Bittersweet News: Wild Carrot is Moving

Dear Beloved Shareholders,

Welcome to week 15! I can’t believe how this summer has flown by, I still feel like I never caught up on some of July’s chores. We are getting some much-needed rain this morning, and are feeling good about how well the season has turned out, despite the lack of precipitation. We are also feeling blessed that (so far) we have not had any Irene-like disasters. We have come a long way from week one of 2011, when we were scrounging for food with such a late late spring in our first year. The soil has improved immensely, and we are seeing the results! That being said, we are still having quite a bit of animal pressure.

As soon as the fields dry out, we expect to get most of the winter squash pulled in to begin curing in the greenhouse. The garlic has all been processed, and seed chosen for next year. The majority of the onions are processed and curing. We are starting to plan out what the gardener’s shares will look like, and watching some of our hardy fall crops with an eye to the first frost, which will sweeten up the brussel sprouts and the carrots and parsnips. We are still harvesting tomatoes and peppers, though they are slowing down considerably with the cold nights.

A big note for Tuesday folks: It has been a rare occurrence that anybody has shown up after 6:00 on Tuesdays, so we have decided to close up at 6:00 instead of 6:30 as the days are getting shorter, and soon it will be dark by then! If this is a problem for you, please let us know, and we will make arrangements to either stay late, or get you the food somehow. In big letters so you don’t miss it: TUESDAY PICKUPS WILL NOW CLOSE AT 6 PM. Cell phone is 716-969-2480.

We would also like to share with you some EXCITING NEWS ABOUT THE FUTURE of Wild Carrot Farm. While Brookline and especially the Soloman's have treated us tremendously well over the past two years, and this has been an unbelievably welcoming home for Wild Carrot, the farm will be moving next season, a bittersweet decision. Max has decided to pursue his dreams of having dairy goat farm (location yet to be determined), and will be stepping out to embark on this endeavor with his wife Leigh. Jesse and Caitlin have been offered an unbelievable opportunity to transition into ownership/tenancy of what is now Fair Winds Farm on Upper Dummerston Road in Brattleboro. We will be partnering up with friends Benjamin Crockett and Ashlyn Bristle, as well as Jay and Janet Bailey (the current owners) to create an extremely diversified farm on the 41+ acres there. We will continue to do a vegetable CSA, eggs, chickens, and turkeys, but will expand to include a legal raw milk cow (and goat?) dairy, pork, and beef, and in the future hopefully berries and fruit. The farm is currently powered by draft horses, which we hope to continue. That being said, the plans for next year’s CSA are not yet determined. We will keep you updated as soon as we have figured out the details! It is likely that for the first year on new land, with undertaking such an enormous project, we will have limited shares available. Current members will be given first priority for these shares. There are many details yet to be figured out, but we believe and hope that the current Wild Carrot Fields shall not go fallow! We’ll keep you in the loop.

Now, for the grand list of veggies of the week:


broccoli
peppers (Sweet/hot)
tomatoes 
husk cherries
green/purple beans
red cabbage
kale
chard
mesclun
head lettuce
arugula
celery
celeriac
tomatillos
potatoes
onions
garlic
basil
daikon radish
napa cabbage
beets (later in the week)
okra
daikon radish
extras: parsley, cilantro, sage, oregano, anise hyssop, peppermint, lemon balm, thyme, tulsi basil

Warmly,
Caitlin, Jesse and Max