Hello dear CSA members!
I hope this email finds you healthy, well, and excited to be eating freshly harvested farm produce in just a few weeks! We have endless examples these days of our human strength and resilience, but I’d like to give a round of cheers for the remarkable resilience of plants! When seedlings go from being covered with snow to a 85 degree day in a matter of weeks, the whiplash is something fierce. It sure felt challenging for us humans, but at least we were able to take layers on and off to try and ameliorate the situation! Especially these days on the farm and in our family we’re very aware of our privilege in so many ways, and we feel grateful that we’re able to share some of the bounty that comes from that privilege with you.
Below are some of the key logistics for the upcoming season. Part of what we love so dearly about the CSA is the community connections that happen during the pickup. Usually at the pickup we chat, we share recipes, we hug, we enjoy watching toddlers slowly count out cherry tomatoes… and sadly, all of that is going to have to be put aside for the time being. We’ve been carefully considering how to adjust CSA procedures this year to address the coronavirus, and we appreciate your patience and attention to these changes – as well as your flexibility as we inevitably make adjustments over the coming weeks.
- We anticipate that the CSA will begin the week of June 15th (running through November 12th).
- In order to reduce congestion at pick-up, we will expand the CSA pickup time frame. The Tuesday Rockland pickup will run from 3:30-5:30 pm. The Thursday farm pickup will run from 4:30 to 6:00 pm. At this point the Tuesday Rockland pickup has more members, so if you would like to change to Thursday at the farm, please let me know.
- We will be managing the pickup to maintain 6 foot physical distancing. No more tight lines at the pickup table. There will be stakes or markers at each pickup to clarify spacing.
- We will provide disposable plastic gloves that every member will put on as they approach the CSA table, and then throw away at the very end.
- We ask that everyone wear a mask or equivalent to the pickup.
- Please have only one person per membership go through the CSA line. If you are a family or splitting the share with another household, please send just one member through the line and then step far to the side to divide it up.
- We will have pre-packed bags available for delivery to your car. If you wish to stay in your car for any reason, give a quick toot of your horn and we will come check you in.
- When you start the line, we will consolidate your add-on shares to reduce the amount of time it takes you to gather your items.
- Hand-washing stations will be available at both the Rockland and Hatchet Cove pick-up locations.
- If you would like home delivery of your share – or can provide home delivery to another member – please let me know. We will try to connect you with another member who lives in your neighborhood who has offered to provide contactless delivery of your CSA share(s).
- We will be using single-use plastic bags for the pre-packed shares this year. You are welcome to still bring cloth bags/baskets to use when packing your own share.
- If you miss your pickup for any reason and come to the farm to get your packed CSA share out of the walk-in, hand sanitizer will be available for you to use before touching and surfaces (fridge handle, etc).
- Finally, on farm, we will be using additional disinfectants, have new hand washing stations, and will be masked at all times during the CSA pickup.
Phew. I think that covers it for now. Please contact me if you want to add additional add-on shares before the first pick-up (fall apples, bread, yogurt, eggs, ferments, Fiore, honey, tofu, mushrooms, flowers). We are working on making ground beef available for you from our friends at Sparkplug Farm and will continue to try to connect you with the best and freshest locally produced deliciousness wherever possible.
Finally, we have a wonderful crew that helps make this all possible. I’ll be introducing you to our apprentices and helpers over the course of the next newsletters, but know that Angela, Charlie, Christina and Becky have been hard at work alongside Bill and I (and Eli and CJ, on occasion!) to get this season up and going. Bill is running for re-election to the State House again this summer, and we’re committed to growing as much food for our community as possible, so we’re so grateful to have these thoughtful, caring folks learning, living and working alongside our family.
Be well, please be in touch with any questions, and I’ll be sending out another email in a couple of weeks with more specifics as the first pick-up approaches. If you use EBT to pay for your CSA share, please let me know if you have not told me already (and we can apply a grant to half of the cost of your veggie share!). I will be sending those members an online ‘contract’ to fill out and bring to the first pickup. All other members, if you still have a balance on your share, please make every attempt to have it paid up or make another regular payment before the first pickup in June!
Thank you, and see you so soon!
Reba and the HCF crew
HATCHET COVE FARM 