Peaceful Greetings,

The last couple of weeks we’ve had a surge of school-aged children taking part in our field trip program at the farm.  We’ve watched these kids touching, smelling and tasting the beautiful veggies, herbs (and weeds!) that grow here.  By the end of the trip, the kids have grown too.  They’ve learned where good, healthy, local, organic food comes from and how it helps us all.  They have planted seeds, harvested a salad, soaked up information on composting, and enjoyed being a “farmer for a day”.  Your continued support of our farm brings the necessary funds to continue these important programs.  Join us for our first Farm to Table Supper on the 11th of this month and enjoy a wonderful meal while helping to further our outreach and educational opportunities.

We are getting really close to saying good bye to one of our long time growing site, the Bern’s Steak House farm. We still plan to harvest one more week’s worth of Daikon Radish, two week’s of carrots and some beets. We have enjoyed our time growing on such fertile organic soil for these past years and thank the folks at Bern’s for this unique opportunity.

The harvest at the new farm continues, this week we will harvest some nice looking lettuce and continue to harvest radishes and some mizuna from the Children’s Home farm. Get ready for some tasty salads!

Last week our neighbor shared some pickled Daikon Radish with the farm crew, it was delicious and a great example of how to preserve excess share items. There are many recipes on line, this week we will harvest the roots without the greens.

Also, the broccoli and cabbage are beginning to be ready this week. It has taken a while due to this mild winter but they are looking and tasting great. My little farm girls give their approval! We expect more to come in the following weeks.

The later start on the harvest is just a reminder of how susceptible our food production is to the weather patterns. Every season holds new surprises, let’s embrace them, happy seasonal eating!

The Spring Potatoes are in the ground at the new Children’s Home field. We were able to plant them last Sunday after the harvest, just on time thanks to our amazing and dedicated Sweetwater Farming team who put in a very long and difficult work day! Thank you among others to Casey, Zachary, Alberto, Phil, Brian, Mari, Stephanie, Josh, Rebbecca and Courtney for being such important parts of this team. I get to constantly witness and be a part of many amazing agricultural feats at this farm, what a pleasure!

So now that the certified organic seed potatoes are in the ground, we need to wait about 3 weeks for them to sprout while we keep them weeded, and then begin to ‘hill’ them to encourage root growth. This year we planted many varieties; Yukon Gold, Rose Finn Swedish Fingerlings, Praire Blush, King Harry, Island Sunshine and Butte. We should be enjoying some delicous white, gold, pink and russet tators toward the end of the harvest season.

This week in your share find some young tender Mizuna, this Asian green is similar to arugula but with less bite. Great as a substitute for lettuce in salads or sandwiches and also taste great in stir-fries, or steamed over mashed potatoes or fish. This cut will be especially mild tasting because of how young the plants are and the cool weather in which they grew.

This week we will also harvest Eros Endive, this is a plant in the Chickory family, slightly bitter but very rich in many vitamins and minerals. Excellent addition to a mixed salad with other sweeter ingredients like mizuna.

The radishes this week are the second crop we are harvesting from the Children’s Home field. The greens are looking pretty healthy and are a great cooking green that can be used in stir-fries, soups or beans. Also very delicious in a green smoothies, remember radish greens are food too, don’t let them go to waste.

Hope everyone is enjoying the share vegetables this season. The farm team has been enjoying growing the vegetables and being part of this conscious sustainable community. Most of the varieties we grow are things that have grown well here over the past 15 years during specific times of the season. Some are not common vegetables but all are seasonal varieties specific to this Tampa Bay growing environment. During some growing seasons, some varieties grow better then others. This season Hakurei Turnips and Daikon Radish take the prize, but have performed poorly in previous seasons. By focusing on the vegetables that grow well here during the time of year they grow the best, we can utilize our soil in a more sustainable way and enrich it every season instead of depleting it. Since I arrived at Sweetwater six growing seasons ago, I have been exposed to and learned to grow and cook with many vegetables I had never heard of. Learning how to use these to keep my family happy and healthy has been the greatest reward of being part of this local, sustainable, organic community. I encourage all of you to experiment and be creative with your food. If your veggies are in season and grow good together, they probably go good together in the kitchen, so lets let nature be our guide. And remember that we are in a technological world so when you don’t know what to do with all those strange vegetables, just ‘Google it’. Peace

This week we are harvesting baby arugula from our new farm at The Children’s Home!  We are very excited to begin harvesting, things are growing very well at the new farm site, almost half the field is planted or ready to plant. We are now working hard to prepare the other half which will produce our spring potatoes among other things.

