweet, so the timing can be tricky to make sure every share gets a fair amount of premium-quality ears.  Some years we're luckier than others.  Note, also, that conventional growers use seed treated with fungicide, so they can plant corn earlier in the season than we do.  Our suggestion is to join us for harvest on any Tuesday or Saturday around 7:30 or 8am during sweet corn season.  Corn is never sweeter than the moment after it's harvested, and a good harvester tests a few ears each morning just to be sure we're getting a good crop.  Fortunately, raw corn makes a great breakfast.

We got lots of good suggestions for improving you-pick for the coming year, including making more maps available and clippers and signs in the field.  Our own line drawings of the farm have been difficult for people to understand, so we might solicit the help of a professional artist.  There was also plenty of encouragement to include more items on the you-pick list, which is generally limited by what crops we are able to grow in excess, and how accessible their fields happen to be.

As for the pick-up sites, we concur with the suggestion that staff should wear nametags or some  identifying article of clothing so you all would know to whom to direct questions.  Most of you were quite positive about your experiences with us, although the biggest hassle was certainly getting to the pick-up site each week.

It sounds like there's also a feeling among some that we should have a spring event to help you all get to know each other and get oriented with the farm and fields.  That's a great idea.  And we'll also work out a way that you can contact other members in your area before shares begin so you can coordinate pick-ups.

The End
    All good things come to an end, and this email is the official end of the 2006 Clagett Farm CSA season. From all of us at From The Ground Up! CSA, we just want to say thanks again for sharing this experience with us and making Clagett farm part of your lives. The direct relationship between grower and consumer is a rich one that CSA’s strive to recover. Have a great winter! We hope to see you all again next May.

*Last year we would have told you that we had to distruted 42% to low-income individuals, but that's because we used to include the food distributed to worksharers.  Since not all worksharers are low-income, we made two separate categories this year.

Tomato tease

A hot and humid week. Summer. Among other things, the shares now have plenty of summer squash in several varieties and the tomatoes are making a modest appearance. As veteran shareholders know, the first tomato shares are only a teaser. In the coming weeks it will increase dramatically.

A few scenes from Tuesday.

Carrie figuring out the share.

Cleaning garlic at the wash station.

Some of our tomatoes.

Strawberry time!

We have ripe strawberries, ready for you-pick.  We'll be including strawberries in your share, but one quart really isn't enough. You should definitely plan to find your way to the farm at least a few times in the next four weeks and pick to your heart's content.  We're not at peak ripeness yet--most of the berries you find are sweet but under-ripe.  So your first share of strawberries might need a few days on your counter to reach their maximum potential. If you're picking large quantities for jam, I recommend waiting a week more. 

And just a quick note for Saturday members--you should have received an email that there WILL be a share this Saturday, May 20.  It turns out your greens grew better than we had expected.  Nice surprise, eh?

Shares are sold out for the 2006 season

Shares filled up quickly this year, and though I hate to turn away wonderful new customers, we're sold out.  If you know anyone who would like to join next year, tell them to send us an email.  We'll add them to a list of folks who will be informed as soon as we begin selling shares for 2007.  Also, we never run out of space for work sharers, so send those able bodies our way!
Now, back to mulching those potatoes...

Shares are filling up fast!

Our Dupont pick-up site is almost full, and we have about 50 spaces left for those wishing to pick up at our farm or at the Anacostia Farmers' Market. Sign up now! Scroll down to the previous post to download the order form.  Then fill it out and mail it (11904 Old Marlboro Pike, Upper Marlboro MD 20772), fax it (301-574-3705), or all in your order (301-627-4662).

2006 Order Form

Time to order!  Previous members have priority over shares until April 1, 2006.  We fill orders according to the date they were sent (that way you can mail your order and you won't lose your share to a person that faxed it on the same day). Most years we sell out of shares in May, so you still have a couple months to send it in.  You can send your order form and payment by mail or fax, or call in your credit card number.  We are suspicious of e-mail security, so e-mail your credit card number at your own risk. 

Click here to download the order form: 2006_CSA_order_form.pdf . 

We will update our homepage (www.clagettfarm.org) with the 2006 information this week.  In the meantime, the only major change is that we are raising the price by $20. 

This year's prices are as follows:
Dupont Circle, Tuesdays 5-7pm, $445
Clagett Farm, Tuesdays 3-7pm and Saturdays 1-4pm, $405
Anacostia Farmers' Market, Wednesdays 3-7pm, $405

Just as last year, you may pick up at any site you wish from week to week, as long as you have told us which is the site where you pick up most often.  That way, if you forget to pick up one week or have a schedule conflict, you can get that week's share another day.

Within a week of receiving your order, we will send you an e-mail confirmation. 
Thanks!

Becoming a 2006 member or worksharer

Thanks to everyone who has expressed interest in joining our farm for the 2006 season as a member, volunteer or worksharer.

We will probably begin signing up members in March. We will post a message here as soon as we do, so if you would like to be one of the first to hear that we've begun taking orders, then click on the <RSSFWD:> link at the upper left of this page. Then submit your email address, and you will be notified any time we post news on this site. At any time if you wish to stop getting this notification, it is easy to be removed from the list. Our deliveries and other details about the share for 2006 should be the same as 2005, although we might raise the price by $20. You can read about those details at www.clagettfarm.org. We will include any new information and a new order form on this page as soon as we begin taking orders.

