VEGGIE COOP FARM NOTES: WEEK 10 : August 24, 2009: Smaller Bag
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Packing Slip: Smaller Bag

Basil – 25g regular 2.00
Beets Golden - bunch 3.00
Cherry tomatoes – half pint or 400g greenhouse tomatoes
or Latah tomatoes pint 3.10
Garlic – 150g 2.10
Radishes - bunch 1.25
Salad Mix - 250g 7.00
Shallots - 250g 3.50
Snow or Sugar Snap Peas - 100g . 2.00
Summer squash 750g 2.25
Total: $26.20
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For information, questions or comments, we are only an e-mail or phone call away. Contact; Mike Rabinowitz, Co-Owner and Coordinator, Veggie Coop. House Phone: 895-2884. If you are running late for the pick up, call Mike on the Farm Cell at 689-7693.

Bags not picked up go back to farm chill room! Don’t forget to mark off your name on the chill room door. If your name is not there, leave an original note somewhere on the door or on the near-by cork board. IT’S IN THE BAG and Special Orders. Even though we may not have enough of the things you especially enjoy each week to make up the forty member bags, keep in mind that these may be things you will want to special order. E-mail Mike with your order. He will bring special orders to drop-off or you can pick them up at the Farm Store on the week-end.

Poor Lost Gooseberries. If you are looking for your quota of gooseberries from the packing slip list last week, let us know. Mike didn’t realize that we brought the gooseberries into drop off in a cooler until mid-way during drop-off. He thought they were in the bags. Thus, some people didn’t get their gooseberries. We need to know if you got them or not so we can make an adjustment on your weekly total.

NO MORE PRINTED FARM NOTES IN THE BAG!
At least five years ago, some members commented on how wasteful it was to print farm notes on paper and hand them out and advised that we should post them through e-mails. At that time, one Veggie Coop member offered to set up our Website in a simple language that even I could manage. It was his idea at that we would be able to provide the information around the bag list, ahead of time, perhaps on Sunday each week. We have been working with Louis Atkinson now, on an informal basis for a couple of years and have made one step toward that goal. The biggest challenge is that often we don’t know the full list until mid-afternoon, when we have finished counting and grouping. You have probably noted that, I have not yet learned how to put the farm notes according to an order of dates. This means you have to scan the list and find the notes according to date and large bag or small bag. Be Patient! I am still learning. .

HOW THE FARM NOTES UNFOLDED Up until last week, we were printing off over 80 copies/ two sides - one set for Monday and another set for Wednesday. This was a waste of paper, actually not much better than all of those printed flyers that come in the mail that I absolutely detest. In addition, it was often a total waste - especially if we ran out of toner or the printer has some other kind of fit at the last minute. Sometimes we had the material written and almost finished, then didn’t have time to get them into the bags. On more than one occasion, we left them behind when we rushed off to meet our 6 o’clock deadlines. Although you may be disappointed not to have a paper copy, we hope you agree that there is no excuse for wasting paper. The good news and the bad news is that the length is no longer limited to what I can squeeze on a front and back page, because on the Website, there no page markers.

Why Farm Notes? Farm Notes meet some kind of need I have to know that I am connecting with our members around the ideas and energy that moves things along here at the farm. The Notes were always more than the packing slip and a couple of recipes. I enjoyed writing extensively about what is happening on the farm, family and community activities and often listed upcoming community activities. Since then, Farm Notes have become less and less, especially the gossip part. However, I still hang onto the idea of sharing the things we care about at the farm, who is coming and going, little stories, etc., even though I have less and less time to do this. During the course of last week, a hundred things come across my mind, to pass along in the Farm Notes, especially about the Bell Island Ferry System. The days when the two ferries are actually on the tickle are few and far between. This morning, Diane explained that one of the ferries was hung up on a rock last night and they had to have divers in – thus, only one ferry this morning. This happens more often than you or I could count. For Vince and Diane who have to depend on the ferry, it is just another day in the life of the Bell Island Ferry. They get up at least by 6:30 a.m. to get to the ferry by 7:30, only to find that it is not running on time, or delayed by 2 hours because it had to make an emergency run to take the ambulance over the night before. When this happens, it doesn’t go out for the first couple of runs. !

