A note from Courtney - The Produce Box

It’s always fun to talk to our farmers as they come in on Tuesday and Thursday with their harvests…and fun to tell YOU about the day-to-day processes they use to get that work done! As you open your box every few weeks (or in the case of some members: every week!) to see what the farms are providing,, know that the produce in there reflects work done and decisions made 90 to 120 days ago.

Our partners have been doing loads of seeding both in the propagation greenhouses and in the field tunnels. Everyone is busy this week transplanting and planting for spring Boxes. The break from a wet January has them all in the fields, tilling in weeds and some of their cover crops while they set up our work and harvest schedule for the spring.

The produce that you are receiving in your Boxes NOW was generally planted as seed last November. Growing slowly in the late fall and cold winter, it gathers strength as the days lengthen and average temperatures warm up. Farmers do gamble a bit as they plant in the fall of course. There have been colder years in the past when December temperatures have all but freeze-killed even our hardiest crops and surprise freezes in late March are even worse…killing blossoms that eventually become peaches and apples in the summer and fall. Fingers crossed!

But fear not! Dave Bunce is transplanting crops from his greenhouses to the fields right now as are so many of our farmers. They are as excited as we are! Dave is growing kale, squash and even onions just for our members! And Herbie — one of our organic farmers from Duplin County — just put his first corn in the ground! Strawberries are flowering on North Carolina farms and blueberry buds aren’t far behind! Sweeeet!

As always, let me speak for Dave, and Herbie, and Glen, and Cecilia and all the other growers we work with, whose hard work you appreciate. Thank you for being part of this venture and making EATING LOCAL important in the lives of you and your family.

Courtney Tellefsen

Founder, TPB