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August 13th, 2015 This week’s harvest: Iceburg head lettuce, baby kale, tomatoes, green beans, peppers (bell and jalepeno), basil, broccoli, eggplant, carrots, squash, and garlic
It’s been a sad week for all of us who love the river, especially for the farmers who depend on it. Fortunately, our farm irrigates from ponds that were filled from the Reid ditch weeks before the spill. And since the water from the Animas river going into the Reid ditch was shut off before the contamination passed, our irrigation water remains safe. We should have enough in the ponds to get us through the year.
But, we do know of farmers who irrigate directly from the river and are working with the EPA to actually have water delivered to their farms! Needless to say, of all the surprising setbacks that are thrown at us every season, we did not predict this one! We can only hope that the contamination will not have long-term consequences to the health of local ecosystems.
Unfortunately, pollution of many kinds occurs all the time and no one ever really knows what is in their food. For example, if we could see the systemic neonicotinoid insecticide when it is taken up by the plant roots and incorporated into the pollen that the bee then takes home to her hive, would we still spray? I’ll never forget the shock and disbelief upon experiencing the fact that herbicides persist in the manure of animals that eat sprayed hay and then the herbicides go on to damage crop plants in compost – REALLY! Sadly, yes.
The Animas river pollution event was unusual in that we could see it and I believe that raised an additional emotional reaction. Most of the time, pollution is invisible and therefore we tend to ignore it, until the effects affect us!
We are grateful for so much abundance to come in spite of the disaster.
We look forward to seeing you tomorrow.
Linley, Peter, Reid, Charlie, Tim, John
August 6th, 2015 This week’s harvest: Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, carrots, broccoli, kale, chard, lettuce mix, red onion, basil, and garlic
Even though the majority of the harvest is still to come, when August comes around it definitely feels like we’ve made it past the “worst of it.” I know, I know, I love my job, but the summer months lack balance. Every-day-all-day farming gets to be too much over time! Believe it or not, cleaning the house or taking care of the yard doesn’t sound so bad this time of year.
But, this year we’ve had Reid, Tim, and Charlie to help so we actually put the tent and sleeping bags in the car for a camping trip for the first time in five years. We moved to Durango to farm, yes, but we also moved here to enjoy the mountains and it took us five years to spend the night in them! Lets hope that as we become better at farming there will be more time for the other things we enjoy (and for the necessities that we don’t, but must take care of!)
We look forward to seeing you tomorrow.
Linley, Peter, Reid, Charlie, Tim, John
July 30th, 2015 This week’s harvest: Cucumbers, carrots, broccoli, red onion, eggplant, garlic, beets, kale, chard, basil, lettuce mix,
Looking back at our CSA letters from last year, we had already been dishing out tomatoes by this time last year. This was our intention this year as well, having started hundreds of plants in January and planting them into our high tunnels in March. We went all out – planting an additional tunnel, inventing 2 new staking systems and keeping them frost-free without fossil fuels. We peeled 2 large inner plastic layers on and off them every morning and every night (given we don’t live on our farm this was quite a feat) and have pruned, weeded, watered and staked them. Much to our disappointment they just aren’t producing in either tunnel! In one tunnel the plants have a few tomatoes despite the lack of leaves (see picture below) and in another tunnel, our heirloom tomatoes, pruned to one main stem, are nearly touching the top of the 15 foot high tunnel but are not producing many tomatoes at all! Did they get too hot, too cold, not enough nutrients, too much water, or not enough? We can’t figure it out. This has been a humbling season for tomatoes for us, especially given our productivity last year and the fact that my Ph. D is in tomato diseases!
But, this is a good chance to explain to you why we have a CSA and a Farmers Market stand. We bring to farmers market items that we just don’t have enough of to give to our CSA members as well as items that you have received and we have a little extra. To make ends meet, we need income from both a CSA and a farmers market stand, but we always make sure that our CSA gets at least wholesale value throughout the season (often it comes out to about half the market value). Please know that summer crops start producing slowly, but we have A LOT planted in the field (including tomatoes) and that they will come on strong from mid-August until frost (usually the end of September).
