Local Food - CSA Fair

Yesterday we attended the CSA Fair at St. Matthew's Church in Hallowell. 10 farms were represented, and there were many lively exchanges between the farmers and potential customers.

We also had a table for the Gardiner Farmers' Market, staffed by Sarah Miller, one of the members of the GMS steering committee. She did a great job talking up the market and having folks fill out a survey form which will help us to improve the market. To learn more about the market, check out our website: http://www.gardinerfarmersmarket.org

Last Day of January

Zero degrees this morning, 3rd day in a row. We've had brilliant sunshine so the house is warm during the day. We heat the whole house with one lovely Vigilant woodstove, and the wood is holding up well this year, thanks to Denis and Anna and Emily.

Our CSA signups are going well, considering that it is only January. We expect to get a flurry of members at the CSA Fair, which will be on Sunday, February 26 at St. Matthew's Church in Hallowell, 1-4. It's a good time to check out the farms in this area who will be offering CSA shares this year. The Gardiner Farmers' Market will also have a table, selling tokens and offering information on local food. More on all of that in a later post.

Our push this weekend is getting our grow-room (Anna's old bedroom)ready for seedlings. We have two 8-foot racks and two 4-foot racks with grow lights. I have heat mats to start the germination process. All of the alliums will get planted in the next week or two : onions (5 varieties: Red Marble, White Wing, Clear Dawn, Ailsa Craig, Dakota Tears); leeks (2 varieties: King Richard and King Sieg); shallots (Prisma); scallions (Evergreen Hardy White). We'll also plant garlic chives and a few perennials that we start from seed. And a few lettuce seeds. Okay, and a few early-early tomatoes too.

Winter is not long enough for me, with all of the planning and preparation I need to do to be ready for the new growing season. Probably you don't want to hear that, so how's this for a parting thought: the last day of February has 76 more minutes than the first.

Stay warm!
~Michele