Welcome to our CSA!
Dear Flatwater Farms friends,
Hello! A warm welcome to all to Flatwater Farms' inaugural CSA season. The gardens are progressing nicely with fencing constructed, greenhouses built, and irrigation installation in progress. We recently removed the row covers that tucked in the plants (keeping them warm during the frost season), and we've begun harvesting spring crops.
Marc, Andrew, and a handful of occasional helpers have been working hard this spring to launch our CSA program. Seed starting began back in February. After the seedlings were potted up into large containers, they were moved into the greenhouse to facilitate their growth. Then when they outgrew those containers, some were potted up into even larger containers (tomatoes!), and the others were ready to be planted in the field (cabbage, kale).
But it wasn't all seeding, potting up and planting - we've also been really busy getting the infrastructure of the farm in place! Early on, we were faced with the challenge of how to keep the seedlings warm while also keeping our heating costs down. Marc invented a thermo-syphon system that functions on wood heat - the water circulates naturally as a result of the rising hot water from an Amish hot water heater. 6000 gallons of water recirculate, storing the heat for the cold spring nights that we experienced. To learn more about this fun new invention, you can view this video.
The sandy soil here at the farm means that water drains very well in our fields, but that also means that irrigation is a necessary part of production. We've been laying down drip irrigation lines and are working on building an overhead sprinkler system for the garden too. This dry spring has sped up the need for this essential piece of production, so May has been a whirlwind month.
On top of that, we've been getting the hops set for the summer, which means replanting hops that didn't make it, weeding the ones that did resurface, stringing the entire 5 acres and now training the hops to climb up the strings. Soon enough you'll be able to see them climbing from the brewery.
As a reminder, pick-ups are on Tuesdays from 4-6pm and Thursdays from 2-4pm. Please feel free to come on over to the hop barn, which is the large structure connected to the brewery building, during those times. Look for the open garage door and produce tables, but if it is windy, look for a sign on the garage door to direct you into a side door. Please call Marc at 812-212-1196 if you can't find us for the first pickups. Additionally, on Saturdays from 2-4 PM, we will have some tables set up with veggies on the way into the brewery for anyone to purchase, including CSA members. You are welcome to utilize your CSA card here too. (For the first 2 weeks of CSA pickup, starting this Saturday, we will have the Saturday 2-4 PM pickup at the above described hop barn garage location INSTEAD of in the beer garden so that we can familiarize CSA customers with the system and answer questions.)
Feel free to bring your own containers or bags, but we will also have compostable bags here to use. We will also be here to assist and to answer questions in these first pickups. We will provide your card and show you how to use it this week and in future weeks.
We truly appreciate your dedication to the farm. We look forward to this season, and to getting to meet you all.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out (marc@flatwaterfarms.com). We will see you soon!
The Team at Flatwater Farms