Full Share: Sunshine Kabocha squash, Butternut or Spaghetti squash , Onions, Garlic, Arugula, Vermillion Potatoes, Poblano Peppers, Hakurei Turnips, Radishes, Shishito Peppers, Sungold Tomatoes, Shallots, Carrots, and Beets

Partial Share: Sunshine Kabocha Squash, Beets, Carrots, Vermillion Potatoes, Shishito Peppers, Radishes, Sungolds, Onions, Garlic Shallots, and Poblano

Hello CSA members!

And here we are…..the last week of CSA for the 2019 season. In spite of all the spring hail and the frost in July, it really was a wonderful growing season here in northwest Montana. As is the case with most growing seasons, Rebecca and I often reach the end of the season with mixed feelings of relief, humility, and gratitude. We work extremely hard on this farm, and I will admit there are days we ponder why we do it. I mean, we know what our principles are, but why work this hard? Does it even matter? Does it have an impact? And when we are isolated on the farm, reading the world news, it’s easy to feel like the answers to those questions are “no”. But then we go out into our community, and we catch glimpses of a more optimistic world. Going to farmer’s market, and seeing kids who are truly excited about eating vegetables. Or maybe it’s hearing the story from a CSA member about their young child that asked his mom to pack shishito peppers in his school lunch. Given humanity’s track record, I do not consider myself overly optimistic, but, I have not lost all hope either. And I think it’s ultimately the hope (also known as a stubborn refusal to quit), that keeps us striving to contribute, to give back, in some way. It’s not the “fun” option. Nor the easy option. Nor the lucrative option. As the book “Braiding Sweetgrass” suggests, this is what we should do because it’s our Duty to do so. When was the last time you thought about that word?

As I reflect on this idea, I do think that it’s everyones duty to engage in life in meaningful ways that give back to our communities. And I think choosing to support a local farm through a CSA is a way of doing that. So a big “Thanks” to all of you for your support and dedication. If you’ve ever heard me give a presentation, or if you attended the Glacier FEAST dinner at the farm, you often will hear me encourage consumers to vote with their wallets. The choices you make, and the way you spend your money, do make a difference. By supporting our farm this season you did much more than buy vegetables. You supported open space and working agricultural lands….chemical-free agriculture no less!; you supported the improvement and conservation of wildlife habitat; you supported healthy food in local schools and food banks; you supported 3 vibrant farmer’s markets; and you supported job creation in our town that provides meaningful work for young people. I won’t deceive myself in thinking we are winning the fight, but every small step is important.

As an article from The New Republic on Wendell Berry summed up so well…”Today’s most pressing environmental threats require large-scale solutions. But Berry reminds us that to take small solutions off the table is also a kind of giving up. Some conservationists believe that because ecological problems are structural, there is no point in growing and cooking your own food, in setting down roots in a community, in being kind to your neighbors. Because you don’t personally own an oil corporation or an agribusiness concern, because you are but one interchangeable unit in a system that doesn’t care if you live or die, you may as well drive as much as you want, waste paper towels, and buy meat from corporations that keep pigs in excrement-coated cages. Berry reminds us that to live this way is to forfeit our souls. It is important—no matter what is going on at a macro level—to be kind to your family, your neighbors and the land.”

And so we head into the fall season with that intention. For those of you who want to ride this thing out to the very end, here are some important dates:

Now: Rebecca is once again offering a limited (50 person) fall CSA, and the sign up is live on our website as of now! Go to twobearfarm.com to enroll.

October 10th: 4pm-Dark – The 4th annual stock-up sale at Two Bear Farm where you can buy bulk carrots, potatoes, squash, garlic, greens, etc. We’ll once again have our chili roasting friends from Harlequin Produce, pumpkins for Halloween, and local food for purchase from Tony at Fork in the Road Mobile Eatery!

October 15th: Whitefish Harvest Market at the usual Farmer’s market location. (I believe it starts at 4pm to account for shorter days)

The Kalispell Farmer’s Market runs until October 12th, with their indoor winter market at the fairgrounds on October 19th.

Our food, primarily carrots, will also be available through Third Street Market and Mountain Valley Foods for much of the fall.

We’ll see you around!

Todd