Hello CSA members (and other readers),

Well, These sure are interesting and uncertain times! I hope you are all healthy and faring ok during this difficult situation. While everyone is facing their own unique set of challenges, my heart especially goes out to all the restaurants and small businesses and their employees in our community who are trying to cope with these events that are totally beyond their control.

Personally, the events surrounding the pandemic leave me feeling uncertain, and hence I have refrained from putting pen to paper. There is just so much to talk about that it’s overwhelming. Dealing with the health and economic issues is obviously the priority right now, but at some point I hope the discussion broadens to how we have gotten here, and what the best path forward is. And it’s that discussion that leaves me feeling at times hopeful, and and other times discouraged. I keep hearing that we, as a society and a planet, are at a fork in the road (and yes, we’ve been at this same fork before). Those with hope think it’s a great opportunity to take a more holistic path forward. And many others hope for further entrenchment into the prevailing mindset and systems we already have in place. Will be come out of this pandemic stronger and more aware, or weaker and more afraid? These are heavy topics for another day.

As always, I feel getting outside and enjoying the natural world is the most beneficial and cathartic thing one can do. Whether it’s to plant and grow your own food, skin up a mountain, or simply to take a walk. The feeling that we as humans are part of nature (not separate from it), and that we are wrapped up in a beautiful natural system of life (and death) adds both a sense of belonging and humility that I find helps me cope with the world in general, but especially during a pandemic. For those of you who are maybe having more screen time or using podcasts to help you through this restrictive time, I recommend this episode of the Rich Roll podcast with guest Dr. Zach Bush. The discussion of the human gut biome as the primary predictor of Covid 19 resistance is fascinating. And the fact that the human gut biome is the engine room of our immune systems, which is in large part, dictated by the foods and other substances we consume, is a fact that our society direly needs to comprehend. Human health depends on an abundant and healthy microbiome in our gut, and planetary health depends on an abundant and healthy microbiome in our soil. Given our food comes from soil, these two concepts are inextricably linked and help bring into focus why regenerative farmers are so dedicated to improving soil health.

As spring begins to reappear this upcoming week, here on the farm we are looking ahead to what the summer might look like. While farmer’s markets sound as if they will be open, I’m sure there will be major restrictions in place and attendance will likely suffer. We also know that many of our restaurant accounts will be majorly impacted. But the one model of our farm business that seems perfectly suited for a pandemic is the CSA box. We have had lots of inquiries from new customer looking for online ordering or home delivery, but those all require major changes to our business model. Whereas, we are already set up for CSA, and it achieves the same end result. So, for now, our approach is to emphasize CSA as a first choice. And if we need to further adjust down the road, we will. We just hit our normal quota of 250 shares, which is where we cap it each year. However, this year, we are leaving the CSA sign up open, and will likely take up to 500 shares. So, if you haven’t yet signed up, or you know people who are concerned about attending markets, keep that in mind and pass the word.

We are passionate about caring for the soil, and in providing ourselves and our community with access to fresh, organic, nutritious produce. Not just during a pandemic, but every season. So, we are proceeding here as always, and not losing focus. We are not reducing our production this season out of fear, but rather maintaining our production levels out of hope. We will do whatever it takes to get this food out to the community this season, so if you are concerned at all about the CSA, let us set your mind to ease.

Take care of yourselves and your families, eat healthy, get outside, and try to stay positive….these difficult times will pass.

Todd & Rebecca