...they need water (as does everything but first things first). Will had used the big sprinkler on the tripod for half of the beans-one side of the garden. But when I went out this morning to continue the drill; move the sprinkler move the sprinkler etc. I was face with a dilemma: i can't put the sprinkler on the beans that are in between two tomato rows...low beans - tall tomatoes - what now? So I decided to thread a flat drip hose through the beans - what a mess. you can hardly walk in there...geez! a week ago, no problem. Now it is a veritable jungle. But I got it done. and moved it down too. Alas - i think Will is pulling out the big guns tomorrow - pump and pond hoses. It was still the right thing to do. By Friday, there will be many a noble soul out there picking yellow beans...
you know - sometimes I'm out there in the morning and faced with something like this - and I'm dragging hose and bending over and trying to stuff the hose underneath the plants and there are tomato runners in my face and I think - 'I just can't do this'...but that's just not a choice. That's ok..I spent an hour weeding my new little permanent herb bed afterwards and that just felt so do-able.
...and Saturday morning very very early...Mike Gennaro and his son Max show up first. Little Max is so very cute - I asked Mike to start cutting and bagging lettuce, and he had Max handing him bags and then I pulled the wheelbarrow around and asked Max to put the bags of lettuce in it - and I could hear Max exclaiming(!) about this and that to his dad back there behind the greenhouse in the lettuce row. and I'll be darned they did the whole thing! Father and Son! Yessir, that's what it is all about!
And the first weekend is over - new members coming by this evening...to take the tour and pick up a basket.
Sometimes we are so very tired...but it is a good tired, if you know what I mean. Tonight, the very first of the yellow beans - because they are there and they need to be picked but who has the wherewithal to pick beans after this weekend? I guess me, I guess in the morning. Right now, dinner. Yellow beans and garlic; yellow squash cooked with bacon and onions, grilled chicken...sliced tomatoes of course!
...when vegetables begin to crawl through the yard, come inside and get up on the table (and counters and windowsills)...I have a list of delicious things to cook and have been going through it for a week...I've gotten a lot more versatile over the years with things like squash...not as well-versed in cucumbers as I'd like though. Sliced tomatoes and fresh mozarella and basil tonight...because we'll be whipped. It's the first week of the CSA and Friday evenings are an option for our members. Wish us luck. The yellow squash and zucchini and cucumbers and tomatoes are picked already. Members have to pull and wash and bundle arugula and turnips and pak choi. The basil I'll deal with, and the mint. It should be fun, if a bit confusing (as always!).
Every morning, Will leaves for work before 7, and I head out to the garden, usually with a particular chore in mind....as I did this morning. But after a quick look around, I decided that some things are just more important than others. The turnip, arugula, and pak choi are on rows between the watermelons, which are starting to run. The plan, of course, is to harvest everything else and let the watermelon vines spread out. In the order of things, we usually line the vines up along the tops of the watermelon rows, pull up all the in-between crops, and Will makes one more pass with the tiller - tilling down the used-up rows and knocking out weeds one last time before we let the vines take over the entire area. Then we spread the vines back out. Well, this morning I was looking at the situation and imagining all of the CSA members showing up - knowing that before they can harvest the vines had to be moved etc. This is WAY too delicate of a job to leave to chance or to members who have not dealt with melon vines before. There were vines crawling through the pak choi and arugula and beyond! So I spent the morning lining up vines then hand-weeding the tops of the watermelon rows. Now our members can get out there and harvest and not worry about stepping on vines or moving one and accidentally snapping it! As distressing as this would be, a member who mistakenly did this would be doubly mortified! We all care a great deal about every crop in the garden.
I'm looking forward to seeing everyone - some for the very first time, and many who are back with us for the second, third, or even fourth year. These are the folks who help the 'newbies' learn how to handle the various tasks every week; and we really count on them to guide the others. Better go take a nap...
We are entering the third season of our CSA (Community Support Agriculture) after what we considered to be highly successful seasons in 2009 and 2010.
