Cedarmore Farm CSA: Back On Track

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Back On Track

We are all back on track now...we are back from vacation and Andy has slowed down just a bit so he can write the newsletter. Hopefully we will be able to be back weekly with pics of the CSA boxes and with the newsletter. Please forgive us.

Last week Andy and his workers were busy harvesting onions. There must have been an abundance because he has enough hanging in the shed to dry to last us all for the rest of the season. And with all the harvesting that is going on , it is sometimes easy to neglect planting, but in order for us to have produce for the rest of the season Andy has to stay on top of things and do whatever needs to be done however he can get it done. I imagine he might be burning the candle at both ends about now. I would be running in circles like a dog chasing it's tail!

I know what we are having for dinner...almost everything in the box!

At the end of the newsletter Andy talks about the growing methods used on the farm. he is so funny! He says that it is just about the same things that he has said over the years but he does not want to not include it for the new CSA members. So he wants you to skip over the next part of you have read about it before. And for you new members, please keep reading.

Our Growing Methods

"We believe that good growing methods all begin by carefully observing and addressing the needs of our soil. If we can keep these microbes (who live in our soil, and do a lot of work for us) happy we are definitely ahead of the game. To me it seems like it all goes in circles. We depend on animals and plants to provide us with healthy nutritious food. The animals depend on the plants for their food. The microbes and earthworms depend on us to provide them with organic matter, (I can write more on this later) which they will break down into a form that the plants can use. If we can start by emphasizing soil health, it will have a positive effect on the whole food chain and make life better for all of us here on God's planet Earth. So what do we do about building good soil? We can probably divide our soil building process into three categories...cover crops...our farm animals...off the farm soil amendments. I will try to cover these three categories over the next several weeks."

To be continued....

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In The Beginning

Andy and Lizzie have known each other since they were very small. Growing up in an Amish community there are plenty of opportunities to play and work together. They grew up in the same church but went to different schools. Several years ago they moved from Wayne County, OH to right outside Hillsboro, OH and established Cedarmore Farm. The farm got it's name very simply...in Wayne County there were very few cedar or sycamore trees . When Andy and Lizzie got here, they noticed an abundance of cedar and sycamore trees on the land. So they just merged the two names and Cedarmore Farm was born. They have worked very hard in the few years that they have been farming the land. Andy and Lizzie are in the process of building their house and hopefully they will be able to move into the upstairs this spring. We can only see good things in their future farming experiences. And we wish them well.

Not only is Cedarmore growing fruits and vegetables. The Andy's have a growing family. They have four of the most precious children! Anna, who is excited about going to school this fall. Dennis who follows Andy around like his shadow. Moses who is doing well after a little run-in with the pigs. And Lovina who is the youngest at 9 months.

Then there is a new season on the farm. In the winter (Jan 2015), the Andy's packed up and moved to MO leaving the CSA in the most capable hands of John and Anna (Anna is Andy's twin sister) Zook and there 7 children. They changed the name of their farm to Cedarmore Farm so we English wouldn't be too confused. So the work has begun to provide lush healthy vegetables for the CSA season 2015 which begins in May.