Volunteer opportunities include office work (starting now, although we prefer a commitment of more than one day), greenhouse work (starting in February), and field work (starting in March).  Before May, our schedule is irregular, so it is best to call us to let us know you're coming (301-627-4662).

After May, we are happy to offer a share of vegetables to any adult who works 4 hours or more. This "workshare" begins in May as soon as we start distributing vegetables (we are aiming for May 9).  There is no commitment, and you do not need to sign up in advance.  Simply show up to work any weekday between 8am and 4pm, or Saturday between 8:30am and 1pm.  There are more details on our website (clagettfarm.org) and of course, we will post any changes on this weblog, should they arise.

Gleaning--what's available

It's that time of year when our members, worksharers, and friends can glean whatever remains from our fields. Beginning tomorrow (Friday, 11/18) through Sunday afternoon, you can come to the farm anytime and harvest. At the washing station we will have a map telling you where to find everything, and around the farm we will post signs to help guide you to the fields. If you would like to come when we are there to help you, we will be around 9am-5pm Friday, 10am-2pm Saturday, and noon-3pm Sunday. A small volunteer group will come Sunday afternoon to help us glean what's left for a soup kitchen.

Here is a list of what is available to pick right now:

lettuce
spinach (very small; requires patience and good knees to harvest)
arugula (plenty)
spicy mix (plenty)
mizuna
red mustard
green mustard
turnip greens
collards
kale
small heads broccoli
tiny heads cauliflower
many immature heads cabbage
about 10 pounds small, slightly-soft sweet potatoes
about 20 pounds garlic bulbs
hakurei turnips
purple-top turnips
watermelon radishes
regular radishes ("cherry belle" and "easter egg")
jimmy nardello peppers (sweet, frying)
padron chiles (hot when larger than a golf ball)
lots of assorted, dried chiles scattering the ground where they were growing
dill
cilantro
garlic chives
oregano
mint
nasturtiums (peppery, edible flowers and leaves--some frost damage)
basil (doesn't win any prizes for appearance--frost damage)
anise hyssop (licorice flavored herb--great for hot tea! Some frost damage )

Please be warned that many of the above items are scattered in distant fields. These are items that were not harvested before because there was not enough to serve our hundreds of members, or it was so small or scattered it was not worth the time. By it's nature gleaning requires some patience and a keen eye for what might be hidden in a field that looks cleaned out. Please bring bags, and a knife will be helpful to harvest the small greens. If you're hoping for a couple pounds of salad greens, expect to squat or crouch for 15 minutes or more. Also, it's been cold and windy at times, so please dress appropriately for the weather, and wear comfortable shoes that you can get dirty. The frost on the grass will get your feet cold and wet until mid-morning.

If you would like to surprise someone with a Thanksgiving or Christmas wreath, we will have some for sale. Many include garlic, popcorn and chiles, so they are useful even after the holidays have passed.

If we don't see you this weekend, have a terrific winter!

Last CSA harvest of 2005

This past Tuesday, November 8, we had our last harvest day of the 2005 season. A bittersweet day. Everyone was cheerful and our team's customary wry and irreverent humor was in good form. And yet there was a tinge of sadness, too. After all, we will not be doing this again in a while and when we resume some of us will not be around. But that's what happens every year. There is continuity even in this end of season dispersion.

 

Here we are harvesting mixed baby lettuce for our CSA shareholders. In the foreground, on the left we see Carrie being productive as always and to the right a smiling Andrea Humm is being her usual gracious self, but Dave Vernon, in the middle, is showing obvious signs of work-induced derangement (the size of the image may not show that clearly, so readers will have to trust me on that).

A view from the other side: Gail Taylor and Megan Caine with the baby lettuce. It took a comically long time to harvest this tiny lettuce. Why? Because when we seeded them we didn't expect that we would be cutting them that small--otherwise we would have them closer together for a quicker and more efficient harvest. Incidentally, cutting baby lettuce is not the only exciting experience lived by Gail and Megan. Gail recently returned from a visit to Europe. Right before Europe she had some interesting adventures in Guatemala. Megan, after studying Spanish in Ecuador, hitchhiked through several South American countries. Every once in a while during her travels the farm would receive Megan's fascinating emails. Her traveling companion was Farah Fosse, another friend of the farm who frequently volunteers here. Before we knew her, Megan also traveled to China and South East Asia.

Back to the baby lettuce. Here is a batch of it being rinsed to get it ready for the shareholders.

Dave, Andrea and Megan working on the lettuce at the wash station. Dave is new to the DC area. Shortly after his arrival this summer he found out about Clagett Farm and has been a consistent volunteer ever since. He has worked on farms in his native Wales, and lived in South Africa and Canada. As to Andrea, all season she was a Tuesday volunteer whose dedication went above and beyond the call of duty. Neither cold rain nor oppressive heat ever managed to dent her gracious and gentle humor.

During Tuesday's lunch break Kathleen Davis came by to say hello and goodbye to us--her former farm teammates. We were happy to see her! Next week she is flying to her home in Hawaii. We wish Kathleen the very best, but for selfish reasons hope to see her back. Many of you know Kathleen, especially if you were a Saturday shareholder or worksharer in 04 and 05. Few people know, however, how much the CSA benefited from Kathleen's friendly and unassuming but very capable presence.

So here we are in mid-November. There are still plenty of things to do at the farm. But the dynamics of the work are quite different and fewer hands are needed.

