Rising River Farm CSA Newsletter
Box 15 ***September 27th, 2006
13208 201st AVE SW -Rochester, WA 98579
(360) 273-5368
www.risingriverfarm.com risingriverfarm@yahoo.com

Hello,
Well it seems we got lucky with sun for at least one more week. I wish there was a way to have at least two week heads up before the fall rains set in for good. This back and forth thing gets hard. When it is colder and rainy we get so tired and sleepy. But we also get panicky since there is still a fair bit of critical work to be done before it gets too wet such as cover crop, garlic planting, and winter squash harvest. For now we will welcome and make good use of this glorious sun while we have it!
Last night we took the crew out to dinner at Trinacria Ristorante in Olympia to say thank you to all and farewell to some. As it happens nearly every September, our crew suddenly shrinks in half. Our work is seasonal so folks need to grab their fall and winter work when they can get it. We understand and know that is just the way it goes. Rigo, Rita, Brad, and Christine are all moving on to their fall/winter work after this week. That will leave Jim, myself, Lydia, Taylor, Greg and Sergio in the field. Leanne and Alex will still help with market some and Sam is committed to helping us pack CSA boxes until the end. (Perfect segue into my next topic!)
Many of you have asked when the last CSA box will be. It will be October 18th.
In these next four weeks you’ll see several new crops such as leeks, cabbage, a variety of winter squash, shallots, kale, radishes, (and possibly something else I am forgetting!!!!)
We will still be at market until the end of December with the typical winter fair such as squash, leeks, potatoes, onions, etc. It is hard for members of any CSA to suddenly stop getting a box. It becomes such a big part of your weekly routine. I recommend shopping for produce at the Olympia Farmers Market which is open Thurs.-Sun. 10am-3pm through October and then just Sat. & Sun. from 10am-3pm in November and December. There is usually a good selection of fruit, veggies, meats, and bakery items all the way to the very end.
Some of you may wonder why we don’t extend our CSA season longer if we are going to be at market until December. Our heavy soil limits what we can grow in the rainy season. We’ve even had floods in November! Hard frosts are unpredictable and can kill back whatever the rains haven’t rotted. Our selection can be pretty meager as the fall wears on depending on the weather, so we couldn’t guarantee a great variety of food for November boxes. We figure if folks want more squash, leeks, etc. they can get them at the market or order bulk quantities from us before the CSA season ends.

Now is a great time to sign up for next year. You can send in a $50 dollar deposit now with the form I’ll include on the back of this letter and we’ll contact you in spring to resume payments. This will hold you a spot and you won’t have to think about it until spring. There is also a survey sheet that we encourage you to fill out and give us even if you don’t sign up again (especially if you don’t sign up again!). You can leave surveys in the name tag envelope. Names are optional. Your feedback is essential to us. Thank you.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: We are going to raise the price of a share next year to $400. Our costs have gone up A LOT in the past two years-fuel, crew wages, row cover, fertilizer, requirement to buy organic seed when available, and most other supplies. It may seem a big leap, but I want to assure you that this is a fair price and you will continue to receive a good value. Customer feedback (on average) has told us that the amount of food we currently offer is good, so we don’t want to decrease the size of the share to keep it at $350. If you have questions, concerns, or comments about this or anything else please call or email and we’d be happy to talk with you. We plan to stretch the payment schedule out until September to make it more affordable. We appreciate your understanding.

RISING RIVER FARM 2007 CSA REGISTRATION
(please include a $50 deposit with the form)

NAME(S):_____________________________________________________________
ADDRESS:____________________________________________________________
PHONE: HM____________________________ WK_________________________
PICK-UP SITE (circle one)
East Oly West Oly Tumwater Farm Centralia Chehalis

Comment sheet/Survey
1.What crops would you like to see more of?

2.What crops would you like to see less of?

3.Suggestions of crops to grow that we don’t already grow?

4.Comments about pick-up site: locations, hours, conditions, etc. (specify which site you have).

5. Do you feel you got a fair value? If not, why? How do you feel about the price increase?

6. Is there any other feedback you’d like to give us?