The Port Hudson Organics CSA has accepted commitments from 40 families for the 2011 season. In the event that a spot opens up in the near future, we do keep a wait-list even during an active season. Each year, former members are invited to sign up for the coming year. After we have received responses from them, we open our wait-list. Remaining spots are filled on a first-come first-served basis. CSA members pay in advance for 8-9 weeks of produce valued at more than $30 per week.Cost of the CSA membership is $320.00 [which includes, as a bonus for subscribing, one pound (approx. one pint) of our delicious farm honey when it is harvested].What you will receive from your membership is 7 selections of fresh naturally-grown and chemically-uncontaminated vegetables and 2 herb selections (or one flower selection) each week.It is our intent to provide each member with a list each week so you can indicate your vegetable preferences, although we cannot absolutely guarantee that you will receive exactly what you select.However, we do guarantee that you will receive 7 selections of vegetables and 2 selections of herbs (or flowers) or the equivalent from our farm each week
CSA Market Baskets are picked up by members at the farm every Saturday morning from mid-May to mid-July (we can make arrangements if you go on a vacation or have to miss a week, see FAQ section below).For those who are not in the Zachary area, we can put you in touch with someone closer to your home that you may be able to coordinate with to pick up on alternate Saturday’s or make other arrangements.We also request that each member commit to 2-3 hours on one Saturday per month to help fill orders or pick.Actual participation on some scale is an integral part of the CSA concept and is an enjoyable aspect of the farm experience. And frankly, we need the help on Saturdays to make this work!
If you have any questions, please see the FAQ section below and then email us at drthais@cox.netif you need more information.
Does this mean that we will no longer sell produce and honey to the general public?
For those of you who cannot make the commitment to purchase a share in the farm for whatever reason, we want to assure you that we have not forgotten you and that we will not be closed to the public.The CSA venture will greatly limit the amount of produce available to sell and thus will reduce our hours of operation, but there will be particular times that we have abundant excess of produce and we expect honey to be available to be purchased at the farm.We do not know, and will not know, exactly how this will affect our open hours until we are well into the harvest season.You will continue to receive email notices whenever produce is available and we continue to value your business and friendship.This CSA is designed to allow us to continue running the farm without it running us into the ground.We farm out of our love for growing things, not profit motive as there is precious little money in this.And we are not prepared at this time to hire labor and expand, which is the only way we could continue operating as we have in the past.We hope you understand and will continue to visit the farm when we are open.
Community supported agriculture is a movement that got its start in this country in the mid-1980’s, driven by a desire by neighborhood groups to re-connect with local growers and producers.The CSA movement is enjoying increasing popularity and availability with each passing year.The goal of CSA is to involve the vegetable-eating-public more intimately with “their” farm.Why do I use “their” in that description?Because in CSA, members buy a share of the farm which, in effect, provides them an ownership stake in the vegetables produced.In that respect, the farmer and consumer become partners.There are many benefits from this relationship to the farmer and consumer alike.For the farmer, it provides a guarantee of sales so he can plant to supply his contract.It also minimizes the time required to market the produce, freeing him up for what he does best, which is…farm.For the consumer, it guarantees a steady supply of farm fresh produce for a fixed price, encouraging healthy eating, and promoting a sense of participation and community around the farm that has been long lost in the age of industrial agriculture.For both the farmer and consumer, it promotes a bond based on trust and mutual interest.For those interested in information on CSA and farms that have set up these systems, the web has worlds of information available with a simple word search.
Why has Port Hudson Organics decided to become Port Hudson CSA?
For most of you who have spent any time visiting our farm and talking with us, you are aware that Thais and I both work full time, maintaining our little farm, bee hives, yard, and other farm-related activities in our “spare” time.This means that virtually every waking hour that we are not at work you would find us in the field or manning the produce tent (or carport).As we expanded our farm-related enterprises to areas such as biodiesel, berries and bee hives, the farm demands finally exceeded our available time.So in 2009, in order to continue our farm sustainability effort and reduce our time commitment (primarily the time spent selling), we tried a concept that is becoming increasingly popular across the country in the “Eat fresh, Eat local” movement, that is, the CSA farm.In the spring of 2009, we enrolled (what ended up to be) 25 CSA member families, and were blown-away by the success of the venture.Member enthusiasm, assistance, and clear appreciation for the unsurpassed quality of our produce resulted in an excellent experience for everyone involved.We honestly don’t know if we can repeat the experience of 2009, but we intend to try.And based on the 2009 experience, we believe that we can do it even better in 2010.So this year we are expanding slightly to 30 member families, which we believe is near the capacity of our farm at its current acreage.
What is a CSA Market Basket?