A record of the 25 weeks of CSA shares in 2005

A few weeks before the season's end, we put together a chart of the shares you have received. Perhaps it will help jog your memory so you can more easily fill out your end-of-the-year survey. Or perhaps future members can look at this document to see what they missed. Unfortunately, it's pretty big, so you'll need to zoom a few times to see it well. Perhaps next year we'll come up with a better format. In the meantime, I'm going to give myself a pat on the back, because I've resolved to become a better record-keeper, and this represents a real accomplishment.

Thanks to help from CSA member, Fred Delventhal, you can see the chart in either of two formats. Click on one below to check it out:

Download Adobe Acrobat version: sharelog2005.pdf
Download Excel version: sharelog2005.xls

NOTE: The sharelog does not take into account the veggies that members you-picked. For a quick explanation of you-pick, read the you-pick post, immediately above this one.

What to expect in the rest of your shares

Many people have wondered what remains of their share this fall, especially given these dry conditions. Let me give you my best guess.

We should expect a small to moderate harvest of sweet potatoes, which we're planning to begin next week. You will probably also get a few more butternut squash, and lots more garlic. Your broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower survived being transplanted, but they have been very slow to grow, and the deer and groundhogs have been using them and the sweet potato greens as an emergency fuel now that the dry weather is stunting their usual clover diet. Perhaps they will produce small heads in October, or perhaps they will wait and produce bigger ones in November--it's hard to say. The kale and collards are doing surprisingly well under the circumstances. Everyone should continue getting a half pound or so each week, and much more if it ever begins raining again. They also get a bit sweeter once the first frost hits.

Your baby mustard greens, lettuce, spinach, arugula, carrots, beets, cilantro, dill, radishes and turnips were planted in August in two fields--a small one that can be irrigated and a large one that cannot. We have not had a soaking rain since then, so nothing has germinated in the large field. Only a bit of arugula, baby mustards, turnips and radishes have matured in the small field, and we will be doling them out carefully to everyone in October. In September, when our grim circumstances were becoming apparent, we tore out some poorly-producing squash and cucumbers and dug some more beds near the washing station so we could seed more greens and roots that could be irrigated. They have all since germinated in happy abundance, but I don't think they will be ready to harvest until November. Carrots and beets need so long to mature that it didn't make sense to replant them, so I'm sorry to say that this is going to be a carrot and beet-free fall.

We still have some beans, cucumbers, summer squash, peppers, eggplants and okra. You might have noticed that these summer crops slow down their production as the weather cools (the dry weather is contributing to their slow-down, as well). All of the summer crops die abruptly with the first frost, which usually comes in early or mid-October. It's been unusually warm, though, so perhaps we'll keep them a little longer.

We have planned for your last shares to be November 8 and 12. November 18 and 19 (the Friday and Saturday before Thanksgiving) will be the gleaning weekend when you can pick all you want of what remains. I don't think we'll need to make any changes to that schedule, but we'll certainly keep you informed if we do.

Autumn is usually my favorite season, and the farm's most abundant one. It saddens me to have to eek out such a small share to everyone this October. I deeply appreciate how understanding everyone has been. Our customers seem to be taking this dry spell in stride, and that helps me relax and keep a better perspective on the viscicitudes of farming.

Fast dwingling tomatoes

<p>Shareholders no doubt noticed that the amount of tomatoes in their shares has been going down drastically. We are approaching the end of our tomatoes quicker than we expected. Last year we had tomatoes until mid October. We don't yet know whether we will have tomatoes in our share next week. Why are tomatoes quitting on us so early? We are not quite sure. The drought conditions we are experiencing had an obvious detrimental effect, but there may also be other factors involved. Here is a view from earlier today of our shrunken tomato plants.&nbsp; </p> <p><a href="http://kolya.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/19_sep_tired_tomatoes.jpg"><img title="19_sep_tired_tomatoes" height="262" alt="19_sep_tired_tomatoes" src="http://weblog.clagettfarm.org/images/19_sep_tired_tomatoes.jpg" width="350" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>But let's put things into perspective. Our tomatoes had a great August. And although greatly reduced in number, as the September 13 photo below shows, they still look great:</p> <p><a href="http://kolya.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/19_sep_tomatoes.jpg"><img title="19_sep_tomatoes" height="262" alt="19_sep_tomatoes" src="http://weblog.clagettfarm.org/images/19_sep_tomatoes.jpg" width="350" border="0" /></a>&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; </p>

August means tomatoes

<p><img title="Tomatoes_cfn_1" alt="Tomatoes_cfn_1" src="http://kolya.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/tomatoes_cfn_1.jpg" border="0" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 5px 5px" />Among other summer goodies, the first weekly share of August includes 5 pounds of tomatoes and 10 ears of corn. Judging from how loaded the plants are, it looks like it's going to be a good tomato month! And if you want even more tomatoes, do not hesitate: come to the farm and pick your own. </p> <p>And our corn has been getting rave reviews. If you are new to freshly picked organic corn, do not be put off by the occasional caterpillar. Just lop off the damaged area and eat the rest. It's delicious. </p>

First Share Thank Yous. Strawberries--Not Quite. More Transplanting.

