Hello and Welcome to the gardens and our growing adventure.  This is to let you know a little more about how the whole thing works.

What We Do:

• Email a “Garden Bulletin” with updates, what’s available, recipes, organic thoughts, and other needed communication.  It should be out by Monday evening.  This information is also posted on the website. Here is a link to what a sample veggie basket's contain and the quantities .
• Each week, pick, wash (except beans), bunch (if needed) and set out a variety of vegetables fresh from the gardens.
• Set the food out in containers, with cooler pack and covering or what ever if most appropriate to keep it as fresh as possible until you arrive.
• Have a menu in the “pick up tent”, with listing of what is available and the quantities for this week.  At the top of the menu it will indicate “Please choose 9 of 11 items” (for example), that will change week to week depending on what and how much is available from the gardens.
• Try to have some herbs and cut flowers picked and ready for you or/and you are invited to grab some scissors and clip your own.
• Spend the rest of the week, planting, weeding, taking care of the gardens, which requires a lot more work than it sounds like!

What You Do:

• Come pick up fresh veggies, herbs and flowers for your week.  The trick is to remember until it gets into your schedule.  So writing it on your calendar, in your planner or sticky note on the fridge seems to work. 
• There is a grassy area for you to park at the right when you come in the garden entrance (25^th Sideroad).  There is also a washroom right there.  There is a lane way for driving up to the pickup tent if you need to for mobility issues, sleeping children, pouring rain ect. 
• Bring a container to put your food in, the purple baskets from Zehrs work well or a cooler if you are not going straight home.  We also have shopping bags if you don’t have anything with you.
• Come to the “pick up tent”, which is a covered garage type structure on the far side of the “market stand” (has a bright green roof).
• Check out the menu for what is available, what you would like then fill up your basket.
• Let me know a minimum of 8am the morning of if you can’t make it.  Advanced notice is greatly appreciated.
• On the first pick up day pay the balance for your basket.  Options:  one lump payment or 4 cheques (June, July, Aug, Sept.)  Contact me if you are not sure what the total is for the basket you chose.
• Let me know about anything that is not working for you.  Let me know what you really like.

General Information:

*  A  CSA is more like eating from your back yard garden then your weekly shopping at the grocery store.  In the early part of the season you will find fewer items and more concentrated on the greens.   By the middle of August the gardens start becoming abundant with many more types of veggies (tomatoes, carrots, beets, beans, zucchini, cucumbers, peas ect.).  Into Sept. the abundance and idea of harvest becomes clear with so many vegetables and amount of food that you may start looking around for people to share with.  So I ask for your patience as the gardens grow.

• If for some reason we can’t get the food ready for pick up day, I will let you know by 8am the morning of if not before.  Otherwise even in the rain we will have things prepared.
• I will keep track of each week you pick up and twice through the summer email you as to where you are at in regards to how many you signed up for. (you can ask me anytime and I can let you know)   If you do not show for your basket and have not let me know, the first time is a grace, after that it will count as a basket picked up.
• Pot Luck get together.  I would so like to have a summer potluck,  where we can all get together and enjoy the gardens.  I am aiming for the end of July at this point.  I'll let you know when I do!
• I'm sure I haven't answered all your questions so feel free to call or email with anything that is still a question for you.

Thank You for supporting healthy food and local economies.  Here is to your health, happiness and a bountiful summer.

All the best,    Kim

Garden Update:   What an interesting growing season it has been.  We have already surpassed all of last summer for how many hot days we have had.  Thus the early crops.  That being said it is challenging with the heat, drought, cool that we have been experiencing.  The gardens are almost all planted and everything seems to be coming up well including all the weeds.  Many of the tomatoes & peppers have set blooms, it will be interesting to see how they cope with the cool weather like last night.

    For those of you who are new, parking is at the entrance off the 25th sideroad.  The food will be in the two tented areas and there will be a pickup list which outlines what is available and quantities.  Please bring your own basket (Zhers baskets work well) or cooler to put your food in.  Please let me know of questions that arise and feedback that you may have.  The herbs are for you to use for the week, if you have larger quantities that you would like please talk with me ahead of time.  The flowers are set out in buckets where you get to choose what you would like for a small bouquet for your table.

    New for this season I would like to trial using the plastic containers which you often buy lettuce mix or spinach from the store.  I would like to stop using the Ziploc bags but it means you bringing back the containers or bringing your own.  I will have scales that you can weigh your own salad greens.  As of next week we will also have a large size salad spinner which will greatly assist us in washing and drying the greens.

    We have had a awesome amount of help this season which is what makes it all possible.  There is the incredible groups of volunteers that come out on Wed., Thurs. and Fridays who have been planting, transplanting, cleaning up and so much more.  Paul (better know as Chico) who was with us much of last season is back for this year.  Some of his friends from out west have come by with there being Rob from England, Jonas from Germany, Benedite & Julie from France who have all been here at various times in the last few weeks.  There was also a marvelous group from the Collingwood Katimavik program who came out and planted bulb onions for us.  It is amazing what can happen when we work together and I am so appreciative of the help. 

    Garden wise we have been working on rollup sides for the greenhouse and have a fridge which will be out by the pickup tent shortly.  The projects take so much longer then one can anticipate with all the other work that needs to happen this time of year.

    We look forward to a wonder full season with lots of delicious, nutritious food for all.  Thank You for committing to fresh, local, seasonal food and supporting local economies.  You do make a difference with every choice that you make.

Wishing you the very best,

Kim and Family