February 6, 2012

Cold Frame, Potting Soil, Monsanto Lawsuit Update

Cold Frame!

Happy February, everyone.  Thank you to all of you who have signed up so far.  For those of you who mean to but haven’t gotten a chance yet, the brochure is under the “2012 Sign Up” tab on this site, or email/call Wes, and we’d be glad to mail a brochure to you.

We’ve been busy, as always, with getting ready for the season.  What’s going on in that photo up there, you say?  Well, that’s Wes installing the last leg of the CSA’s new 12′x24′ cold frame structure.   The cold frame will be an unheated, plastic-covered space where our seedlings will “harden off” after a few weeks of cushy incubation in the warmer greenhouse.  You can see the greenhouse in the background–it’s the hard-plastic, sloped structure attached to the barn.  A more familiar-looking cold frame would be shaped like a tunnel, likely constructed of bent PVC pipes.  The reason we have this gothic-shaped structure is because Jay actually had it lying around!  When a neighbor sold some of his land, this former tractor shed was abandoned in the woods, and so Jay, being a frugal farmer, saved it for potential future projects.   It was a fair amount of work and creative reconstruction to get this thing together the way we wanted it, but it’s up and stable.  In the next few days, we will build the end faces where the doors will be.  Today, we are ordering the greenhouse film to cover it.  Exciting!

Screening potting soil

Soon we’ll be seeding some of our crops, and at Four Winds Farm, we produce our own potting mix.  We’ve been helping out Jay a bit with the soil screening process.  This means we get to hang out in the steamy greenhouse and rub lumpy compost against a screen, discard the woodchips and other large matter, and voila!  We end up with the softest, most luscious potting soil you’ve ever run your hands through.  This compost has been decomposing in the greenhouse for the last year or so, as part of a continual cycle that Jay has down pat.  As some of you might know, Jay’s greenhouse is particularly great because it has no energy inputs and is partially heated by the compost.  We can’t wait to get our onion seeds in that soil.

Our last entry included a little information about the OSGATA vs. Monsanto lawsuit, an attempt to protect farmers from being sued by Monsanto for unwitting seed patent infringement.   There was an initial hearing last Tuesday, in which Monsanto requested that the case be dismissed.  The judge listened to arguments from both sides, and will decide within the next two months.  It is heartening to read reports of the hundreds of concerned folks who were outside the courthouse to support the farmers in their fight against the agri-giant.  Here’s a press release from OSGATA: http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=jnnkfneab&v=001dsGnuBrFqEHGC0puzhaNXSkYvYhUrw-9Id3wrvbGO_uOc46DLMl8GfSI2M-gRGi_JVZpaytjWwRftXmovO0WAEhv1hqSSTDqsyndAdiEd7Hvg57oYFiGr1yz3ZxhM-2AxKWrKDZqeV_W4bNUGE9RE7LJrsidLZD1

Enjoy all this lovely sunshine!

Bryn and Wes

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January 27, 2012

Garrison Pickup, Seeds, Monsanto

Seeds!

Hi everyone!

We hope everyone’s January has been a pleasant one, offering us a little bit of snow to enjoy. 

** Special note for our Garrison pickup members!  As you know, we have changed this season’s distribution day to Friday.  Recently, we have heard from a few of you that Friday is less convenient than Wednesday was.  Since some of you have already signed up, we can’t switch without a consensus.  Please let us know (secondwindcsa@gmail.com) if you would sign up for a Wednesday pick up and not a Friday.  We genuinely want to make this work for everyone.**

We are excited to report that our seed orders are in!  This season, you’ll be seeing many of the excellent vegetables, herbs and flowers you received in 2011, with a few changes in varieties.  We enjoyed spending many hours exploring our seed catalogs, and can’t wait for the awaited packages to arrive.

