May 20, 2020

Welcome to the 14th season of Verde Valley CSA! To our new members, welcome and thank you for supporting local farmers. We are so excited to serve you this season. And to all our returning shareholders, thank you for your continued support of our growers.

We have had an incredible surge of interest this year. It seems that many are turning to local food systems now more than ever as the global system of food production (and much more) is in question. We are happy to be here to meet the needs of our community and provide delicious, fresh, organic produce to our biggest group ever — 60 shareholders! And we are kicking off the season with a bang. This week we have nine items in your basket, perhaps our biggest first week ever!

The spring rains, followed by hot weather, have resulted in an incredibly robust and varied group of spring crops. After last year’s cold, long spring, the results are a complete 180! Willowbrook Farm has tomato plants that are  already three feet tall and blooming. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for a great tomato season! This week will really start us off right with salads and stir frys to make your mouth water. You will be receiving two varieties of head lettuce, bok choy, and swiss chard from Willowbrook Farm, and dill, broccolini, rainbow carrots, green garlic, radishes, and beets from Whipstone Farm. Delicious!

Sedona shareholders, please remember that we are currently distributing produce from a temporary location: Running River School, 221 Brewer Rd. in Sedona. Enter at the second entrance (off of Brewer Rd.) and we will be set up on the field next to the parking lot. Cornville distribution will continue at Windmill Park and Camp Verde shareholders will pick up produce at Willowbrook Farm. Addresses and pickup times are listed at the very bottom of this email.

Please bring your reusable bags to take home your share of produce. If you are unsure of where exactly to pick up your share, contact me at verdevalleycsa@yahoo.com or (928) 300-8623. Please review the email I sent last week with detailed instructions about our pickup locations if you need a refresher.

Thank you all for being members of Verde Valley CSA! We look forward to another great year providing the freshest local produce, flowers, and eggs.

Have a fabulous week!
Meghan

What’s in your basket – May 20th

Beets – Whipstone Farm
Bok choy – Willowbrook Farm
Broccolini – Whipstone Farm
Carrots – Whipstone Farm
Dill – Whipstone Farm
Green garlic – Whipstone Farm
Head lettuce – Willowbrook Farm
Radishes – Whipstone Farm
Swiss chard – Willowbrook Farm

Shanti at Whipstone demonstrating her new uniform. We’ve all been adjusting to these changes, farmers included!

A new variety of head lettuce from Willowbrook Farm this week, called Panisse. Can’t wait to try it out!

Taste the rainbow!

Tomato plants at Willowbrook are getting so big!

Can’t wait for our flower shares from Whipstone to start in a few weeks!