A CSA Market Basket is the term we are using to describe the produce and herbs that CSA members will receive each week.It will consist of 7 selections of vegetables and 2 selections of herbs from a list provided to members each week.Members can check off their first and second preferences and we will make every effort to supply the members with their selected items.In cases where we are short on a particular item, say, yellow squash, we will substitute another available vegetable (for example, zucchini) from member’s second choice selection if at all possible.Members are free to make notes on their list if there is a particular vegetable they do not want (for example, zucchini) and we will try to honor their request.The amounts (pounds or numbers) of vegetables or herbs per selection were based on an approximation of equal value based on the prices we have charged for these items in the past.And as last year’s members know, the amounts of produce on the list are the minimum amount you will receive.Often, when there is a surplus beyond what has been selected, we will throw in some “lagniappe”.Members should note that there are a couple of exceptions on the selection list:a bouquet of flowers, when available, counts as two selections from the herb list; similarly, a seedless watermelon, when available, counts as two selections from the vegetable list.Each week, a basket with all of your produce and herbs will be made up with your list attached.A blank list will be available for you to fill out for the following week.
Can I select more than one of a particular item?
Yes, if you want 4 ½ pounds of tomatoes one week, you can simply put the number “3” next to the selection “1.5 lbs. tomatoes” on your sheet and pick four other vegetable selections to make a total of seven selections.If we have enough tomatoes to satisfy your request, we will provide that amount.If we are short, we will attempt to at least provide you with one selection of tomatoes and make up the rest of your basket with other choices.We will let members know each week which vegetables we expect to have in abundance.For example, due to space considerations, we have limited plantings of corn and each planting is generally available for only one Saturday, so we will be encouraging members to select as much corn as they can from the list on the weeks that corn becomes available (we try to send out weekly emails on the state of the farm).Of course, members will also be given preference for the purchase of additional vegetables if, for example, you want to freeze a bushel of corn when it comes in and there is surplus available.
How will the CSA Market Baskets be distributed?
Members will be required to pick up their market baskets each Saturday after 1:00 PM.We encourage you to try to come between 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM, but we will try to be flexible on the time.This is probably the biggest commitment you will make as part of the CSA.We understand that it may be difficult to come every Saturday for 8 weeks, but there are a couple of strategies you can employ to make this easier.(1) you can buddy-up with one or more members in your area and go on alternate Saturdays, each delivering or holding the other’s basket for pick up at their house; (2) we have one member who is splitting one CSA share with another person; this way they split the cost, vegetables, and responsibility to pick up the basket (and the commitment to help out one Saturday a month).
What if I go on vacation or miss a week?
We understand that summer months are when most folks go on vacation, and we will accommodate you for a Saturday that you are out of town if we are notified beforehand.There are a couple of options for you if this occurs.One option is that you can double your order one week to make up for the missed week (this is an especially good option if you are going on vacation somewhere that you can cook and want to bring extra fresh produce for the trip).Otherwise, you can notify us that you are having a family member, friend, or neighbor coming to pick up your basket and give or sell them your weekly allotment.Thais suggested a third option, which is a good one; you can also choose to donate your vegetables for the week to the Zachary Food Bank.We will supply you with a receipt, which is a tax-deductible contribution.
What if you have a crop failure or natural disaster?
Farming is akin to gambling, except that with farming you are reminded of your losses each time you look out the window.And since it is we (Thais and I) who chose that risk, you are not expected to share in it.In the case of an individual crop failure (for example, watermelons), it will simply not show up on your menu of choices (though it will break my heart – I really love the watermelons).In the case of an act of God (flood, hail, asteroid) well, if an asteroid hits all bets are off; but otherwise we will make any other accommodations you find acceptable, including a refund based on $30 a week for any unfulfilled weeks.All CSA membership funds will be placed in a separate savings account not to be touched until after the last CSA market basket has been filled, just in case.The Port Hudson CSA is somewhat unique in that respect, as many CSA’s expect the consumer to share the risks, including that of catastrophic failure.
I live in Baton Rouge and don’t know if I can make it out each week.How can I join?
That is pretty much covered in “How will market baskets be distributed?” above but, to reiterate, we already have several members who live in Baton Rouge and are in touch with each other in case one cannot make it out on a given week (this works especially well when two or more relatives have purchased CSA shares).Based on our clientele, we would expect to register several members that reside in Baton Rouge.For any who are willing to share their information, we will put them in touch with each other and perhaps arrangements can be made.However, we do advise that you take this and the next item into consideration before you commit to joining the CSA.
