Advice for Richmond growers in Style

http://www.styleweekly.com/richmond/best-food-to-grow-here-this-summer/BestOf?oid=1463062&keywords=

packing things up

What I truly love about capitalism is that when the free market no longer has a use for you the market lets you know. I got that news on February 18th. The goal for the CSA this year was 20 members. We needed to have at least ten by the 18th to meet the farms' obligations. We had five. The market has spoken. As I am writing this, refunds are going out to those five members.

I have no complaints; I have learned a great deal from this experience. I have met many amazing people and felt a level of involvement in the community that I have never known before. I have the greatest respect for the farmers that have successfully grown produce for CSA and market for many years. I was only able to make it for two-and-a-half very hard years. I tip my hat to the folks that have been doing it for more then two decades.

I wouldn't have made it as long as I did without the support of many wonderfully generous people who have lent financial, emotional, and physical support to the farm. First I would like to thank every CSA member for their support. The half dozen members of the micro CSA in 08, the pioneers who signed up in 09 when the farm was just taking shape, and last years' members who endured the drought with me. Thanks to all the other market vendors. I probably learned more from fellow growers than I ever learned in horticulture school. Special thanks goes out to Megan Marconyak who has been editing and contributing to this blog for the past year. She made the whole process so much easier and was always encouraging no matter the feedback the farm was receiving.

I do plan to continue growing for myself and my family and will continue to post here on occasion.

Thank you all,

Russell

Seeds

The last big seed order for the spring was just placed. Did I get everything I wanted? ... No. Am I growing only heirlooms? ... not by a long shot. All the same, it's what the budget will allow and what the market will desire. If it wasn't for CSA support there would be no seed order at all. The drought last year was horrible. I'm still trying to repair the damage it did to the farms' budget. That said, the standards you'll see at market are on their way, or already in the greenhouse.

I am often asked if everything I grow is heirloom. I wish it was. When I was a home gardener heirlooms were the only seeds I grew. I saved my seeds each year and watched the evolutionary process season after season as the strongest and the fittest survived and prospered. In some varieties I can still do that. I've been growing Purira chiles for years. The seeds from my original order from Seedsofchange.com grew the peppers that were the foundation of the seed stock I still grow. Seeds of Change no longer sells this variety, but I will be growing several hundred of them this year to border my tomato fields and to deter pests. If you are interested heirloom seeds, I highly recommend my Louisa neighbors http://www.southernexposure.com/.

Two seasons ago, I asked Charlie Collins victoryfarmsinc.com , probably the best market grower in our area, about the difference between heirloom and hybrid vegetables. In a real brass-tacks kind of way he explained that heirlooms and seed diversity is great, but if you want to make a living growing vegetables the majority of your crops have to be hybrids. This was reinforced by a field experiment the same year. In a field of 500 heirloom summer squash I planted 20 hybrid seeds another farmer had given me. Those 20 plants out-produced the other 480 heirlooms. Math like that is hard to argue with when the premium for heirlooms is minuscule at best.

If you are planning a home garden to supplement your household vegetables this year and are looking for a great source of seeds, I always recommend the following:

growitalian.com

johnnyseeds.com

rareseeds.com

Look for varieties that say "vigorous." Try to keep in mind the space you have, and the labor you are willing to put forth.

The importance of growing heirloom varieties can not be overstated. The majority of hybrid seeds are produced by about a half dozen large companies. Monsanto by far is the largest. Years ago they stated that the biggest threat to their business was people who saved their own seeds. They also lobbied hard for the recent food health safety act that was passed by the US government. I have huge problems with this act.

In order to be certified organic, you have to be accountable for everything that goes into your field from its origin. You can ensure this by purchasing certified organic seeds. This makes it difficult to save seeds, due to cross pollination. As the varieties of vegetables grown are reduced, we increase our exposure to the chance of a vegetable disease that can wipe out a large crop, similar to the Irish potato famine. By saving seeds and growing heirloom varieties, we may be increasing the biodiversity in our area and thus prolonging such an epidemic. The new food and health safety act could very well institute similar regulations on non-certified organic growers. If my business was selling seeds, and I wanted to eliminate seed-savers, having laws passed to indicate that only my seeds were "safe" might be a smart move. That is not the current case, but I do have concerns that we are heading in that direction. How the new law will effect small farms remains to be seen.

The little heated greenhouse is filled with chilies and herbs. Soon they will be moved into cold frames on the farm where they will be waiting for warmer weather and planting. This will free up space for the first round of cherry tomatoes, 4500 is the goal this year. Two times the number of beefsteaks that are hoping to fill our market tables this year. Sweet peppers and eggplants will replace the tomatoes in late march and so forth, and so on.

