SUMMARY: SEVENTH Week of Winter 2021! - EXTRA VEGGIES! - FARM CREW SPOTILIGHT - NEW* - NURSERY SPOTLIGHT- ACI DONATION UPDATE AND DONATE TODAY! - DID YOU KNOW? - LOCATIONS AND TIMES - WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEK - WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT WEEK
Week 7 - The SEVENTH Week of WINTER CSA 2021!
HELLO DEAR CSA MEMBERS!
6 - 8 Weeks. That's how many weeks we are now behind.
It started off with being 100% planted, prepped, prepared and ready for an amazing winter season...but when the weather breaks records, it's typically something you can't fully prepare for - no matter how much you try! I should rather say that we prepare the best we can, but when it comes to preparing for every eventuality, eventually you lose your mind and realize it's simply impossible. So, we are here. We are beaten, we are tired, we are strained and we are short-staffed and far behind. The coldest winter on record, one of the snowiest and also one of the lowest months on record for solar activity all equals to no growth, no germination, stunted plants and worse.
In addition to these wonderful developments is the fact that we are short-staffed. Not only are we still in the hiring process (hiring 2 people and already short), but now Asher will be out for a considerable period of time as he has a terrible knee injury and another team-member is out all week with a family illness. OYE! Can we just get a break 😂?
I feel like this winter has been all doom and gloom, and I will admit that for the most part, it has been. The truth is that it just feels like everything is going against us at times- and just when we think we have it all under control (remember, just 6 weeks ago I was bragging about how great this season would be and how prepared we were- lol🙄🤦♂️)! Well, there's a big lesson to take from this: No matter how prepared we think we are (especially with farming!), there are a lot of things that are out of our control and the only thing we can do is learn to roll with it. What's the saying? "The only thing you can count on in life is death and taxes." Right?
Well, we sure know this well because undoubtedly farming will throw you curveballs and you had better be prepared (as much as possible anyway 😉!) It reminds me of Proverbs 27:1 - "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you know not what tomorrow will bring." It's all in our Creator's hands and we need to learn to let it go! It's a hard thing to do, but something we are learning to do more and more, year by year. Yet, it's never easy because we strive so incredibly hard to give our members the best we can possibly give them and sometimes we win (Summer and Fall seasons were amazing in 2020!) and sometimes we lose. Spring will be a fresh start...so we are brushing ourselves off and looking forward while doing our best to not look back.
SOMETHING NEW: In the past we have had the "Volunteer Spotlight" this week we are starting something new: "The Farm Crew Spotlight"
PS. Please note that some of the veggies have burned tips. These are perfectly safe to eat or can be picked off, and are simply due to freeze burn.
See below for what's coming in your bags this week, and more updates!
Enjoy your share this week and don't forget to join the fun and share your recipes and pictures in the Facebook Community Group!
EXTRA VEGGIES FOR SALE
DON'T FORGET: SNAP MEMBERS ALWAYS RECEIVE 50% OFF!!
&
As always, all prices are
"Pay-What-You-Can-Afford."
See the weekly "What's in your Bag" e-mails that get sent on Wednesdays for your "extras" list.
For Payment: Cash or Check at the drops or the balance can be sent via PayPal to contact@ahavahfarm.com or via Venmo to 719-233-7828 or by paying with credit card over the phone.
ATTENTION SPRING MEMBERS:
Please check your e-mails for the Spring 2021 CSA Details. Details will be coming this week (aiming for Wednesday Afternoon)
Preseason meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 22nd @ 6pm live on Facebook in the Community group. If you are not on Facebook we will have the live video recorded and posted to Youtube for you to watch at your convenience.
🔦 Ahavah Community Initiative SPOTLIGHT 🔦
Help create access to the purest food on the planet and DONATE TODAY!
In case you missed it: We had our board meeting and our board voted on all of the Spring time CSA donations. Including some subsidized shares and some personal donations as well as donations of garden seedlings...
We are proud to announce that we (Ahavah Community Initiative and Ahavah Farm and Ahavah Nursery) will be donating a total of 21 CSA memberships to 21 families who need it the most and we are also awarding 20 sponsored gardens to 20 families who applied! All seedlings will be coming from Ahavah Farm Nursery.
We are so blessed and honored that we can do this, but we CAN NOT DO IT WITHOUT YOU! We need your help, your donations and your support in spreading the word! Please consider donating NOW, below...
Please consider a tax deductible donation to ACI by clicking here and please consider making it a monthly donation by clicking the box:
Interested in making a tax-deductible donation? Ahavah Community Initiative is registered as a 501c3 with the State of Colorado as a non-profit organization and all donations are tax-deductible.