Meanwhile, onions are beginning to bulb, peppers, eggplant and green tomatoes are swelling, and sunflowers are starting to pop. The farm is thriving and there is much to be grateful for this year, including our surplus of greens of all kinds!
As always, we look forward to seeing you tomorrow.
Linley, Peter, Reid, Charlie, Tim, John
July 23rd, 2015 This week’s harvest: Cucumbers, garlic, beets, head lettuce, arugula, kale, chard, basil, salad mix, cilantro
We got into farming because we love growing vegetables. Because of this love, our produce has been grown with much intention, be it choosing varieties that are tastier, attracting beneficials to the farm, or improving the soil that it is grown in.
But, Adobe House Farm has turned into so much more than thoughtful food production. It’s about connecting with the people who eat our food and appreciate what we do. You take the extra effort to come to our farm because you believe in our food and believe in us. That is something that we do not take lightly.
And so, as you look around the farm tomorrow, I hope you are in awe of how much is growing and the bounty that is just around the corner. You’re the reason its all there!
As always, we look forward to seeing you tomorrow.
Linley, Peter, Reid, Charlie, Tim, John
July 16th, 2015 This week’s harvest: garlic, cilantro, kohlrabi, beets, kale, chard, salad mix, herbs: basil, mint, thyme
U-pick: kale, It’s by the hoop house and from now on it’s u-pick every week. Just pick one or two big leaves per plant. Plants at the ends of the rows are often forgotten and have the biggest leaves!
There were many times this week when I was reminded of why I chose to be a farmer. In farming, you see the progress of your hard work. Harvesting large kale bundles, strawberries, and greens is such a tangible reward for your labor. It’s directly fulfilling to not only the soul, but the body too. We are starting to be rewarded with fresh, healthy food and strong muscles after months of hard work. We are so happy to be able to share our vegetables with you. Hopefully our food will make you stronger, healthier and happier as it does for us!
What’s more, the farm is starting to feel much more under control and the plants are all growing so well. The reward for months of seeding, caring for starts and bed prep has finally led to big, strong plants! We are constantly astonished how quickly things grow here. The abundant sunshine – and this year the rain – has lead to very quick growth. There are already summer plants starting to bloom – cucumbers, eggplant and peppers are all starting to bare immature fruit. We hope to harvest summer crops a bit earlier this year!
As always, we look forward to seeing you tomorrow.
Linley, Peter, Reid, Charlie, Tim, John
July 2nd, 2015 This week’s harvest: lettuce, baby kale, arugula, chard, garlic scapes, kohlrabi, radish, basil, u-pick strawberries (only a little snack in the field so there are enough for all), don’t forget your bag! Pick-up 2-6:30pm.
June is a tough month on our farm. With the threat of the last frost behind us we are forced to plant everything as quickly as possible so that we beat the first frost in the fall. Meanwhile, there are a million other things that need our attention: weeding, staking the tomatoes and cucumbers, watering, harvesting, succession sowing, fixing irrigation leaks, and the list goes on. I think of the following quote often during the month of June when the chore list seems overwhelming, from one of my favorite books of all time, “The Dirty Life” by Kristin Kimball:
“A farm is a manipulative creature. There is no such thing as finished. Work comes in a stream and has no end. There are only the things that must be done now and things that can be done later. The threat the farm has got on you, the one that keeps you running from can until can’t, is this: do it now, or some living thing will wilt or suffer or die. Its blackmail, really.”
Though the workload is immense this time of year, there’s no greater feeling than witnessing the progress your hardwork brings over the course of the season. Please enjoy these fruits of our labor and know that it has been grown with passion for what we do. As usual, a slide show and a recipe below.
