January Newsletter

What’s Cookin’…at Brookside?
Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2009

Greetings CSA Family and Friends!

I am writing to let folks know that the next farm pick up day is January 27. I will advise you as the day approaches whether the baskets will be at my house or the farm as this is a weather dependent decision.

To be eligible for the January basket, please submit your 2009 membership form with payment, and renewing members don’t have to fill the whole thing out unless something has changed regarding contact information, etc. If you’ve lost the membership form just present a check for $750 to pay in full or $400 in part. You can leave an envelope at my home, in my mailbox if I am absent, 284 Redwood Ave. I am going to start advertising for new members right away.

The farm advisory committee will also meet on the 27th and we can do that either at my house or the school, weather dependent, at 4 pm.

Farm Happenings. The deer have now defied my primitive defenses so a serious effort will be made to raise the height of the northwest fence where their hoof prints indicate their comings and goings. I have the materials to do this and John White will help me so it is physically possible.

The fallow area for next year was tilled and cover crop seeds were broadcast before the series of December rains. This record warm spell may cause germination and then I am really crossing my fingers that the rain arrives. To assist in water matters, the City of Willits is planning to install a 10,000 gallon tank on the preschool buildings to collect rainwater for the use of the farm. Considering the farm used 25,000 gallons from June to September this past year, a tank of this size is significant. The tank will be paid for by a grant the City received for their water conservation program.

More chores this time of year include pruning the orchard. David Drell is going to help me with that. I also am hauling leaves down to the farm from my neighborhood where I have made arrangements to let them sit and wet and compress in volume. Little by little a great stockpile is being made near the old compost piles and this is something Davis and Curtis seem to like to help me do.

Once we get a solid week of dry weather behind us, I will probably weed and spread compost. Grass is growing vigorously in some paths and the Glaser hoe should take care of that. The beds of garlic, leeks, kale and chard could use some weeding and finished compost too.

Mendo Food Futures. The solid month of rain drove me indoors where I did a lot of writing for Mendo Food Futures, a project of North Coast Opportunities (like Brookside Farm) and Willits Action Group managed by Cyndee Logan and Patty Bruder with the collaboration of WELL. A good place to learn about this project is at the Thursday Willits Farmers’ Market where handouts and staff are present. We should have the new local currency in circulation within the week, and I was thrilled that the printer decided he wanted us to pay for his services in the currency he was printing for us!

Happy Eating!

Jason