Thursday, May 28, 2009

An Update at Long Last

Ok, since we weren't sure exactly what was going to get grown where we have not felt comfortable throwing out to many promises or prices. Now however.....

We are working with some great farmers in the Alanson area (thanks Bob and Maggie Wanner!) and Chestnut Lane Farms North is up and running. We have a great deal of this years produce either in the ground or about ready for planting. Our organic certification application is in process at MOSA and we are looking forward getting our inspections completed.

The apple trees at our main Frankfort location appear to have made it through the frosts and after a non producing year in 2008 we are looking forward to a good harvest. The Frankfort location is also planting three different seed stock crops for one of the Midwest's largest seed retailers.

Crops currently growing at the north location include (please note that, for many reasons, our crop list has changed. Seed and plant availability, weather and other factors make it a very fluid process. We will notify you as soon as we can as to what will be available and when.)

Snap Peas
Snow Peas
Green Beans
Yellow Beans
Beefsteak Tomatoes
Paste Tomatoes
Cabbage
Purple Cabbage
Broccoli
Bibb Lettuce
Romaine Lettuce
Spinach
Sunflowers
White Onions
Dark Red and Pontiac Redskin Potatoes
Yukon Gold Potatoes
German Butterball Potatoes
Luscious and Brocade Sweet Corn
Radishes
Watermelon
Zucchini
Kale
Carrots
Swiss Chard
Fennel
Dill
Basil
Cilantro

Whew, that's a pretty long list but we will be adding more!

Our CSA this year will be divided into three separate first year price categories.

6 Week Plan $99.00
10 Week Plan $159.00
Full Season Plan $199.00

If you are interested in purchasing a Chestnut Lane Farms CSA share please give Kevin a call at 231-330-3734 or at eaglefi@charter.net for details.

Now that the bulk of the planting is done we will have more time to update the blog with photos, recipes and other great information! Until next time, have a great day and stay safe.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

2009 Produce List

As with all CSA arrangements exactly what produce is provided in your share is directly tied to the success of the farm growing the food. This means that an abundance of one crop will provide you with lots of that item while a poor crop of something else provides less of that item.

While no one can guarantee 100% success in all crops it is our priority to obtain the best yield of the highest quality vegetables and fruits possible . It is always in the farmers best interest to be sure that CSA share purchasers are happy with what they receive.

Below is a list of the certified organic or naturally grown items we plan to produce this year. The list is subject to both the addition of or removal of items without notice and we will post any such changes soon as we realize that they are required. If there is something you would like to see added to the list don't be afraid to speak up. We are always willing to try new things if there is a demand for them!



2009 PLANTING SCHEDULE
VEGETABLES

Green Beans
Wax Beans
Broccoli
Cabbage
Cucumbers
Carrots
Sweet Corn
Heirloom Popcorn (on the cob)
(Corn may not available or available only on limited basis because of pest or deer damage)
Green/Salad Onion
Sweet Red Onion
White/Yellow Onion
Sugar Snap Peas
Snow Peas
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Pie Pumpkins
Redskin Potatoes
Russet Potatoes
Yukon Gold Potatoes
White Boiler Potatoes
Fingerling Potatoes
Acorn Squash
Butternut Squash
Butter Bar Squash
Patti Pan Squash
Zucchini
Fresh Tomatoes
Empire Apples (eating)
Ida Red Apples (general purpose apple)
Red Delicious Apples (eating)
Spies Apples (cooking)

HERBS (This is our first year of growing herbs so we can not guarantee good production of all varieties.)

Basil
Chervil
Dill
Parsley
Thyme

We are also looking for other farmers to help us provide additional item such as Asparagus, Lettuce, Peaches, Strawberries and Blueberries. As much as we wish we could say with certainty these items will be included we can't until we have production agreements in place. We will keep you posted on these items!

Interested in purchasing one of our CSA shares for the 2009 season? Drop us a note at eaglefi@charter.net and we will be happy to help you in any way that we can!

Have a great day!

Friday, March 13, 2009

WELCOME!

While the ground here in northern Michigan may still be covered with snow the urge to get outside and work with the earth grows stronger each day. As the lengthening sun drives temperatures up the itch to get to get going becomes almost unbearable.

Fortunately the is plenty of prep work to do to help occupy the time. Seeds are being ordered, this years planting plan is almost complete and we are out shaking hands and meeting lots of new friends.

Since this year will be the first that we will be growing for a CSA there is a lot of new things to plan for and take care of. The most important of these items is to get the word out that we have CSA shares available. We have talked to several locations about acting as pickup locations for members and will be posting information about where those locations are and what the pickup schedule will be as soon as we have firmed up the details.

If you are interested in purchasing a Chestnut Lanes Farms (CLF) CSA share please feel free to drop us a note (eaglefi@charter.net) and we will be happy to provide any information and help you sign up!