Bugtussle Farm CSA

Eggs and veggies this Saturday

2012-01-20T18:27:00.001-06:00

We are planning on coming to Nashville this Saturday, January 21st. We will be bringing veggies and LOTS of eggs. We will be at the indoor market once again which is at the corner of 47th Ave. and Alabama behind McDonalds off of Charlotte Pike. We will be there from 10 am until 12 noon. We will be selling veggies "by the item" rather than as a basket. Here's what we'll have:

Kale: $4/bag
Chard: $4/bag
Sweet Potatoes: $1.50/ Lb.
Buttternut Squash: $3-$5 each

EGGS!! : $4.50/ dozen. 5 dozen for $20. *These eggs will keep for several months. Get them while you can!

Your response is helpful (especially if you want to reserve eggs) but not necessary. And this is a great time to secure your 2012 CSA vegetable share. If you pay before February 15th it is a reduced price. The form is on our website (www.bugtusslefarm.com) and the price is staying the same so GO FOR IT!

Hope to see you Saturday!!
Eric, Cher, Ira, Opal, Olivia

Missing Bugtussle

2012-01-07T10:55:00.002-06:00

I hope everyone's winter holidays were wonderful! I don't know about you, but I'm really missing my Bugtussle veggies - only one butternut squash, a few sweet potatoes, and several heads of garlic linger on my countertop, and they'll be gone soon. I'm really keeping my fingers crossed we hear from our farmers soon about a January delivery...

So, in the meanwhile, I'll just have to satisfy myself by spending some time on photographer Tim Harris's website, looking at his amazing pictures of dear Bugtussle Farm. (Thanks Hannah and Jesse for the tip!)

Jesse and Hannah update

2011-12-18T10:54:00.004-06:00

Those of you who picked up the Thanksgiving basket were probably aware that Jesse and Hannah got engaged in their last moments at Bugtussle. What you may not know is that they've got a wonderful blog of their own. Oh, and that they're getting married this week! You can get all the details and follow their story on their Rough Draft Farmstead blog. Congratulations, Jesse and Hannah!

Week #2 for the Winter

2011-12-17T20:14:00.002-06:00

December 17, 2011

This week's harvest:
Sweet Potatoes
Butternut Squash
Garlic
Kale
Spinach
Lettuce
Daikon Radish
Salad Turnips

This week's farm news:

Well, folks, this is the last trip we'll be making to Nashville for the year! We want to wish everyone a lovely holiday season surrounded by warmth, good food, and those you love! We'll probably try to come back this way with veggies and eggs in mid-January, but we'll see what the weather has in store for us! So, if we don't make it out of Bugtussle until spring, have a superb winter! And don't forget to take advantage of our "early bird" share prices for next season's shares from now until February 15! Peace to you all!

20 week summer season share:
small share (1/4 bushel)
before Feb. 15 - $375
after Feb. 15 - $400
medium share (1/2 bushel)
before Feb. 15 - $625
after Feb. 15 - $675
large share (1 bushel)
before Feb. 15 - $1175
after Feb. 15 - $1250

Week #1 of the Winter

2011-12-11T11:31:00.002-06:00

December 10, 2011

This week's harvest:
Spinach
Kale
Lettuce
Sweet Potatoes
Butternut Squash
Carrots
Daikon Radish
Salad Turnips
Garlic

This week's farm news:

Well, here we are... nearly mid-December already! Seed catalogs are beginning to arrive in our mailbox. As much as we love to fantasize about our future gardens and the coming spring, we aren't quite ready to dive into these catalogs... not just yet. They are being tucked away in our seed catalog drawer for later. Right now we are doing our best to take a little respite, to take some deep breaths, and to have some time of reflection & renewal. We're also busy keeping the family and fires well fed, crafting and tucking away surprises for the coming holidays, playing games, and reading lots of stories. Our version of hibernation. It's actually such a short window of "down time" for us. Practically as soon as the day length starts to once again increase, so does the bustling energy of farm life. We love that and loook forward to it, but over these past ten years of farming and homesteading we have really come to value and honor these December days. Blessings to all of you!!

Veggies this Saturday!

2011-12-07T19:28:00.002-06:00

PLEASE let us know if you want a basket before Friday morning. Payment is upon pickup. Veggies are available to anyone, shareholder or not. Prices are below.

We will be bringing veggies and eggs this Saturday December 10th to the LOVE building which is the winter indoor spot for our Farmers Market. We will be there from 10am until noon. The LOVE building is very close to the park where we normally are. Turn onto 47th Ave. right across from the park near McDonalds and then just a block or two back on the corner of Alabama Ave. you will find it. It's painted green. Address is 4611 Alabama Ave. I'm sorry we can't control the hours. I hope it can work for you somehow.

Here's what we plan to bring:
Lettuce, Carrots, Butternut Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Kale, Spinach or Swiss Chard, maybe some Arugula, Collards, and/or Mustard Greens, Salad Turnips, Daikon Radish.
Basket Prices: $25 small, $40 medium, $55 family size. Cash or check upon pickup.
We need to know how much to harvest so please let us know before 8am Fri.

Eggs! We actually have a fair number. The grass is still green so the yolks are still deep orange. Same price: $4.50/dozen. 3 dozen limit. And Ira has 3 and a half dozen duck eggs at $7/dozen, $4/half dozen, $1 each. Eggs are first come first serve. Place your order, cross your fingers, and come early.

Thanks and we are excited to see you all! Miss you!!
Eric, Cher, Ira, Opal, and Olivia

Special Thanksgiving Basket

2011-11-19T16:43:00.002-06:00

November 19, 2011

This week's harvest:
Spinach
Lettuce
Kale
Green choice: Arugula, Green Mustard, Collards
Carrots
Sweet Potatoes
Potatoes
Butternut Squash
Garlic
Salad Turnips
Daikon Radish - free choice

This week's farm news:

It was a mostly quiet week here on the farm, aside from a small birthday party for little Miss Opal. It was especially quiet without Jesse and Hannah here. Boy, we sure miss them!

...And speaking of those two dears... They stopped by the farm on their way north to pick up the remainder of their things. We all had a lovely visit. Apparently, as they were leaving the farm they stopped by the gardens one last time to pick some veggies and, well, they also got engaged!!! Wow! Isn't that just the sweetest news! What a grand finale to their internships!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Thanksgiving Baskets

2011-11-18T07:23:00.002-06:00

Here's a reminder that we are offering a Thanksgiving basket this Saturday November 19th. We will be at the West Nashville Farmers Market from 9am-12noon (if you need to come earlier we will be setting up at 8am). You can pay for your basket when you pick it up. $25 for small, $40 medium, $55 for the new "family basket" (equals a small plus a medium). NOTICE we will not be coming for 3 weeks after this (December 10th) so do consider a larger than usual basket.

Here's what you may find in your Thanksgiving basket:
Kale, Arugula, Lettuce, Sweet Potatoes, Red Potatoes, Garlic, Butternut Squash, Salad Turnips, Carrots, Collards or Mustard Greens, and maybe Spinach.

If you're interested, PLEASE let us know what size basket you want by calling us at 270-457-2847.

Thanks and see you Saturday!
Eric

2011 Fall Season, Week 8

2011-11-12T13:50:00.002-06:00

November 12, 2011

This week's harvest:
Butternut Squash
"Confection" Winter Squash
Sweet Potatoes
Garlic
Lettuce
Chinese Cabbage
Parsley
Salad Turnips
Daikon Radish
Greens Choice: Kale, Green Mustard, Red Mustard, Arugula (small shares pick 1, medium shares pick 2)

This week's farm news:

Well, folks, today wraps up this season's fall share! Thanks to all of you who participated!! We'll be back again next Saturday for a special "Thanksgiving Basket". Please let us know if you are interested... either by putting your name on our list at the market or by responding to the email that we'll be sending out early next week. The cost will be: $25/small, $40/medium, or $55/family-size. We would feel so honored for our veggies to be part of your Thanksgiving feasts!

We enjoyed our last week with our dear interns, Jesse and Hannah, here on the farm. We cannot thank them enough for such a wonderful season and all of their hard work and commitment! They have especially touched the lives of our children (and, I think, have equally been touched by our children!) We are so grateful and thankful and we wish them many, many blessings!

2011 Fall Season, Week 7

2011-11-06T13:39:00.000-06:00

November 5, 2011

This week's harvest:
Bok Choi
Lettuce
Kale
Parsley
Sweet Potatoes
Butternut Squash
Garlic
Salad Turnips
Greens Choice: Red Lettuce, Red Mustard, Arugula, Green Mustard, Collards (small shares pick one, medium shares pick two)

This week's farm news:

So, folks, believe it or not, but next Saturday is our final fall share basket! That went by fast! We were planning to take Saturdays the 19th & 26th off, and then begin bringing winter veggies Dec. 3rd. However, Eric has just agreed to give a talk at the local food summit at Lipscomb U. that first weekend in December. So we are changing our plans and will be offering a "Thanksgiving Basket" for Saturday, November 19. We will then begin bringing winter veggies Sat. Dec. 10. The Thanksgiving Basket, as well as all winter baskets, will be on a pay-by-the-week basis. The cost will be $25/small, $40 medium, and $55/family-size. We still have so much growing in the garden, we would love to get you stocked up for Thanksgiving! We sure hope you will make plans to join us on the 19th.

2011 Fall Season, Week 6

2011-10-30T10:55:00.002-05:00

October 29, 2011

This week's harvest:
Peanuts
Lettuce
Kale
Parsley
Sweet Potatoes
Potatoes
Butternut Squash
Pumpkins
Garlic
Ornamental Gourds

This week's farm news:

**Reminder** Next Saturday this market will be on the other side of the library - between the library and the playground. See you there!

So, this week the garden received its final planting of the season - a crimson clover and rye cover crop on about 1/3 acre.

Our entire crew went to visit our dear friends at Hill and Hollow Farm for a tour (as part of the C.R.A.F.T. - Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training - program that we participate in). It was a gorgeous day and so enlivening and inspiring. It's always so good to visit with our farming peers - to connect and help remind each other why we're doing all that we do. Ya know - pats-on-the-back kind of thing! Here in Bugtussle, we are beginning to wind down with the season. With some rainy days and lessening daylength, we can certainly see the shift from outdoor to indoor activities happening. More stories with the children, more knitting for mama, more reading for papa, and all sorts of unfinished house projects are resurfacing and begging for a little bit of long-overdue attention!

2011 Fall Season, Week 5

2011-10-22T17:13:00.003-05:00

October 22, 2011

This week's harvest:
Tatsoi
Kale
Greens Choice: Collard Greens, Red Mustard, Green Mustard, and/or Arugula
Beets & Greens
Daikon Radish
Salad Turnips
Butternut Squash
Acorn Squash
Pumpkins
Garlic
Tomatoes
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Eggplant - medium shares only
Sweet Potatoes

This week's farm news:

We kept our woodstoves burning a little bit more this week while enjoying some lovely, blustery fall weather. A few extra cups of tea were also in order! The change in the landscape is so rapid right now. The trees are really letting loose of their leaves and the sky is beginning to seem that much bigger!

The kiddos and I made a trip up to Fox Hollow Farm, just outside of Louisville, to visit a friend and to bring home the newest additions to our farmstead: four very fluffy Angora bunnies! We plan to utilize their wool for making warm woolen garments for the winter months.

The crew did a little more grubbing in the soil this week (the sweet potato harvest just didn't give them their fill! ha!) to harvest our peanut crop. Yes! Peanuts grow underground and you'll get to see what they look like on the plant when we give them to you next week!

2011 Fall Season, Week 4

2011-10-16T10:39:00.000-05:00

October 15, 2011

This week's harvest:
Sweet Potatoes
Butternut Squash
Garlic
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Tomatoes
Bok Choi
Salad Turnips
Lettuce (medium shares only)
Choose between: Arugula, Thick-Stemmed Mustard, Red Mustard, Mizuna, Kale

This week's farm news:

The week started out in full-steam-ahead fashion as we hustled to get all of the sweet potatoes out of the ground before rain. With a lot of perserverance and tiresome grubbing in the ground, we were successful in completing the task! We estimate just under 4,000 pounds of our winter staple was lifted from the garden. Our winter's food supply is looking secure!

After that big project, we slowed down our pace and took things a bit easier for a few days, enjoying some rain and relaxation. Jesse and Hannah took a few days off from the farm to celebrate Jesse's birthday and to look at some land/living prospects for the next stage of their life journey...life after Bugtussle. (Boo Hooo Hooo Hooo! We are so going to miss them when they do go!) They have a few options with great potential and lots of wonderful family support! We are so happy for them!

This week we also transplanted some kale into the high tunnel pretty much filling up the last remaining space in there! The high tunnel crops are looking great! More winter bounty to come!

