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Goldfinch Farm CSA
Goldfinch Farm Newsletters
| For Beth's Ramblings and Rants click here. |
Issue No. 1: 25 May 2010
GOLDFINCH FARM CSA NEWS
Farmers: Jon & Beth Weaver-Kreider * 252-3894
www.goldfinchfarm.com * weaverkreider@comcast.net
CSA Pick-up Hours: Goldfinch Farm Tues & Fri 2-7, Sat 9-12
Lancaster Friends Meeting Tues 3:00-6:00
East Chestnut St. Menno Fri 3:00-6:00
Greetings!
The curtain is about to rise on another season of delicious vegetables at Goldfinch Farm CSA. Welcome to this community of healthy
eaters, whether you are a returning member or new to us. We thank you for your decision to be part of our story this year. The tomatoes
are beginning to set some fruit, the strawberries are bursting off the vine, and the early crews have been hard at work transplanting,
weeding, mulching, and preparing for the season. The first pick-up days of 2010 will be during the second week of June, the 8th, 11th and
12th. See above for pick-up sites and hours.
Pick-up Details
You will come each week on the same day, during the same hours to pick up your produce. If you need to make a change, either
temporarily or permanently, to your pick-up day, please contact Beth (252-3894 or screechowl@paonline.com) at least two days ahead,
when possible. If you did not choose a day and location for your pick-up on your commitment form, we assigned one to you; please contact
Beth as soon as possible if you need to change it.
The first few weeks will be on the lighter side, with greens and early veggies, with the substantial veggies filling out the shares as we near
the end of June.
Strawberries
We have a field full of strawberries looking for someone to pick them during the next two weeks. On May 28 and 31, and on June 2, we will
open the field for pick-your-own berries by appointment. We can schedule around 8-10 people on each of the days, with at least 4 quarts
per share. The hours will be between 9 and noon on each of the days, with an added 4-7 p.m. On Friday the 28th. Please call 252-3894 if
you would like to schedule a time to pick.
Spread the Word
We still have about 10 shares left to sell for 2010. If you have any foodie friends whom you think might be interested, please tell them about
us. Thanks to those of you who have been passing on our information to your friends. Word of mouth remains our best method of
marketing.
Children and Safety at Pick-Up
Many people bring their children with them to the pick-up sites. Please keep them in mind when driving into the farm or the parking lot
sites. Thanks.
Rambling about Bees
Last year, local beekeeper David Papke placed two of his hives on the farm. The honey that we sell at Goldfinch Farm comes from the
bees that Mr. Papke tends at many local farms.
On one of those lovely spring mornings a few weeks ago, I noticed a cloud of insects flying in the sunlight around one of the dogwood
trees, thought they seemed a little big for gnats, and went back to my crocheting.
A few minutes later, I became aware of a buzzing sound, and I looked up. A cloud of bees was swarming golden in the sunlight and the
sycamore branches above me. Some were beginning to attach themselves in a mass to one of the branches high above, while others
continued to hum and dance among the branches, and the buzzing completely filled the air around me. The light, even the air pressure,
seemed to shift. It was like looking through a veil into another world.
Eventually they all settled onto the main swarm mass on the branch, and the buzzing quieted. Later, we found a second swarm attached to
a branch near the parking lot, low down where we could look closely at it. The bees were quiet and the mass of them seemed to breathe
like one creature. By mid-afternoon, both swarms had moved on.
David says that when the food is abundant, the queen will often lay several queen eggs, then fly off to find a new, less crowded home with
half of her subjects, leaving the others behind to nurture a new queen and replenish the old hive.
I will not soon forget those moments of standing in a circle of bees, their tiny wings creating breezes of their own, their voices filling the
world. (~~ Beth)