<p>Shareholders, thank you for making our first share such a good experience. It was great to be greeted by smiling old-timers as well as to see eager and curious new shareholders. Expect much of the same in the second share. Details will probably follow after Tuesday's harvest (it's still Monday, as I'm writing this). I have to say, though, that I was overoptimistic when last Tuesday I told Dupont shareholders that they will be getting strawberries in their second share. There <em>are</em> strawberries to pick, just not enough to harvest. But this weekend will probably be a good one for those who want to come to the farm and pick their own berries. </p> <p>Moving on to later crops, last Thursday we had our second (and last) session of tomato transplanting. This year we transplanted the same amount of tomatoes as last year, so shareholders can expect plenty of tomatoes later in the summer. Whether the harvest will be as plentiful as last year's is another issue--we'll certainly do our best, the rest is up to Mother Nature. </p> <p>Weather permitting, we will transplant sweet potatoes later on this week. </p> <p><a href="http://kolya.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/transplanting_may_19_cfn.jpg"><img width="350" height="262" border="0" src="http://weblog.clagettfarm.org/images/transplanting_may_19_cfn.jpg" title="Transplanting_may_19_cfn" alt="Transplanting_may_19_cfn" /></a> </p> <p>That's Megan's left hand placing a tomato seedling into the &quot;pinchers&quot; of the transplanter. In her right hand she is holding the camera (quite a feat). Sitting to her left is Kenji. For a photo presenting a wider view and to read a quick explanation on how the transplanter works, go to <a href="http://weblog.clagettfarm.org/2005/04/transplanting.html">Transplanting</a>, an April 11 post. </p>

CSA shares closed

<p>As of April 26, 2005 our full-price shares for this season at all pick-up sites have filled up.&nbsp; It took us a bit of time to be sure, since we had to finish plugging everyone's orders into the database.&nbsp; We're terribly sorry we have to turn anyone down, so here are your other options:<br />1) Come to our farmstand at the Anacostia Farmers Market any Wednesday after June 1, 3-7pm. It's on 14th St, SE, between U and V Streets. This is a small, inexpensive market that could use your support.<br />2) Come for a work share!&nbsp; You are welcome any Monday through Saturday.&nbsp; We begin at 7:30-8am weekdays and 8:30-9am Satudays.&nbsp; Four adult hours gives you a week of vegetables.&nbsp; <br />3) Let us know that you are interested and we'll make sure you are alerted about shares for 2006 as soon as they are available.&nbsp; </p>

1st share postponed

<p>We are postponing our first share a week due to the cool spring we have had this year.&nbsp; Soil temperatures have stayed so low that although our crops are planted and healthy, they are growing very slowly.&nbsp; We need an extra week for the strawberries to ripen, and the lettuce and spinach to size up.&nbsp; Your first share will be May 17 (Dupont and Farm Tuesday), May 18 (Anacostia) and May 21 (Farm Saturday).&nbsp; We'll call or email everyone to alert you sometime this week.&nbsp; Thanks for your patience!</p>

Dupont is Full!

<p>We've reached our limit of 70 shares picking up at Dupont, so anyone who hasn't sent us their order yet will have to choose another site or start our waiting list. Please note, we're still in a position to make special exception for our long-time members or people whose orders were somehow mishandled on our end, so if you're one of those people, let us know.</p>

FAQ from potential new members, and a dire request for okra recipes.

<p>1) As of today, we have 175 shares filled of the 215 total.&nbsp; So if you'd like to buy a share, we still have space for 40 more!</p> <p>2) There is a new CSA cookbook that is soon to come out from an organization called One United Harvest (for a preview check out <a href="http://www.farmcookbook.com/">FarmCookbook.com</a>).&nbsp; I made a special request that she include recipes for the southern vegetables that are often left out of CSA cookbooks, such as sweet potatoes, okra and collard greens.&nbsp; She has a few recipes for okra but she needs more!&nbsp; Please, please, for the good of mankind and your fellow members, send the author a few of your favorites.&nbsp; Her name is Julie Sochacki, so her email is JC plus her last name at sbcglobal.net.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p> <p>3)&nbsp; People often ask how large one share is.&nbsp; This is a tough question to answer since it varies so much each year and week-to-week.&nbsp; Our customers tell us that one share feeds 2-4 adults.&nbsp; The average size is about 7-10 pounds--it's smallest in the first month (mostly greens and a few strawberries) and gets quite heavy in late summer and fall when we have sweet corn, melons, sweet potatoes or pumpkins.&nbsp; We hope to archive our shares on the weblog this year, so perhaps this question will be easier to anwer in the future.&nbsp; Perhaps!</p> <p></p>

