Season: Fall 2021
Size: Half Share
Week 6 of 12
November 6th, 2021
NOTES FROM THE FIELD
When we ran our first CSA season back in the Fall of 2015, we had maybe twelve members and only one size (the Full share). Even getting to twelve members that season felt like a minor miracle. (And we still have a couple CSA members who were a part of the original twelve! Shout out to Amy Dinn and Heather Mayfield!)
I can tell you those early days still feel so real to me. We had spent almost everyday for the first 18 months literally moving wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow of wood chips to build up our farm. Having spent so much time and energy just to get our basic fields and growing infrastructure up and running, packing our first CSA bags felt like we were actually running a farm. Finally!
Ever since, our CSA has steadily grown, becoming the framework of our farming operation and the cornerstone of our farming community. Almost everything in our farm routine (our planting plans, seed orders, harvests, budget framework, finances, and time off) revolves around the CSA.
However, today, I’m writing to say that this Fall 2021 CSA season will be our last CSA season at 257 N Greenwood. At the end of this season, we will be pausing our farm operations at Finca. We’ll be publicly announcing this in the week ahead.
Before I make you too nervous, I hope you will take a deep breath and read on.
For those who are new to our CSA, never knew our land story, or need a refresher, here we go. We have been leasing our farm property for the last 7.5 years. We tried twice (2014 and 2016) to purchase the property but timing and luck was not on our side. Eventually, the County bought this property back in 2017 and they’ve been honoring our previous lease agreement ever since.
Over these last three long years, we’ve been in discussions with Harris County over our future and we have finally settled on a long-term home in the East End for Finca Tres Robles thanks to the support of Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia and Harris County Engineering.
While it might not seem very ideal to have to move our farm, we’re relieved in so many ways. Our new location will be slightly larger than our current site, it keeps us in the East End and we will have a long-term agreement that not only will allow us to stay here for a long, long time, but most importantly will allow us to fully invest in the location.
We intend to have a store, classroom, covered pavilion for our events, bathrooms and proper facilities and offices for our farmers and staff and of course 3 Oak trees.
Even though there are still some last details that are still being finalized, we look forward to being able to share more info in the new year. Let’s just say we are so excited about what this means for our organization and our East End neighbors.
I really hope the pride, relief, and excitement that we feel is something that we can all share!
None of this would have been possible without the support of so many with our CSA members being such a vital part of that. I hope to articulate this better in the weeks ahead.
We will be announcing a few celebrations on the farm before the end of the year, but I really encourage you to join us next Friday November 12th from 6:00-9:00pm. Myself and the team will be there to get to hang out under the oaks and of course answer and questions and concerns y’all may have.
Thanks so much for being a part of the farm.
Sincerely,
Tommy
WHAT’S IN THE SHARE
Bravo Radish
These baby daikon radishes are slightly sweet, slightly spicy and add amazing color to a salad.
Collard
A round, hearty leaf that is mildly earthy. Try using in a salad or sauteing with other cooking greens. Collards also hold up well as wraps!
Turnip
Hakurei Turnips are a lot milder than the turnips that you typically get from the store. They are a delicious raw, crunchy snack and are fabulous roasted with other root vegetables. Try boiling and mashing with potatoes to make a potato/turnip mash! Their greens are also delicious and can be used as raw or cooking greens.
Dwarf Bok Choi
These adorable heads of bok choi are such a fun asian green. We use them in the same way we would use regular-sized bok choi–so perfect for stir-fries and also delicious raw in salads!
Lettuce (Verde Greens)
This lettuce is especially delicate and crisp. It gives salads a clean crunch and it’s broad leaves could also act as a receptacle for lettuce wraps.
Bay Leaves
Bay leaves are a rich source of vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. They are also a must in any soup, stew, or roast.
Spaghetti Squash (Gundermann Acres)
Enjoy!