In This Week’s Box
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- Navel Oranges, Hass Avocados, Olsen Organic Farm, Lindsay, CA
- Tarocco Blood Oranges, Frog Hollow Farm, Brentwood, CA
- Kiwis, Chiechi Farms, Gridley, CA
- Grapefruit, Purity Farms, Kerman, CA
- Fuji Apples, Cuyama, New Cuyama, CA
- Satsuma Mandarins, Twin Girl, Yettem, CA
From Farmer Al
Good Winter Chill- As we approach nearly 1000 hours of winter chill for the season, we are hopeful for a fantastic 2012 harvest, especially in the apricots. Winter chill is the first piece of a very complex puzzle consisting of several events which need to occur in order for a good crop to set. The chilling hours affect the physiology of flower/bud formation. The trees require a maximum amount of hours “chillin” below 45 degrees Fahrenheit for bud development to be complete. The next piece of the puzzle, and the most critical stage, is weather during the blossom. If recent weeks are an indication of this season’s weather pattern it should be cold and dry– which is what we’re hoping for. Warm rain is the worst case scenario, especially for the apricots. After two consecutive years of catastrophic brown rot events on the apricots, brown rot spores have built up on the branches, making us more vulnerable than ever before to wet weather. But the plot thickens……now the dilemma is, do we have enough moisture in the ground for the trees to grow….? We desperately need the rain. So here’s what we think would be the best scenario…..Big Storms, full of rain and snow that originate from the Gulf of Alaska. These would be cold enough to discourage the growth of the brown rot spores in spite of the rain (remember: two conditions need to be met for brown rot to grow; rain and temperatures above 54 degrees). So, when you all are out doing your rain dances, consider throwing crushed ice instead of water to the Cloud Gods……to usher in Apricot Abundazza! Frigidly Yours,
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Membership Outreach
Hello Happy Child CSA Members,
Jeff and I have already spoken with some of you last week. We’re making calls to rally all members to ask if you can refer your friends, co-workers, neighbors, and contacts to join The Frog Hollow All fruit CSA, Happy Child CSA.
If you have any clubs or events that you attend/participate in, where you think people might like to learn more about organic farming, sustainable agriculture, connecting with their food sources and communities, please let us know! We would love to join you to come speak, host a tasting event with our bounty, and share our passion for Organic Fruit!
Now is a great time to join to see what a CSA is all about at an affordable price.
8 weeks remain in the Fall/Winter CSA. We will be taking a month long break from deliveries in April and will begin the Spring/Summer CSA in May.
-Thanks! Melissa, CSA Coordinator
(925) 634-2845 x 206
Did you know?
……..CSA Customers are eligible for a discount on all orders made on our mail order site, froghollow.com. We have some awesome Valentines Day gifts that are lovely and available for shipping nationwide. My personal favorite includes a Breakfast in Bed gift set, and a Trio of Conserves with our Cherry Conserve, which is fantastic!
Let melissa@froghollow.com know if you want to be added to our email list for mail order promo emails! (Mail Order discount codes will not apply to orders made via CSAware)
….Our most popular scented Soap from Tierra Mia is the Almond Coffee Goat Milk Soap, but it also comes in Rosemary Lavender, Lemongrass, and many more heavenly scents. If you haven’t tried it yet, send me a message and I’ll get you a free sample of this awesome, locally made soap. It’s from goats right here in Brentwood!
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Follow us on Twitter- @froghollowcsa