There’s been a little confusion – our new farm at The Children’s Home simply adds to the land that we have available to grow organic veggies for our members.  It is not open to the public (unless you accompany us there to help in the fields).  All of our main operations will remain at our Sweetwater Farm on Comanche Avenue as usual.

In the share this week is beet greens. We are working on thinning the beets bed in order to allow the remaining beets time and space to grow a large root. This method allows us to harvest two crops from one planting. Beet greens are delicious fresh in salads, sandwiches, juiced or as a cooking green. They are very high in vitamins K and A as well as antioxidants.

New in the share this week is Florence Fennel also known by its Italian name Finocchio, a highly aromatic Mediterranean herb which has a bulb that can be used as a vegetable. Try the bulb sliced in a salad, grilled, sauteed or baked. The leaves give an anise flavor to salads, juice or teas and act as a digestive aid.

Last week the Broccoli Raab was finally ready to harvest, sorry for all the false alarms in the past CSA share lists, it just grew slower then expected. Remember that all parts including stems, leaves and flowers can be eaten raw or cooked and can substitute broccoli in most recipes.

We still have some Daikon radish growing in the fields, it did much better then expected and loves growing during this cooler weather. The leaves are an excellent cooking green very high in vitamin A, while the root which can be eaten raw has a high amount of vitamin C. The roots are great shredded and placed over a salad, or in a veggie wrap, or try just cutting them into raw chips.

Enjoy creative seasonal cooking,

Peace

Transition is taking place this week and the next few weeks from the Bern’s farm we have called home for years, to our new farm at The Children’s Home.  Since this summer the farmers have been working diligently to clear the land, set up watering and drainage systems, prepare the soil, and plant the first seeds.  In just a few weeks we will be harvesting the last of the Bern’s crops and will begin harvesting the beautiful veggies that are thriving in their new home.

Expect to see some vibrant arugula, mizuna, cabbage, radish, broccoli and cauliflower in the coming months.

We are thankful and grateful for our time at Bern’s, and happy to be settling in to our new location.  Our farm at The Children’s Home still needs work and your thoughtful donations bring us ever-closer to completion.  If you would like more information about how you can help, please Contact Us.

It’s been a nice holiday season with a little time off to spend with our families and friends.  We hope you have enjoyed the start of the New Year too.  The recent cooler weather makes it finally feel like winter and prompted us to cover the crops over night to avoid any potential damage.

With the cooler weather we rely on our Member volunteers to come out to the farm and help.  Volunteerism generally slows down in the cooler months, but the work that needs to be completed at the farm remains the same.  Consider joining us on a Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday to help out in the fields and washing veggies.

We very much look forward to a wonderful 2012 with our Sweetwater community… here’s to a peaceful and bountiful New Year!

Enjoy some healthy exercise for your body and your brain, and have fun in the dirt!  Come help us this Thursday and Saturday mornings to harvest for the last shares of the 2011 year. (Remember, there is no CSA pick-up or Market on Sunday – New Year’s Day).

Thursday and Saturday we will gather at the Sweetwater barn at 8:30am and then head out to harvest. Good way to meet wonderful people, learn about how your food is grown and get some productive exercise. If you have young children, bring them out to join in on the fun, growing food and community is a family affair.

This week we are continuing to harvest the Joi Choi, this is the white-stemmed Bok Choy. This delicious choy has juicy crunchy stems that are great raw for dipping in hummus or spreading with nut butters. Also fantastic in stir fries, salads or use the leaves as a wrap. And finally the cilantro is ready to harvest, I’m especially excited since I use this herb in all of my cooking.

Happy new year to all, wishing you much Peace and Love.

This week we’ll have one big CSA pick-up on Thursday for our normal Thursday members and also our Sunday members.  Come between 12:00-6:00 for your share.  Come early at 8:30 and help us with the harvest and washing too!

