August 14, 2018

Blueberry Harvest Vortex Comes to a Close!

As some of you may know, three years ago we started harvesting blueberries here at Crystal Spring Farm, in the blueberry barrens that lie between our fields and Brunswick High School.  Since we began we've had poor to mediocre harvest numbers.  This year has proven to be a welcome increase!  Seth began putting the blueberry harvester together the week of July 23rd and began harvesting berries on July 30th.  He has been sitting on the tractor all day, every day since then, and today marks the 16th and final day of the job.   Its a two person job - one to drive (Seth) and the other to manage the bins, stacking the full ones and moving the empty ones as the berries come in off the moving belt.  Our two kids, along with a few neighborhood kids have done the bulk of the work.   35,000 pounds of berries have been harvested here and sent up to Ellsworth to be flash frozen and placed on the commodity wholesale market.  We will buy back several thousand pounds to sell locally.  Being in the organic market, we'll be somewhat protected from the significant blueberry price drops you may have been hearing about in the news lately.

While the blueberry harvest has been all encompassing for Seth for the past three weeks (oh, and he was on vacation the week prior), the rest of the farm demands have kept coming (August!!) and our steady, competent, knock out crew has been harvesting, washing, packing, sorting, cultivating, seeding, watering...etc etc.   The experienced dedicated women of this farm have allowed Seth to essentially be "off the farm" while bringing food to your kitchen & keeping everything alive and flourishing.  Gratitude to them abounds.

 

Support the Brunswick Topsham Land Trust and Win Beautiful Piece of Art!

To follow up on our notes last week, one of our CSA members, talented artist Maria Castellano-Usery is showing her appreciation for our CSA and support for the Brunswick Topsham Land Trust by offering a Brushstrokes with Impact Paint-a-thon! on Saturday August 18th.  I'm sure many of you are familiar with her vibrant art and generous community work, or learn more here.  She painted our beautiful and inspiring Little Free Library at the bottom of our driveway by the farmer's market parking lot.  For details about this event please see this link

On Saturday, August 18th, she will be setting up her easel at the *brand-new* location of Monarch Massage and Wellness (41 Main Street, Topsham) and painting from roughly 9:30am-5:30pm; at the end of the day, the completed painting will be raffled off, and 50% of the proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the Brunswick Topsham Land Trust.

How can you help?  It's easy!!

  • This week when you pick up your produce, consider buying a raffle ticket to support the BTLT and a chance to win Maria's painting!
    •  $5 each ticket or 3 for $10
  • Choose one of her prints to take home with you for $35 (10% donated to BTLT)
  • Visit Monarch Massage and Wellness (41 Main Street, Topsham) on Saturday where she'll be painting and will have other art work available for purchase.

Thank you - on behalf of Maria & BTLT & all of us

What's in the Share, week of August 14th

Lettuce

Kale

Collards

Chard

Broccoli

Onions

Peppers

Shallots

Scallions

Kohlrabi

Fennel

Beets

Leeks

Cucumbers

Summer Squash

Eggplant

Tomatoes

What's in Upic

Beans

Basil

Dill

Perennial herbs

Cherry toms