Hello!
Just a quick couple of notes to pass along:
as you know we had to cancel the last week of csa share delivery. The weather just didn't hold out. I needed the greens that are in the field to have enough crop to make reasonable shares. The greens are covered with snow and the low temps have not been kind to them. I keep remembering back 2 weeks ago when it was 70! Now where's my luck?
Your host has been kind enough to arrange to return boxes to me. They want you to know that if you would like to return any boxes you still have bring them by this week and then you won't have to hold onto them all winter long.
There are some greens planted in the hoophouses that I am desperately trying to push along so that I can harvest them on Friday and bring them to Royal Oak Farmers Market this Saturday 11/22. Please stop by if you would like and we will help csa members out with what we have.
The only reason I am not offering to do shares is because there is simply not enough or I would. I am willing to offer what I have to you. So stop by and let the market helper know your a csa member and we'll send you home with something good for your Thanksgiving feast. I know it's not much, but it's what I have to offer so I am. I do fear that I will run out of stuff early (again, just because I don't have a lot) but come early and I should be able to help you out.
You also have my word that if we are able to attend market again before the end of the year (sometime in December?) then I will let you know and make this offer to our csa members again.
I know there are some members that are quite upset about the cancellation. I want everyone to know it was not an easy decision to make. I just can't fight the weather anymore. I am trying to come up with some plan to "make it up" to everyone-so please understand I did try. I think some people think I have been selling produce at market instead of doing shares and that just isn't the case. I haven't been to market in over a month. CSA is always our first priority. I realize you may not feel that way right now, but it is the truth.
I've receive many supporting emails as well and to those members I just want to express and enormous amount of gratitude for your support and understanding. Your support becomes my strength and it makes it easier to go on during these tough times.
Your Organic Farmer,
Michelle
4 comments:
Thanks Michelle for the great YEAR. Only missing one delivery over the course of many years as a CSA is something to hold your head high, not down. Missing a delivery highlights the advantages of a CSA - members support the farmer, in good times and bad. Thanks for all the hard work you and Danny do - the veggies are always amazing!
WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO OFFER RETURNING CSA'S A DISCOUNT OFF OF NEXT YEARS SHARE EQUAL TO ONE WEEK?
OF COURSE, NO ONE CAN CONTROL THE WEATHER, THATS UNDERSTANDABLE, BUT I CALCULATE WHETHER I CAN AFFORD DOING CSA BASED ON TEH COST PER WEEK. AT 20 WEEKS PER SHARE I CAN SWING IT , BUT ELIMINATING WEEKS MAKES IT A LITTLE SCARIER TO COMMIT TO NEXT YEAR, AS THE ECONOMY HAS HIT ( ALL OF US) HARD. WE LOVED IT OUR FIRST YEAR AND REALLY WANT TO CONTINUE TO BE A PART OF THIS, SO THANK YOU FOR A YOUR HARD WORK AND HOPEFULLY THERE IS A SOLUTION THAT BENEFITS ALL. I THOUGHT AN ADDITIONAL SMALL REFUND FOR RETURNING MEMBERS SOUNDED REASONABLE. THAKS AGAIN, LYNN
I'll offer up what I have this Saturday at market to members at no charge of course and if I am able to get anything else to market this year I will offer that to members as well. We do offer a $50 discount to all renewing members already. I do agree that offering an additional discount off of next season's membership sounds like a good idea. I'm trying to see if there is a way I can do that without impacting the farm too hard financially. Each season has it's own financial needs. Thank you for your suggestion and please know I do want to make it right with everyone. I'm thinking of ways to do that, just need some time to see what I can work out.
There were many weeks when the shares were so generous I worried the bottom of my box would give out before I got back to the car. With or without that final week, I think I got what I paid for and then some.
I hope your family and the Alfaro family have a great holiday season! I'm already looking forward to next year's first share.
Post a Comment