We’ve jumped into our crop planning, with great advice from Erin and Sam, who refined their techniques over their 3 years with the CSA.  It’s interesting to work within Jay and Polly Armour’s system of no-till raised permanent beds, because we can plant more per row than other farms who must consider the configurations of their tractor-run weeding and planting implements.  Our soil and compost’s high nutrient density also allows us to pack in a little more than many other farms.  We’re also able to plant in quick succession; when a bed of spinach is all harvested, for instance, we can go in right away and plant something else the same day!  So, we can really do a lot with the acres that we get to work with.

Zooming out from soil chemistry, the organic farming community is abuzz with the upcoming hearing in the big lawsuit over Monsanto’s transgenic/GMO seed: Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association (OSGATA) vs. Monsanto.  Some of you might know that Monsanto has developed patented transgenic seeds over the years, which are seeds that cannot be saved and replanted next season, an act that is fundamental to farming!  On top of that, Monsanto charges top dollar for these seeds, such as BT Corn or Round Up Ready.  Well, naturally, since the wind has a habit of blowing every now and then, of course farmers unwittingly end up with their neighbors’ transgenic stuff on their land.  That’s bad enough, especially for organic farmers who can lose their certification, but Monsanto has gone over the top and actually sued those farmers for patent infringement!  It started in 1998, when a canola farmer in Saskatchewan Province named Percy Schmeiser was sued by Monsanto after Round Up Ready canola seed blew into his fields.  Since then, 144 farmers have been dragged into court by Monsanto and 700 others have settled with the beastly company out-of-court.  This aggression on the part of such a powerful agri-giant cannot stand, which is why we thank OSGATA, et al, for their work in preserving farmers’ rights to grow and save their seeds without fear of being trampled by a greedy monstrosity like Monsanto.  Next Tuesday is an initial hearing in the case in NYC, with a support rally happening beforehand.  Read more about it here: http://www.osgata.org/osgata-press-releasesgo http://www.osgata.org/osgata-press-releasesgo

All the Best!

Wes and Bryn

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November 20, 2011

Week 23–The end of the 2011 season!

Hello Everyone,

After a three-week break, we are ready to close out the season with a generous, beautiful and delicious share. This week’s blog will feature 2 posts (really, I promise). First, use this post to plan your shopping for the week. The second post will be a fall/winter vegetable guide complete with recipes. I have been cooking up a storm in my “test kitchen” in preparation for this final food post!

There will be sign-up forms at the distributions for the 2012 season. Early sign-ups will help insure success for Wes and Bryn as new farmers. The winter season is the time when farmers need to spend the bulk of their expenses on seeds and supplies. Indeed, the early payment system is the heart and soul of community supported agriculture! Based on the interest so far, I expect Second Wind to fill up at a record pace this year as well. Please check out the new tab above the banner, 2012 Season Updates, as well as the Sign Up! tab that includes an order form and payment information.

Distributions this week:

Tuesday, on farm: 2:30 – 7:00 pm

Wednesday, Hudson Highlands Landtrust: 4:00 – 6:00 pm***please note the time change

Expect the following produce this week:

1 long island cheese pumpkin

1 butternut squash

2 pounds beets

5-6 pounds carrots

1.25 pounds parsnips

1 celeriac

1 Chinese cabbage

1 bunch kale

1 bag braising greens mix

1 bunch arugula

onions

garlic

daikon radish

potatoes

optional: turnips, 1 bunch or 1.5 pounds

Putting the Farm to Bed

This year’s fall farm clean up has particular significance for me. Not only is it a “tucking in” of beds, tools and equipment, but also an act of closure to the past four years of my life. The land here holds a story of remembrance, of work, vegetables, meals and CSA members. This time is bittersweet. I am happy for the success of the past three years that Second Wind CSA has had, I cherish the connection with our community, I relish in the pounds of vegetables produced by soil, water and hands; I know I will miss it…but I am excited for the journey ahead. Sam and I have started the journey to find a home and a place of our own, and we hold our experience at Four Winds Farm dear as we look at potential place to spend our lives and grow a farm.

So, look forward to next year with Wes and Bryn, and please keep in touch if you are so moved!

 

 

 

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