2011 Fall Season, Week 3

2011-10-08T14:52:00.002-05:00

October 8, 2011

This week's harvest:
Cut Salad Mix
Salad Turnips with Greens
Kale
Acorn Squash
Potatoes
Garlic
Basil
Hot Peppers
Tomatoes
Eggplant - medium shares only
and a choice between Arugula, Mizuna, &/or Red Mustard

This week's farm news:

It was nice to get back to the farm after our family vacation. The gardens all look so beautiful. The cover and forage crops are growing and getting lush. The forest is beginning to be kissed with the colors of autumn. Ahhhh! As much as we relaxed and thoroughly enjoyed our time at the beach, we were all ready to come home. We are so, so, so grateful to Jesse and Hannah for taking such good care of the farm - even when faced with some challenges during their second week on the farm by themselves! (And for being champions and dealing so expertly with those challenges and not calling us at the beach and worrying us! The means a great deal to us!)

Now that we are back, we are ready to tackle one of our final big garden projects for the season - digging the sweet potatoes! Next week you'll have some in your baskets!

2011 Fall Season, Week 2

2011-10-02T14:18:00.002-05:00

October 1, 2011

This week's harvest:
Arugula
Kale
Salad Turnips and Greens
Tomatoes
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Eggplant
Potatoes
Acorn Squash
Butternut Squash
Basil
Garlic

This week's farm news:

Well, we survived! (At least so far!) A whole week went by, and the farm didn't burn down, the animals are all accounted for, and we even made it to market with your veggies! Actually, it was a very calm week. We've had some cooler temperatures and some rain, but the big news is that we started digging SWEET POTATOES! We were eager to get them out of the ground, since they need to undergo a curing process before they are fully ready to show up in your baskets. So GET EXCITED!

Although we have definitely enjoyed the peace and quiet on the farm this week, it is just not quite the same without the family. They are an essential part of what makes Bugtussle BUGTUSSLE - and so are YOU! Meeting all of you and connecting with your lives and your families is a huge motivation to us for starting our own farm someday. This was an absolute LIFE-CHANGING year for us both, and we cannot thank you enough for being part of it.

~ Jesse and Hannah

2011 Fall Season, Week One

2011-09-24T17:27:00.002-05:00

September 24, 2011

This week's harvest:
Butternut Squash
Acorn Squash
Kale
Salad Turnips
Arugula
Garlic
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Eggplant

This week's farm news:

Happy autumn everyone! Well, last weekend's push to get the garlic crop in the ground was a success. It's all planted now - about nine thousand cloves of it - and the crew even got it mulched before the rain set in! Awesome! The crew also set transplants into our high tunnel for our winter harvests and Eric finished planting his forage crop into a garden that we are converting back to pasture for a few years in order to re-generate the soil's fertility. (To do this required first yanking our main tomato crop - about two hundred plants/cages/& stakes!)

This week, also, our five pigs were advanced into their forest paddocks so that they can begin to eat all of the scrumptious acorns that are now falling. We were pushing to get lots of these projects done this week because today, following market, the Smith family is heading South for our annual family vacation to the beach! We wanted to leave the farm feeling good about things! Superheroes Jesse and Hannah will be holding down the fort - their ultimate test to see if they really want to start their own farm!

2011 Season, Week 20

2011-09-17T17:50:00.002-05:00

September 17, 2011

This week's harvest:
Butternut Squash
Tomatoes
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Eggplant
Garlic
Onions
Salad Turnips with Greens
Basil
Potatoes

This week's farm news:

Well, folks, this week wraps up our "Main" season vegetable share for 2011! Many thanks to all of you that participated... Thanks for sharing your recipes, stories, and including us in your lives! Your involvement in our CSA nourishes us. In turn, we hope that our food has equally nourished you and your families! Blessings to you all!

So next Saturday, the 24th, will be the start of the fall season. There are lots of goodies in store for you! (There are also still shares available, if you haven't signed up yet and would still like to.) So, fall share folks, we'll see you next Saturday!

2011 Season, Week 19

2011-09-10T16:11:00.002-05:00

September 10, 2011

This week's harvest:
Pumpkins
Arugula
Basil
Garlic
Potatoes
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Tomatoes
Onions
Sage
Eggplant - medium shares

This week's farm news:

Clearly, the big news of the week is that we had rain! Not just any old rain either, but a gloriously gentle rain that lasted for days and drenched the farm with nearly four inches. And, the entire rain event was so gentle that every drop soaked in! And then the cooler temperatures... well! That left us feeling soooo refreshed - like we were transported from the desert Southwest to misty Northern Ireland... just like that! We are so grateful!

So, remarkably, next Saturday wraps up the "Main Season" vegetable share! The summer just marched right on past, huh? Thanks so much to all of you who participated. We hope you enjoyed it! If you are not planning to continue on with the fall season, we ask that you please bring your basket back to us (as well as a bag for next week's goodies). Thanks!

If you are still interested in signing up for a fall share but have not yet done so, we still have plenty of space available. Just let us know! And now that it has finally rained, the fall share should be that much better!

2011 Season, Week 18

2011-09-04T10:57:00.002-05:00

September 3, 2011

This week's harvest:
Potatoes
Tomatoes & Cherry Tomatoes
Sweet & Hot Peppers
Garlic
Basil
Eggplant
Okra
Arugula
Onions

This week's farm news:

Ohhhh... It's so dry here! And so hot, too. Not a good combination when we're already so far behind on the season's rainfall! Lots of our summer crops are shutting down - mostly the peppers and eggplant. (For this reason, this week your eggplant is hard and should be roasted and then scooped out of the skin, which we suspect might be bitter.) Even though your farmers' instinct right now is to also "shut down," we've got to keep rolling along as if all is normal... We've got to get the remainder of the fall crops in the ground, assess what's still alive and re-plant where necessary, and get empty fields sown to cover crops. There is such a good chance for rain this weekend, and next week so much cooler that this could prove to be our last planting frenzy for the season! Who knows, it could start raining and not stop until December! Ultimately, we've got to sieze the opportunities where we can, take a deep breath, and hope for the best!

2011 Season, Week 17

2011-08-27T14:51:00.002-05:00

August 27, 2011

This week's harvest:
Arugula
Tomatoes & Cherry Tomatoes
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Eggplant
Potatoes
Garlic
Basil
Okra

This week's farm news:

There was a good chance of rain last weekend, so when we got home from market last Saturday, we set out a bunch of fall transplants and sowed another row of arugula. It's always a bit of a gamble setting transplants this time of year, since rain can be so spotty. Well, on this occasion, we gambled and won! We had a really nice rain shower on Sunday morning that settled in the transplants. The arugula was germinating in just a few days! Later in the week, however, when there was another decent call for rain, Hannah and Jesse set out some more transplants and this time we weren't so lucky. The rain never came and was instead very hot and dry! So, unless it rains again really soon, we are going to need to water-in the transplants ourselves. Oh well, you can't win them all!

The Smith family took a little excursion off the farm for a day to celebrate Cher's birthday. We went to Mammoth Cave and took a couple of tours and camped overnight. The cave was awesome (I've not been there before) and also very educational for our home-schooled kiddos. When we got home, Eric and crew jumped right into butternut harvest.

2011 Season, Week 16

2011-08-20T14:23:00.002-05:00

August 20, 2011

This week's harvest:
Sweet Peppers
Tomatoes
Potatoes
Hot Peppers
Garlic
Basil
"Drought" Cilantro
Watermelons - medium shares
Okra
Cucumbers &/or Yellow Squash - small shares
Eggplant

This week's farm news:

We are pushing 40 days without a real rain. We've only had about 3/10" total rainfall since July 12, our last rain event. We've longingly watched storms pass by the farm in all directions, leaving us all the more thirsty for rain. Storms have missed us so many times that Eric is convinced that "They are not just missing us, they are avoiding us!" There are moments of feeling a little desperate and grumpy, especially when seeing garden plants wilty and suffering, but we know in our bones that, yes, sometime again it will rain. Who knows maybe even today? (Trying hard to be hopeful!) The term "isolated thunderstorms" really has a whole new meaning for me now when in Nashville, just 70 miles away (and even in places a lot closer than that) rain has been plentiful!

Well, would you believe it? Just after writing this letter into Bugtussle rolls the thunder, lightening, and rain. Ahhhh! Yes, rain!

2011 Season, Week 15

2011-08-13T17:34:00.002-05:00

August 13, 2011

This week's harvest:
Tomatoes and Cherry Tomatoes
Sweet Corn
Eggplant
Sweet and Hot Peppers
Potatoes
Garlic
Basil
Melons - "Sorbet Swirl"
Lettuce - medium shares only
Choose between Cucumbers, Okra, & Squash

This week's farm news:

First off, we celebrated Farmer Eric's big birthday #40 this week. The Smith family took a couple of days off from life on the farm to do some things we seldom ever do... Like going out to dinner, staying in a hotel (with a pool of course), and taking the kiddos to nearby "Dinosaur World". It was a nice, much needed family getaway. Big thanks to our superhero interns, Jesse & Hannah, for taking care of the farm while we were gone!

Next, we'd like to announce this year's fall share. It will be an eight-week season beginning Saturday, September 24 and ending Saturday, November 12. The price will be $175/small shares, $275/medium shares, and $375 for the "new" family-sized share (which is the equivalent of a small share plus a medium share.) We aren't absolutely certain about all the vegetables it will include yet, as they are still germinating in the field and in the shade house, but your baskets will be bountiful nonetheless! We do know that we'll have lots of sweet potatoes and winter squash (these are our family's winter staples, so we grow lots!) We'll begin our fall share sign-up next Saturday! We truly hope you'll join us for the extended season!

2011 Season, Week 14

2011-08-06T19:11:00.002-05:00

August 6, 2011

This week's harvest:
Sweet Corn
Tomatoes & Cherry Tomatoes
Melons - assorted
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Onions
Garlic
Eggplant
Basil
Red Potatoes
Cucumbers
Dill
Choose between: Okra, Summer Squash, Zucchini

This week's farm news:

First of all, we would love to thank all of you that made it to the farm for the swimming party and potluck! What a success! We love sharing this beautiful farm with you and love when y'all get even more connected with where your food is coming from. Thank you, thank you!

It was another intensely hot week. We had about 1/10" of rain last Saturday but otherwise all of the storms keep creeping right past us. All of the fall crops that Eric sowed this week - carrots, beets, salad turnips, kale & Tuscan kale - could sure use a good rain to get them off to a good start!

We had another calf born this week. It's another heifer, too! That makes 4 out of 4 girls! Remarkable! The mama cow is doing a great job but her udder was really distended (too full of milk) so the calf was having a hard time nursing. Eric has been giving the calf our home-made electrolytes as a preventative since it's been so blasted hot, but also needs to make sure the calf is able to nurse... So in between trying to milk the cow's very sore udder and holding the calf up to its mama to nurse he got a swift kick in the leg! Ouch!

2011 Season, Week 13

2011-07-30T17:10:00.003-05:00

July 30, 2011

This week's harvest:
Melons!!!
* Watermelons - "Peace"
* Muskmelons - "Halona"
Sweet Corn
Tomatoes & Cherry Tomatoes
Onions
Garlic
Basil
Cucumbers
Yellow Squash
Peppers - Hot
Choose between Sweet Peppers, Okra, & Eggplant

This week's farm news:

**DON'T FORGET**
Tomorrow, July 31, picnic and swimming at the farm. Come around 2pm.
Directions here.
Please join us!!!

The heat this week was unrelenting. We didn't have any rain either, so the gardens are getting dry. Eric prepared some more ground for fall crops and planted some cover crop seeds. Other than that and keeping up with all of the harvesting and chores, not a whole lot was accomplished in the garden this week! We sometimes get nervous about investing in a bunch of planting with no real prospects of rain in the forecast. But that's summertime for you! When the sky turns dark and there's thunder around you can just about bet we'll be putting seeds in the ground! This week we did begin our annual tomato canning project. So far we've canned about 35 quarts. I normally like to put up at least 100 quarts for our winter stash, so we're off to a good start!

2011 Season, Week 12

2011-07-23T14:11:00.003-05:00

July 23, 2011

This week's harvest:
Tomatoes & Cherry Tomatoes
Green & Yellow Beans
Basil
Lettuce
Yellow Squash
Cucumbers
Garlic
Onions
Zucchini and/or Red Peppers
Hot Peppers
Eggplant - small shares
Assorted Melons - medium shares
Potatoes

This week's farm news:

First of all, we would like to invite all of you up to the farm for our annual swimming party and potluck picnic. It will be next Sunday, July 31. Come around two or so... Don't fret if you are running "late", just come when you can. Bring a potluck dish to share and we'll spend the day swimming at the creek and enjoying this beautiful farm. Please join us! Directions can be found on our website.