Want to get involved with either ACI or as a volunteer on the farm? E-mail us to let us know. We are always looking for volunteers and we would love for you to join the party!
🚨CLASSES AND EVENTS!!!🚨
One of the BEST part's of Ahavah Farm and Ahavah Community Initiative is the COMMUNITY! Well, 2020 was a community DUD - but no more! Not only is market-style CSA coming back in two weeks!!!!!!! But we are also bring back all of our classes and events! WOW! Events like our annual July 4th Festival and our Harvest Festival, held in October. All our classes, tours, kids classes and more are all returning in 2021 and we are sooooo excited! We hope you are too. To register for any of our classes simply go to www.ahavahfarm.com/classes and click on the calendar event to register.
Here is the schedule:
Seed starting and Nursery Management 101 – By Lorin Mattemore
- April 16th @ 10am
- Cost: CSA Members: $FREE. Non-Members: $10
- Class Length: 1 Hour
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Biological Agriculture 101 and beyond – 5 Series of classes.– By Yosef Camire
- May 7th @ 10am
- June 4th @ 10am
- July 2nd @ 10am
- August 6th @ 10am
- September 3rd @ 10am
- Cost: CSA Members: $12.50 (50% off) / $62.50 (50% off) for full series. Non-Members: $25 / $112.50 (10% off) for full series (Including materials)
- Description: An in-depth look at biological agriculture and how it impact our planet, our health and our communities. This class is an interactive and hands-on class with some powerpoint class time and field time. Classes are approximately 2 hours in length and cover all the fundamentals and basics related to biological farming and gardening. A very valuable class for beginners and a great review for experts.
- Class Length: 2 Hours
-
Microgreen Class 101 – By Lorin Mattemore
- June 11th @ 10am
- September 17th @ 10am
- Cost: CSA Members: $10. Non-Members: $20 (Including materials)
- Description: What are microgreens and why do you want to make them a steady part of your diet? Learn about this and so much more. Learn all the fundamentals of not only HOW to grow microgreens, but you will learn about maintaining them, harvesting them and how to enjoy them! Learn about multiple kinds and become a microgreen master! Every member goes home with a WHOLE tray of microgreens!!
- Class Length: 1 Hour
Vegetable Fermentation Basics – By Shane Nelson
- July 16th @ 10am
- September 10th @ 10am
- Cost: CSA Members: FREE. Non-Members: $10 (Includes materials)
- Description: In this class we will learn the basics of lactic-acid vegetable fermentation. We will learn how to make sauerkraut, pickles, and more! Each class member will go home with a small jar of sauerkraut and pickles. Vegetables and supplies will be provided. Cost of supplies is included in the registration fee.
- Class Length: 1 Hour
-
Composting 101 – By Mark Robinson
- May 21st @ 10am
- July 23rd @10am
- Cost: CSA Members: FREE. Non-Members: $10 (Includes materials)
- Description: Come learn all about the amazing art of composting. You will learn all the fundamentals to get started including perfecting your mixture, timelines and what to look for in addition to multiple different composting methods. Learn how to use it and apply it to your garden, how to test it and so much more.
- Class Length: 1.5 Hours
Blacksmithing 101 – By our Resident Blacksmith, Asher Camire
- June 18th @ 10am
- August 20th @ 10am
- Cost: CSA Members: $20. Non-Members: $30 (Includes materials)
- Description: Learn the basics of blacksmithing and take home your project! We will learn the fundamentals of how to get you started in blacksmithing – terminology, basic skills, safety and a bit of history. We will make some nails and a scroll!
- Class Length: 3 Hours.
KIDS CLASS!! Natural and Organic Mother’s Day Windowsill Herb Garden. 2 Weeks. – By Asher Camire
- Class # 1: April 30th @ 10am
- PICKUP: May 7th @ 10am
- Cost: CSA Members: $35. Non-Members: $45 (Includes materials)
-
- Description: Bring children out to make a Windowsill garden for Mother’s day! A beautiful pine box stained with an organic wheat-based seal to make for a gorgeous addition to your Mom’s kitchen! We will build the box from scratch and fill it with four beautiful herbs to take home to your Mom for a wonderful gift! Herbs included: Chives, Oregano, Thyme and Parsley
- Class Length: 2 Hours.
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KIDS CLASS!! Farm Story Time and Activity – By Tracy Volpe
- April 9th @ 10am
- May 7th @ 10am
- June 25th @ 10am
- July 9th @ 10am
- August 13th @ 10am
- Cost: FREE – Donations accepted.
- Description: Bring your child to Ahavah Farm for an engaging, interactive story experience. We will explore agricultural concepts in a child friendly environment inspiring a curiosity for where our food comes from as well as interrelated agricultural systems. Come GROW with us!