Linley, Peter, Reid, Charlie, Tim, John
June 25th, 2015 Adobe House Farm CSA 2015 starts tomorrow, this Thursday 2pm-6:30pm
This week’s harvest: Head lettuce, radish, mustard greens (mizuna), arugula, spinach, onions, garlic scapes, beets, mint, strawberries (u-pick)
We are so excited to kick off this year’s CSA tomorrow! Months of hard work has begun to yield beautiful greens and root crops. This is what you’ll be receiving for the next several weeks until the long-season crops begin to bear in August and September. Here are some things to keep in mind for the pick up:
- Pick up your goodies between 2-6:30 at 821 E. 32nd St. (gravel drive just past Sunshine Gardens, black mailbox, big evergreen tree).
- Come early if you can to avoid traffic and be first to the strawberry patch.
- Bring a grocery bag for your produce!
Feel free to walk the farm after picking your strawberries tomorrow and marvel that every plant has been planted by hand! Enjoy the pictures of the farm below and check out the weekly recipe at the bottom – can’t wait to see you tomorrow!
Linley, Peter, Reid, Charlie, Tim, John
April 24th, 2015 May is almost upon us and we’ve been cranking on the farm for the past 6 weeks. We can’t wait to welcome back both our new and returning CSA members! Before we update you, here some quick reminders:
- Payment ($480) for the 2015 Adobe House Farm CSA is due by May 1st – thanks to everyone who has already paid
- Please make checks payable to Adobe House Farm and mail to 910 CR 252, Durango CO 81301
- For the first time in the farm’s history we have a waiting list for our CSA so if we have not received your payment within a week of May 1st we cannot guarantee your share
- The first CSA pickup will be Thursday, June 25th from 2:00pm-6:30pm
- If you cannot make the pickup, please arrange for someone else to pick up your share. Our cold storage space is very limited and unclaimed shares will be donated
- Pickup location is 821 E. 32nd St (look for our sign between Sunshine Gardens and TL Roofing)
- If you have any questions, please call Linley (970-317-0309) or Pete (970-317-0310)
As you can see from the pictures, our greenhouse is bursting with starts, the fields are tilled, and the greens are growing. We are also excited to welcome our newest employee, Charlie Foster. Charlie comes to us from Portland, Oregon where he worked at the Urban Farm Collective as well as ProjectGrow, an urban farm and fine arts studio providing meaningful jobs for adults with developmental disabilities. Along with Charlie, John Essen of Animas Valley Farms will also be sharing his growing skills with us this year. We know that their experience, work ethic, and sense of humor will only help in making this season our best yet.
Cold-tolerant garlic, arugula, baby kale, turnips, spinach, radishes, kohlrabi, cilantro, parsley, bok choi, beets and carrots have been sown outside and should be ready by the first few pickups. We also are excited about our new low tunnel system which will give us protection from our annual hail event! Additionally our new tractor/tiller and plastic mulch implement will make it much easier to keep a steady supply of greens growing as well the ever present weeds at bay. Each year we get better at farming in this region and continue to add to our tool box.
As many of you know, we continue to try to farm close to Durango so we can get you on the farm. Surprisingly we’ve learned that an on-farm CSA pickup actually requires the same permitting as a Walmart! We’ve been working our way through this paperwork and would love to have your support when we request that the La Plata County Comprehensive Plan exempt agricultural operations from some of these requirements. The planning commission meeting is on May 7 at 6:00pm in the Board Room at 1060 E. 2nd Ave. We’d love for your show of support after our comment and encourage you to comment yourself about why you support local agriculture.
Looking forward to seeing you on the farm June 25!
Linley, Peter, Reid, Charlie, John
October 9th, 2014 This week’s harvest: watermelon radishes!, pumpkins, brussel sprouts, collards, kale, cabbage, buttercup squash, parsley, peppers, eggplant, garlic, onion, cucumbers, tomatoes
It’s really here, the last week of the 2014 CSA! The task always seems so daunting at the beginning of the season – how will we ever get all the work done? Maybe for you, you’re relieved too; no longer will you be trying to figure out how to get through all those veggies before the next load comes in! For us the first frost signals a dramatic change in our daily lives. We will have more time for each other; to enjoy family meals around the table and warm cups of coffee in the morning. Surprisingly we cook more with our vegetables in the winter than in the summer (they just come out of the freezer and jars instead of the field).