On Wednesday we hosted a bunch of folks (we never did an exact head count but we think there were at least 60 in attendence) from farms around the region for our annual "C-R-A-F-T" (Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training) event. Even though it was an extremely hot day, everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy seeing what Bugtussle Farm is all about! The title of our event was "Attempting the Impossible: Creating a Farm, Family, and Future with no off-farm income while paying for the land." This pretty much sums it all up!!!

2011 Season, Week 11

2011-07-17T18:21:00.002-05:00

July 16, 2011

This week's harvest:
Lettuce
Basil
Green and Yellow Beans
Tomatoes
Sun Gold Cherry Tomatoes
Eggplant (medium shares)
Zucchini
Yellow Squash
Cucumbers
Garlic and Onions

This week's farm news:

This crazy summer is just flying by! Here we are already entering the second half of the "main" vegetable season. And, boy, are we about to hit a serious summer glut! Hooray! Finally! We are just days away from our first taste of melon. We've been enjoying tomatoes - and from the estimated 468 plants in the garden an insane amount are coming your way from now until our first frost of the autumn. Sweet corn is about ready, too! Oh, the delicious tastes of summertime!

The crew pulled all of the remaining onions from the garden this week and now they are all laid out in our greenhouse on screen tables and bread trays to dry. They were pretty moist upon harvest so we have our fingers crossed that they do, in fact, dry and not rot! Onions are pretty tricky to store in this humid climate.

We had another broody hen hatch out a clutch of abandoned turkey eggs this week! This time Jesse took the hen and poults out from the big flock and is keeping them in the barn so he can keep an eye on them. Ira has now been inspired by all of these broody hen success stories... so this morning he took about a dozen of his duck eggs up to the chicken compound and placed them under yet another broody hen! We'll see in about a month what happens!

2011 Season, Week 10

2011-07-09T15:23:00.002-05:00

July 9, 2011

This week's harvest:
Potatoes
Garlic
Onion
Yellow Squash
Zucchini
Cucumbers
Lettuce
Basil
Yellow Beans

This week's farm news:

The heifer calf that was born last week, "Peanut Butter Pie," had to be nursed back to health this week after getting severely dehydrated in the intense heat we had early in the week. The calf's mama wasn't moving her to the shade very well, so several times daily Eric would make a trip to the animals, move the calf to the shade, and give her some homemade electrolytes. Eric's efforts seem to have paid off as the calf is back on her feet and nursing from her Mama. Whew!

The intense heat also kicked us in the pants to get our "shade house" back in action for the season. We use this for starting all of our late summer & fall crops (that we don't direct seed in the field.) Up until now this season we've started everything in the greenhouses... But this week proved to be too hot for crops that we are trying to germinate right now - like leeks!

We ate our first cherry tomatoes this week (a bit later than usual!) so you all have those to look forward to very soon!

2011 Season, Week Nine

2011-07-02T12:23:00.002-05:00

July 2, 2011

This week's harvest:
Potatoes - "Kennebec"
Lettuce
Basil
Parsley
Red Cabbage
Garlic
Onions - mini sweet Walla Walla
Cucumbers
Choose between Yellow Beans, Yellow Squash, Broccoli

This week's farm news:

In the wee hours of the morning on Sunday we had two intense storms roll through the farm, leaving us with around two inches of rain. It rained hard, too... So that means another round of cultivation is necessary to "cut off the wick" and preserve that moisture in the soil. By Thursday it was dry enough to start cultivation and that's just what we did. When the sun was shining this week it was pretty intense - UV index of 11 on a scale of 1-10! - which left us farmers a little more tired at the day's end. Earlier in the week while the garden soil was wet, we started some fall (yes, fall!) crops in soil blocks - leeks, brussels sprouts, & winter squash.

We had a new calf born on the farm this week. She is the third (of three) heifer calf born this spring. We are calling her "Peanut Butter Pie". The other two are named "Bella Marshmella" and "Cookie Face"... three sweet girls.

Have a lovely weekend!

2011 Season, Week Eight

2011-06-25T12:02:00.001-05:00

June 25, 2011

This week's harvest:
Lettuce
Carrots
Swiss Chard
Garlic
Broccoli (the last taste until fall...)
Yellow Squash
Cucumbers (medium shares this week)

This week's farm news:

The week started out stormy and wet. The garden is plenty saturated at this point. The remainder of the week was intermittantly stormy but no storms yielded that much rain and by Friday the gardens were ready to be cultivated - which is an enormous task right now because there are so many young plantings and most of our cultivation is done by hand.

On Monday (conveniently when the farm was saturated!) the crew took a field trip to Emerald Glen Farm in Munfordville, KY for a farm tour. It's a beautiful, well-managed farm which produces a variety of pasture-raised meats. (These are available at the Metro Farmers Market every other Saturday.) Good folks to support if you're in the market for some high-quality meat from a small producer.

We harvested our garlic crop this week. We clipped all of the stalks from the bulbs and placed the bulbs into baskets to then be hauled up into the barn loft. Next we'll spread them all out so they have ample ventilation while curing. So, this week's garlic in your basket is super fresh and juicy. Enjoy it and our amusing story of the week...

About a month ago the crew inadvertantly scared a turkey hen off of her nest while moving the animals. We happened to have a relentlessly broody hen so Jesse thought he would give her a project. He set those eggs under her about a month ago and lo and behold, this week four of them actually hatched!

2011 Season, Week Seven

2011-06-18T17:55:00.000-05:00

June 18, 2011

This week's harvest:
Carrots
Lettuce
Broccoli
Swiss Chard
Garlic
Shelling Peas
Summer Squash

This week's farm news:

We enjoyed a few days of cooler weather this week interspersed with brief rain showers. Altogether we received a little less than one inch, but it was all so gentle and slow that the crops were able to take full advantage of every drop. Good thing, too, because the gardens were getting dry. All the young crops received a cultivation and now look fantastic! In the garden, we set out our 4th planting of tomatoes for fall harvest. We seeded pumpkins, blue Indian corn, cucumbers, gourds, and a buckwheat cover crop anywhere that we intend to plant fall crops. We also started a late crop of basil, dill, and more lettuce. Our garlic crop is nearly ready to be harvested, which almost always coincides with the summer solstice, so my guess is next week the smell of garlic will be wafting through the air here in Bugtussle! Yum yum!

2011 Season, Week Six

2011-06-11T12:48:00.000-05:00

June 11, 2011

This week's harvest:
Broccoli
Lettuce
Shelling Peas (medium shares)
Summer Squash (small shares)
Carrots
Swiss Chard
Garlic Scapes

This week's farm news:

Other than a brief rain shower last Sunday, the week was hot and dry. The crew endured the heat and had another productive week of planting and garden work. The sweet potato crop is in the ground, the tomato patch is mulched, and many, many more seeds and transplants were planted. Now, we would be so grateful to get a nice rain to settle everything into the soil... At least we can dream, right?

We want to thank all of you that have already voiced your opinion to the powers-that-be about today's farmer's market location and we strongly encourage everyone to let your opinion be heard to the farmer's market organizers (who are working so hard to make this market enjoyable!) to help them to make their case to the Parks Commission. We hope that next week we will be back in our nicely shaded market location!

2011 Season, Week 5

2011-06-04T09:16:00.000-05:00

June 4, 2011

This week's harvest:
Lettuce
Cilantro
Swiss Chard
Beet Greens
Garlic Scapes ("pigtails")
Red Russian Kale

This week's farm news:

We had sunshine every day this week. And, boy, was it hot! Quite a stark contrast from last week. So the pendulum swings again and your farmers worked their tails off because of it! Thousands of transplants were set out in the garden - lettuces, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, watermelons, muskmelons, tomatillos, & fennel. Thousands of seeds were sown also - peanuts, sweet corn, butternut squash, etc.

Eric spent hours on the tractor taking advantage of the (finally) dry soil conditions. We have lots more ground ready and awaiting more planting in the coming days... That's why farmer Eric stayed home from Nashville today. There's just so much on his plate and the time to get it done is now!

Also this week we welcomed our third intern, Lena. She jumped right in with the crew, worked hard, got sun-burned, and basically embraced life in Bugtussle!

2011 Season, Week Four

2011-05-28T15:52:00.003-05:00

May 28, 2011

This week's harvest:
A few varieties of lettuce
Cilantro
Garlic Scapes
Swiss Chard
Beets & Greens

This week's farm news:

It was another gray, wet, & sometimes stormy week here in Bugtussle. The crew & I held down the fort while Eric was away at an animal grazing seminar in Pennsylvania. The timing of Eric's absence worked out well because, once again, the garden was too wet to do much work. The potato patch got a nice blanket of hay mulch but otherwise the week's work focused mostly on animal chores & maintenance. Whew, this spring has been a challenging one! We just can't get into the garden when it's so wet. It's very easy to get caught up in the springtime rush to get crops in the ground but working the soil when it's too wet can do long-term damage to the soil's structure - which can take years to recover. And that just isn't part of our holistic goal. So lovely, supportive vegetable eaters, despite the fact that your baskets aren't overflowing yet, you can rest assured that we are being good stewards of this land. May your bodies not only be nourished by the vegetables that you do eat, but also by the love & care that we put into growing them.

Thank you for supporting environmentally reponsible farming!

2011 Season, Week Three

2011-05-21T15:41:00.000-05:00

May 21, 2011

This week's harvest:
Swiss Chard
Red Russian Kale
Green Garlic (use like a green onion)
Tatsoi
Beets
Strawberries
A sprig of mint

This week's farm news:

Well, we burned firewood this week like it was the middle of March. The week was remarkably gray & cool! If I didn't know better, and if the trees & pastures weren't so green, I could have easily convinced myself that it actually was March!

Early in the week not much happened in the garden because of the cool wet weather. That was OK, though, because we had plenty to do welcoming all sorts of new arrivals on the farm. On Monday we set up a beehive to house a new (package) swarm of Russian honeybees. We installed them on Monday evening & so far they seem to have accepted their new home in Bugtussle. On Tuesday our new bull, a Red Devon, arrived on the farm - from Virginia! Eric purchased him about a month ago but has had to wait for a cattle hauler to be available to bring him here. Once he arrived, Eric was very anxious to get the poor traveller back on the grass and integrated with our herd. You never know quite what to expect, especially with a bull, but all seems good so far. On Wednesday we went to a farm just outside Carthage, TN to purchase about 30 young pullets (to make up for all the ones a wily fox has been snagging - Eric even witnessed an attack in broad daylight while working in the garden!) They were raised by a 12 year old boy much in the same manner we raise our own chickens. We were pleased to help support & encourage a young entrepreneur.

2011 Season, Week Two

2011-05-14T15:27:00.000-05:00

May 14, 2011

This week's harvest:
Strawberries
Lettuce
Swiss Chard
Beet with Beet Greens
Radishes
Tatsoi
Arugula - small shares this week
Sage Flowers

This week's farm news:

This week was a week full of strawberries! We harvested berries left and right. We had them in some form for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Strawberry pie, cobbler, and shortcake. Strawberry viniagrette on salads. Strawberries & cream, and just plain ole strawberries by the handful! We froze a bunch, too, and we still couldn't keep up with all of the berries. Rough life, huh? It's been several years since we've had such an abundance of strawberries so we feel pretty blessed. We hope you enjoy them, too.

The crew accomplished an insane amount in the garden this week. They spread over 10 tons of compost, worked up 1.5 acres of ground, cultivated all of the crops that were already in the garden, transplanted lettuce, summer squash, basil, parsley, cucumbers, and our main season tomato crop, and direct seeded yellow bush beans and zucchini. Eric was on the tractor just finishing the ground work for our sweet potato patch as the rain started pouring down on his head. We knew rain was coming and it was finally dry enough after a very wet spring to get some major work done. That's just the way it goes, little windows of opportunity. Always be prepared! Now we can envision very bountiful summer harvests because of this one short window of very serious work. Yeah! The harvests over the next few weeks, though, are probably going to be skimpier than we would like...that's just the way it can go. Especially when the spring was wet and wet and wet! There's a lot of crops in the ground that are so close... Thanks for your patience. There's so much goodness just around the corner!

2011 Season, Week One

2011-05-07T15:13:00.000-05:00

May 7, 2011

This week's harvest:
Lettuce (Cracoviensis & Deer Tongue)
Swiss Chard
Strawberries!
Tatsoi
Arugula - medium shares only this week
Radishes
Lemon Balm
Sage with Edible Flowers

This week's farm news:

Well, hello again! Welcome to another season with Bugtussle CSA! This is our tenth season of bringing home-grown goodies to you all in Nashville - some of you folks have been with us for all those years. Wow! What a commitment! Some of you are just beginning your journey with Bugtussle! Thanks for your involvement & we hope you all enjoy the season!