2005 Update and Order Form

<p>Greetings again, dear members!</p> <p>At last, we have the brand new 2005 order form. Please note, space for former members is guaranteed until April 1, 2005.</p> <p>Click here:<a href="http://kolya.typepad.com/clagettfarm/files/2005_csa_order_form.doc">Download 2005 CSA Order Form</a> </p> <p>Here are some updates...</p> <p><strong>Same prices, sites, new flexibility</strong> </p> <p>Again this year we are offering shares at $385 at the farm and Anacostia, and $425 at Dupont Circle. As ever, the premium for shares at Dupont covers the extra cost of delivering those shares. We will also be keeping the number of full-paying shares at 215. One change this year, is that you can pick up your share at any site without prior notice. For example, you can pick up your share on the farm on Saturday instead of at Dupont that previous Tuesday without telling us in advance. Just make sure that you sign up for the day and location where you will pick up your vegetables at least 80% of the time. And if you can tell us in advance that you won’t be at your regular pick-up, that is still helpful and appreciated.</p> <p> <strong>Good news about our financial stability</strong></p> <p> Did you know that 2004 was the first year that the income from full-priced shares, which was 60% of our harvest, covered more than 60% of our expenses? That means that if this were a private farm selling all shares at full price, we could pay our farmers a decent wage, invest a little into new equipment, be good stewards of our land, and still make a profit. Not only that, but the work environment has been so rewarding, that for the first year, everyone in our paid farm crew will be people who are returning from years past. There’s plenty of room for improvement of course, but we’re glad to be moving in the right direction. Congratulations to our members, volunteers and work sharers for supporting such a great endeavor. Hooray for successful, local, sustainable farms!</p> <p><strong>More vegetables to low-income families</strong></p> <p> Last year, in effort to reduce (but not eliminate) our reliance on the Capital Area Food Bank and Chesapeake Bay Foundation for extra income, we lowered the percentage of reduced-price and donated vegetables from 50% of our total harvest to 40%. Fortunately, since our total pounds of production was so much higher, the actual pounds we distributed to low-income families was still greater than in years past. This year, if we can increase production again, we are hoping to return that percentage closer to the 50%. So who gets these veggies? Some of our recipients are in summer camps for at-risk kids who visit the farm and go home with a bag-full of vegetables. Some will be elderly folks who come to the Anacostia Farmers’ Market with their senior center. Some have been patients at an HIV/AIDS clinic that offers alternative therapy and nutritional classes in addition to free produce from our farm. Some are families on disability who come to us directly for help, or individuals with weakened immune systems who work for their vegetables when they can. One agency that regularly picks up vegetables from the farm serves homeless men who are too sick to survive on the street. Any time you donate money to us above the cost of a share, or lend an extra hand to harvest or twine tomatoes, it helps us increase this outreach. And if you ever forget to pick up your share, we can donate a few extra pounds in your honor. Thank you!</p> <p> <strong>Volunteers welcome</strong></p> <p> Speaking of lending a hand, help now and help often! We’ll be updating this weblog when we have particular needs, and we’re keeping an email list of people who would like to work for free or for food, so we can send those people special requests if we’re particularly desperate, or invite them to events in honor of our workers. We can use weekly help in the office (Tuesdays 1-5pm is ideal during the summer), endless help in the field Monday through Saturday until early evening, groups of volunteers can make arrangements any day or time, and we love it when people give us copies of good recipes to give our members. If anyone is willing and able to help us improve our website, this is a great time!</p> <p> <strong>Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Capital Area Food Bank</strong></p> <p>Last, we would like to remind you of the special help that we get from the Capital Area Food Bank and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. In 2004 the Chesapeake Bay Foundation took 37,000 students on educational field trips, lobbied legislators to reach significant targets to reduce pollution in the Bay, planted thousands of trees as stream buffers and started oyster and underwater grass nurseries to improve the stability of the Bay’s ecosystem. Last year the Capital Area Food Bank distributed 20 million pounds of food to agencies serving the hungry in our area and picked up the slack when D.C.’s children lost their free school lunch for the summer. With all these tremendous efforts, both organizations still spend the extra time and money to support this little project that combines both missions—they remember that we must be stewards of our environment AND our community, all at once. They pay From the Ground Up’s expenses that are not covered by income from shares and donations. There are small ways you can help them, as well—by volunteering to sort food in the <a href="http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org">Capital Area Food Bank</a><a href="http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org">’s</a> warehouse, or by joining the <a href="http://www.cbf.org">Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s</a> e-mail action network. And if the spirit moves you, perhaps you could send them a note telling them how important the farm is in your life—lest they forget about the farm amidst their other various needs. Thanks for making our jobs a meaningful, rewarding, joyful experience! </p>

Don't send us money for 2005 shares yet!

<p>We've been delighted that some enthusiastic, would-be members have already sent us money for a 2005 share.&nbsp; Nonetheless, we're not quite ready for you.&nbsp; We're still deciding on some small changes, and working out a few kinks in the way we process your shares.&nbsp; Drop us a line to tell us you're waiting with bated breath, and we'll be sure to include your email among the first that receives our new 2005 order form.&nbsp; I'm aiming to get them out around the end of February, (but that's not a promise).&nbsp; </p> <p>Also, we do <strong>not</strong> plan to have a pick-up site in or near Takoma Park.&nbsp; As always, we'll encourage you to take turns picking up your share with another nearby member, instead.&nbsp; We only want happy, satisfied customers, though, so if driving to the farm is too much, try shopping around for a more nearby source of locally-grown, environmentally-friendly produce.&nbsp; These sites might help: <a href="http://www.csacenter.org/">csacenter.org</a>, <a href="http://www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/map.htm">USDA.gov directory of farmers' markets</a>, <a href="http://www.newfarm.org/farmlocator/index.php">NewFarm.org &quot;farm locator&quot;</a> and <a href="http://www.localharvest.org/">localharvest.org</a>.&nbsp; Or, if you'd like to donate a deisel van that we can convert to consume used vegetable oil, we would be so grateful you could have your share delivered wherever you want.&nbsp; </p> <p>Thanks everyone!</p>

Election Day: You Have a Choice!

Dear shareholders, for many of you this Tuesday, November 2, is a share pick-up day. Perhaps (only perhaps) some of you are aware that the elections are also going to be held this Tuesday. Well, you have a real choice! You can either pick up your share as you usually do on Tuesdays or you can pick it up on Saturday. There is an added wrinkle for the Dupont Circle shareholders. If you choose to pick up on Saturday, you'll have to go to the farm itself between 1 and 4 PM.

