Cooperative Farming
Our members are each receiving a gift from our amazing friends. Last season, following a very stressful day, we left the farm to run some borrowed equipment to Red Door Family Farm which is on the way to Athens. They weren’t expecting us to pop-in, so we helped them with the work they were doing just so we could get our mind off our troubles. When their potato harvest was done, we all plopped down on makeshift chairs in their pack shed as Tenzin cut into a sun jewel melon that had just been harvested out of the field. The unfamiliar looking melon was still warm and had an intoxicating sweet flavor. Mmm, that first bite! It tasted so much better than the watermelon and cantaloupes we had tried growing in the past.
When this season started, we planted these jewels on our farm. Alas, they were not a success having chose a bad location. Poor drainage in heavy clay soil and one heavy rain drowned the little seeds. Jump forward two months… after helping serve an awe-inspiring farm-to-table dinner at Red Door, we were sitting around the campfire discussing our melon maladies. Stacy and Tenzin, did not hesitate to extend the offer to share their melon bounty with our CSA members. Last night, we went to their farm and helped harvest the deliciousness and you are receiving them today.
We have touched on the topic of cooperation between CSA farms in the past, but it is worth mentioning again. One thing that has truly taken us by surprise is the willingness of other CSA farms in our area to help out and extend some very generous offers at the drop of a hat. Everything from bed shapers to root vegetables. One might have assumed we are in competition with these folks but upon meeting them, it doesn’t take long to realize that we are all in this together. And as long as we are all working toward the goal of getting more people to embrace and choose local food, we are all winning. We owe Red Door (and our farming friends at Stoney Acres and Cattail Organics too) a bit of thanks for having helped us in so many ways these past four years. If you get the chance, please express some gratitude on our behalf.
Feeling appreciative,