We have two excellent interns with us on the farm currently. One more is due to arrive toward the end of the month. Jesse, who was a shining star for us last year is back for another season! (How did we get so lucky?) A big project for him this year is leading the development of a mid-week CSA pick-up in Gallatin at the new farmer's market there. Then there's Hannah, the sweet & quiet artist. She's originally from a small town in Kentucky but then moved to the big city of Chicago after college. Now she's decided the agrarian lifestyle of Bugtussle suits her more than life in the city. She is a welcome addition to our farm crew...if we can just keep our gregarious children from driving her insane.

The spring weather thus far has been wet, wet, wet. It's pretty challenging to stay on top of things with such short windows of opportunity for working in the garden. When it does dry up, your farmers will be busy!

2010/2011 Winter Share, Basket #6

2011-03-12T18:30:00.002-06:00

March 12, 2011 newsletter

This week's basket:
Parsnips
Sweet Potatoes
Swiss Chard
Kale

This week's farm news:

Happy almost spring y'all! It's been a very wet couple of weeks since we were last here. We have had flood after flood after flood - fortunately no major ones though!

Spring seems to be springing just a wee bit early this year. The grass is greening up, daffodils are blooming all over the place, the red maples are in full bloom. However, we are still hesitant to proceed in the gardens as it is is actually spring! Our instincts are telling us that we're going to have at least one more round of cold - winter's last hoorah! So, we've not done much actual work out in the garden yet (plus, it's been too wet to do anything even if we wanted to!) But our greenhouse is quickly filling up with little plants... Lettuce, spinach, broccoli, beets, Swiss chard, even a round of early tomatoes which we're going to experiment with planting in our high tunnel! That should be fun & exciting! Our first intern will be arriving on the farm in just 8 days! So things are rolling right along here. We'll be back with y'all in about a month with lots of eggs and asparagus! Until then, happy spring!

Veggies and eggs this Saturday!

2011-03-09T15:45:00.002-06:00

Hello everyone! We are planning on coming to the Nashville Friends Meeting House this Saturday March 12th. For anyone new the address is 530 26th Ave.N. We will be there from 9am-11am. (This is a pay when you come basket and not part of the main season which starts in May.)
Small baskets are just $15 and mediums $25 and no larges available. Here is what we will have: Kale, Swiss Chard, Sweet Potatoes, and Parsnips. This will likely be our last "winter" basket(keep posted about an April "Asparagus" basket.) Please let us know by Friday what size basket you want and any egg order.
Eggs: We have a LOT of eggs so it's time once again for our annual bulk-buying discount. It's time to eat eggs!! $4.50/dz. or 5 or more dozen for $4.00/dz. These are the best quality eggs anywhere around!

Thanks and let us know by(ideally before)Friday what you want,

Eric and the Bugtussle Family

No Saturday delivery

2011-03-03T18:03:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone,

With the forecast calling for heavy rain again on Saturday and the fact that we have a lot to do, we have decided to not come with veggies this Saturday the 5th. Sorry to dissappoint! We will aim for the following Sat. the 12th.

You are ALWAYS WELCOME to come directly to the farm to get what you need.

Thanks for understanding and we'll be in touch.

Cher, Eric, and ninos

Veggies and eggs this Saturday!

2011-02-16T19:12:00.001-06:00

Hi Y'all,

We're coming to Nashville this Saturday the 19th with veggies and eggs. We'll be at the Nashville Friends Meeting House from 9am-11am.

Veggies will be by the basket, small $23 and medium $36. Here's what we plan on bringing: spinach, kale, swiss chard, parsnips, sweet potatoes. (No butternuts, they froze and rotted in storage...) Please let us know your basket size by Friday.
We have lots of eggs at $4.50/dz. for shareholders and $5/dz. for anyone else.
Please let us know your order by Friday!!!

Thank you,
Eric & Cher

Early Bird Share Discount until February 15

2011-02-06T09:45:00.001-06:00

Hello Everyone,

Please find attached this year's share reservation form. We're celebrating our TENTH CSA season this year! Let's all hope for a great year! Remember, if you sign-up before February 15 (with full payment) you receive our discounted early bird prices:
Small shares - $375;
Medium shares - $625;
Large shares - $1175.

Otherwise, our main season prices will remain the same as last year:
S - $400
M - $675
L - $1275

Please join us for our 10th season!

Peace, health and warmth to you all,
Eric, Cher, and the Bugtussle family

2010/2011 Winter Share, Basket 4

2011-01-30T09:59:00.001-06:00

January 29, 2011

This week's harvest:
Parsnips
Spinach
Kale
Salad Turnips
Sweet Potatoes
Butternut Squash
Peanuts

This week's farm news:

Hi again lovely vegetable eaters! We've finally made the trip to Nashville after several attempts! Boy, the timing of this winter's inclimate weather had been precisely at the wrong time for us to be able to harvest and make the journey to town. We hope that by now your appetites are hankering for some Bugtussle goodness!

Even though the winter has provided us with lots of "weather," we've been enjoying ourselves! We've got sugar maple trees tapped and are actively cooking down the sap into delicous maple syrup, we have hickory-smoked (and are enjoying immensely) the bacon from last year's hogs, we have hosted/interviewed (on the farm) three potential interns for next season, one of which is definitely joining the Bugtussle crew(!), and we've placed the biggest portion of our seed order and can feel springtime's pull even though it's still the middle of winter!!

Veggies and eggs this Saturday!

2011-01-26T09:50:00.002-06:00

Hello everyone,

Sat. Jan. 29th delivery planned. 9am-11am at the Friends Meeting House. 530 26th Ave. N

Even though it is snowing again the weather forecast looks O.K. for Friday harvest and Saturday delivery. So we're saying let's go for it! It's been too long!! So please let us know if you want a basket and what size. Smalls are $23, mediums $36, no larges offered. Kale, spinach (which is amazing!), maybe chard, parsnips (our new love-SO SWEET!), peanuts, sweet potatoes, butternut squash. And we have lots of eggs at $4.50/dz.

Please let us know your order before Friday at noon.

Thank you and we are eager to get going again!
Eric, Cher, Ira, Opal, Olivia

2011 Registration

2011-01-16T11:22:00.003-06:00

Unfortunately our farmers weren't able to make it to Nashville this weekend due to snow on their hill, but that can't stop us from signing up for the regular 2011 season. Please let me know if you have any problems printing from the form below. Thanks!

2010 Winter Share, Basket 3

2010-12-18T16:18:00.002-06:00

December 18, 2010 newsletter

This week's harvest:
Spinach
Swiss Chard
Red Russian Kale
Lacinto "Dinosaur" Kale
Gold Ball Turnips
Leeks
Butternut Squash
Sweet Potatoes
Celery and/or Peanuts

This week's farm news:

OK folks, this is the last Saturday we'll be bringing veggies to town for a few weeks. We plan to take a few weeks off for the holidays but aim to be back in Nashville January 8th or 15th. Watch for our emails. We still have lots of greens in the high tunnel that withstood this week's low temperature of 5 degrees. So we should have plenty in three weeks!

We enjoyed our first snow of the winter this week. We had a few inches so it was definitely enough to have Ira & Opal chomping at the bit to go sledding. But, it was pretty chilly so no one wanted to stay out too long!

We wish all of you a happy holiday season. Be safe, take care, and we'll see you in a few weeks. Peace to you all.

Veggies this Saturday

2010-12-17T18:52:00.001-06:00

Hi folks!

We are coming again this Saturday the 18th with veggies and eggs. I know this is short notice but we were unsure of the weather. So yes, we are coming. Here is what we plan to bring: spinach, red russian kale, tuscan kale, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and hopefully leeks and/or parsnips (if we can get them out of the ground!) and likely some other good surprises as well (possibly lettuce, turnips, peanuts?)from the garden. Baskets at the same price: $23 and $36 and at this point you are welcome to customize your basket and request more or less of any item if so desired. If you didn't sign our sheet last week and would like a basket please let us know. However once again surprise arrivals are welcome Sat. morning. Same 9-11am hours.

Thanks and we really hope you'll come out and support us!

2010 Winter Share, Basket 2

2010-12-12T09:12:00.003-06:00

December 11, 2010

This week's harvest:
Spinach
Swiss Chard
Celery
Kale
Lettuce
Parsnips
Radishes
Sweet Potatoes
Butternut Squash

This week's farm news:

The week was chilly. We had two mornings at 13 degrees on our front porch. It must have been cold because Ira actually put shoes on. The weatherman says it's supposed to be colder next week - maybe into the single digits. We'll see how the high tunnel crops survive that! Let's hope for the best because our plan is to be back in Nashville one last time for December next Saturday with veggies - we want you to be stocked up for the holidays!

So, with winter weather here now, we are reminded of our two biggest cold-weather challenges... #1 Keeping the livestock/chickens with water when the temperatures are so low. One tiny pocket of ice in a hose will stop the flow. Eric has literally spent years tinkering with our farm's water systems so is is pretty much a pro by now. Our #2 challenge is getting to the places we need to go on the farm. (Especially since our 4x4 truck is defunct.) Everything on our farm is uphill from our house. (Well, except the big creek, thankfully!) Many of the farm roads are rough and need repairing after the summer's crazy downpours/flooding. Well, Friday afternoon when in a hurry to fetch Eric from the fields, Cher got the van majorly stuck in a rut. But, thanks to good neighbors, 4x4 trucks, and chains, we were able to make it here today. Whew!

Details for tomorrow: Everyone is welcome!

2010-12-10T22:16:00.000-06:00

We will be at the Friends Meeting House again tomorrow from 9-11am. Everyone is welcome. We should have extra of everything so you're welcome to come without notice. We will have tents set up as we're expecting rain. We would love your support and we promise you'll love what we bring!

Thank you and we hope to see you tomorrow!
Eric

Produce orders for Saturday

2010-12-09T18:22:00.000-06:00

[Sorry again for the late posting! I've got to get better about this...]

Hello! We will come again this Saturday (11th) to the Friends Meeting House. Same 9am-11am short hours. We have some of you signed up for a vegetable basket and need to know who else would like a basket. Please let us know before Friday. Tell us what size you want: small $23, bigger $36. Here's what veggies we plan on having: kale, spinach, lettuce, leeks, celery, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, turnips, and any other greens that survived the 13 degrees chill.

Thank you!! Eric

2010 Winter Share, Basket 1

2010-12-05T15:20:00.002-06:00

December 4, 2010 newsletter

This week's harvest:
Butternut Squash
Sweet Potatoes
Kale
Lettuce
Spinach
Salad Turnips
Celery
Leeks
Choose between Lacinato Kale or Arugula or Thick-Stem Mustard

This week's farm news:

Greetings again friends! We hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving. We enjoyed our Thanksgiving holiday at Cher's family's in Indiana and for the first time ever contributed the Thanksgiving turkey! It was delicious, too. Now we're happy to be back in Nashville this week with another load of fresh vegetables. Weather permitting, we'll be back the next two Saturday (the 11th & 18th) with vegetables and some other treats!

Veggies tomorrow!

2010-12-03T19:51:00.001-06:00

[Ooops! Busy week. Meant to post this email from our farmers earlier this week...]

Hello!!

We hope you had a great Thanksgiving! We are bringing vegetables this Saturday the 4th to the Friends Meeting House. The time is SHORTER: 9am-11am. (Eric needs time to do the farm chores in the morning and afternoon). However, for those of you that work at 9 you may come between 8:30-9:00 while we are setting up and we'll get your goodies together.

Anyone is welcome to come purchase a basket. $23 for the small. $36 for the bigger basket. If you wrote your name on our list last week you do not have to reply to this e-mail, we've accounted for you. If you did not write your name on the list please e-mail a reply before mid-day Thursday so we can plan accordingly. We will pick extra for you last minute deciders too.

Here's what we plan to bring: spinach, leeks, kale, sweet potatoes, celery, butternut squash, salad turnips and other greens. We are also open to your requests if you're craving something in particular.

We look forward to seeing you!
Eric, Cher, Ira, Opal, Olivia
info@bugtusslefarm.com

2010 Fall Share, Week Eight

2010-11-20T15:27:00.005-06:00

November 20, 2010 newsletter

This week's harvest:
Butternut Squash
Sweet Potatoes
Salad Turnips
"Little Gem" Lettuce
Celery
Swiss Chard
Kale
Cilantro
Choose between: Arugula, Mizuna, and Red Mustard

This week's farm news:

So today may wrap up this year's fall share (boy, that went fast!) but there's no need to bemoan having to go back to the grocery story for your winter produce. We plan to bring fresh veggies to Nashville 3 times in December (the 4th, the 11th, & the 18th - please see our sign-up sheet for these dates plus watch for our emails) and then twice a month for the rest of the winter. Baskets will cost $23/small and $36/medium. There's a lot to look forward to: spinach, kale, Swiss chard, leeks, parsnips, celery, lettuce, and continued mixed greens, sweet potatoes, & butternut squash.

