As April Unfurls

April is a fabulous time, as we again get to witness the excellence of seeing new life from our seeds, these tiny packets of energy, so generous in their bounty. Though temperatures continue to dip into freezing, the to-do list lengthens with time sensitive tasks. There’s new life in the greenhouse and the first cover crop of oats and field peas are sprouting outside, building soil in the area that had our fall kale, broccoli and other brassicas last season. 

With many households already signed up (and room for more), we’re glad to see lots of familiar faces back as shareholders, with their farm membership ranging from 1 year to all 11 years we’ve been a community farm. That’s a mutual dedication that thrills us, and we take with gratitude and responsibility.

There’s so many reasons we are eager to grow food for you this season and allow you the experience of being part of the harvest. Could we technically “box” up your share and deliver it to your door? Well, yes. Yet if our farm was a boxed delivery, we’d lose the essence of the place and the experiences it fosters. Together we can still eat well this summer. While there’s intrinsic risk in nearly every activity, here’s 5 ways that we feel good about our You Pick systems for the season:

1. Open Air: There’s no stores to enter or carts to handle when harvesting at littleGrasse.
2. Low Population: All shareholders have daylight access to the you pick gardens. As a result, the traffic is naturally spread throughout the days of the week, eliminating congestion.
3. No cash transaction: The beauty of the share system is that once you have invested, the full access of the farm awaits. There’s no need to even think about cash, let alone have to handle it.
4. Fresh produce: There’s no evidence that the coronavirus is transmitted via produce.
5. A good plan: The system allows for easy hands-free hand washing on arrival to the farm. We have ample soap and sanitizer. Shareholders may use (and then clean) our harvest knives and baskets. If you prefer, bring your own supplies and eliminate any concern.

Here’s an great article talking about food, safety and grocery stores. It helps put the risk into perspective and it’s a good reminder that we can all contribute to better environments. At littleGrasse, the share systems are designed to minimize risk yet still allow the tactile sensations of warm breezes, favorite flavors and a diversified landscape. Included here is a simple technique for washing produce. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Learn more about the 2020 farm shares