Week 8. By week 8 we have gotten into the heart of summer foods and they are heavy. I definitely end up at the chiropractor a couple times in August and September to keep my body aligned. Big crates full of cukes, summer squash, tomatoes, beans, eggplant, cabbage, broccolini, beets, etc., start to add up. You kind of miss picking up the lighter bins of kale and chard, which are popular in the early days of summer, but take a seat on the bench in mid-summer.
Even though the crops change, the routine out here by week 8 is pretty established. We know what things get harvested on what days, when we transplant the newest crops, when the new seeding gets done, when we can sneak in some weeding, watering, and trellising etc. Ohhh, and maybe we can get the lawn mowed this week??? Farming is funny, cause one day you think to yourself, “I am kind of caught up, maybe I can sit back and have a beer”. The next day, you look around, and there is a bunch of stuff that needs doing. The plants keep growing, the weeds come back, the pest pressure continues, and the food to harvest gets bigger by the day. Having a routine helps to keep things from spiraling out of control, cause the farm keeps us on our toes.
If you have been thinking that you might like to come on out this way and visit, there will be a number of reasons to do it in the upcoming weeks. Volunteering for a few hours is always fun and you get a great hands-on feel for what we do out here. Just shoot me an email or text and we can set up a time. Or, for a more rounded day adventure, grab your tickets for the 1st ever Sugar Creek Farm Crawl on August 23rd. Visit over 10 farms in the area, including LotFotL, and then wrap up your day with a food truck and great live music at Mac’s Sunflower Farm. Lastly, our next scheduled week off for the CSA deliveries/pick-up is August 29th and 30th. So, you can expect a tomato canning box and a veggie pop-up sale here at the farm that weekend.
As the summer flies by, we hope you are able to enjoy the time you take to prepare and eat fresh local food, and we would love to have you visit us.
A Few Things:
- IN SUMMARY: The summer food is getting bigger, but the routine helps us stay on track. There are some fun reasons to visit the farm over the next few weeks (volunteer, farm crawl event, or canning box season).
- MARK YOUR CALENDAR: No CSA delivery/pick-up on August 29th and 30th.
- SHORT DATE MEAT SALE: This is the last week of the July meat sale. Take advantage of some of the overstock we have and save a little cash.
- CROP HIGHLIGHT: Tomatoes! The tomatoes are coming on strong. We were able to offer a few on the CSA on-store last week (sneaking them in mid-week). I should have enough for everyone that wants some this week and the weeks continuing. Most of what we get is coming from the big hoophouse and is either an heirloom or a hybrid (fancy, but not open-pollinated like an heirloom).
- Lettuce: Even lettuce can only take so much. Even our summer hearty varieties didn’t hold up well to these hot, wet conditions as of late. So, we didn’t yield as much as we usually do and you saw some out of stocks last week. And…our newest planting got munched on by something (not sure, maybe sandhill cranes???). So, we will do the best we can this week, but will have to limit what we offer in the way of lettuce.
LETS ORDER
Go to https://www.farmmatch.com/lotfotl
- HOW TO ORDER: (STORE OPENS AT NOON)
- Go to https://www.farmmatch.com/lotfotl
- Login
- IMPORTANT: Make sure that you have selected the correct location AND refreshed your browser page.
- Confirm that your credits have been issued to your account.
- Place your order following the order parameters:
~~Minimum total order of $40.
~~Maximum total order of $250.
~~Limit $200 on meat per week.
~~ Use all of your credits by the October 25th delivery.
- IMPORTANT: You must get a confirmation receipt email detailing your order. If you don’t, you did not complete your order correctly. Always review the email, to make sure the information is correct, especially the LOCATION.
- Thank you for understanding that we are not able to process late orders.
- Order on weeks that work for you, skip the ones that don’t.
- Final order of the season: When you use the last of your credits for the season, your credit card on file will be charged for any amount due. You will then have access to a limited menu for the remainder of the season.
HACKS AND ORDERING TRICKS:
- If the product selection is not display in organized groups, you are likely in the “Previously Ordered” section. Scroll down to all products and it will be easier to navigate. You can always X out these items each week to keep this section manageable.
- If products have a locked sign on them, you likely need to change your pick-up location. Click on the lock to see where this item is available.
- If you cannot see products, contact the farm.
- As a member with credits, when you place your order, FarmMatch will tell you it is going to charge your credit card, because that is what it is programmed to do, as most farms are not issuing credits at the beginning of the season like we are. They are just selling outright to their customers. The program will apply your credits first, making your total due $0. So, your card will get charged $0 each week, up until you have used up all your credits.
RECEIVING AND/OR PICKING UP YOUR ORDER:
- IN PERSON PICK-UP
- LOTFOTL – Watch your step as you enter the barn. This is a self-serve pick-up. Remember to check the cooler for your frozen items. Items are in the cubby shelf off to the right as you enter the building.
- HOME DELIVERY
- Remember drivers are instructed NOT to leave food if there is not a container.
- Watch for a text after delivery has occurred.
- If you don’t have food by 6pm, call or text us right away. Time is of the essence.
We are always happy to help. Contact us with questions. 920-318-3800. Texting will get you the fastest response.
With Gratitude,
Your Farmers