When the Smith family returns home from Nashville today, the farm is going to be a much quieter place. Jesse and Beth are each on their way to their next destinations. We completed our last harvest as a group on Thursday... Once they get to where they're going and after they have a nice (very long) hot shower, we hope they will look back & remember this season fondly! We surely will!

Kimchi recipe

2010-11-15T08:11:00.003-06:00

Recently we received a comment asking for the Smith's kimchi recipe and they were happy to provide it:

We kind of follow Sandor Katz's recipe from his Wild Fermentation book (which we highly recommend!). Basic ingredients being Chinese cabbage, daikon radish, onion, garlic, hot peppers, fresh ginger. Almost anything else could be added like turnips, oh and carrots are great. And of course you need salt. So to start we shred the cabbage just by cutting it finely with a sharp knife. Then we chop up the radish and carrots and/or turnips and maybe some sweet peppers all maybe 1/8 or 1/4 inch thick. Then we mix all that together (cabbage, carrots, radish, peppers). Then we make a salt water brine which is made using 1 tablespoon per cup of water (one cup salt for one gallon water). I use warm water so the salt dissolves easier, and oh I like to use a quality natural salt, NOT Mortons! So stir the water till the salt is dissolved. Then we soak the vegetables in the brine for half a day or overnight. Be sure the brine covers the veggies. Make more brine if necessary. Then after soaking drain the brine but keep it handy. Make a finely minced medley of fresh ginger, hot peppers, and onions. Maybe one or two large or four small onions per head of cabbage. Maybe one big handful ginger and one or more(!!) hot peppers per head. We use a food processor to do the mincing. Then mix this potent stuff with your salty vegetables and firmly pack into a large jar or crock or food grade bucket. Place a small plate or something that fits right on top of the vegetables and weight it down with a water filled jar or something to force the brine to completely cover the veggies. Add brine if necessary. Put a cloth over top with a tight string or rubber band to keep flies out but let it breathe. Keep at room temperature for about a week. Taste it every so often to learn how it changes. When it tastes good and sharp transfer to a clean jar with a lid and put in refrigerator. Lasts a LONG time. Enjoy! Let us know if you need help as you go!

2010 Fall Share, Week Seven

2010-11-14T16:36:00.002-06:00

November 13, 2010 newsletter

This week's harvest:
Kale
Thick-Stemmed Mustard
Salad Turnips
Chinese Cabbage or Tatsoi
Arugula or Mizuna or Red Mustard
Sweet Potatoes
Butternut Squash

This week's farm news:

Today marks our 250th "deliveriversary" since we first began Bugtussle CSA nine years ago! Quite a few of you have been with us all of those years! We thank all of you for your support and your love of fresh veggies. This endeavor wouldn't be possible without you!

So next Saturday wraps up this season's fall share. We still have plenty of greens in the garden and plenty of sweet potatoes and butternuts in storage. We plan to take the Saturday immediately following Thanksgiving off, but then get right back into bringing you folks fresh veggies through December and then as much as we can throughout the rest of the winter. As we've done in the past, the winter baskets will be "pay-by-the-week." We'll have a sign-up list next Saturday plus we'll send out email reminders [I'll be posting those here] that you can reply to as well.

We want to keep you well-fed and nourished all through the winter!

2010 Fall Share, Week Six

2010-11-06T15:31:00.002-05:00

November 6, 2010 newsletter

This week's harvest:
Sweet Potatoes
Butternut Squash
Peanuts
Salad Turnips
Kale
Tatsoi
Choose between: Arugula, Mizuna, and Ruby Streaks Mustard

This week's farm news:

Well, the summer crops are completely finished now. Brrrrrr... It's gotten cold! I can't believe how long the peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant were able to hang on this fall. It's actually pretty impressive - still eating fresh summer veggies a week into November. But now that those crops are done for the year, we turn toward our annual project of kimchi (Korean sauerkraut) making which adds an element of "fresh" to our winter diet. We made our first batch last week filling a ten gallon crock and half of a five gallon crock. Once the initial fermentation is complete, we transfer it all to gallon-sized glass jars and store it in the cellar to be eaten throughout the winter. Our first batch yielded about 10 gallons, which we reckoned wasn't quite enough (!) once we send some with both Jesse and Beth once they depart. So, we made another batch this week. It will probably yield another 10 gallons (yes - we eat a lot of kimchi!) Which should be enough for the winter. One exciting new addition to our winter diet that we aren't used to having is all the fresh greens from the high tunnel! The crops in it look great - some of the greens and lettuces are practically to harvestable size already! We are feeling geared up and ready for winter!

Reminder

2010-11-04T18:50:00.001-05:00

This Saturday, November 6th, we will not be at the Farmers Market, but instead will be at the Nashville Friends Meetinghouse. The meetinghouse is on the west side of 26th Avenue North just 2 blocks north of Charlotte Avenue (on the Southwest corner at the intersection of 26th Avenue North and Torbett Street).

If you do not have a fall share, but would like a basket, feel free to just show up as we will have extras.

2010 Fall Share, Week Five

2010-11-04T18:27:00.002-05:00

October 30, 2010 newsletter

This week's harvest:
Arugula
Daikon Radish
Sweet Potatoes
Butternut Squash
Red Mustard
Salad Turnips
Mizuna
Sweet & Hot Peppers
Eggplant

This week's farm news:

First of all, we need to remind all of you that this (today) is the last Saturday of the season that this farmer's market will be here in Richland Park. We understand that there are plans of moving the market just down the road to a bank parking lot for the month of November. (And maybe even indoors for the rest of the winter - more on that later.) However, we will be back at our old location (the Nashville Friends Meeting House on the corner of 26th Ave. and Torbett, just off Charlotte) for the remainder of the fall share. The pick-up time will remain the same: 8am to 12pm.

Our intern season is winding down for the year. This past week was Ben's last here on the farm. Jesse and Beth will each only be with us for a few more weeks. It's bittersweet when it comes time for our interns to depart... We have made good friends so it's sad to see them go, but we get to look forward to hearing about their next adventure in life. Ben is heading to a farm in Nicaragua for a few months. Beth is looking to purchase her own farm in the Chattanooga area A.S.A.P. And Jesse wants to spend another season with us in Bugtussle (yeah!) leading next year's intern crew and wading a little deeper into the farm scene. We can't thank them enough for all of their hard work & dedication throughout the season. Now's the time for us, the Bugtussle-year-rounders, to take a deep breath, reflect upon a great season, and throw another log on the fire.

2010 Fall Share, Week Four

2010-10-23T18:33:00.002-05:00

October 23, 2010 newsletter

This week's harvest:
Kale
Chinese Cabbage
Sweet Red & Yellow Peppers
Hot Peppers
Eggplant
Salad Turnips
Green Tomatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Butternut Squash
Peanuts!

This week's farm news:

Today is a special day for our family... We are celebrating Olivia Fern's first birthday as well as our 11th wedding anniversary! To celebrate we're planning a short camping trip. Since our family size has increased over the years, our two-person backpacking tent is no longer adequate for all of us. So, we splurged and purchased a family sized tent and are going to spend a few days next week camping with the kiddos. It should be an adventure.

We're excited to be giving you peanuts in your baskets again this year! We gave them for the first time two years ago but last year the rodents and deer managed to eat all of them. (How thoughtful.) Fortunately, we managed to save enough of last year's crop to continue our seed supply. We originally started with just a handful of seed peanuts, an heirloom variety called "Tennessee Red Valencia," several years ago and have been building our seed supply ever since. Now they're back and we hope you really enjoy this special treat!

2010 Fall Share, Week Three

2010-10-16T19:27:00.002-05:00

October 16, 2010 newsletter

This week's harvest:
Butternut Squash
Sweet Potatoes
Onions
Tomatoes
Peppers - Yellow & Red
Eggplant
Okra
"Ruby Streaks" Mustard
Cut Lettuce
Salad Turnips
Tatsoi
Arugula

This week's farm news:

OK - big exciting news - the high tunnel is planted! Yeah! Finally, after nearly three years of slowly chipping away at the construction of the thing we have actual plants growing in the actual ground under the protection of the greenhouse plastic. Now for the first time ever we should be able to eat (& offer to you!) greens throughout the winter! Earlier in the week when we installed the irrigation system into the tunnel we realized that the project was really happening. Then the crew got right on to setting the transplants. We transplanted several different varieties of lettuce and kale, Swiss chard & spinach. We direct seeded salad turnips, radishes, & carrots. The structure is 30' wide by 96' long so there's not a tremendous amount of space but what a huge leap forward nonetheless. I can't tell you how happy we are to finally have it rolling! Our long-time goal of having fresh greens to compliment our offerings of storage crops throughout the winter is coming to fruition! What a good feeling!

The weather this week was dry, only a trace of rain, but absolutely gorgeous. The trees have really been dropping their jewel-colored leaves all over the ground...so lovely.

2010 Fall Share, Week Two

2010-10-09T14:50:00.002-05:00

October 9, 2010 newsletter

This week's farm harvest:
Sweet Potatoes
Butternut Squash
Sweet Peppers - Red & Yellow
Eggplant
Tomatoes
Hot Peppers
Boc Choi
Salad Turnips (& Greens!)
Arugula
Okra
Onions

This week's farm news:

Well, the first frosts of the season danced through our gardens and pastures two mornings this week. The low temperature we saw on our front porch was 34 degrees, so that means the open fields were a few degrees lower than that... Even though it was not a killing frost, the summer crops definitely got the message that their time of glory is ending. The basket this week will very likely see the final tomato harvest. Unless we get more frosts this week, which we are not supposed to, we should be able to get at least one more picking of peppers and eggplant. Now we're really moving back into the cooler season of greens, and this is fine by me!!

This week the crew busted out this year's garlic planting. We had to first "pop" all the bulbs we had the saved for seed into their cloves for planting. It was about 1,000 bulbs altogether. On chilly mornings we would find a nice warm sunny spot to sit and do the popping. Aside from getting sore thumbs from prying open all that garlic, this was very enjoyable work. Then the crew really went for it and pushed all those cloves into the ground in a matter of hours and successfully planted about 1/4 acre of garden space. This should result in about 6,000 bulbs next June come harvest time. Aside from the garlic, the only planting project remaining for the year is the high tunnel!

2010 Fall Share, Week One

2010-10-07T18:49:00.002-05:00

October 2, 2010 newsletter

This week's farm harvest:
Arugula
Swiss Chard
Salad Turnips
Red & Yellow Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Tomatoes
Eggplant
Butternut Squash
Onions
Okra
Thelma Sanders &/or Sweet Dumpling Winter Squash

This week's farm news:

The week's weather was gorgeous - crisp, dry, & cooler but still pleasantly warm in the sun. Perfect autumn weather to herald the beginning of this season's fall share. The crew had a super productive week. They dug all of the sweet potatoes (about 130 baskets), sorted them, hauled them out of the field, & packed them into the greenhouse for curing. (Curing is what makes a sweet potato sweet!) This year's harvest was so speedy & efficient! Especially compared to last year when the rain wouldn't stop & the soil got wetter & wetter & we eventually had to give up on waiting for the perfect conditions & hand dig for them in the mud... Every year is a different story!!

This weekend is the annual Biodynamic Farming Conference at Long Hungry Creek Farm (home of the barefoot farmer Jeff Poppen) that we participate in every year. On Sunday afternoon any interested conference attendees can make the short trek to Bugtussle for a tour of our farm. This gives visitors to this region a chance to see more of this beautiful KY/TN landscape!

2010 Season, Week Twenty

2010-10-07T18:37:00.002-05:00

Yay!! Thanks to a dear friend, I got a copy!

September 25, 2010 newsletter

This week's harvest:
Arugula
Cut Lettuce Mix
Cilantro
Green Beans
Sweet Peppers (Yellow & Red)
Tomatoes
Hot Peppers
Okra
Butternuts
Onions
Garlic

This week's farm news:

Well, we made it safely home from our vacation to Gulf Shores. We had a great & relaxing trip even though we chose to be slightly psycho & do most of our driving in the wee hours to avoid all of the "when-will-we-be-there's" from the kiddos. Upon our return we found the farm running like a well-oiled machine thanks to Beth, Ben, & Jesse! I think the crew had a good time (even though they didn't throw any major parties) & their confidence grew about being able to care for a farm on their own. It was an especially empowering time since each intern aspires to have their own farm operation one day. (Even after spending a season here they still want to do it on their own!) How wonderful that we all mutually benefited from our family's time away!

So, remarkably, today ends the main season vegetables share! This season went by so quickly! We thank everyone who participated & hope that you enjoyed it! If you're not participating in the fall share, have a great fall & winter and we hope to see you again next spring! If you have signed up for a fall share, we'll see you next Saturday (October 2) for fall share basket number one!! We still have shares available, also, so spread the word! Thank you!