If you are a Tuesday shareholder, please inform us in advance if you are <strong>not</strong> picking up on Tuesday because of time conflicts with the elections. This will help us in estimating how much to harvest on Tuesday and how much to save for Saturday. Our Dupont Circle stand closes promptly at 7 PM on Tuesday.

Thanks!

<a href="http://kolya.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/saturday_pickup.jpg"><img alt="Saturday_pickup" title="Saturday_pickup" src="http://kolya.typepad.com/clagettfarm/images/saturday_pickup.jpg" width="350" height="250" border="0" /></a>

Shareholders picking up their shares at the farm a few Saturdays ago.

Last share dates: November 9, 10 and 13

<p>Several people have been asking about our last share distribution. Including this week's share, we have four more weeks of shares. The last Tuesday share will be on November 9, the last Anacostia share will be on November 10, and the last Saturday share will be on November 13. </p> <p>On November 19 and 20 (a Friday and Saturday) we will hold our gleaning days. That is, all shareholders and worksharers are welcome to the farm and glean from the tired fields whatever they want. We will let you know a few days in advance what you can expect to glean on those days.</p> <p />

Winter squash

In addition to sweet potatoes, there is another newcomer in this week's share: winter squash. Primarily acorn squash. Other kinds will follow once they are ready. This week shareholders should get one squash per share.

Yes, the shares are beginning now!

<p>Your first shares are this<br />Tuesday May 18 at Dupont Circle (17th &amp; O Sts, NW) and the farm<br />Wednesday May 19 at Anacostia (5:30-6:30 ONLY for the first two shares; 14th St SE between U &amp; V Sts)<br />or Saturday May 22 at the farm. Please come only to the one we have assigned you.</p> <p>If you haven't heard confirmation from us, come anyway. While our crops have not suffered for lack of attention, our office work certainly has. </p> <p>You can expect your first share to include...<br />*a choice of a variety of <strong>greens</strong>, including lettuce, asian mustards (for salad or stir fry), arugula, swiss chard, spinach, and young kale<br />*a bunch of <strong>garlic scallions</strong>, which have a pungent garlic taste but are a bit tougher so they should be more finely chopped<br />*and a few <strong>radishes</strong> (I'm afraid the matured a little faster than I expected--many have become grotesquely large)</p> <p>We still have shares available! We'll bring a few extra to the pick-up sites in case you want to sign up on the spot. </p> <p>This week's <strong>you-pick </strong>list: herbs (oregano, lavendar, sage, mint, a bit of cilantro(?)), a few wildflowers nestled among the grass, and at long last, strawberries. Please fill only a quart basket, so as many people as possible can have a chance to try them. Come on Thursday if you want a better selection. The field is just past the washing station (where you pick up your vegetables) on the right side. <br />We may add more items later, but this is all I know for now. </p>

Send us your 2004 share order

The bluebirds are back, which means that it'is time to send in your order if you want to be a 2004 CSA shareholder. Scroll down to the March 9 post for additional information.

If you look closely, you will find a bluebird. Carrie took this photo a couple of weeks ago.

<a href="http://kolya.typepad.com/clagettfarm/earlySpring2.jpg"><img alt="earlySpring2.jpg" src="http://kolya.typepad.com/clagettfarm/earlySpring2-thumb.jpg" width="350" height="253" border="0" /></a>

New shares for 2004--news and order form

That time of year has come again, at last.

For those of you who have not been members before, please download this 3-page, general description of the Community Supported Agriculture concept, and the From the Ground Up project we have here at Clagett Farm.

<a href="http://kolya.typepad.com/clagettfarm/join_clagett_farm_and_from_the_ground_up.doc">Download file</a>

Since most of you have been members before, let me save you the trouble of re-reading our brochure, and I'll just tell you what we've changed and give you a few announcements.

1)We are increasing the number of shares picked up at the farm this year by about 30, and at Dupont by about 10. We will happily divert any of that increase to the Anacostia Farmers' Market, if there is interest.
There is also a slim chance that we may need to create a new pick-up site in Dupont Circle or Takoma Park on Saturdays (depending on where there is more interest), so we've created a space for you to rank your favorite sites on the order form. We know there's lots of demand for a new site, and it's not because we don't love you that we are reluctant to take on this new obligation. Primarily, it's because we think you get a better share when more of you come to the farm. Perhaps we'll elaborate later in the weblog.

2)The Anacostia Farmers' Market has moved again--place and time. No one wanted us to move this frequently, but that last location just wasn't working. Pending confirmation from the Feds, our new site will be on the median of 14th Street, SE between V & U Streets, SE. If we are rejected from this site, the alternate sites are within a few blocks. This is very near the major intersection of MLK, Jr. Ave. and Good Hope Rd. in downtown Anacostia.
The new time will be WEDNESDAY 3-7pm. We consider our dear shareholders there some of our most patient and stalwart supporters. We know it's inconvenient for us to change your schedule, but we hope you can still make it!

3)PARTY! We're having a potluck on the farm on Saturday, March 20 at 6:30pm. It should be a relaxed, informal affair, and a great time to chat with us about all your ideas for the farm. Bring food if you can, but don't let that stop you--we'll have plenty of food for you here if you don't.

4)We're hiring now, so spread the word. We pay $7.50/hr, part-time or full, 3-5 months from April through November.

