8th Week CSA Share

Here is today's CSA share. Over 20 lbs. of produce. It's getting to where we can just barely get the lids shut on the bins without squishing the veggies. We plan to open the farm stand tomorrow as more and more of the produce is coming ripe that won't keep until next week.

We put together this little outdoor kitchen made mostly from salvaged junk.

The ladies work hard every week harvesting the vegetables and putting together all the bins.

Three of the ladies come all the way up from Rhinelander faithfully every week. What a blessing they are in providing so much help. They're quick and efficient.

Here are some of the bins that we fill. There are full shares and half shares so they have to pay attention to who's bin is who's.

--------------------------------------------------

It's been a great summer here so far. I don't know if I remember a better one. My break from the trash route is coming to a close as our helper had agreed to work through the end of August. I did ask him if he'd be able to work for a couple more weeks but, he might have other plans. I know he wanted to do a fishing trip to Canada and else where at some point. So I'll be back in the truck in two to four weeks.

Anyway, I had a real good taste this summer of what it would be like to be working here full time. I have to say I rather like it! But, even when I get back to doing the route myself it won't be like it used to be, because we restructured the route after a deal with a larger hauler where we swapped customers. We were able to go down to 3 days a week from 4 days. Plus as always, the occasional clean up. So even though I'd like to always be working from home, a three day or so work week isn't that bad. Plus I have more time to maintain the truck and other business related activities.

We're happy for Kelli's sister in law Jeanette and our mutual friend Dawn. They got inspired by the square foot gardening method and put in some vegetable beds of their own back in Illinois. Then we got an email the other day from a jubilant Jeanette telling how she preserved here harvest,

" Well, I did it... I learned how to can, and freeze, and dehydrate.... I'm so excited...
Just had to share with you all.... I've never done this on my own before and I read books and used the internet and through trial and error completed this stage of the harvesting...
God bless to all,
me"

Plus she sent pictures that I was going to include here but, I couldn't save them in a way that I could send to blogger. So you'll just have to take my word for it, it all looked great!

In these uncertain times it does my heart good to see more and more people learning how to do things for themselves.

Though the ability to move goods from one place to another is unprecedented in history, the whole system is extremely fragile. I for one do not like the idea of being completely dependant on other people to provide me and my family with what we need, even the basics of necessities. It doesn't take much imagination to think of all the things that can disrupt the system and our way of life. The economy is as shaky as it has ever been, storms can wreak havoc, and then there's always the possibility of war, just to name a few. After this last weekend with what has happened in the Republic of Georgia, you just never know. We could wake up one day and find are selves face to face with a 3rd world war. And that is not near as far fetched sounding as it used to be.

Until Next Time