72 + Diversity: CSA ’18 – Week #19, October 10th

The average yearly rainfall for our area is around 35 inches.

Since May, we have had 72 inches of rain. That’s just crazy town.

With a critical eye, and damp feet, it can sometimes be too easy this season to look around and sigh at all the problems the rain has caused.  Lessened storage times for lots of crops. A beautiful tomato crop that went to crap with all the rain. Fall spinach and rutabaga that washed away. Stunted storage radishes. So many rows of carrots meticulously weeded that we are unable to get out of the ground and then rotten when we finally get a dry window to harvest them.

Despite all of the challenges of the rain, however, the land still produced a ton of beautiful, high quality produce for you, our members.

This season we had some of the best watermelon we’ve had in years. The peppers did great. The fall broccoli was gorgeous. Our potato crop was fantastic (particularly after a lackluster performance last season). Kale just rocked it. And the head lettuce just kept on coming every week. The onions did well too, as did cucumbers and zucchini.

Diversity is the key. Every year, whether it’s a flood year (2018), a cold year (2017), a crazy late spring (2016), a drought (2012), we are able to provide you with food. By planting so many different types of crops, we hedge against the uncertainty of the weather. It’s rarely a good year for everything, but it’s always a good year for something. And it’s always good enough to keep you fed with vegetables.

This fact, that we can trust in diversity, really amazes me.  Really, I’m blown away at what the land was able to produce with 72 inches of rain. It’s amazing.

We thank you for taking this journey with us, joining us in the risk of farming, and supporting our local, organic, family farm.

Sincerely,
Your farmers – Mike & Cassie

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