If you're ready to order a share, print out the following order form and send it to the address or fax number at the end.
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From the Ground Up Order Form

Select when and where you would be willing to pick up your vegetables every week, and rank them in order of preference (1 is the highest)—do not rank the ones you do not want as your regular pick-up:
____Clagett Farm, Saturdays 1-4pm
____Clagett Farm, Tuesdays 3-7pm
____Anacostia Farmers’ Market, Wednesdays 3-7pm
____Dupont Circle, Tuesdays 5-7pm
____Dupont Circle, Saturdays 3-5pm**
____Takoma Park, Saturdays 3-5pm**
**One of these new sites will be added only if absolutely necessary

I would like: (assume we will not create a new site)
____ share(s) at Clagett or Anacostia for $385 each
____ share(s) at Dupont (or Takoma Park) for $425 each
____ to work for a share (no cost)
____ to donate $________ to help provide shares to low-income families (tax-deductible).
$_____ Total Amount.

____I am a returning member. ____I am a new member.

I am paying by:
____Credit card : Credit Card #:________________________Exp.______ Circle: Visa or Mastercard
____Enclosed check for total amount, made payable to Capital Area Food Bank.
____Alternate Payment Plan (as previously described), I am sending both the current and post-dated checks with this form.
Name______________________________________________________
Address_____________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Daytime phone (___)_____________ Evening phone (___)_______________
E-Mail____________________
__Please do not include my name and contact information in a member directory.

I understand that farming can be unpredictable and that there may be occasional weather-related problems that may affect the size or variety of my share. I trust the farmers and the farm staff to do their best.
Signature: ____________________________________________Date: ______________

Please return this to us by mail or fax. You may also call us during business hours with your credit card number. We will fill shares in the order that the forms were sent.

From the Ground Up
11904 Old Marlboro Pike
Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
Phone: 301-627-4662
Fax: 301-574-3705

Feel free to call or email with any questions.
We will send you an email confirmation once you are a member. We will also send you a Member Handbook with more details about the farm and how your weekly pick-up will work.

We're excited to see you again!

Summary of 2003 Survey Results

<p>Happy holidays to all!</p> <p>I suspect this does not qualify as holiday reading, but here is a summary of the results of our 2003 CSA Members Survey. First, thanks to all shareholders and worksharers who went through the trouble of completing the survey. The response rate was good, and this, of course, helps us to do a better job in the future.</p> <p><strong>Where did you pick up?</strong> 32 percent of responding shareholders picked up their shares at Dupont, 8 percent at Anacostia, and 60 percent at the farm (45 percent on Tuesdays, and 15 percent on Saturdays.) Responding shareholders ran the gamut from first year newbies to ten-year veterans (CSA members who were with us right from the beginning.)</p> <p><strong>What do you want us to grow more of? </strong>Your selections were very wide: 29 different vegetables were listed! Here I’m mentioning only the ones that got that most votes. <strong>Winter squash </strong>was the winner, closely followed by <strong>eggplant</strong>, <strong>peas</strong>, and <strong>sweet potatoes</strong>. A little bit behind, but also part of the leading pack were <strong>broccoli</strong> and <strong>corn</strong>. </p> <p>These results reflect the peculiarities of the 2003 growing season. Last year shareholders got plenty of eggplant. Alas, not so this year. While in 2002 shareholders only half-jokingly said that they were being overwhelmed by the amount of sweet potatoes in their shares, 2003 was the exact opposite. While in 2002 we harvested a significant amount of winter squash, in 2003 stem rot destroyed all of our winter squash crop. Ironically, this year we actually spent more time working in the winter squash field. Oh, well.</p> <p><strong>What would you rather not see?</strong> Once again, <strong>okra </strong>was the most polarizing vegetable. By far it was the veggie that got the most negative votes, but then it also had a significant share of enthusiastic backers. Somewhat surprising for me, <strong>kohlrabi</strong> followed okra among the least popular crops (even though there was so little of it this year). Those two had the highest negatives. Although behind them, <strong>cauliflower</strong> and <strong>collards</strong> also got a significant number of negative votes. All of these veggies, however, also had loyal backers. <br /><br /><strong>Of what we didn’t provide, what would you want us to add to your share?</strong> The clear winner here was <strong>strawberries</strong>. This is good news, because next season will be our first strawberry season. Last spring we planted two strawberry varieties and they should be ready for harvest this coming year. If they do well, we will probably plant more. Other crops that several of you want us to grow include <strong>asparagus</strong>, <strong>fennel</strong> and <strong>parsnips</strong>. We are thinking about planting them. Keep in mind, though, that asparagus is a perennial that needs at least a couple of years to be ready for harvest.</p> <p><strong>Pick-Up. </strong>Most of you were happy with your pick-up sites. 21 percent did suggest some changes: a second scale at the Dupont site, the expansion of drop-off hours, and the addition of another site (in Takoma Park, Silver Spring or College Park) were the most common suggestions. Taking the latter into consideration, early next year (wait for our announcement) we are willing to coordinate a shareholder-driven effort to find an additional site. A critical mass of interested shareholders is needed, however. Also, Clagett Farm would not be able to provide transportation for it. This is something that interested members would have to organize among themselves.</p> <p><strong>U-Pick.</strong> According to the survey, 54 percent of shareholders “you-picked” extra vegetables while visiting the farm. The most common suggestion among U-Pickers was for us to provide better signs. We will.</p> <p><strong>Staff.</strong> You were generous with us, the farm staff. 95 percent stated that we provided adequate assistance. Thanks! </p> <p><strong>Was the share price worth it?</strong> 64 percent replied that it was indeed worth it. 24 percent thought that usually it is, but not in 2003. 12 percent stated that it was not. </p> <p><strong>Weblog. </strong>The majority of shareholders found the weblog useful, but a significant number have never checked it. Many of you would like to be notified by email when there any changes in the weblog. We will do that. We will implement a system in which shareholders will be notified (once a week) if there are additions to the weblog. Shareholders will also be notified by email of any time-sensitive information posted on the weblog. These email notices will include the relevant link.</p> <p>Some of your suggestions for the weblog: inform members about what to expect in the coming share, include recipes for the veggies provided in any given share, write more about the season and life at the farm, keep on with the pictures. <br /><br />A quick reminder. This weblog supports comments. If you want to comment on anything posted on it, just click on <strong>comment</strong> at the bottom of the post and write. If you want a more interactive weblog, do not hesitate to comment. </p> <p><strong>5K. </strong>According to the survey, 42 percent of shareholders are interested in participating in a 5K run/walk at the farm, 21 percent wrote that maybe they will participate, and 37 percent are not interested.</p> <p><strong>Dinner and Dance. </strong>Similar numbers. 38 percent are interested, 31 percent are maybes, and 31 percent are not interested. </p> <p>Nothing has been decided, but these numbers are very encouraging.</p> <p><strong>What you liked the most? </strong>Common responses: variety and freshness of the vegetables, exposure to previously unknown veggies, going to the farm, the CSA concept itself, and being informed about the progress of the growing season. Honorable mention: Cassie, the one and only, was also cited (for those who don’t know her, Cassie is the resident farm dog.)<br /><br /><strong>What you liked the least?</strong> Common responses: rush hour commute to pick up the share, lack of sweet potatoes, smaller shares than on the previous year.</p> <p><strong>Do you plan to continue membership next year? </strong>Despite the fact that 2003 was not a good harvest year, we are encouraged that 71 percent of you stated that you will indeed renew your membership. 16 percent wrote that maybe you will renew, while 13 percent said that you will not.</p> <p>This wraps up the survey summary. Thank you very much and enjoy the holidays!</p>

