Frontwards Farm

Where You'll Find Me Now

"What is not but could be if
what could appear in the morning mist
with all associated risk
what is not but could be if,

What was not but could have been
was my obsession way back when
now I just remember this
what is not but could be if,

what is not but could be if
we could be crossing
this abridged abyss into beginning,

and failure's got you in its grasp
and you're reaching for your very last
It's just beginning."
--David Berman

It is human nature to make ritual out of the cycles of life, both natural and man-made. Our lives are in many ways dictated entirely by these cycles. We wake, eat, work, drive, read, write, talk, sleep based on the time of day. We play, go, see, grow, skate, float, swing, spring based on the time of year. Each year brings something new. Surprises. Hope.

For a produce farmer, cycles are not only too numerous to count, but also a challenge to organize. From the time seed and plant orders are placed in January until the last garlic clove is in the ground in November, farming is a constant juggling act, with priorities in one hand, responsibilities in the other, and a bushel of ripe fruit floating in mid-air, waiting to be grasped, cleaned, counted, packed, and delivered before the sun goes down.

Some photos of the past month or so on the farm.

We finally got the new high tunnel done, complete with a water collection system!

This time of year is filled with so much hope and promise. New life has been springing up all month.

Cornish chicks

Garlic and Blueberries

Lettuce

Kale

Or will be in the next few weeks.

Peas

Onion sets

And baby lettuce

Then barely time to sleep, before another turn.

Revival

"At home I serve the kind of food I know the story behind."
--Michael Pollan

We are once again offering produce shares for the 2011 season through Frontwards Farm CSA project. Last year, we met met our goal of 10 shares and plan to double our available memberships this year. We learned a lot about ourselves and about knowing some of the faces we were growing for, and have a more focused anticipation of the upcoming season.

There have been some changes regarding our season length (from 22 to 30 weeks), we lowered the weekly cost of a share (from $30 to $25), and changed the payment options to allow for more flexibility. We will send weekly newsletters via email that will include info on what you should expect for the week and other about happenings at the farm. We are in the process of installing a 2,2oo sq. ft. high tunnel, giving us five times the growing space we had last year for season extension. We have fine tuned seed orders based on last year so that we were able to order larger quantities of the varieties that did well for us, and eliminate some that were disappointing. We have also increased the variety and amount of perennial crops available. Finally, we doubled the number of laying hens and Cornish Roasters we are raising, and added a limited number of turkeys to the farm. These will be 100% free range this year, as we have purchased portable electric net fencing that will be used in conjunction with mobile housing structures. While these are not part of the weekly CSA deliveries, we will be taking partial deposits so that you can reserve them in advance, and help us with part of the expenses.

Our first year as a CSA reinforced that there is no better approach than one that puts the producer and the buyer in direct contact. That is the idea at the root of the CSA movement. Community Supported Agriculture “shareholders” purchase part of the season’s produce before it is even grown. This shifts some of the farm’s annual income to the winter and early spring, when the farm incurs most of its costs. The start-up money allows for investments, from seed and tool purchases to equipment repairs and upgrades. These components, and others, are as critical to the survival of the farm as the soil itself. By providing some income during this important time of the year, you help to balance the expenses and workload, which ultimately increases the productivity and sustainability of the farm.

What follows here is the detailed outline of our CSA. My hope is that we have addressed the main issues, with some details to be decided on with the members. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to contact us.

Frontwards Farm 2011 CSA

The weekly cost of a Regular Share for the 2011 season is $25.00. The season will run for 30 weeks, totaling $750.00. If you prefer a half share, the seasonal cost is $400.00. In return for this early commitment to the farm, you will receive 1/2 bushel of 6-12 different veggies, fruits, & herbs per week. We encourage you to find someone to split a full share with if you feel it will be more than you want.

Everything is grown using bio-intensive methods, without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, with the long term sustainability of our land in mind. We refine the varieties we grow and experiment with new techniques every year. A list of varieties will be available shortly, as our seed orders have been made,and filled for the most part. Questions and comments regarding specific produce and practices are encouraged, as are farm visits.

Furthermore, you will always have the first opportunity to take advantage of other offerings as new products become available. This is a life-long venture for us, and our hope is for you to stay with us as the farm grows. One of the most exciting parts of this growth is sure to be our focus on season extension structures, as we strive to offer produce year-round. As a result of our involvement in an NRCS (The National Resources Conservation Service) research project, we received a grant to install a new high tunnel that will help move us towards this goal, increasing our season by two months this year.

What is expected of members?
Be Vocal--Feedback is always encouraged, as it is vital to the development of the farm. We want to know if you want more or less of a certain item, or a different variety or type of produce all together. We can’t improve if you don’t tell us how.

Be Flexible--Growing food is unpredictable. Every year brings variations in pest and climate pressures. A bad year for tomatoes may mean a bumper crop of peppers. Our search for the best method for growing the best varieties is met with success and failure.

