BGF NEWS - April 2024 - VOL. 51, NO. 6

What’s up on the farm?

PRECIPITATION IN THE PAST MONTH: RAIN: 3.18"
                                                                            SNOW: 0.6"

Spring greetings from the farm!

Earlier this week we had two beautiful days of rain with a total of 1.55 inches...what a delight! The fields are greening up and we'll need to start mowing the lawn and pathways as soon as it's dry enough. So much has changed in the past month. The earliest seeded crops are planted in the fields and the high tunnel crops are starting to be harvested. The fruit trees are nearly through blooming and the redbuds and lilacs are starting their turns. 

The past couple of weeks have marked the completion of some of the spring "landmark" tasks.

We finally had the right conditions to get the asparagus plot burned and have started picking just the first few spears. We did "roast" a couple of early spears when we burned but very little was up. Our average first sighting of asparagus is April 17 and this year we saw the first spear peeking out of the ground on April 11. This time of the year the growth is pretty slow as the ground begins to warm but likely in the next week or so we should be firmly in the Age of Asparagus again!

We've also been working hard at getting all the beds and fields prepped for the season. With limited farm crew hours right now, it takes a bit longer to work through everything but we finally got the last of the early prep done and even got a few more crops seeded in ahead of the rain.

The final big accomplishment was getting the potatoes in. It's a multi-step process that includes cutting  250+ pounds of seed potatoes (thanks Mom!), prepping and furrowing the beds, putting the seed potatoes in the furrows and then covering the planted furrows. It takes a number of hands to get through all of the steps and are always very thankful to have good help and to get the task done!

The next big push is to start getting transplants into the ground. We have LOTS of baby plants waiting "patiently" in the sunroom nursery and high tunnel to move out into the big world, but with this weekend's low temps, we're happy to still have them tucked up safe and warm. However once we get past this cold snap we will move into high gear with transplanting. We refer to this stage as "whomping them in" meaning, getting as many plants into the ground as fast as we can! 

So that's the quick review of the past month, but what about something exciting to look forward to? We have three big announcements:

First, how about a new bouquet subscription?? Introducing...

Starting in June and running for 12 weeks, subscribers can get a beautiful, sustainably-grown bouquet every two weeks, designed especially for them and available at our VegEmail deliveries. Serious flower fans can sign up for 2 subscriptions and get a bouquet every week! Subscriptions will be limited and sign up will start in early May so keep an eye on your email!

In other exciting news, we do have a couple of openings in this year's CSA/farm share but the cut off date is just 10 days away! Sign up now to lock in a full season of fresh produce for your family! We have availability at our Des Moines, Knoxville and on farm pick up locations. You can read more about the CSA and sign up here: 2024 CSA Info and Sign Up. If you have questions about CSA membership, don't hesitate to message us here.

If you know someone who would love a season full of fresh, local, chemical-free produce, please share the joy and send them our way! Our amazing members and customers are the best ambassadors of the farm!

We are partnering with our friends from Farmyard Fancies for a CSA Bread Share option again this year and in Des Moines, Ebersole Cattle Co hopes to offer a monthly Egg Share in conjunction with the CSA if there is enough demand. If you are a Des Moines CSA member and are interested in getting eggs with your produce share, please email: shanen@ebersolecattleco.com

And our final announcement: This week marks the last Tuesday VegEmail delivery! But never fear, in May, we will change to our summer schedule of weekly Saturday deliveries. The next order form goes out Monday 4/29 for pick up Saturday 5/4, so keep your eye on your inbox. We'll be at the same locations: in Des Moines at Peace Tree-Des Moines Branch and in Knoxville at the Grand Theater.   If you aren't receiving the VegEmail order form and you would like to, just fill out the form here: VegEmail Sign Up

Is a monthly newsletter not enough for you? Do you want to read more about our life on the farm and see more pictures? Follow us on Facebook at Blue Gate Farm or on Instagram at bluegatefarmfresh. CSA members can also connect with other BGF members to share recipes or ask questions on our FB community page at Blue Gate Farm Community.

That's about it for now. If you have any questions or comments, be sure to let us know.

Best from the farm,
Jill & Sean (and the whole BGF crew)