What's New for 2010?

Round about the end of the year, seed catalogs fill my mailbox and lure me with words like New! Exclusive! High Yielding! tempting me to throw caution to the wind and order up loads of specialty varieties untested on our farm. I've since taken a deep breath and am excited to trial some promising new offerings while focusing on staples.

Caribe is a purple new potato which will look gorgeous next to Red Gold pink potatoes. Olympic is an early yellow onion that I hope will bridge the gap between spring scallions and mid-August's sweet Ailsa Craigs. An orange-hued cauliflower called Cheddar is in the plan. Orange cauliflower? In the past our cauliflower has suffered from heavy disease pressure, and the word on the street is that Cheddar is a more reliable variety (though the seed cost is astronomical). Romanesco is a spiral-shaped green cauliflower-relative that looks like it originated on another planet. I expect it to be fussy but I can't resist its magical appearance.

Other crops in the mix are multi-colored Asian eggplant, elegant bunched baby leeks, bright yellow zucchini and anaheim peppers. A caveat: I always take it slow when trialing new varieties because my priority is producing high quality staples with the best flavor that are reliable and productive. In the span of my farming career, I've discovered what grows well in our soil, and for the most part, those are the crops and varieties that I select. But it is always fun to try new things and see if I just might discover something to add to the CSA mix.

In addition to crop planning, I've spent time evaluating how to increase convenience and choices. For 2010:

- Switch your pick-up location between the farm and Montpelier with advance notice. (Running late? Just call or email by 5:30pm for a bagged share.)

- Expanded pick-your-own schedule. Now Monday-Friday, 10am-3pm.

- Increased farm product sales direct from local producers including eggs, meat, and possibly milk.

- More crop choices: We will offer more choices in your share so that you can select the vegetables that your family uses most.

Also after considering eliminating our on-farm Thursday pick-up, I've decided to maintain this option because it gives our members more flexibility. Thanks to those who answered our survey.

One thing that is not new is our share price. Economic troubles have affected our community like so many others. While many of our supplies like seeds, compost and organic sprays continue to rise in price, our share price has stayed the same since 2008. I continue to cut expenses and increase efficiencies where I can. I am committed to keeping our shares competitive and affordable for all and am pleased to offer a share value of 10-20% off retail prices. If you or someone you know is in need, please find information on subsidized shares at our website, and please consider a donation with your membership fee to help our neighbors

What does a farmer do in a long Vermont winter?

What do vegetable growers do in the winter? I spend many weeks mapping out exactly what I’m going to plant, how much, where and how often. My spreadsheets get really long! I’m highly motivated to get organized while my schedule is quieter, because come summer I don’t want to be flying by the seat of my pants. Here is a sample of my crop plan. Planning for over 100 varieties takes quite a bit of time.

Food Safety Practices At Wellspring Farm

                 Spinach, tomatoes, peanuts...they’re all good for you, but recently they’ve been in the news as causes of food borne illness. Of course, it’s not the vegetables themselves that made folks sick, but contamination by virulent forms of the bacteria such as salmonella and E. coli.
                The bacteria E. coli is most often traced to contamination from manure produced in large feedlots, and is primarily associated with beef cows that are raised on grain instead of grass. When fresh manure is improperly applied to fields or infiltrates irrigation water, it can be a source of harmful bacteria if produce is contaminated. Pathogens infecting vegetables are likely to increase under poor storage conditions, such as bagged, sealed salad greens or produce that has been stored for long periods at sub-optimal temperatures. You won’t find any of this at Wellspring.
                 At Wellspring Farm we are committed to producing the highest quality and safest produce possible. We harvest the bulk of your CSA share the very day you receive it, ensuring it is fresh and healthy. By purchasing whole, non-processed, non-packaged produce direct from our organic farm — grown by a small staff of farmers you know and from fields you may inspect yourself — you can have great confidence that the produce you consume is safe and healthy. The fact that we are certified organic and pass a thorough annual inspection means that we adhere to a high standard of ecologically-based agricultural practices. Emerging national food safety standards for vegetable production neglect the importance of maintaining biodiversity in the soil which is the basis for safe agriculture. Our farming philosophy rests firmly on preserving balance in the natural world.
                While statistically the incidence of human diseases caused by fresh produce is very small, we follow food safety guidelines and practices to ensure our produce is healthy and safe.  Here are some elements of our food safety plan (full version here). Please ask us questions or for more information on our practices.

What Wellspring Farm Does:

• Employees are trained in and required to follow proper sanitation and good agricultural practices.
• The source of water used to clean produce is tested annually; only potable water is used.
• Manure used for soil fertility is fully composted and applied a minimum of 90 days prior to harvest.
• Organic pesticides, amendments, and other soil and crop
• applications on the farm are documented and on file, including name of person applying materials, date, field/crop location and amount applied.
• Harvest containers, harvesting implements, washing and storage facilities are cleaned prior to use.
• Harvest containers are used solely for the carrying and storage of crops and non-produce items are not allowed in these containers.

What You Can Do:

• At home always keep vegetables separate from seafood and meat.
• Always wash your produce. We rinse off field soil and cool your produce, but it is important to thoroughly wash all produce at home.
• Store your produce under proper temperature conditions (potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, onions don’t need refrigeration).

Earth Oven at Wellspring

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the support of a NOFA grant and farm volunteers, we built a clay oven next to the pick up shed for baking on the farm. Imagine the warm smells of wood-fired baked breads and pizzas with farm veggie toppings. Mmmmm. Eating the creations is just as fun as the building of the oven. It was a real hoot to take off our shoes and stomp around in clay, sand and sawdust straight off the farm. After a full week of construction, only a half bag of trash was created. The oven helps us to create more opportunities to connect folks with their food source. We are always looking for volunteers to fire up the oven, so please join in the baking!