WHAT DO MEMBERS WANT? At least five years ago, we sent out a survey to get feedback from members asking what they felt was the most important thing about the Veggie Coop. We asked if they could keep only one or two things, what would it be? This covered all aspects of what we do - including whether or not we should continue to wash and clean the veggies or pass them along as they come from the field which would reduce the costs; preferences for herbs, printing a packing slip, recipes and What’s Happening On and Off the Farm. Several members wrote back to say that they didn’t have much of a preference for the list and/or the totals on the packing slip, but the aspect they would like to see maintained was the Farm Notes. I am a closet writer, do a lot of tongue in cheek writing, including not being very concerned around minor errors, missed words, etc., as long as what I say connects with your intuition in some way. However, due to many, many factors, I have not been able to put the time in on the Farm Notes as they existed in the distance past. But, it is still my goal to tell more, not less about What Is Happening on the Farm.

WHAT IS HAPPENING ON THE FARM!
Vince ahs been off for more than a week, because his 8 year old son, Cody was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes and has been in the Janeway, getting various aspects of his medicine and insulin adjusted. Goldie, Vince’s wife and also Vince are juvenile diabetics and actually met at Diabetic Camp many, many years ago. Vince has another son, who has a prosthesis for his hand. He and his mother were in Halifax for a new refit and didn’t get back on Monday due to the storm.

Sheldon, another core worker has been off almost a week because he hurt his back picking up an empty plastic crate. Sheldon explained that he knows it wasn’t the actual farm work, that he has had back trouble since he was a teenager. He said it started when he was in a marching band and had to carry a 65 lb drum with a back strap and later, due to having to handle heavy equipment for Weir Construction. However, he says he is seeking compensation because the incident happened during his work time here.

Jake works on the farm 4 days a week . Jake has been riding his bike all season, usually arriving at his appointed time which is 8:30. He has another part-time job on MUN Campus where he repairs bikes and holds bike workshops to help maintain the bikes rented out to students for a few dollars a semester. He called today to say that he was hit by a car, that he is o.k., but that his ankle is injured and he is unable to ride his bike to work. So, the red Toyota taxi will head to Prescott street right after I pick up Diane at the ferry at 8:10.

COPING WITH THE IMPENDING STORM.
At some times over the week-end, we wondered if we would be able to have a delivery to Veggie Coop at all. And, yes, we did pick everything we could on Sunday and try to tie down the rest in hopes that the pea arbors which are in a new place on the hill overlooking conception bay and Bell Island would stand, that the summer squash that have been so robust this season would be low enough to hide from the high winds, the Latah tomatoes and outdoor cucumbers Mike has been watching over, the edible flowers being saved for a wedding and all of the other goodies we have seen unfold from tiny seeds into their own incredible offerings to the universe - would survive and thrive. I am glad to report that although we did experience wind and rain through out the night, that the storm was not as bad as we expected and things seem o.k. I did wake up in the night, though, thinking, what will we do if Diane can’t get in because the waves are too high for the ferry crossing. I resolve that with a decision that we would send the lettuce out not washed, with a little sign that said, “Please wash me.”

I’m in the Cove. However, as I wandered by the phone about 7:45 on my way to the coffee pot, I noticed the message manager flashing. My heart always sinks when I see a message that time of day; it only means two things, either that a family member is ill or that a worker is calling in. I picked up the phone, expecting to hear Diane say, “ I can’t come into day. The ferry is tied up.” Instead I heard, “I’m in the Cove!” I couldn’t get my shoes on fast enough to go pick her up. She said, she got up at 6 to find out that there was only one ferry on and it was on a load and go basis. She started getting ready and the taxi driver called at 7:30 to say, she’s leaving, do you want me to pick you up?”

Miriam White published a book at few years back providing profiles of women and their achievement and contributions. It is time we had a book about the women like Diane, who go about doing their work in such an honourable way. And, there are others, many others. Do you remember the story about Nicole, the stone slinger, who works for City Sand and Gravel that was in Farm Notes a few weeks ago?

WHO IS COMING AND GOING!
Rachel and Emily, the WOOFERS from Nova Scotia, Ashleigh from Winnipeg left on Friday. Emily and Ashleigh have helped with raspberries while Rachel has been Diane’s right hand woman to help with salad mix. Nathaniel, the young man from B.C., is still here, harvesting garlic and onions. My college friend from Tennessee is for a couple of weeks. She was raised on a farm and is enjoying all the hands on – helping Mike pick peas, cukes and tomatoes and Louis pick the squash.

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Do let us know what’s on your mind! Meanwhile, I have to go check on the zucchini- pineapple loaf in the oven!

Melba/ August 19, 2009