S.O.S.

2010-09-26T11:18:00.001-05:00

Somehow I managed to distract myself at the farm pickup yesterday and forgot to grab a newsletter. If you have one you can get to me, please leave a comment here. Thanks!

2010 Season, Week Nineteen

2010-09-26T11:04:00.002-05:00

September 18, 2010 newsletter

This week's harvest:
Tomatoes
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Okra
Green Beans
Eggplant
Onions
Garlic
Cilantro
Sweet Potato Greens

This week's farm news:

There was something both intensely exhilerating and profoundly intimidating about holding down the fort while the Smith family took their much-deserved vacation. But once we cancelled all of the parties and concerts we had planned, our nerves calmed immensely! This gave us the chance to concentrate on the one idea that brought us all here in the first place: running a farm.

Beth kicked off our solo run with a spectacular Sunday dinner of deviled eggs and fried green tomatoes which was, unbeknownst to everyone else, the envy of the world.

On Monday, it was discovered that the grasshoppers have yet to relent on their campaign to devour everything we plant. Beth noticed that they'd been feasting on our recently uncovered brassicae patch, and immediate action was required! So the crew and I set forth fortifying our maturing patch with row cover and metal hoops in a way that kept the insatiable grasshopper population out, while maintaining the integrity of our beautiful, yet fragile, cabbages & bok choy. After that, we're unsure what they feasted upon, but we ate a fresh salad with tomatoes & pickled squash, washing it all down with a nice, sweet glass of accomplishment.

Our good friends at Bell's Bend recommended that we try our sweet potato greens, and try we did - they found their way into nearly every meal we ate. In the spirit of that, we've decided (as your stand-in farmers) to offer these wonderful greens to our shareholders this week, along with a recipe we all found rather compelling. In general, treat them like you would spinach, though the stems might need a little extra cooking time. Don't feel the need to be gentle however, they are tough and can stand a good amount of heat!

On behalf of your Bugtussle interns, we would like to take this opportunity to say thank you for supporting this farm, as it has provided an irreplaceable education and experience that would not be possible if it weren't for you! Thank you again, and have a great week!

2010 Season, Week Eighteen

2010-09-12T11:07:00.002-05:00

September 11, 2010 newsletter

This week's harvest:
Tomatoes
Green Beans
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Eggplant
Garlic
Onions
Winter Squash - "Sweet Dumpling" &/or "Honey Bear"

This week's farm news:

Well folks, today after market the Smith family is leaving for our annual vacation to the beach!! Yeah! For the next ten days the now very experienced crew will be running the farm on their own. We have no doubts that they will do an excellent job taking care of it all. We also thank them tremendously for their willingness to make our family vacation possible. So the Smiths will be seeing you in two weeks. Jesse and Beth will be taking care of the CSA and market next Saturday. I would like to ask all of you shareholders to help them out with your names and basket sizes. Thanks!

On the farm this week, other than doing lots of preparation for our vacation, we started more fall plants in soil blocks. Eric & crew also spread several loads of compost in preparation for planting the high tunnel & our garlic crop. We are greatly increasing the amount of garlic we're growing for next year so we've had to reserve more of this summer's harvest for seed. This is why the garlic you've been getting the past few weeks has been so much smaller. A little bit less now = lots more garlic next year!

More details on the 2010 fall share

2010-09-04T18:50:00.003-05:00

This year's eight-week fall season will begin Saturday, October 2 and will last until Saturday, November 20. It will include a wide variety of vegetables starting with a continuation of summer crops (tomatoes, peppers, etc.), a variety of lettuces, kale, Chinese cabbage, bok choi, arugula, mizuna, mustard, collards, Swiss chard, spinach, tatsoi, sweet potatoes, winter squashes (acorn, butternut, pumpkins), kohlrabi, celery, salad turnips, cilantro, daikon radishes, carrots, beets, and possibly even peanuts!

Pick up hours will be from 8am - 12pm

Small fall share = $175
Medium fall share = $275
Large fall share = $475

Make checks payable to Bugtussle Farm

Address: Bugtussle Farm
950 Rack Creek Road
Gamaliel, KY 42140
(270)457-BUGS
www.bugtusslefarm.com

2010 Season, Week Seventeen

2010-09-04T18:43:00.002-05:00

September 4, 2010 newsletter

This week's harvest:
Sweet Red & Yellow Peppers
Hot Peppers
Eggplant
Tomatoes
Garlic & Onions
Basil
Okra
Green Beans or Yellow Squash for medium shares

This week's farm news:

It was a fairly quiet week. The temperatures have been dropping into the lower 50's at night. The leaves are dropping from the walnut trees. I say this every year but, mercy, the seasons pass so quickly.

Eric & crew cultivated the fall crops this week - all the while cursing the *$*!@*!! grasshoppers. They are voracious little things! But, they are on the menu for next week. We hope that if we turn the tables & shift their status from garden predator to prey, maybe they will leave us alone.

The high tunnel project is nearly complete. The goal is to add compost to the soil next week, till the soil to prepare for planting, & then we'll be ready to set transplants when we get home from our family vacation in a few weeks! Yeah! The light at the end of the "tunnel" (ha) for winter greens!

The most exciting event on the farm this week was hearing Ira's joy at finding his ducks' first few eggs!

Fall Shares Now Available

2010-08-28T15:41:00.005-05:00

The fall season will run October 2 - November 20
Small shares - $175
Medium shares - $275

Reservation information can be found here.

2010 Season, Week Sixteen

2010-08-28T15:07:00.002-05:00

August 28, 2010 newsletter

This week's harvest:
Sweet Peppers
Eggplant
Tomatoes
Potatoes
Onions
Garlic
Hot Peppers
Okra
Basil

This week's farm news:

The weather was glorious this week. It seems like we have sure had to endure lots of weather challenges this season. But now, this splendid weather that we've had this past week makes those challenges fade in our memories & seem like some distant dream. The grasshoppers, however, are a nightmare. They just won't stop. They are even mowing our cover crops! Certain areas of the garden Eric has had to plant three (!) times. They seem to prefer newly germinating plants, too, so they are capable of wiping out huge plantings very quickly. Now our standard planting procedure is to immediately cover the seed bed with fabric row cover so the grasshoppers never even have a chance!!

Our barn had a couple of transformations this week. The first is that the crew harvested all of the butternut squash this week & their gleaming goodness is now occupying the barn's upper-most loft. The second transformation is the barn becoming a sports arena - we've made the step up from a bushel basket attached to a tree to a bonafide basketball hoop attached to the front of the barn!! Jesse is super-excited to be able to shoot hoops from his front door step. He even has his own cheerleaders - two injured turkeys (named Chaos and Galliopo (?) ) that have their own portable hospital pen in the barn's front yard. Basketball practice is at 7PM - after chores. Come join us!

2010 Season, Week Fifteen

2010-08-21T18:19:00.002-05:00

August 21, 2010 newsletter

This week's harvest:
Eggplant
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Tomatoes
Okra
Onions
Garlic
Basil

This week's farm news:

We had another major flood this week and the farm was doused with TEN inches of rain in less than 24 hours! Because the big flood in May deposited huge amounts of gravel in the branch that flows past our cabin (therefore raising the level of the creekbed) the flash flooding situation was much more scary than in May. The kids' swingset was sideswiped, busted up & moved, Ira's bicycle was buried in gravel, Ira's fish/duck pond (the we just dug this spring) had the pond liner swept out of it & then it filled with gravel. Ira's garden & our flower garden were completely underwater. We're hopeful that all of Ira's fall gourds & pumpkins will fare alright, but the beautiful zinnias & sunflowers are laid flat & covered in mud. :( Needless to say, Eric & I, & Jesse & Beth, were awake for several hours in the night monitoring the situation. Now, unfortunately, the gravel level in the branch is even deeper - in some places we estimate seven feet! - so the next potential flood is a nightmare to think about! We are actually planning to hire someone with a backhoe to dig the gravel out; it's that concerning! Anyhow, our really rough driveway could use a new layer of gravel! If nature gives us lemons, we'll do our best to make lemonade. Cheers!

2010 Season, Week Fourteen

2010-08-14T12:24:00.002-05:00

August 14, 2010 newsletter

This week's harvest:
Yellow Beans
Tomatoes
Sweet Peppers
Eggplant
Hot Peppers
Garlic
Onions
Basil
Assorted Melons
Okra
Cucumbers
Patty Pan Squash - free choice

This week's farm news:

We celebrated Eric's birthday on Tuesday by taking a mini family vacation to nearby Barren River State Park. The crew took care of all the farm work & chores for two days so that we could take a much-needed relaxation break. (Even though we live in paradise, we haven't yet mastered the art of taking "time off" while still being on the farm... If we're home we're working on something!) We stayed at the lodge at the park and, admittedly enjoyed being able to hole up in an air-conditioned room. While we were away, the crew not only kept up with all chores, they canned tomatoes, processed basil, harvested any ripe produce, & continued garden work in preparation for fall planting! Eric & I feel unbelievably lucky to be able to leave the crew at the steamy hot farm & come home feeling refreshed and seeing all sorts of work was accomplished also! We're lucky & we know it!

Thank you Ben, Jesse, & Beth for letting us take a break! Now they are successfully practiced for our 10-day vacation in September!

2010 Season, Week Thirteen

2010-08-07T18:56:00.004-05:00

August 7, 2010 newsletter

This week's harvest:
Tomatoes - mixed heirloom
Sweet Peppers
Sweet Corn
Hot Peppers
Onions
Garlic
Yellow Beans
Patty Pan Squash
Cucumbers
Basil
Okra for small shares, Eggplant for medium shares
& a Zinnia

This week's farm news:

The hot weather is unrelenting!!! We had a few days off feeling exasperated and exhausted as we watched huge storm systems pass through just to our north (so close that we even felt the wind!) and then later one passed just to our south. We did receive about 1/10" of rain this week but when it's in the mid to upper nineties every day, 1/10" doesn't last very long. Needless to say, we're really hoping for some rain & cooler weather!

This week's big accomplishment was getting the plastic on our high tunnel! Yes, finally! After what seems like an eternity, the high tunnel will be ready for planting this fall. (For those of you new to Bugtussle, a high tunnel is a big unheated greenhouse that can extend the growing season well into the winter months. We purchased the tunnel over two years ago & have very slowly been getting the thing assembled.) There are still some finishing touches to be completed, of course, but the thought of big crispy heads of lettuce in January should be enough inspiration to push ahead to the finish!

2010 Season, Week Twelve

2010-07-31T13:21:00.002-05:00

July 31, 2010 newsletter

This week's harvest:
Sweet Corn
Tomatoes
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Patty Pan Squash
Yellow Beans
Garlic
Onions
Cucumbers
Choice of Yellow Watermelon or "Halona" Muskmelon or Galia Melons

This week's farm news:

It was another sultry week. The high temperatures were consistently in the mid 90's. We had lots of small rain showers throughout the week that totaled around one inch. In between bouts of rain, the crew set out another round of fall transplants. They also had their work cut out for them trying to keep up with harvesting all the ripe tomatoes, musk melons, & watermelons. When we have to harvest crops early in the week - perishable stuff that won't hold until Saturday's market - we start canning & preserving the bounty to enjoy this winter. All of the interns have taken a turn canning quarts of tomatoes. We've also filled many freezer bags with melon to freeze for winter sorbets & Beth even loaded up her dehydrator with Galia melon slices! I'm excited to see how that turns out!

Eric's father (aka "Pap Pap") has been visiting this week. He & Eric have been working on adding a couple of solar panels (that were given to us!) to our solar system. They mounted them to the end of a cedar pole & everyone helped heave the pole up to a standing position beside our older panels so that they can all be wired together. Once it's all hooked up we should be able to harness twice as much solar energy!

2010 Season, Week Eleven

2010-07-24T18:06:00.003-05:00

July 24, 2010 newsletter

This week's harvest:
"Peace" Watermelons (yellow-fleshed)
Tomatoes
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Basil
Garlic
Onions
Okra
Patty Pan Squash
Cucumbers
Choice of Yellow Wax Beans, Galia Melons, and/or Sweet Corn

This week's farm news:

Don't forget that tomorrow, July 25, is our annual swimming party & potluck picnic! You can come anytime - there's no specific schedule. We'll probably eat early in the afternoon, then go for a swim, then for a farm tour (for those that are interested), then probably eat some more & swim some more. Or, who knows? If it is really nearly 100 degrees like the weatherman says it's supposed to be, maybe we'll just sit in the creek all afternoon! You can find directions to the farm on our website, www.bugtusslefarm.com. We hope to see you at the farm!