Do I have to commit to participating on one Saturday a month?
We are not going to insist that members become directly involved, and we are not going to kick you off the island if you just cannot lend a hand twice during the 8-week period.But we want everyone to understand that our ability to sustain a CSA depends to a large degree on receiving some additional help.Based on my handy-dandy Port Hudson Organics CSA spreadsheet (yes, I am a geek farmer), we will be required to harvest approximately 250 pounds of vegetables, 60 bunches of herbs, and clean, weigh, and pack them into 30 baskets based on member’s preferences each Saturday morning for eight weeks running.So, in short, we will need help.And, of course, a CSA is by definition Community Supported Agriculture.Without the “supported” part, it is just agriculture.
In all seriousness, becoming involved in where your food is grown is an uplifting and educational experience.After all, that is why we do it.And it is an integral part of CSA farms across the country.We are assuming that you found us because you appreciate this connection, and we hope that you can find the small amount of time to required to experience that connection.
Are there any other activities planned for members?
Yes!We want to plan at least one harvest celebration to bring members and their families together to socialize, laugh, and eat.We admit that we failed our attempt last year due to the heat and drought conditions at the end of the season, but we will try again, we promise! For us, this is really what it is all about; friends, community, and connection with each other and our environment.
inspirational pics of garden ideas! click on the picture to view this site
Farmers Market On Wheels: Converted School Bus Hits The Streets In D.C. (click on photo for story)
blooming artichoke
curtesy of Chris Shows (thanks!)
First...
..on the plant
In the Collander
Will handed this to me through the back door and I thought...'this is what our life has given us...it was a startling thought...and a happy little rush
And then
...finally on the plate
mmmmm......yummy
Satsumas...mmmmm
Thought I'd place some of the pics here that were at the top of this blog....
so they don't go down a rabbit hole
...Feverfew
soon
very soon
pulling up the cilantro
going to seed is fine...falling over into the other herbs is not fine.
Save the Sunflower!
pull up everything else in the row but save the sunflower!
Before we lose control of the herb beds...
a couple of pictures
This Year's Obligatory Chard Picture
It's worth it, though, to post this again this year. I can't get enough of looking at these leaves.
Ahhh...a magnolia flower
about to open
young pak choi
very beautiful
Ox-Eyed Daisies
I had a good stand...but, alas, they had to be plowed under. HAHAHA...I have new ones. They won't bloom this year, but i'll put them in a place where the tiller won't come for them
Why Have These Butterfly Bushes Lost Thier Leaves?
Ok...Here's My Answer
Some mighty-fine cilantro
We have SO much cilantro this year - I can't believe t will all go to use
the Year-Long Dianthus
I seeded these way back last summer - saw them through the winter - pu thtem in beds in the spring..some things are worth the effort...
the bee balm used to have deep burgundy colors as well -
'Bright Lights' Chard
...it comes in so many wonderful colors
what a beautiful color of green
the lettuce hasn't bolted...yet
still going strong
a late start - and I've never seen berries like this while the plants are making runners, but here they are!
little guys...can you see them?
martins in the doorways of their little apartments...
Somebody Else's Ducks!
they move over here every spring...and just wander around the yard...and the pond.
Purple wildflowers
snagged from next door years ago...they're all over the place now.
fall cabbage - ready in the spring
that's the way it always works out...lots of beautiful cabbage and not enough folks to eat it!
garden leftovers
onions from the fall garden - still good, but mightly hard to dig out of the ground unless you have your garden fork
Hay Is In The Barn
...and not a moment too soon
Mmmm...fall lettuce
good until you plow it under in the spring! amazing.
Early Morning Okra Pickin'
Went out to cut okra - look what I found! 2nd round field peas and fabulous figs!!
Yvonne washes the lettuce....
let's hear it for the best CSA members EVER! PS: she picked it too.
The Stalking Garden Helper
....less chance of being surprised by a snake, I say
Plumeria!
...surprised by this: firs time it has bloomed~!
Cat In A Basket
...he looks somewhat offended
French Horticulture Beans
..a huge bag of shelled beans awaits blanching and freezing today...
