FoxDog 2010 CSA: Pictures

We had an unusual run of weather in 2010. It was one of those years we get once in a while at FoxDog, when the weather during the growing season stayed cool and a bit too wet to produce many warm weather type crops. However, the cool weather crops went nuts, and did extraordinarily well all through the summer and fall.

We are learning ways to deal with the weather changes to provide a steadier supply of the crops we all love. One way is to use plastic and cover the fields with low tunnels. Another is to grow everything in a high tunnel greenhouse. This is one of the ways organic produce is grown in the cooler seasons. However, we at FoxDog have some ethical concerns about using so much plastic. Surely, it can't help the huge garbage patches in the Pacific and Atlantic to have farmers using plastic so intensively. Plastic can be a product of petroleum as well. Don't we have enough trouble with our overuse of that resource? So, at FoxDog any tunnels we use have to be covered with something that can be reused for several seasons. Our high tunnel greenhouse, in which we grow tomatoes, is covered with plastic that is rated for at least 4 seasons, but has been known to last 10 or more.

We will use low tunnels somewhat in 2011 for the early crops, and to provide heat for the heat loving crops if our summer does as poorly as it did in 2010. The plastic we'll use will last at least 3 or 4 seasons, and we hope to push it for more.

We had some great customers in 2010. Our Customers always make the farm work rewarding and fun. In 2010 we provided a weekly newsletter and recipe. This went over very well, and we are making the newsletter a permanent part of the CSA seasons.