So this week on the farm it felt like a tropical rain forest. We had rain practically every day (totaling nearly four inches!) and it was so hot and muggy! We had some pretty intense thunderstorms with lots of lightning, too. The gardens were happy to get all that rain. Eric & crew had set out fall broccoli & cauliflower transplants, so they are settled in now. The young beans & snow peas that Eric sowed about a week ago are coming up nicely now. We also started fall kale, lettuce, & cilantro in soil blocks. Yeah! Fall crops are off to a good start!

2010 Season, Week Ten

2010-07-18T08:55:00.002-05:00

July 17, 2010 newsletter

This week's harvest:
Tomatoes
Patty Pan Squash
Basil
Garlic
Onions
Hot Peppers
Red Peppers or Zucchini or Cucumbers (small shares choose one, medium shares choose two)
"Peace" Yellow Watermelons for medium shares

This week's farm news:
Wow! Here we are at week 10 already! Halfway through the main summer season! The season is really zooming along for us this year. The tomatoes are really (finally) coming in now as are the melons. Next week we should see the second crop of sweet corn, yellow wax beans, cucumbers, & many more watermelons. This week we gleaned the very first of the watermelons & there were just enough for the medium shares but, no worries, next week everyone will get one!

We had a big group of farmers & their interns visit the farm on Wednesday. There were about 40 folks in attendance. We are part of a regional group of farmers that host these events so that our interns have a chance to meet interns from other farms as well as have exposure to other farms' management practices. Eric took all the visitors on an extensive farm tour with a few demonstrations along the way... Like our method of soil block making; various cultivating tools & techniques; & of course he showed the way we move our animals to a new paddock on a daily (or twice daily) pasture rotation. We finished up the tour at the swimming hole where everyone got revived before eating a big potluck feast!

Sunday, July 25
Swimming & Potluck Picnic at Bugtussle

2010 Season, Week Nine

2010-07-10T23:06:00.003-05:00

July 10, 2010 newsletter

This week's harvest:
Basil
Onions
Garlic
Patty Pan Squash
Zucchini and/or Eggplant
Tomatoes
Lettuce
Cilantro
Peppers - Hot

This week's farm news:

Every year, shortly after the summer solstice, the insects really turn up their volume... Actually, sometimes if feels like they are laughing at us! During the day it's the cicadas with their rattlesnake-like songs reminding us that it's hot & dry. During the night it's the katydids startling us from slumber with their abrupt "yank-yanks". In the garden the harlequin beetles & grasshoppers are just waiting for us to set out our luscious juicy succulent fall transplants - if the plants make it beyond the onslaught of flea beetles that found the shade house & thus began their feast on those just mentioned plants. Oh, & did I mention the flies? The flies like to remind us of every single spot & morsel of food that we failed to clean off the kitchen counters. Oh, the bugs. Maybe this lamentation sounds a bit like a complaint? To some degree it is as the bugs to represent one of my greater summertime challenges. But I'll take that challenge in exchange for all the unbelievable food that I get to enjoy every single day! Fresh tomatoes straight from the vine, crispy sweet red peppers, fat juicy watermelons, handfuls of blueberries here and there. While sitting here writing this & thinking about our food, I realize that now my mouth is watering & I've stopped itching all of my mosquito bites! The food makes it all bearable!

Reminder: Sunday, July 25
Swimming & Potluck at the Farm

2010 Season, Week Eight

2010-07-03T17:03:00.002-05:00

July 3, 1010 newsletter

This week's harvest:
Sweet Corn
Basil
Broccoli &/or Red or Green Cabbage
Zucchini &/or Eggplant
Lettuce (Tom Thumb or Jericho)
Yellow Squash
Hot Peppers
Tomatoes (just the beginning!)
Garlic
Onions

This week's farm news:

We had a little bit more rain move through our farm this week (2/10") and afer that the temperatures were drastically cooler than they had been. In fact, it was 54 degrees on our porch this morning. That's quite a change from last week when night-time temperatures never went below 70 degrees. It's so refreshing to not always feel sticky & coated in a layer of sweat!

The crew completed another round of garden cultivation this week after last week's heavy rainshower so the gardens look beautiful & well-tended. We have been enjoying our first tomatoes this week & made several small batches of salsa - one of our summertime staples! We're also enjoying the first round of sweet corn that you're getting in this week's basket. It was a fairly small patch so there's not a tremendous amount, nonetheless still a delicious treat. And a reminder... earworms love sweet corn as much as you & I, so if (when!) you find a worm in your corn just cut the tip off & you're good to go! (We use no chemicals in the growing of our crops & have found no feasible way to deter the hungry little critters.)

And finally, we would like to invite all of you to the farm on Sunday, July 25 for a potluck picnic/swimming party. Come for the day & see where your food is grown; meet the chickens, cows, sheep, pigs, turkeys, & ducks; & see our homestead where we live happily "off-the-grid", and, of course, we'll visit the swimming hole at the creek and share a delicious meal!

2010 Season, Week Seven

2010-06-27T18:17:00.002-05:00

June 26, 2010 newsletter

This week's harvest:
Green Beans
"Yellow Crookneck" Squash
Zucchini (medium shares)
Garlic
Onions
Basil
Swiss Chard
Beets & Greens
Red Cabbage or Broccoli or Lettuce

This week's farm news:

Well, we were worried we were going to miss out on all the rain that y'all seemed to be getting in Nashville but on Thursday we finally got a substantial rain! About 1.5 inches. It was welcome, too! Now lots of our crops are "laid by" (local lingo meaning your crop "has got it made" & requires very little attention until harvest). We are always amazed at how quickly the seasons turn. The summer solstice has passed for another year. For us, the earth is beginning to tilt away from the sun. Spring crops are fading & summer crops are ripening. We worked on starting lots of fall crops in soil blocks this week -- broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, etc. Eric planted one more variety of winter squash as well as pumpkins. He also sowed buckwheat in between the rows of winter squash as a cover crop that will later be rolled or scythed and left on the ground as a mulch for the vines to ramble across & to protect the soil. And the crew harvested more than half of our onion crop and beautifully laid them out to dry in our dual-purpose greenhouse which is now too hot for seedlings but just right for drying onions. It was a great week on the farm but we're looking forward to what's in store for next week -- sweet corn, eggplant, peppers, & our first few tomatoes... all those delicious pleasures of summertime!

2010 Season, Week Six

2010-06-19T14:43:00.002-05:00

June 19, 2010 newsletter

This week's harvest:
"Sweet Valentine" Lettuce
Green Beans
"Yellow Crookneck" Squash
Fresh Garlic
Basil
Broccoli
Beets & Greens
Swiss Chard

This week's farm news:

The crew had a super busy & productive week - despite the heat & everyone's desires to sit in the creek & sip kombucha! (Our current fetish!) Not only did they cultivate the entire two acres of gardens to keep the moisture from the last rain in the ground & knock out any weeds, they put up about 400 feet of trellis for the yellow pole beans; they staked & trellised all of the pepper plants (a few hundred of them); they kept the tomatoes tucked in their cages; they kept all of the farm critters moved daily (or twice daily!) to fresh green grass; they harvested the remaining 3/4's of the garlic crop & neatly stored it in the barn for curing; and they composted & planted another patch of winter squash! Whew! We even took a field trip to another farm one day this week that got us all excited about the possibilities of growing ginger in our high tunnel! Oh, there's so much to do on a farm in the height of summer! These long summer days are really helpful for getting all of our many projects completed! Happy Summer Solstice!

2010 Season, Week Five

2010-06-12T16:32:00.000-05:00

June 12, 2010 newsletter

This week's harvest:
Carrots
Lettuce ("Buttercrunch" for medium shares & "Sweet Valentine" for small shares)
Swiss Chard
Beets & Greens
"Yellow Crookneck" Squash
Very Fresh Garlic
Basil
Flowering Onions

This week's farm news:

The temperatures were hot again this week but, unlike last week, we had some very lovely & timely rain showers. The crew planted our butternut squash patch this week. Every year we select & store several baskets of squash from last fall's harvest to save for seed. Then when it's time to plant, we cut open the squash, harvest the seeds, & go straight to the garden to plant them. We get excellent germination this way because the squash keep the seeds in the perfect storage environment. That also means our seed stock is coming from squash that actually stored for the entire winter, therefore (hopefully!) improving the overall keeping quality of the squash from year to year. We also planted our sweet potato patch this week & with Eric & four interns working together it was a pretty quick job. The sweet potato slips got watered-in by a fabulous rolling thunderstorm. We rejoice when our timing works out like that!

The crew also yanked out the spent pea vines & spinach to make room for our late planting of tomatoes & they began the garlic harvest - you're getting some of this juicy uncured goodness in your baskets this week! Enjoy it while it's so fresh!

During rainy spells throughout the week, both Beth & Ben worked on Beth's room in the barn & got the majority of it completed! Now Beth can finally get settled in!

2010 Season, Week Four

2010-06-10T16:17:00.002-05:00

June 5, 2010 newsletter

This week's harvest:
"Buttercrunch" Lettuce
"Speckled Amish" Lettuce
Swiss Chard
Shelling Peas
Carrots
Beets & Beet Greens
"Yellow Crookneck" Squash
"Hakurei" Salad Turnips
"Easter Egg" Radishes
Garlic Scapes

This week's farm news:

It was another hot week in Bugtussle! We had a few light rain showers that maybe totalled 1/20"... so not much rain this week. But, I can hear distant rumblings of thunder as I write this so we are hopeful for a good rain this (Friday) evening. Our crops are doing well aside from a pretty intense infestation of cabbage worms on the spring brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, etc.). The crew dutifully (& laboriously) hand-picked worms from the plants this week but the little boogers are so camouflaged that many are inevitably overlooked which likely means another worm-picking will be on next week's "to do" list!

Our turkey poults arrived on the farm this week (via the post office). This is our first experience with day old turkeys (as last year we got them at 4-8 weeks old from a local breeder). We also chose to raise broad-breasted bronze & white turkeys instead of the heritage breeds we raised last year to hopefully avoid the near fiasco of the mature birds flying away! We figure that the broad-breasted turkeys will be able to forage more freely on pasture (since they can't fly) than we could allow the heritage breeds to do.

2010 Season, Week Three

2010-05-29T17:49:00.002-05:00

May 29, 2010 newsletter

This week's harvest:
"Deer Tongue" Lettuce
Swiss Chard
Garlic "Pigtails" (Scapes)
Carrots - "Rainbow Mix"
"Hakkurei" Salad Radishes
Tatsoi
"Red Russian" Kale
Shelling Peas
Cilantro

This week's farm news:

Mother Nature turned up the temperature on us this week. Most days we saw the mercury rise to 90 degrees or more! With the hot days our routine summertime after lunch swims at the creek have begun! The water is still a bit chilly but oh-so refreshing, especially after the hot & sticky chore of mulching the tomatoes with hay, which the crew tackled & completed very quickly one morning this week. Then they worked on the slower task of staking & caging the tomatoes - which is almost completed, too!

This week we also planted our 2nd & 3rd plantines of sweet corn, peanuts, yellow pole beans, & more flowers. We transplanted our eggplant, zucchini, & muskmelons. Our entire two acres of gardens are in some form of cultivation right now! Whew!

Our fourth season-long intern, Beth, arrived on Thursday evening & got right to work with us on Friday bringing in this awesome spring harvest. Enjoy!

2010 Season, Week Two

2010-05-22T16:10:00.002-05:00

May 22, 2010 newsletter

This week's harvest:
"Cracoviensis" Lettuce
Swiss Chard
Spinach &/or Cut Lettuce
Cilantro
Tatsoi
Green Garlic

This week's farm news:

The week was fairly dark, rainy, & cool. All of the spring crops are loving this weather! But, the summer crops are eager for more sun & warmth!

This week we transplanted our main crop of tomatoes & all of our sweet peppers plus a few hot peppers. We started a bunch of summer lettuces in soil blocks in the greenhouse as well as watermelons, muskmelons, & cucumbers. Eric has also been experimenting with planting various native grass seeds in our pasture to hopefully increase the biodiversity of forage for the farm critters.

During rainy times, we kept busy on the barn's remodeling project as our fourth intern, Beth, is arriving next week & she would probably like to have a place to stay!

We introduced 5 new piglets to the farm scene this week. They were born & raised to weaning right next door on our neighbor, Davis's, farm. They've been cared for so well & we're so happy to have such healthy piglets!

And finally, after years of searching, we've found a new van this week. It's almost exactly like our old van but two years newer & 200,000 fewer miles!

2010 Season, Week One

2010-05-21T17:46:00.002-05:00

May 15, 2010 newsletter

This week's harvest:
Swiss Chard
Spinach
Lettuce (lettuce mix &/or head lettuce)
Arugula
Green Garlic
Oregano

This week's farm news:

Howdy once again lovely vegetable eaters! Welcome to another season with Bugtussle! Despite severe floods & unseasonably late frosts, we are gearing up for an awesome CSA season - our ninth! We are excited about this new venue here at Richland Park and hopeful that we can adjust to the new scene quickly to minimize, as gardeners would say, "transplant shock". Please keep us informed about how the new market is working for you!