Our Sunday Market will be closed on Christmas Day, the 25th.  And again the next Sunday for New Year’s Day.  It will re-open on Sunday, January 8th with great local live music, awesome vendors, and our Farm Tour with Joel from 2:00-3:00.

We appreciate each and every one of you and hope that you have a happy, healthy holiday.

What are those giant white roots? The word Daikon comes from two Japanese words meaning “large root”. We are having a very bountiful harvest of this crop. The roots can be eaten raw or cooked or can be pickled for later use. The leaves are very nutritious and can be used as cooking greens.

This week we will begin to harvest the Broccoli Raab, also known as Rapini in Italian cooking. We will begin by harvesting the tops of the plant which include leaves, stems and flower buds. All parts are used in cooking, adding a broccoli flavor to foods, and can be used as a substitute for broccoli in many recipes. This week we’ll also begin harvesting fresh mint. Enjoy as a digestive aid tea, in salad dressings, dessert recipes or for mojitos. Cheers!

Sweetwater Farm not only provides organic veggies to it’s members, it also serves as a valuable community resource.  Did you know that we host “healthy living”workshops each month?  This Thursday the 8th, is a “Winter Container Gardening” workshop with Willow LaMonte.  And this Saturday is our popular “Organic 101″ workshop with Sweetwater founder, Rick Martinez.  Check our website for the latest workshop information and join us!

Also, be sure to make time in your busy holiday schedule to volunteer at the farm.  We need help as usual on Thursday and Sunday mornings to harvest and wash veggies for the CSA pick-up.  The more volunteers we have, the more we can harvest for the share!

We also needs folks to come out and weed!  Get a group of your friends or family and enjoy a beautiful day outdoors and help the farm.  Contact our volunteer coordinator and let us know you’re coming… Wednesday thru Sunday.

The lettuce is ready to harvest! This may seem like a late start but is actually the environmentally friendly start of its season in this region. Instead of trying to extend its growing season we have decided to grow it during its appropriate time of the year in order to avoid excessive pest damage and bolting due to warm weather. From now till the end of the season we should have lettuce in nearly every share.

New in the share this week is green bell peppers and Banana Wax Peppers. The Banana Peppers are a mild heirloom hot pepper, delicious raw, in cooked meals and makes great salsa.

Last week we finally began planting and direct seeding at our new Children’s Home farm site. Lettuce, Mustard Greens, Rainbow Chard, Spinach, Beets, Carrots, Arugula, Mizuna and Radishes are now growing in the newly prepared fields.

Come learn how your food is grown and harvested, join the Sweetwater farm crew Wednesday through Sunday starting at 8:30am. The more volunteers we have on harvest days, the larger the shares will be, and will also ensure that we do not run out of any items. We have been so busy maintaining our fields, harvesting for the CSA and starting a brand new farm that we have not had time to weed any of the crops. Come and help us weed so we can ensure the success of our crops, this is a community project, your participation is crucial. Also learn about the many edible and medicinal weeds that grow in the fields, many of which have more nutritional benefits than the crops we plant. Weeds are free, just pull them yourselves.

Thank you for supporting community agriculture, together we are creating a safe, healthy food system for our families. Peace

As a community supported farm we are inherently thankful for our many members and supporters who believe in organic, believe in sustainable, believe in community, and believe in us. It is during this time, and in solidarity with our Sweetwater community, that we find hope and peace in these difficult times.

Let us all give “thanks” to our bountiful harvest filled with a variety of colors, textures, and tastes.  Thanks to the farmers everywhere whose determination and hard work bring us this tasty, nutritious food.  And to Mother Earth for providing us the beautiful raw materials to work with.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Peaceful Greetings

This year we started the lettuce seeds later in the season in order to avoid bolting (early flowering in response to heat), and early fall aphid attacks. Right now the lettuce is growing very healthy and happy in the fields and should be ready for harvest in a couple of weeks.

This week we will continue harvesting Mizuna greens, this is a milder tasting relative of arugula. This Asian green is a great alternative to lettuce in a salad because of its crispness and mild flavor.

This week we will begin to harvest Hakurei turnips, a mild tasting crisp turnip that can be eaten raw or cooked. Enjoy both the round white roots and the greens.

Thanks to slightly cooler weather the last two months, we were able to get an early start on the spinach crop. So far it looks like this highly nutritious and antioxidant rich green will provide a bountiful yield this winter.