Wedding Cosmos
Ah - the Bee Balm blooms a whole lot more!
two years waiting, and worth every minute
the old Dude dog doesn't get around much
...but if it's after 5 in the evening and he hasn't had his dinner, he'll come out to the garden to let you know
ah, the Bee Balm blooms
...two years in. A perrenial, I had to baby this and hope that year two would produce. this is just the beginning...
The Amazing Ox-Eyed Daisies
...which my daughter SWORE would never grow here, because they are wild in the Northwest - but here they are - from SEED no less, and I must say, the best daiseis EVER!
little surprises
cilantro in the gravel by the greenhouse. If you plant many, many things, plants tend to sprout up in the most odd places. Will went out this evening and grabbed some of this for his chicken soup.
Bleeding Hearts
tiny plant from the Farmer's Market last year. I think it's one of those things you cannot kill(!) very unobtrusive - lovely for an early spring showing...
...after the rain
maybe hard to see, but, we have our obligatory rainbow, always in the same place in the sky, after a good rain
..and to think
these guys were so itty bitty a year ago...
terrible lighting, BUT
the Evening Primrose strikes again. Can't keep a good herb down, I suppose. Thought they had been eradicated, but I was wrong!
Exotic Mystery Bulbs
sometimes Will just sticks bulbs here and there - These are in their second year and I have yet to learn what they are...very beautiful, though - just a little gathering of them by the fence....
Fruit of the Month
yea...figs
Catch it with the camera while you can...
I have not even done the obligatory 'porch sittin' with the Spider Lilles and now they're past their prime!
yum
vegetarian 4th-of-July fare
Hope Springs Eternal
watermelons ...
ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
man, life is good...
Sweet, Sweet Corn
...any minute now....
A Fleeting glimpse
Beautiful today, bitter when it just can't take the heat any longer.
Finally
...a row of flowers in the garden!
A Little Happiness
a rogue coreopsis on the fenceline; just missed the bee loaded with pollen
This Week's Winning Giant Flowering Bush!
well - actually - a vine. Actually, two vines, one on each side. The jasmine....yes, there's an arch under there somewhere but we have to let it bloom first
in Case You Can't STAND it
one more wildflower picture...the ones that held out till the end
Country Couture! Check out this great blog ! ... this is a wonderful family who visited our farm
And THIS Week's Winner of 'most beautiful blooming thing' is...
The 'mock orange'. One of several we dug up from the farm 20 years ago and hauled around in a pot and planted here.
The Winner
...of last week's 'Most Beautiful Blooming Thing of the Moment'; the Lady Banksia Rose
Leaving something for the bees
blooming arugula from the fall garden
The Yellow Jasmine has decided to 'bust a move'
Will's newest project. Pretty nice, no?
The First Beeswax Candles
Little Miss Recall
...and you thought lead paint was your only worry!, Here we have a doll bought by our daughter for her two-yr-old. While wrapping, her arm came off and exposed this mortifyingly dangerous piece of wire! yep..you could 'put your eye out with that!' YIKES!
Will Perkins (B.S Biology, M.M. Environmental Management) has worked in the environmental field for many years; for the Louisiana Dept of Environmental Quality, as a consultant, and in the private sector. He currently is a member of the environmental team at the Georgia Pacific facility in Zachary, La., specializing in air quality. Thais Perkins (B.M.,M.M., D.M.A in piano)has been on the music faculty of Southeastern University in Hammond, and Southern University in Baton Rouge, and has created pre-college music programs in the private sector and in university settings. She is currently on the music faculty at Baton Rouge Community College and is owner/director of The Music Tree Preparatory School in Zachary. Thais and Will have been married for 38 years. Will is the master gardener; Thais specializes in herbs and flowers. Together they run Port Hudson Organics CSA from their small farm.
...they need water (as does everything but first things first). Will had used the big sprinkler on the tripod for half of the beans-one side of the garden. But when I went out this morning to continue the drill; move the sprinkler move the sprinkler etc. I was face with a dilemma: i can't put the sprinkler on the beans that are in between two tomato rows...low beans - tall tomatoes - what now? So I decided to thread a flat drip hose through the beans - what a mess. you can hardly walk in there...geez! a week ago, no problem. Now it is a veritable jungle. But I got it done. and moved it down too. Alas - i think Will is pulling out the big guns tomorrow - pump and pond hoses. It was still the right thing to do. By Friday, there will be many a noble soul out there picking yellow beans...