We've got a super intern crew lined-up for the season. There's Jesse, Ben, & Nadia who are on the farm already & Beth who is arriving in about 10 days. You'll be learning more about these fine folks over the course of the season. Because we've accepted more season-long interns than we've ever had, we've been working on remodeling the barn to create more living spaces. So the barn is getting a new life as the "Intern Headquarters"!

Jesse, who is with us today, formerly lived in Brooklyn, NY & worked in a boutique wine shop that specialized in organic & biodynamic wines. Every week he'll be recommending a wine to pair with our "recipe of the week".

Otherwise, we've been busy on the farm planting & transplanting , cultivating & weeding, tending baby plants & baby chicks, watching tiny white lambs frolic on the bright green grass, & eating fresh delicious salads straight from the garden... ahhhh, Spring!

In case you didn't receive this email...

2010-05-13T06:11:00.001-05:00

I'm so excited for farm fresh veggies this Saturday. I received this email from Eric and wanted to post it here, just in case you didn't get it. Here's the email address to respond to: info@bugtusslefarm.com

Hi folks, PLEASE RESPOND TO THIS E-MAIL confirming you are aware of this Saturday's delivery [SEE NOTE BELOW ABOUT DETAILS ON TIMES]. If you are not a current shareholder, please also confirm whether you want to stay on the mailing list.

This Sat. May 15th is our first veggie delivery. We will be at the West Nashville Farmer's Market at Richland Park at 46th and Charlotte Ave. There is a slight time issue...the market is 9-12 but we've requested an earlier start and have been given an "O.K." for an 8 a.m. start. This may still be a little too late for those of you who work on Saturdays. We will pre-pack a few baskets and have them ready as we set up our scene around 7:30. So if you must arrive before 8 just look for our big red and white van and we'll give you your early bird basket.

WE NEED EVERYONE TO REPLY with a simple "got it" so we know for sure you're aware of the first delivery {even if you can't make it - just let us know} or "keep me on your mailing list". So please do respond. Thanks, and we're so excited to see you all!!

Your friend and farmer, Eric {e-mailing from our cabin in the woods!}

First delivery May 15th

2010-05-05T19:24:00.002-05:00

Hey everybody! We just wanted to update everyone on the delivery schedule. The first delivery will be Saturday, May 15th. We wanted to start this Saturday the 8th, but the flooding has seriously hampered the situation. The first delivery will be to the West Nashville Farmer's Market. We will send a reminder email out early next week. We look forward to sharing spinach, chard, lettuce, green garlic, and arugula with you. Eric, Cher, Ira, Opal, and Olivia

And for anyone who missed it, there's a great article on the local CSAs in Nashville, click here for the recent coverage in the Nashville Scene.

Also, I'm just catching up on my email after being out town and then without internet access. Here's an earlier email from the farmers about flooding on the farm:

We hope everyone is doing OK with all the flooding. We had the worst flooding to date on our farm this weekend. Nearly up to the floor joists, ruined everything in the cold cellar, set the intern camper afloat and flooded the barn. That said, we are all fine and surely less impacted that others. We hope to let everyone know very soon about whether we will be in Nashville this weekend. Just thought we'd send out good thoughts to everyone and hope all is well.
Bugtussle Farm

First delivery

2010-04-29T04:08:00.001-05:00

Hello Everyone,
It's likely the first delivery will be Saturday, May 8th (9 days from now). It is also looking like the Nashville delivery point will be at the West Nashville Farmers Market. We will send out a confirmation email early next week.
Can't wait to see everyone!
Eric and Cher

See us this Saturday at Earth Day and the Meetinghouse

2010-04-16T06:53:00.001-05:00

Bugtussle Farm will be at the Nashville Earth Day Celebration (Centennial Park) this Saturday from 11-7 in the farmer's section. Please stop by and say hello. We will also be at the meetinghouse from 9:15 to 10:15 with eggs ($4.50/doz or 5 doz for $20).

Please remember this is the last month for regular share prices; they will go up by $25 after May 1. We are still running our referral special ($50 off a fall share or 10 dozen eggs for anyone you refer for a small share; $100 off a fall share or 20 dozen eggs for a medium share) for the remainder of April.

See you Saturday!

Eggs on Thursday

2010-04-01T05:40:00.001-05:00

On Saturday we sold 105 dozen eggs in 80 minutes, so "thanks" everyone who came. We will be bringing more Eggs and Squash with us on Thursday (Nashville Meetinghouse, 5:30 to 6:30 pm). Please stop by as we will have extra of both.

For the month of April, all current shareholders who refer a new shareholder will be eligible for a recruitment bonus!
If the person you refer gets a small share, you will be eligible for $50 off a fall share or 10 dozen eggs (all at once or split into increments).
If the person you refer gets a medium share, you will be eligible for $100 off a fall share or 20 dozen eggs.

See you Thursday,
Your Farmers

More eggs this Saturday

2010-03-24T05:39:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone,

We are coming to Nashville this coming Saturday, March 27, with LOTS of eggs. We will be at the meetinghouse from 10 am to noon. Eggs are $4.50/doz or 5 doz for $20.
If you are a current shareholder and you buy eggs, you can have as much butternut squash and sweet potatoes as you want for no charge!

Special note for those who missed eggs last time: We have many more eggs this time and we don’t foresee selling out but, if you did miss out last time, maybe come a little earlier this time to ensure that you get some.

We still have plenty of shares left.

See you Saturday,
Eric

Eggs and more this Saturday!

2010-02-25T08:07:00.003-06:00

Hi Folks,
We will be at the meetinghouse this Saturday, Feb 27, from 10-12 with LOTS of eggs. They are 4.50/doz or 5 doz for $20 and will keep for several months in your refrigerator. If you haven't already done so, check out our website page on the difference between our eggs and commercial eggs.
Anyone who purchases eggs may, for free, take as much butternut squash and sweet potatoes as they want (otherwise, they are $1.50/lb).
Finally, we have plenty of shares left, so please spread the word. If you haven't already, you can also sign up this Saturday.
See you soon,
Eric

Deadline Extended: Lock in last year's share prices now!

2010-02-05T19:02:00.001-06:00

Thanks to all of those who have signed up for the coming season. For those of you who haven't, we realized today that we forgot to remind you of the deadline for the Early Bird Special, so we've extended the deadline.

How would you like to have a share in the 2010 Harvest, but pay last year's price?

If you would like to be a shareholder for the 2010 harvest, please confirm and pay by February 15 (extended) and only pay 2009 prices. Click here for a reservation form.

2010 Harvest Share Prices:

Small: $375 by February 1, $400 after February 15, $425 after May 1
Medium: $625 by February 1, $675 after February 15, $700 after May 1
Large: $1175 by February 1, $1250 after February 15, $1275 after May 1

Please call the farm directly with any questions. 270-457-BUGS (2847). Please feel free to visit our website for more information: www.bugtusslefarm.com.

Eric, Cher, Ira, Opal and Olivia

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T10:42:00.002-06:00

In case you still have some sweet potatoes around and want to make something decadent, I had great luck with this sweet potato pie recipe yesterday. I think you could play around with the amount of sugar given how sweet Bugtussle sweet potatoes are already.

Wishing you and yours a joyous and healthy 2010! Can't wait to hear from the farmers about their next delivery...

Lock in last year's share prices now!

2009-12-19T18:20:00.004-06:00

How would you like to have a share in the 2010 Harvest, but pay last year's price?

If you would like to be a shareholder for the 2010 harvest, please confirm and pay by February 1 and only pay 2009 prices. Click here for a reservation form.

2010 Harvest Share Prices:

Small: $375 by February 1, $400 after February 1, $425 after May 1
Medium: $625 by February 1, $675 after February 1, $700 after May 1
Large: $1175 by February 1, $1250 after February 1, $1275 after May 1

Please call the farm directly with any questions. 270-457-BUGS (2847). Please feel free to visit our website for more information: www.bugtusslefarm.com.

Eric, Cher, Ira, Opal and Olivia

2009-2010 Winter Season, Week Three

2009-12-19T18:11:00.002-06:00

December 19, 2009

This week's harvest:
kale/collards
carrots
Hakurei salad turnips
Gold Ball turnips
Yukon Gold potatoes (some red ones, too)
sweet potatoes
butternut squash
garlic

This week's farm news:

The days are like a blink right now. Here we are just a few days from the Winter Solstice already! During this darkest time of year there's not much time for anything during daylight hours. (Especially when it rains all day long, like it did on Friday.) At least that's how we often feel!

We did manage to get the squash moved over to the house from the barn so that they wouldn't freeze. Since our interns are gone, there's no one to keep a fire going in the barn - where the squash had been. So now we have some new roomates in our new bedroom - several hundred butternuts! We also rendered the lard from our hogs this week. We see many delicious pie crusts in our future! And every year the kids & I tap our sugar maple trees. It's a little earlier than usual but we missed a good sap run last December so we went ahead and did it this week. Now we've got big pots of sap cooking down on the stoves. Now if we just had a good snow we could really hunker down in our cozy cabin, surrounded by our stored food, and experience winter! Happy Holidays!

Last delivery of 2009

2009-12-17T19:00:00.000-06:00

We will be in Nashville this Saturday (December 19) from 8 to 11. This will be our last Saturday trip to Nashville for 3 or 4 weeks. We have plenty to bring, so stock up for the holidays and for the coming month! Besides, we would love to see each of you.
You do not need to reserve a basket ahead of time. We hope to have carrots, yukon gold potatoes, kale, salad turnips, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, daikon radishes, garlic and more.
Small basket - $20
Medium basket - $35
Please call the farm if you have questions. 270-457-BUGS (2847)
Eric, Cher, Ira, Opal and Olivia

2009 Winter Season, Week Two

2009-12-13T13:10:00.004-06:00

December 12, 2009

This week's harvest:
carrots
"Hakurei" salad turnips
Gold Ball turnips
Yukon Gold potatoes
butternut squash
sweet potatoes
kale
garlic

This week's farm news:

Brrrr! It's been a chilly week. We even had a day that did not get above freezing! Our low temperature for the week was 14 degrees. At least the sun has been shining & our cabin has been staying nice & cozy with fires blazing in both woodstoves.

So folks, we are planning to come back to town again next Saturday with another load of vegetables and some other treats. And we have next year's sign-up forms available now. [Click on the image at the bottom of this post for a copy to print out.] We are hoping to slightly expand our CSA next year (approximately 10 additional shares) & are looking for new shareholders. All of you devoted vegetable eaters are our number one means of advertising so please spread the word. Get a neighbor to sign up & you could take turns picking up the veggies. Or maybe find a friend or co-worker to share a share & save a little money by getting a bigger share size! Also remember that early registration (now through January) gives you a pretty good discount!

[Please forgive the smudge of farm dirt I brought home on my copy!:)]

More veggies this weekend

2009-12-09T18:28:00.001-06:00

We will be in Nashville this Saturday (December 12) from 8 to 11. Please come if you can; everyone is welcome; you do not need to reserve a basket ahead of time. There will be carrots, yukon gold potatoes, kale, salad turnips, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, daikon radishes, garlic and more.
Small basket - $20
Medium basket - $35
There will also be eggs and possibly other items.

Not sure yet if we'll be back on the 19th for another delivery.
Please call the farm if you have questions. 270-457-BUGS (2847)
Eric, Cher, Ira, Opal and Olivia

2009 Winter Season, Week One

2009-12-06T19:11:00.000-06:00

December 5, 2009

This week's harvest:
carrots
Yukon Gold potatoes
kale
red mustard
butternut squash
turnips
garlic
daikon radish - free choice

This week's farm news:

Greetings again, y'all! Well, the winter is upon us now. We've had some pretty cold nights but fortunately not cold enough to kill everything in the garden...yet! Sounds like it's supposed to be really cold really soon! Eric has been working on our high tunnel (unheated greenhouse) for our future winter gardens every chance he gets. It's getting really close to being done! We've still got plants in our greenhouse to plant into the tunnel but at this point they wouldn't be ready to harvest until early spring. So who knows? Maybe we'll get an extra early start next spring! On that note, we should have next season's updated sign-up form available on our website soon. As always, we offer a discount if you sign up early!

We plan to bring vegetables again next Saturday (Dec. 12) for anyone that is interested. So come & see us next Saturday to get stocked up!

Veggies this weekend

2009-12-01T18:32:00.000-06:00

Just a reminder for those who signed up and an invitation for those who haven't...
We will be in Nashville this Saturday (December 5) from 8 to 11. Please come if you can; everyone is welcome. There will be carrots, yukon gold potatoes, kale, turnips, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, red mustard and garlic.
Small basket - $20
Medium basket - $35
There will also be eggs.
Hannah