It has been a challenging growing season this year.  The crops were not as bountiful as in the years past.  Some things did really well though.  Like the scallions, beets, and radishes.  That’s why you saw so many of these (maybe more than you cared for)!  But hopefully you were able to get creative with the abundances you did receive or at least made friends giving them away.  For as the saying goes if life gives you lemons make lemonade.  Well sometimes life gives you radishes or an abundance of beets!  That’s the way it is with farming.  Some years everything seems to do well and other years only certain crops thrive.

Another thing to think about is this.  When you have the luxury of abundance it is easy to casually throw out the mildly flawed vegetable in favor of all the perfect veggies to choose from.  However when times are tight you cut off the imperfection and are grateful for the same fruit you may have thrown out before, because you know that the pickin’s are slim.  These are the realities of farming.  The seasons fluctuate, local crops fail, it is the nature of farming.  The market place only reflects this in price.  If all the local potatoes fail you can still go to any store and get potatoes because they can source from as far away as needed.

As CSA members you are in a unique relationship with a local farmer and you are shareing more fully in the risks and therefore appreciating more fully the bounty of farming.  Those of you who have participated in CSA for a few years now can attest to the fact that every year is different, each season a journey.

A few announcements:

We are inviting all our CSA members to the farm for a potluck lunch on Sunday, September 26th from 11am-3pm. Take a gorgeous Sunday drive to the farm through the hills and valleys of Wisconsin’s driftless region.  Get a tour of the farm and make that physical connection to the place your food is coming from and share a meal with the family that grows it!

The Flower Share is done for the season.  I hope you enjoyed the colors!

I regret to inform you that we have Closed the signup for the Winter Storage Share. There was just too much rain and most of our fall crops produced poorly or not at all.  We will fill boxes for those of you who have already signed up.  I will email you individually with more details.

The Standard Share Season is scheduled to run through the second week of October.

For those of you who signed up for the Salad Share last Spring we will be finishing out the last four boxes of this share beginning where the Standard Season finishes off.  I will email you again at the end of this month.

Please contact us with any questions csa@keewaydinfarms.com

Star, Rufus and Family – Keewaydin CSA