Enjoy the harvest

Peaceful Greetings:

We had a great first week of the harvest season, wonderful weather and lots of nice people. Thanks to all who came out to help us harvest and wash vegetables, your help is very necessary and appreciated. Every week we have many volunteer opportunities for those interested in learning how your food is grown, come out and join the farm crew.

For the farmers here at Sweetwater, the summer has been a very busy and productive time. We have been working hard preparing all the fields for the new season, making hundreds of tons of organic compost, setting up irrigation at the new farm and building the new greenhouse. We are on track to start planting the first crops next week at our new farm site at the Children’s Home. I want to give a very special thanks to Casey, Alejandro, Phil and Noel for working so hard under such extreme conditions this summer. Without their dedication we would not have been able to accomplish so much in so little time.

So here is a little bit about what’s growing in the fields right now. The green beans are ready a little early this year and are delicious, expect them in the share for the next month or so. Green beans are a fairly easy crop to grow but a very tedious one to harvest, so please come out and help us pick, the more hands we have to pick, the more beans that will be in the share.

Sunburst Patty Pan is a type of summer squash, we trialed it last season with much success so have decided to make it a part of the share. Those of you who tasted it last season had many good things to say, also the plants grow very well in our soil and provide very high yields.

We are growing two kinds of cucumber that have proven over the seasons to grow very well here. One is the typical slicing cucumber, a hybrid variety called General Lee. The other is Suyo Long Asian Cucumber which is considered a ‘burpless’ cucumber. Very fresh taste, they are tender even when they get past one pound.

Another new variety that we added this season is the Pink Beauty radish, this heirloom variety grows very quickly and gets large without splitting. Expect to see it throughout the season with Sweetwater’s old favorite varieties like Easter Egg and French Breakfast radishes.

Hope everyone enjoys the shares this season.

To me, it seems as though the summer has flown by.  But ask one of our hardworking farmers about their summer, and they’ll tell  you it was one of the longest.  Thankfully, all of their hard work is about to pay off.

This week they’ll watch the CSA members stroll down the walkway and into the barn with bags in hand and smiles on their faces.  They’ll pick up the very first of this seasons harvest – winter and summer squash, radish, cucumber, and greens.  Each member will show in their own way their appreciation for the thoughtful work that has gone into growing the best local organic veggies around.  And the farmers will hear that magical word that reminds them time and again why they chose this labor of love.  The word that CSA members all over the country long to to tell their farmers face to face… “thanks”.

We’ll see you all very soon.

Sweetwater’s season starts the first week of November and this week we sold the final remaining shares to renewing members.  Today the Sweetwater community celebrates the start of our season with our Planter’s Ball starting at 6:00 pm.  We hope you’ll join us in this annual tradition.  It’s a casual, fun, family-friendly evening.  Be sure to bring your favorite dish to share for the potluck dinner.  The farmers and volunteers are out in the fields harvesting some veggies for the meal.  Whole Foods is generously donating rolls and desserts arriving later today.  Uncle Matt’s has donated some orange juice and lemonade.  And St Somewhere Brewery (from Tarpon Springs) will be bringing one of their new beers Lectio Divina (a cross between a Belgian dubbel and a Saison) and will also have their “more approachable” Vierge.  (Yummmmmmm!)  Gift certificates from local businesses will be raffled off throughout the evening. Rob Irie will play for us and we’ll be dancing into the night by the campfire.

Click here for more info and event parking info….

On Monday we are also going to celebrate the first national “Food Day”.  If you shop at Whole Foods this Monday anytime from 9 am – 9 pm, 5% of the proceeds will go to Sweetwater!  We’ll have a table set up at the store from 10-4, so come and say “hi”.

Then Monday night we’re going to the TUFF Food Day event, a community celebration of local food and showing of the movie “Urban Roots“.   From 6:00 to 9:00 pm at the Roosevelt (15th Street in Ybor).  Get your tickets here. Sweetwater will have a table set up for the event.

**Next week we’ll be sending out the CSA share pick-up schedule and instructions.**

Busy busy bees… see you all soon!

This season will be an especially interesting and challenging one for Sweetwater.  With the addition of our new farm at The Children’s Home, we will be growing food and harvesting from three distinctly different locations.  With the cut-back in the number of memberships we are offering this season, we have also had to cut back on the number of farmers we can afford to grow the food.

