Genesee Valley Organic Community Supported Agriculture

Peacework Organic Farm May, 1999

Dear Friends,

This season got off to a very warm start in people terms, and a cool, wet start out in the field. Then the weather warmed up too, but turned very dry. Us farmers are truly delighted that so many people in Rochester have signed up with the GVOCSA and with the farm in Wayne County and Geneva. Our planting schedule is right on time, with peas, spinach, assorted other greens, and beets going in by the middle of April. By April 21, the peas were beginning to germinate. Seeding some of the beds has been difficult because of undigested clods of grass sod. We expect to be fighting the grass all season until we get our new bed system under control. A great crew helped us set out onions. How quickly our plantings will grow depends on the weather. By April 23, we had filled every possible place for plants in the greenhouse.

With garage sales big at this time of year, the farm requests that you keep your eyes open for some tools we could use. We will be happy to reimburse you for money you spend.
Here is our wish list:

3 spades (long handled, pointed shovels)
2 rakes
4 hay forks (3 or 5-tined)
1 pry bar
6 handles (we have some tools with no handles)
3 potato hooks
3 hoes (onion hoes with narrow blades, 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide, would be great)
a dozen steak knives (to use for harvesting vegetables)

We could also use a black board to write messages in the packing shed, and some furniture for our intern housing - a bed, a small table, a lamp, a comfortable chair, a working refrigerator, and a small stove. Please call Elizabeth at if you have any of these items.

The farm can always use plastic and paper shopping bags, wax coated vegetable boxes (some of you belong to buying clubs which deliver vegetables in these boxes), berry boxes, assorted pots and containers from plants, and rubber bands, if they are not too ancient. Please clean these things off before you donate them to us! We cannot use cardboard boxes, small plastic bags, or fruit boxes.

We have another request to you all about the farm work. Please, please let us know if you have any special physical needs - sore back, bad knee, low energy, whatever. We will do our best to fit the work to the state of your body. But if you act like you are an 18 year old athelete when you are feeling like a 75 year old invalid, we may be fooled into assuming you are doing just fine. When we hear through the grapevine weeks later that you went home and couldnt move for a week, we feel badly. Help us out by telling us how you feel!

We look forward to vegetableful season with you!

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