Posts Tagged ‘Terry Firma Farm’

What we’re selling now

Today was another Briar Patch Co-op delivery.  We’re still keeping up 3x/week with the deliveries.  And they’re still sizeable.  Here’s what we’re selling today:

36 heads each of: Red Leaf, Green Leaf, Bibb Lettuce

36 Bunches: Radishes

100lbs Butternut Squash

15 Lbs Shallots

On Monday we delivered 500lbs of mixed winter squash, the same amount of radishes, shallots and lettuce as today, and some Mustard Green Bunches.

We’re coming into Kale, Broccoli, carrots and beets as well for the co-op.  We hope to keep the deliveries strong through Dec 20th or so.  If it get’s cold, our production will slow down of course…

I’ve been reading Terra Firma Farm’s CSA newsletter lately.  They’re a “small” farm of about 200 acres (? - not exactly sure) in the Capay Valley region of the Central California Valley.  They keep a year-round CSA going.  It’s probably got 1-2K members.  I admire several things about their operation:

1.  The planning.  It takes a lot to run a mixed veggie operation like their’s, I’m sure.  Although they’re much larger than Four Frog Farm ( 10 acres), it’s still tough to compete against the likes of Earthbound and CalOrg.  Anyway, I admire how they keep year-round food production going.  It’s not easy, even in their climate…

2.  The climate:  the weather in the valley is mild and you can, with planning (see #1), have food year-round.  They have great weather. great soil - and hundreds of acres of it - all perfectly, spanking flat.  I wish we had some good, flat land.  We have what I call “foothill Flat” land - that’s any slope less than 10% in my book.

3. The initiative.  Now I’m guessing, but I think the owner is pretty young.  Damn, he’s got a lot going on.  Way to go.  

So, reading about the Terra Firma CSA gives me good ideas about our own.  We want our CSA to really kick butt.  That’s why I’m doing research - it’s also good toilet reading.

Andrew