Be Reliable- Timely payment is critical. Pick up your box as scheduled or arrange for a friend or neighbor to pick up your share if you will be unable to. Shares that are not picked up will be donated to a local family.

There are some things to think about when considering participation in CSA.
Among those:
--How do you like surprises? Each week the contents of your box will vary based on
the season. This not only allows us to enjoy the true bounty of our region, but keeps the menu interesting.
--Do you like to cook? There are many items that are best eaten raw, but we would not suggest eating butternut squash this way. Preparing meals presents a great opportunity for family time, and is the final step in bringing the food to your plate.
--Are you a creative cook? Some items may be new to your kitchen. This could lead to variations in favorite recipes or new ones all together. With the internet, a world of ideas and experiences is at your disposal, and if you are like us, experimenting a little will bring out the artist in you.
--Do you support local, sustainable agriculture? Your membership in our farm makes this a reality, and will hopefully be as rewarding for you as it is for us.

What still needs to be determined?
--Delivery location-Deliveries will be made to a central location, most likely one in Carbondale (the Co-op?)and one near Marion. This will be determined as membership fills up, based on convenience for all involved. Farm pick-up is certainly welcome, but this will increase overall fuel consumption, which is always a factor to consider when striving for minimal environmental impact.
--Delivery day/time-The preferred time would be mid-late afternoon. This would allow same day harvest of all produce, which could be done during the coolest part of the day. With regard to the day of the week, we plan to harvest and deliver on Tuesday or Wednesday this year. Members should plan delivery prior to the main shopping day of the week to allow for meal planning based around available produce.

If you would like to become a member of Frontwards Farm C.S.A. for the 2011 season, please follow the link to our Sign-Up Form.

Any items of concern can be addressed in the comment section at the bottom of the sign-up form, or via email.

Thank you.

We End Up Together

"Do You Realize - that you have the most beautiful face
Do You Realize - we're floating in space -
Do You Realize - that happiness makes you cry
Do You Realize - that everyone you know someday will die

And instead of saying all of your goodbyes - let them know
You realize that life goes fast
It's hard to make the good things last
You realize the sun doesn't go down
It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning round."
-Wayne Coyne

There are many things that I am thankful for.

I am thankful for my lovely wife, Sarah. This year, we celebrated our 11th year of marriage, and our 14th year together. She is my favorite artist, and she adds the color to my life.

While we may have differing opinions on many things, including how much stuff should hang on our walls, I am glad that her taste in decor is second only to her taste in men.

She loves me despite my faults and is the best thing that ever happened to me. I feel blessed to share my dreams with her.

I am thankful for the two beautiful, unique girls we get to spend our days with, Dagan and Talia. I can't believe that they are (nearly) 12 and 9.

Their energy is infectious, and they help keep things fresh. I hope that their love for themselves, each other, and the world around them continues to blossom as they do.

I am thankful for our parents. We were both lucky enough to grow up in homes where love and respect came before everything else. We would obviously not be where we are without their love and support. They were the first members of our farm.

I am also thankful for our siblings and their

families. Sarahs's sister Emily is a horticulturalist who has worked at some of the best botanical gardens in the country, including in Omaha where she met her boyfriend, Neil. She is currently teaching kids gardening at UT-Knoxville. Emily has always had a special relationship with our girls.

My brother owned a painting biz near St. Louis for more than a decade, before giving it up last year to start a new business with his father-in-law. Luckily for us (and our house), he kept some of the equipment and all of the knowledge. He married Karen the same year that Sarah and I were married, and they have two wonderful daughters.

I am equally thankful to our friends and neighbors whose emotional and physical support helps this farm function. Bob and Sharron down the road have lent us equipment for nearly every project over the last year. Gale has helped keep the critters fed (one in particular).

I am thankful for the home that we share together. We bought the farm, so to speak, five years ago next week.

When Sarah saw it for the first time, she called me at work and told me she found our home. We put a contract on it that night.

I am happy to say that it was one of the best decisions we've made.

I am thankful for our CSA members. When we moved here, we knew we wanted to grow food, but were intimidated by the prospect of trying to sell it.

We didn't even know what CSA stood for, let alone how vital it would be to our livelihood in such a short time. Without our members, transitioning to full-time farming would be impossible, but thanks to them, it may be a reality within a few years.

Our members this year endured all of the trials and tribs of belonging to a new CSA, in addition to what some locals say was the worst drought in memory. It is nearly impossible to meet all of your own expectations for the coming year as a farmer, but with the encouragement of our members, we all persisted and have many positive experiences to look back on and another season to look forward to.

Last, but not least, I am thankful for the animals in our lives.

Yes, even Pee-Wee, though he decided he would move to his "retirement home" down the road instead of staying with us.

