2021 Farm Forecast
Hello dear CSA members and farm followers! It’s late February which means winter is almost over :) I am caught up with winter tasks and have time to sit down to share my outlook for 2021 with you. You all know how I felt about the wonders and challenges of 2020 HERE. But 2021: it’s a new year, my eighth season running my own CSA and continue to hone my skills as a grower. Much to be grateful for!
Family-Farm Life
It’s interesting to look back at my (pre-Covid) farm outlook for 2020 as my priorities for our family life haven’t shifted a whole lot. Last year, I had grand intentions for having weekends off for family time and to savor our rural life more. Then, right as the greenhouse season began, the state went into lock down and I had very limited childcare for the rest of the growing season. With only one employee (thanks Olivia!), one day per week, that was hugely challenging and I can definitely say that I worked and mothered ALL THE TIME, often at the same time too. If I wasn’t doing one farm thing or another, I was also running around after Tillee. I don’t feel like I did either as well as I would have liked, but I suppose the billions of hunter-gatherer farmer-mothers who have come before me would roll their eyes and say “Yes, welcome to motherhood!” But I am not just growing food for our family, I am growing food for over 100 families this year (72 families last year)! So, I am excited to say that our daughter, Tillee is now enrolled in a Montessori day care 2 days per week, in addition to my mother watching her 1 day per week. This is huge; while it definitely took us a while to be ready to find the right place to send her and after nearly a year of not seeing many other children, we were all ready. When we toured the center, Tillee cried as we left because she didn’t want to leave!
New employee!
This brings me to some exciting news: I hired another employee! Her name is Julie, she has a lot of farm experience and I am excited to train her (and be able to trust her to care for the farm when I need to be away). She also will be offering a biweekly cut flower CSA share add-on this year of which we still have a few available. Between myself, Julie and Olivia we should be a kick-butt farm-her team!
CSA Changes
As far as the CSA goes, I had a few changes in store for 2021. Although I didn’t initially plan it this way, I essentially split the CSA season up into spring (6 weeks), summer (18 weeks) and fall (3 weeks). I’ve never done a spring CSA share before but I figured I am harvesting crazy amounts of produce by mid-April anyway so I might as well offer it! There are no words to describe those tender baby radishes or that sweet over-wintered spinach. You will notice that the summer CSA is now only 18 weeks (as opposed to 20 weeks) and this is primarily because, after 10 years, I am hoping travel to Peru again to study with my Quero teacher in the Andean Mountains this fall! While international travel is still very much up in the air but I am holding the intention that if it’s right and things are safe, we will be able to go. Other than that, same ol’ CSA program with TONS of delicious produce!
New CSA Recipe Service
Another exciting new offering for 2021 is that I have partnered with Cook With What You Have which has a database of over 1,100 recipes in which you can mix and match ingredients depending on what’s in the box that week. There are also amazing videos that teach you how to prep veggies that you may have never cooked with before. In each of my weekly newsletters, I will include 1-3 recipes tailored for the CSA box with an access code to explore the Cook With What You Have website.
While the summer season CSA is sold out, I still have spots left for all the other add-on options: spring and fall CSA shares, cut flower shares and pastured-chicken shares!
Another Offering from Farmer Bethanee: I am excited to announce my new (non-farming) website is live!
After over a decade of study, I am hanging a humble shingle out in the world for those who are interested in working with me to create greater wholeness in their lives through shamanic healing work. I offer free, 20 minute consultations and in depth one-on-one sessions in person and via video call.
I work to bring forth healing energies from the Earthly and Cosmic Spiritual Team that I have developed a working relationship with over many years. As a shamanic practitioner, I work on the subtle, non-physical levels of your body to alleviate ethereal, but nevertheless real, issues that can present themselves in your life.
Shamanic healing is very virtual-friendly and most sessions can be done remotely!
Please explore my website and feel free to forward my info to anyone who you think might be interested. You can directly schedule a consult with me here.
Warmly,
Farmer Bethanee
