Holiday Greetings from Patchwork Green Farm!

2012 was a more challenging growing season than we have had for a number of years.  The dry, hot spell during the summer lasted way too long, and there was only so much we could do to help the withering crops.  Although we lost a few crops and had diminished yields of many others, we were amazed by the resilience of the plant kingdom in the face of adverse conditions.  The bounty we were harvesting in October bore witness to the power of plants to survive and thrive once conditions allow.  How about those sweet fall carrots in November?

In 2012, our CSA members helped us donate $1200 worth of fresh produce to the Food Pantry at Decorah Lutheran Church.  We sent regular bags of summer squash and cucumbers, jalapeno peppers and onions through the summer.  This fall we hauled in large bags of cabbages, lettuces, winter squash and rutabagas.  The volunteer staff at the pantry conveyed the gratitude of participants for all the local produce, and I think it all got used!  Demand for food pantry services is up significantly again this year, and we thank our CSA members for helping us contribute healthy fresh food to our neighbors.

The seeds have been ordered for 2013, and, after last season, I am working on a beefed-up drip irrigation system.  I would like to grow more carrots next spring and fall, and we’ll of course be trailing some new tomato varieties.  We (and our customers and members) love sweet potatoes, and although I have had mixed success with them in the past, we are going to make a concerted effort to produce a great crop this year.  As our family is finishing the last of the late-fall lettuce and kohlrabi, we are already anticipating spring spinach and asparagus!

We are updating our CSA materials for the 2013 season, and welcome your patchworkgreen.com browsing after the first of the year.  

Grab one of our Sunshine winter squash at the Coop this week, and make an easy, beautiful and nutritious bisque for a cozy winter meal after the holidays.  See you next season …..

Erik Sessions and Sara Peterson, Patchwork Green Farmers