Early Bird Gardens
Hello All. Welcome to the 2016 growing season and the Early Bird Gardens CSA Program. We relocated to the beautiful Mancos Valley this winter and are more excited than ever to grow delicious, beautiful, and nourishing produce for family, friends and the community.
We have found that to have access to the best possible produce you should grow it yourself, or find a local farmer to grow it for you! The CSA model is beautiful in that it is a shared commitment between the farm and the consumer. We are dedicated to growing organically, but we are not certified organic. We do things simply and naturally, and do not use any chemical fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides. We are caring for our soils naturally through crop rotations and planting cover crops to nourish and protect the soil, which will in turn feed the vegetables. This season we are planting flower beds throughout the farm, because they are beautiful and make me happy, but more importantly to attract a variety of beneficial insects and pollinators.
Last season we did our first Fall CSA and it was a wonderful success. We were happy to have the CSA deliveries continue into December to keep our Members’ kitchens stocked with fresh and seasonal produce. With that said, we are planning for Fall and Winter production again this year and will be offering a Fall CSA Share, think comforting storage crops from the cellar and sweet delicious roots and greens from the field and hoophouses. This 10-week share will run October through mid-December. We are offering a $50 discount if you sign up for both CSA Shares now. Remaining shares will be sold at full price in July.
Below is a list of the fruit and vegetables we plan on growing this season:
| Spinach |
Arugula |
Salad Greens |
Head Lettuce |
Kale
|
| Chard |
Mustard Greens |
Bok Choy |
Collard Greens |
Snow & Snap Peas |
| Carrots |
Beets |
Turnips |
Radishes |
Parsnips |
| Rutabaga |
Potatoes |
Garlic |
Onions |
Scalions |
| Leeks |
Shallots |
Kohlrabi |
Cabbage |
Brussels Sprouts |
| Green Beans |
Fava Beans |
Cucumbers |
Zucchini |
Peppers |
| Heirloom Tomatoes |
Cherry Tomatoes |
Tomatillos |
Celery |
Winter Squash |
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and is a beautiful partnership between the farmer and you, the consumer. CSA Members pay for their share early in the Spring to help the farm with the costs of seeds, supplies, labor, etc. and in return the CSA Members enjoy a weekly share of the farm’s harvest throughout the season and develop a connection with the farmers and the land where the food is grown. The blog, www.earlybirdgardens.blogspot.com, will be updated weekly and we will include a monthly newsletter providing an update on farm happenings and recipes for the produce in season. Here are the specifics:
Summer CSA Share:
Time: 18 weeks of fresh local produce (June 8th through October 5th)
Cost: $630 ($35 per week, which includes share delivery to the various pickup locations)
Pick up: CSA shares will be available for pick-up once a week in Rico and Telluride
Fall CSA Share:
Time: 10 weeks of fresh local produce (October 12th through December 14th)
Cost: $350 ($35 per week, which includes share delivery to the various pickup locations)
Pick up: CSA shares will be available for pick-up once a week in Rico and Telluride
We encourage everyone to visit the farm! Please call or e-mail me to schedule a tour and/or help out for the afternoon. Smell the flowers, touch the soil and connect with the land where your food is being grown.
Sign-up Form
Name: _________________________________________
Phone: ________________ Email: ___________________
Address: ________________________________________
____ # of Summer CSA Shares at $630 each
____ # of Fall CSA Shares at $350 each
____ $50 discount if signing up and paying for both shares today
Pick-up Location (please check one):
□ Rico
□ Telluride
Total Amount Due: $_____________
Please review the produce list and let us know if you think we missed something. We would love to hear your thoughts and ideas. Previous CSA Members, please provide feedback on the produce provided last season. What did you love? What would you like more or less of? What veggies do you need recipe ideas for?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Please complete and mail this form along with a check made out to Early Bird Gardens to:
Early Bird Gardens
41095 Road G
Mancos, CO 81328
There are a limited number of CSA shares available and we recommend you sign up and send full payment ASAP. We do understand finances can be tight; please contact me if you need to set up a payment plan.
We are looking forward to a wonderful season and are excited to share it with you!
Thank you,
Mindy Perkovich
Early Bird Gardens
Last week flew by! We finished planting the greenhouse and filled a few beds with peppers and tomatillos to keep the tomatoes company. The tomatoes are looking great and starting to grow fast! When I planted them they were starting to look a little rough and were over being in their 2" pots. I was pretty worried (per usual) and gave them a pep talk and told them they had a week to grow out of it before I pulled them up and replanted... luckily within a week they had put on tons of healthy green growth and started to bulk up. Woohoo! 
Late in the week we planted potatoes! So. many. potatoes. That was a big project and it feels good to check it off the list! 