As members of a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm, we count on you to share in the responsibility of growing this healthy food for our families.  Every season we ask our members to volunteer at least 4 hours of their time to help us seed, plant, weed, harvest, and wash veggies.  (We offer ample opportunity for non-farming tasks as well.)  This season, with a farm staff half its normal size, we will not only be counting on those four hours but relying completely on them in order to optimize the amount of food in our weekly shares.  If it’s a cold or a rainy day and no one shows up to help us harvest on a Sunday morning – all of our members will receive smaller shares that day.  There is simply only so much one farmer can harvest.

Speaking of farmers, we are looking for 2 Farmer “Apprentices” who are able to commit 25 hours per week for the season.  There is no compensation, but we can provide housing and a share of veggies for your time and dedication.  If you are willing to work hard and have a strong desire to learn about organic farming please CONTACT US for more information.

If you’d like to get your volunteer hours in early this season, you should consider helping us at our Planter’s Ball event on Saturday, Oct 22nd.  We need daytime and evening help.  Contact our Volunteer Coordinator to sign up.

We look forward to working with you all this season!

The Farmers are covered in soil and sweat, the fields are a mix of green, brown, and yellow, and the greenhouse is full of life again.  It’s October, and the hint of cooler weather reminds us that the start of Sweetwater’s harvest “season” are just around the corner.

We have some important dates for our CSA Members and some fun events that are open to the entire Sweetwater community, so flip the page to October and tune in to our weekly emails for more detailed information.  (If you haven’t already, you can sign up to receive our weekly email updates by scrolling to the bottom of our home page and entering your email address.)

Before our “season” officially begins, we have several important dates to make note of.  First is our 9th Annual Planter’s Ball on Saturday, October 22nd.  This is one of two fundraising parties we host at the Farm.  (Planter’s Ball is our season-opening party in October, and Pesto Festo is our season-ending party in May.)  We invite all CSA members and non-members to join us in celebrating the start of another great year.  Tickets are $10 at the entrance.  Bring your favorite pot-luck dish (no meat please) and enjoy the first farm-fresh veggies of the season, delicious bread and desserts from Whole Foods, organic beer from St Somewhere Brewery, and live local music with Rob Irie.  This is a family-friendly event and a great way to meet other members of our community.  We need volunteers to help out with the event, so Contact Us if you want to get a head-start on your volunteer hours for the season.

Did you know that “Food Day” is Monday, October 24th?  Food Day seeks to bring together Americans from all walks of life to push for healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way.  Sweetwater Farm and Whole Foods Market invite you to participate in our Food Day event by doing your grocery shopping at Whole Foods in Tampa on Monday, October 24th when 5% of the proceeds for the day will directly benefit Sweetwater Farm!  More details will come soon…

And finally, we’ve planned a New Member and Volunteer Orientation at the farm on Saturday, October 29th.  New Member orientation will be from 10-10:30; a farm tour is scheduled from 10:30-11; and Volunteer orientation will follow from 11-11:30.

We have a handful of memberships available for any returning members from last season.  (We are not accepting applications from new members at this time).  If you are a returning member and would like to sign up for this season please Contact Us right away.

Until then,

Andrea Harms

Program Director, Sweetwater Farm

Over the last 15 years, Sweetwater Organic Community Farm has provided local, seasonal vegetables direct from the farmer to our community. Sweetwater grew from humble beginnings in 1993, where one of the six CSA members recalls, “back then if you didn’t show up to harvest the veggies, then you didn’t get any!” Those were simple times in Sweetwater’s history; relatively few members, 2 acres of farmland, small shares, and a farmer looking to grow a community from the ground up.

Last season Sweetwater’s membership grew to 280 members and the Sweetwater community continued to expand our reach through the St Pete Market and our own popular Sunday Market. With many members “sharing” their share, Sweetwater was able to supply more than 500 families with our certified organic vegetables.

In addition to growing healthy food for our members, Sweetwater made it part of our Mission to educate school-age children and our community about the importance of “knowing where your food comes from” and the benefits of sustainable farming practices. Since 1995 we have partnered with local pubic and private schools, local organizations, and home-school groups to bring more than 10,000 children to our field trip program. In addition, we have hosted hundreds of workshops and special community events. And thousands of CSA members and non-members have volunteered their time with us.

