Right in the nick of time for the big blizzard, the first sign of spring has arrived.  As of today, the online 2013 CSA sign-up is open and ready for members!

We’re pretty excited about the coming season.  We’ve poured over seed catalogs, planned new hoophouses, and are interviewing potential apprentices daily.  Every year it’s the same familiar, appreciated cycle:  December is the month when everything comes to a screeching halt and we catch our breath, January we start to dream and plan again, and February we start to put those plans into action.  That means purchasing everything from pipes for the new hoophouses, thousands of dollars worth of seeds, soil and trays in which to germinate the seeds, repairs to equipment to get ready for the season… all the things that signing up and paying early for your CSA share makes possible.  This farm truly is a community effort, a fact which we are aware of and appreciate every day.

What’s new this year, you ask?  Well, I’ve been dreaming of growing ginger for years, ever since I heard of it being grown successfully in hoophouses in Maine.  So we’re going to give it a try!  Also, based on the survey responses from last season, we’re growing more big tomatoes, new cucumber varieties, and the familiar mix of traditional vegetables and occasional new experiments.  Our operating costs continue to go up, but the share price is only increasing by fifty cents a week, and we’re still committed to making the CSA accessible to all.  So we’ll continue to offer three and five-month payment plans (though we always appreciate when a member is able to pay up front) and we’ll continue to promote the use of SNAP benefits and make financial aid available.  So even if it’s been a tough winter, don’t count out your fresh veggies… just get in touch with us. We’ll help make it happen.

As for the add-on shares, here are some updates (click here for more details):

~  We are very excited about the new FIORE Oil and Vinegar CSA share. Eighteen weeks of different pairs of FIORE-sourced fresh olive oils and aged balsamics?  All for five dollars a week?  This is going to be so much fun.
~  Oyster Creek Mushroom Company will continue to provide wonderful mushrooms at the same price that she’s offered for years. Thank you, Candace!
~  The cost of grain has impacted livestock farmers across the board, and in order to keep down the price of the cheese share, as well as respond to member’s feedback about not getting through all their cheese every week, Appleton Creamery is reducing the size and cost of the cheese share. In 2013 the cheese share will consist of two cheeses per week and will continue to be a great value for Caitlin’s amazing goat, cow and sheep-milk cheeses.
~  Cheryl Denz of Terra Optima Farm will again offer her nitrate-free pork, pasture-raised beef, free-range eggs, and cage-free broiler chickens shares. Yay!
~  We have decided to take a break from offering bread shares this summer. We appreciate the bakers at The Village Bakery and all they’ve brought to the Waldoboro downtown community. But managing freshly-baked bread is not simple on a busy harvest day, and while we may return to working with a baker in the future, we’ve decided to take this year off.

Now that we’re getting into the swing of things, I’ll begin posting more regularly on Facebook. I’m always available for questions and the farm is always open for visits. We can’t wait for the season to start up, and hopefully to see so many of you again soon!

Take care, stay warm, and be in touch!

Reba

Sign up for 2013 from this link or at http://www.farmigo.com/join/hatchetcovefarm/summer2013