Time to get back to planting,

Happy growing,

Farmer Russell

Paypal

A recent member requested to pay using Paypal. This is a new experience for us, but we are happy to do what we can to make supporting local agriculture easier. Contact us farmerrussell@gmail.com with any questions.

2011 CSA (first year of the debit system)

Howdy all!

Enrollment in the 2011 CSA has begun! Membership is very limited, so hurry if you're interested.

We will only be offering 20 memberships this year. Fresh, local food introduced me to some amazing people last year. Bringing real food to other people's tables has been a wonderful experience. I wish we could expand every year, but the "C" in CSA (community supported agriculture) is important. And in order to keep our community happy, we are reducing the size of the CSA while we move into a debit system. After two-and-a-half years of providing pre-selected bags of produce, next year we will be offering members the choice of picking what they want, when they want. I will be vending at the following markets:

North of the James Market at Bryan Park, Tuesdays, 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
South of the James Market at Forest Hill Park, Saturdays, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Community Supported Agriculture allows me to provide families with fresh, local food. I've greatly enjoyed filling people's tables with quality produce in the height of its growing season. I'm hoping this new debit system will allow my members to get more of their favorites in a more convenient way.

Costs and Deadlines:

The season runs from the first week in May through the third week of November.

whole shares: $500.00
half shares: $275.00
50% due february 18
50% due march 18
No refunds after april 1, and no refunds will be offered on unspent credits.
There is a 10% discount for returning members (you wonderful, patient souls!)

Members receive their initial investment plus 10% as credits to use as they choose at either market.

Examples of this year's produce:

*These items aren't guaranteed at market. Produce varies by what grows each week and by farmers' choice.

Early Spring:
arugula mix
spicy greens mix
swiss chard
broccoli rabe
bok choy
radishes
beets
kale
carrots
peas
onions
herbs

Early Summer:

tomatoes (possibly by late june)
peppers
eggplant
beans
salad mix
herbs

Mid Summer:

squash
cucumbers
melons
tomatoes
peppers
eggplant
salad mix
herbs
beans

Late Summer:
tomatoes
peppers
eggplant
okra
salad mix
herbs
beans

Fall:
squash
tomatoes
peppers
eggplant
okra
herbs
swiss chard
broccoli rabe
bok choy
radishes
beets
kale
carrots
beans

The Tomato Question:

Tomatoes have taught me that one cannot live on heirlooms alone. Almost a third of the farm is dedicated at one point or another to my prized ripe, juicy love apples.

Cherry Tomatoes:
There will be pints of cherries made up of the classics: sungolds, green zebras, oregon springs, and either brown or black cherries.

Beefsteaks:
We grow a variety.
- Great White is a low-acid white beefsteak that is soft, delicate, meaty, and juicy.
- Red Pear is a large heirloom old north italian pear-shaped beefsteak.
- Hybrid beefsteak varieties will be grown and labeled as non heirloom.

Paste Tomatoes:

We grow several types.
Black Plum is my all time favorite sauce tomato – perfect in my eggplant parmesan recipe.
San Marzano Redorta are large roma paste tomatoes great for canning and sauces.

If you have any questions about the CSA, feel free to contact me or leave them in the comments below.

CSA FAQ:

FarmerRussell@gmail.com is my email.

Please make all checks payable to Edible Old Dominion LLC
and mail to:
Edible Old Dominion
2105 Davenport Ave.
Richmond Va. 23228

Though we are happy to hear from everyone who is interested, we start counting the members when the checks start showing up. Shares will be limited to 20 members this year.

How does the debit system work?

You will receive your initial investment plus 10% as credits for use at market. So, if you purchase a whole share for $500, you will receive $550 in credits to use on produce. The credits can be used at either market on any items you want. We'll keep track of them for you. We're hoping this new system will allow our members to get what they want when they want it.
*No refunds will be offered on unspent credits.

Are you organic?
No. Organic is a government certification that takes three years to obtain and can cost several hundred, to several thousand dollars, to maintain. We do use organic methods. We never use synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides. My daughter runs through the fields on the farm. I want to be able to keep it that way.

Do you grow only Heirloom vegetables?
I wish. We are huge fans of biodiversity and use heirlooms whenever possible. The split this year will probably be 50 /50. Losing half of a tomato plants production can be hard when you are growing a couple in your backyard, when you have 800 plants of that variety it can bring you to your muddy knees.

Thanksgiving / CSA ends

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

CSA wrapped up last week. Thank you all for your support of local agriculture during this past difficult season. The 2011 Edible Old Dominion CSA will have fewer members as we switch to a debit system. Once again there will be a loyalty discount for returning members. Look forward to a CSA Post in the near future. I hope your tables are filled on this day of thanks with local and artesian delights. -FR

Seems like rest garlic and.vitamins have done the trick again. I will be at south of the james today 8-noon