But with rapid growth and success, often comes growing pains. Sweetwater faces difficult years ahead as the economy continues to take its toll on us all. Mutually beneficial farming relationships that were created to meet growing demand and expand membership are changing this season.

One of our biggest changes this year will be our transition from our long-time relationship with the Bern’s Steakhouse farm, to our new location at the Children’s Home. For those of you who are unaware, Bern Laxer started his farm in the late ’60′s. The farm supplied vegetables for their restaurant operations. All of these years, Bern nurtured this farm creating wonderfully fertile soils. About six years ago Sweetwater began growing a portion of our produce at the Bern’s farm. We have also been managing vegetable production for Bern’s Steakhouse and Sidebern’s for several years. We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to operate at such a wonderful location. It has allowed Sweetwater to grow in every way. During our time at Bern’s, our membership has tripled. We have produced incredible crops for all of us. But now we must take that tenuous step, like moving away from the security of our beloved childhood home of many years to a new home of our own.

It is both timely and fortunate that we have secured 7 acres of land to farm through a partnership with The Children’s Home in Tampa. Our farmers and supporters have been working hard clearing the land, digging ponds, spreading compost, installing irrigation, and now – planting cover crops – so that we can prepare to grow vegetable crops this fall. This new piece of earth and the costs associated with starting a new farm are unpredictable. However we are confident that the Sweetwater community will rise to the challenges that face us.

There is an important concept woven into the CSA model that the Sweetwater community will need to remember as together we face these challenges. Inherent in the CSA model is a “shared risk and reward” agreement where CSA members do not pay by the pound for their produce (like a grocery store), but rather support Community Shared Agriculture by paying a specific price for a “share” of what the farmers grow. The concept of shared risk and reward is part of what creates a sense of community among members, and between members and farmers.

Our Children’s Home farm project has kicked into high gear so that we may begin crop production this season to make up for some of the production we will lose due to the sooner-than-expected end to our agreements with partner farms. The risk we face as farmers and as a community is that we cannot guarantee what this new land will yield in its first year. With your support, we will work hard and hope for a productive season, but we must also be prepared for a somewhat less bountiful harvest.

The Sweetwater Board of Directors and staff plan to take the following steps for the upcoming 2011-2012 season to ensure a smoother transition to our new farm, reduce the risk to existing members, and provide an opportunity for the most committed Sweetwater members to help us through this challenging (and exciting) year:

1. Sweetwater will limit the number of memberships to 200 total, effectively closing off new applications as of today and until further notice.

2. We will no longer have a St. Pete Market pick-up location. The many costs associated with this option are not feasible for our organization this year. We will reconsider the option again for next season. Any St Pete members interested in carpooling or sharing pick-up responsibilities in Tampa should get in touch with us and we will try to connect you with other St Pete members. (Please see contact info at end of this letter.)

3. We will offer a Refund Period from now until the end of August 2011 whereby any 2011-12 member applicant not willing to accept the additional risk this season may ask for a full refund of their membership. St. Pete pick-up members who do not wish to travel to Tampa for their share may also ask for a refund.

4. We will begin a Waiting List for people interested in joining Sweetwater should memberships become available during the refund period. Members will be added from our Waiting List with priority given to previous season (2010-11) members, and then “new” members on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Please Note:

If you have signed up to be a Member for the 2011-12 Season and have received a confirmation by email that your application and payment were accepted AND you wish to remain a member – there is no need to do anything.

The Sweetwater Board feels that making these immediate changes will provide us time to adjust to our new farm and use the land with respect, producing within its limits. We will continue to search for new partnerships that might supplement the produce grown by our Sweetwater farmers.

Committing to a CSA is more than just access to local produce; it involves the deliberate support of sustainable, healthy agriculture and the farmers that work so passionately to bring it to us.

We look forward to working with each and every one of you and hope that you will consider a renewed commitment to this community. Your volunteer help, donations, and kind words of support are deeply valued, appreciated, and critical to our future.

Please contact us using the contact form if you have any questions or need our assistance in any way.

Sincerely,

Rick Martinez

Founder and Director

Sweetwater Organic Community Farm