- Class Length: <1 Hour.
TOURS
Tours are educational in nature and last for about 1 hour. We see all the facilities, walk through and see most of the gardens, test some veggies, meet the crew and learn all about regenerative agriculture and our growing methods. Tours have a suggested donation of $10 and is free for all CURRENT CSA members.
- May 11th @ 10am
- June 8th @ 10am
- July 13th @ 10am
- August 10th @ 10am
- September 14th @ 10am
EVENTS
July 4th Festival, Sunday July 4th from 5pm to 9pm. More information and details to come.
Harvest Festival, Sunday October 17th from 5pm to 9pm. More information and details to come.
AHAVAH COMMUNITY INITIATIVE
BRING-A-BUCK!
Oh the amazing power of community and crowdfunding!
Every week, at all of the CSA locations, we have a bin or jar that looks like this. We ask all of our members to bring just $1 with them every week to help support their fellow-members and community.
Bring $1 every week and be a part of supporting, directly, families in need.
Don't say your $1 isn't important! The only way crowdfunding works is if we all participate. Therefore, your $1 is vitally important and it is directly through this program that we raise the majority of ACI's food donation funds than any other fundraising program, and yet it is the absolute easiest for all of our members to participate!
Everyone can afford to Bring-A-Buck and if we ALL bring $1, the impact can be enormous - to the tune of feeding 1 family for an entire season for every single week we all participate!!!! WOW!!
🔦 The Farm Crew Spotlight🔦
Meet "Mr. Josh." Josh has been with us for 4 years now 😮😮! He was our very first employee and he has become a true partner in this farm. We owe so much to Josh and we love him dearly. His incredible sense of work ethic, hustle and loyalty to our team, our community and our family has been beyond anything we ever imagined.
Today, Josh is our senior manager, our "Operations Manager." Josh is in charge of general field management, directing and managing the team and a whole lot more. He loves his job, loves his team and absolutely loves farming and making an impact in the world! I truly cannot say enough nice things about Josh and what he has not only meant to our family, but regarding the impact he has made on the growth and success of this farm is something we will forever have gratitude for! Thank you Josh for being...well, you! Just an awesome, hard-working and pleasant guy who would give you the shirt off his back in a blizzard!
In Their Own Words...
How long have you worked for Ahavah Farm?
Feels like yesterday! I started April of 2017. OMG, has it really been 4 years!?
What is your job title and what do you do on the farm?
Operations manager. I manage operations. 😉
What do you like most about your job?
That's a hard question! I love everything about it...the goods and the bads, I don't know, I love it all. The bad here is like good somewhere else, so...
Can you share one thing you have learned by working for Ahavah Farm?
I have learned so much from working here...it's hard to pick just one thing. Working here has made me a better grower. Even though I grew plants before this, I just never realized the microbiology aspect. That was a gamechanger for me.
Do you have a favorite hobby?
Archery
Do you have a favorite quote?
"Three men can keep a secret if two are dead." - Benjamin Franklin.
What is a fun-fact that only a few people know about you?
All the things that are secret about me...are secret for a reason!😂 LOL!
What are three words that describe you?
Honest, Compassionate, Hustler
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Here for the most part. I'm happy, what else would I want to do? I love it here. I really have the best job ever!
Anything else you would like to share with us?
I love all the CSA members to death! Seriously, I want them to know how much I appreciate them and love seeing them every week at the pickups!
NURSERY NEWS - IMPORTANT!!!
Attention Home Gardeners! If you are planning a garden this year, you MUST get your orders in soon! We will be cutting off all guaranteed pre-orders no later than April 1st!
Also, if you are planning on purchasing seeds from an online retailer or other retailer, be prepared that your desired seeds will be sold out. We have seen an over 500% increase in seed, seedling and gardening supplies and many retailers are ALREADY sold out! Place your orders today, as supplies across the globe, particularly here in the United States are running very tight and prices for seeds and seedlings are going through the roof! Don't worry though, our seedling prices are set in stone for 2021 and WILL NOT be increasing! In addition, you save 15% off all orders! See below...
PRE-ORDER TODAY AND SAVE 15%
Don't forget you can still save on all your pre-season seedling orders!
If you are planning a garden for 2021, why not save 15% on your garden seedlings and have them guaranteed to be available where and when you are?!
Pre-order all your garden seedlings today and save 15% (remember there is a lag time, so if you are wanting pre-orders for March, you must get on it right away. 6-8 weeks is the pre-order time for all seedlings)
Pre-Order all your garden seedlings for 2021 (over 70 heirloom varieties!) and have them
guaranteed to be available on your selected date in your selected location: Colorado Springs, Denver, Monument and Peyton.