Let us know if you are not picking up

A request to shareholders for the sake of fellow shareholders. In any given week, if you know that you will not be picking up your share, please let us know. Send an email to <a href="mailto:">clagett@cbf.org </a>. The earlier we know, the better, but notify us at least three hours before the beginning of the pickup. Knowing this will permit fellow shareholders to have a larger share. For example, last Tuesday only 37 out of 55 Dupont shareholders showed up, an unusually low number. (If it was because of the dark, keep in mind that now we have lamps at our pickup sites.) If we would have known in advance that only 37 shareholders would show up, we would have adjusted the share so that shareholders who did come would have had a larger share. We know that sometimes shares are missed because of last minute snags. But if you know in advance, please notify us.

As you know, most of the produce that is not picked up is donated. This does not mean, however, that if all the produce is picked up by shareholders we do not donate any of our veggies. A good portion of what we grow is already slated for people in need.

Last month of shares

We've had a number of questions regarding our final month of shares, so I thought it would be appropriate to answer them here.

1) <strong>Our last shares </strong>are November 15th (Saturday pick-up) and November 18th (Tuesday pick-up).

2) <strong>Gleaning weekend</strong>: As of Friday November 21st, we will set up signs to direct you to fields where we still have vegetables you can pick. This will give you a chance to come to the farm and harvest anything you want for Thanksgiving. Clean us out! All vegetables are on a first-come first-served basis. We will be on the farm from 10am-2pm Saturday to help you find everthing. No RSVP is necessary, but if you are interested in coming, it will help us to know so we have a sense of how many people to expect.

3) <strong>What will be in the remaining shares</strong>?
Tuesday October 28: All shares should get a few sweet/bell peppers, some amount of tiny greens (possibly including arugula, tat soi, mizuna, tokyo bekana, red kale, red mustard and lettuce), broccoli florets, and large cooking greens (possibly including green kale, southern giant mustard, mustard-spinach, turnip greens and collards), a few heads of garlic, and some sweet potatoes for Dupont only (Farm Tuesday has already received sweet potatoes twice).

November 1(Sat) and 4(Tues): All shares should get a few heads garlic, a few small "cherriette" radishes, greens, a bit of broccoli, and carrots for Dupont and Saturday shares unless we want them to grow another week (Farm Tuesday has already received carrots).

November 8 and 11: All shares should receive garlic, greens, and any remaining radishes, turnips and carrots.

November 15 and 18: All shares should receive greens, lots of garlic for the winter, and some popcorn (either loose or on the cob).

Gleaning weekend: Any remaining garlic (including loose cloves), any remaining greens in the field (there should be as much as you can use if you're not especially picky about which kind), and whatever radishes, broccoli and popcorn that didn't get distributed.

Update

The days are shorter and cooler--very pleasant for outdoor work.

Although it has warmed up since then, Clagett Farm was hit by a frost on October 3. Late September or early October frosts are not unheard of, but such a deep frost usually occurs in late October. The tomatoes and cucumbers were already on their way out. The frost made their anticipated departure a bit more abrupt. The okra was hit hard, but it is still hanging on. For how much longer or whether shareholders will get to see any of it, we don't yet know. With so many frost-burnt leaves, however, we don't expect significant okra yield