As our 4th growing season comes to an end there is so much to be excited about. We grew more food this year than ever before. Your shares averaged over 20 lbs a week! Between farmers market, CSA and our wholesale accounts, roughly 30,000 pounds of food was produced on 3.5 acres, even with the July hail! We had the earliest and largest quantity of tomatoes at the farmers market with passive solar heating of our tunnels. We established great partnerships with Seasons restaurant, farm-to-school, the Fort Lewis Environmental Center and Manna soup kitchen.
Despite how much we’ve learned, our business feels fragile. The land we farm is not ours and it has been made clear to us from 2 of the landowners that our ability to farm there is temporary. What the future holds for us we don’t know, but what we do know is that we love growing vegetables for you. We love the stories you tell us about how your children now love tomatoes or how you made the best meal of your lives only using our vegetables. We love watching you out on the farm touch, taste and smell the different plants, insects and dirt! We love that you connect us to the community, rather than having to farm in seclusion. We love having someone to vent to when the job is overwhelming and that you encourage us to keep up the good work. Thank you for telling us to keep doing what we do and thank you for eating our produce. It isn’t convenient or easy, but the payoff is multifaceted for ourselves, the community, and our planet.
Linley, Peter, Reid
October 3rd, 2014 This week’s harvest: eggplant, peppers (chili, bell, poblano, jalapeño, sweet Italian, and wax), tomatoes, onion, parsley, kale, baby beets (with nice greens), basil, collards, squash, cucumbers, cauliflower, cabbage, coriander, dill, u-pick broccoli side-shoots and kale of course.
Wow, it’s official…winter is coming! We’ve been running around all week gleaning what we can from the farm in preparation for tonight’s big freeze. Monday night we even had 15 Fort Lewis college students help us bring in the winter squash, summer squash, cucumbers, and outdoor tomatoes. Talk about serious poundage coming off the farm!
Monday we spent most of the day in the rain harvesting peppers. We had left them on the plants all season in hopes that they would turn red, purple and orange, but between the colder nights and July hail, the summer was just too harsh for it to happen this year. So, this week you’re going to get the entire seasons peppers all at once! One suggestion: pickle the cucumbers, squash, and peppers together (see recipe).
As the season winds down we’re slowly transitioning into winter mode. Peter is helping Chapman Hill make the ice tonight and begins work at the rink this week. Reid is arranging trips to visit his life back in Portland and will work on a permaculture farm in Hawaii. As part of my job at the Cornucopia Institute, I’m gearing up for the National Organic Standards Board Meetings at the end of October where twice a year I get to watch the government decide which synthetic inputs are allowed in Organic Agriculture. All the Organic enthusiasts at the meetings always give me a hard time for not certifying our farm. Maybe its something we’ll do in the future, but at our scale the cost of certification doesn’t make a lot of sense. Plus, what’s the point of getting certified below our standards – even with how well I know that National List, there’s nothing on it that we need to use! The level of diversity on our farm requires very few inputs beyond a lot of manual labor.
Winter also brings farm planning, seed shopping, and infrastructure building. This year we’ll be constructing another hoophouse (for earlier peppers no doubt) and a walk-in cooler on wheels. But, before that we’ll be planting garlic for next season, planting spinach in the hoophouses, cleaning up the drip irrigation and staking, collecting leaves down 3rd avenue to turn into the soil, and going to the mountains for firewood. The farm never really comes to an end, it just changes. And, that’s the beauty of farming – we experience the seasons intimately, and they change quickly here!
See you tomorrow afternoon!
Linley, Pete, Reid
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Contact AHF (970) 317-0309
linley@adobehousefarm.com
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