DEADLINE TO PRE-ORDER IS APRIL 1ST!
Use Code NURSERY15 at checkout.
It’s never to early to plan a 2021 victory garden! Go to www.ahavahfarm.com/nursery for more information and USE CODE NURSERY15 at checkout!
INTRODUCING: A Microgreen CSA Share!
Love our microgreens!? Than this selection is for you! Receive 3 types of microgreens every week of the year and save 17% every single week!
Our microgreens are fresh and will last - unlike anything you can find in the store. We pride ourselves on our microgreen quality as being not only absolutely pure - grown without chemicals, fertilizers or inefficient energy (we grow with 100% solar, renewable energy!), but they are absolutely beautiful, long-lasting and delicious! We really can't rave enough, they are THAT good!
What's in a Share?
In your share you will receive a combination of 3 microgreens every week with the option to purchase add-ons and extras when available. Every week we will be growing a mixture of microgreens and you will receive 3 selections of the following: Sunflower Shoots, Pea Shoots, Radish, Kale, Kohlrabi, Basil, Cilantro, Lettuce, Brocolli and more.
Pickup locations and times are the same as Ahavah Farm Veggie Share CSA but you do not have to be a veggie-share member to be a microgreen CSA member - these are two independent programs combined into one.
Go to https://www.ahavahfarm.com/microgreen-csa to learn more and to sign up!
COMPOST
Be a part of our ZERO-WASTE mission here at Ahavah Farm and bring us your compost! PLEASE REMEMBER - NO PLASTIC BAGS. Want more information? CLICK HERE to learn about the program. Thank you everyone who has been bringing their compost! We are so excited that we can help on your mission to become Waste Free!
CSA PICKUP LOCATIONS AND TIMES
NOTATE TIMES: Times are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances. Please be aware that it is your responsibility to check Facebook and this blog on ahavahfarm.com for updated information and changes. - PLEASE SEE ABOVE FOR CHANGES FOR SNOW STORM!
THURSDAYS:
COS North / Monument @ Beasts and Brews (7 Spectrum Loop, Ste. 140)
12pm to 1pm (Drive Thru)
Denver @ JCC (350 S. Dahlia St.):
2:30pm to 4pm (Drive thru)
FRIDAYS:
Colorado Springs @ Ranch Foods Direct (4635 Town Center Dr.):
1pm to 2:30pm (Drive Thru)
2:30pm to 6pm (Inside store)
Peyton @ Ahavah Farm (7545 Log Rd.):
10am to 11am (Drive Thru)
BAGS! We need your bags!!
Thank you everyone for recycling your LARGE bags with us (thank you, but we do not need the small ones, only the large ones)! When we receive your bags we immediately quarantine them for 2 weeks before reusing them to ensure they are safe of any yuckies. Thank you for bringing them and any others you may have!
This Week's Harvest
As always, nothing is guaranteed. These are the items that are "in season" and are anticipated to be ready this week (which may or may not be available at the CSA):
Small = 4-6 items per week
Medium = 7-9 items per week
Large = 10-12 items per week
Radishes - Only the best tasting and incredibly beautiful radishes ever! Roasting. Hands down is the best way to eat these! I literally cannot get enough of these roasted radishes 😋!
Tatsoi - So good! Like the flowers, these greens are amazing for stews, sandwhiches and more. Fantastic to add to a salad too!
Lettuce - Gorgeous loose lettuce - both green and red. Big, beautiful leaves.
Head Lettuce - Red and green heads.
Pea Shoots - One of the most desired and sought after items we provide are these pea shoots! Quite literally the best you will find and oh so fresh! If you love the taste of peas, you will love these. Great as a raw snack or added to any dish or salad. Our favorite way is to add them to stews and soups. A perfect topper too! Here are four fun ways to use Pea Shoots: http://blog.bostonorganics.com/4-fun-ways-to-use-pea-shoots
Living Plant - Probably the last one of the season you will have the choice of Cilantro, Oregano, Chives, Mint, Kale, Mustard or Marigolds.
Claytonia - Claytonia is another one of those amazing specialty greens that are ONLY available in the winter and it is super-delicious! Here is an article on this fabulous green.
Kohlrabi Microgreens - Similar to the broccoli microgreens in nutritional density and functionality, these microgreens are more mild with a hint of sweetness to them. They are also BEAUTIFUl with apurple/redish tint that is gorgeous 🤩as a salad or soup or whatever topper!
That's it for this week! We love you to pieces, are incredibly grateful for each and every one of you and we are blessed to the core to be YOUR farmers!! Yosef, Havah, Kids and Team The Camire Family