I will keep telling myself that there were 6 reasons for this, and that the humans weren't one of them.

We got three shipments of chicks this year. We now have two hen houses, with 21 & 28 hens each.

We also raised two rounds of broilers this year. One of them will be dinner today. Perhaps next year will bring turkeys to the farm.

With all of the growing going on at the farm, it is not without some sadness.

A few days after I thought I heard crying coming from the treeline, I went out to feed the broilers, who were still living in a mini "coop", at the time. I was startled by a gray blur, which darted from the box into the woods.

After a couple of days of coaxing with some chicken, she came close enough for the girls to see her. They caught her while she was playing on the woodpile.

Though Pepper had a contusion on her lower lip and was quite thin, she was happy to take up residence on the porch. She was determined to be about ten weeks, and grew to be a wonderful addition to the family. It was as if she found us.

Sadly, during the painting of our house, she ran off to avoid the commotion, and probably the dogs. While she had really gained her legs, she was still small and naive. I didn't think much about moving her usual perch into the yard to clean the porch for painting since it was daytime, but it was truly a fatal mistake.

After a long night and morning, we found her. We are unsure whether it was the Great Horned Owl that had claimed some of our broilers earlier in the year, or one of the pair of Red-Tailed Hawks that live near here.

Her life was short, but we like to think she found a little happiness at the farm before she left us.

She taught me that I am not just a dog person. I am very thankful for that.

Don't Fence Me In

"A thing long expected takes the form of the unexpected when at last it comes."
--Mark Twain

If there is one thing you can say about expectations, it is that they are always, without fail, met. With what they are met, now that is what makes the story interesting, or perplexing, and sometimes even frustrating.

This can certainly, perhaps even especially, be said of expectations relating to co-habitation with animals.

Let me preface all of this by saying that I realize, of course, that a chicken is a chicken....

and a human is a human.

You can read all of the books you want, then want all the things you want based on what you have read, but at the end of the day there is nothing like experience.

We really didn't know for sure what our 17 hens would want with respect to space. I built a reasonably sized coop (about twice the advised minimum for them at maturity) on the edge of the drive last fall, with bumped out nesting boxes (more for us than them).

There is room for at least ten more on the pine branch roosts, though floor space would get tight during feeding time in the winter.

I built the coop on 4x4 "sleds" so that I could move it to its permanent location. The info I read & based the coop design on, I must say, was spot on.

In the summer they would free range all day, and only use the coop for eating/drinking, afternoon naps, and nighttime.

With a ratio of 3.4 hens/acre, there would be plenty of room for them to explore.

Our extensive landscape plantings, and more importantly, 1.5 acres of vegetable ground, were always a concern, but I thought we could work it out.

Unfortunately, chickens prefer the same light, fertile soil as plants, only for their dirt baths, and its inhabitants (earthworms and grubs) for their snacks.

It was not a worst case scenario...yet. The annual mulching has not been done, and hardly a thing has been planted outside our first spring plot, which is protected with chicken wire. It has been effective, for the most part, so far.

It has become increasingly apparent that our optimistic expectations about free range hens were not spot on. Even though it may not always be obvious to the eye, depending on what project we are in the middle of, I do like to have things in their place, from tools and materials (like mulch) to plants, desirable and less desirable, and it now appears, hens.

So...

with all this in mind, and knowing that good fences may very well make good neighbors,

our ladies now have slightly less range.

I did try to give them a mountain range, made of composted mulch and dead grass plumes, for climbing, dirt bathing, and digging for bugs.

Further testing is sure to come, but at this point, the plan (expectation?) is to add two more runs, so we can rotate them around, as I assume (expect?) that this grass will soon be gone.

We just saw a video where a woman let her birds free range for just an hour or two before dusk. Maybe this solution will work for us.

I will try and keep my expectations to a minimum.

It's Easy Being Green

"Being is the great explainer."
--Henry David Thoreau

There are many good things about St. Patrick's Day. Unfortunately, since getting into landscaping about 12 years ago, I have more often than not found myself raking leaves, pruning shrubs, or even spreading mulch. I have endured blustery winds, unending rain showers, and even a flurry or two. Sometimes, my efforts to get home and enjoy a celebratory brew are further delayed, like last year when I had a blow out on my water trailer.

This year even started on a rough note, as I discovered that the hoophouse had had it's first overnight guest, a field mouse I'm sure. The damage was minor (though I am a little on edge tonight as I write this) as he or she only devoured some early experimental cukes and the casings from the okra and sage, both of which seem to have survived after an emergency operation.

But I refused to give up on this year. I had planned to stay home and work and enjoy a celebratory brew (or two), and it was going to be a good one.
I spent the next few hours tending to starts and transplants, and then moved out into the 65 degree sunshine to work on a much needed construction project with Sarah. I'll get to that later, or tomorrow.

Now is the time for life on the farm to shine.

Mustard Greens