Veggie Selections For Seed Ordering

CSA farming is quite exciting this time of year. We csa farmers have almost an information overload when it comes to seed ordering! As for me, I would like to order everything that looks great in the pictures in various seed catalogs but really so much more goes in to a seed order than what is appealing to the eye. Taste, reliability of a particular germination rate for specific breeds, previous year's seed performance, open pollinated varieties, no ties to genetically modified organisms so prevalent in commercial seed, heirloom history, yields, etc. are just some of the details I review before settling in on the key seeds best for my farm subscribers food. While it could be easier to just go get the popular ones, learning about how new ones and never tried before veggies is how I expand and retract what worked in the past and the many possiblities of what I can add to the tasting experiences of eating seasonally.
Let me know your wish list of which varieties of the following you would like me to grow for part of your share choices at Rosemattel's CSA Farm. The list of types of veggies are as follows:
Lettuce, Salad Mix, Radish, Asian Greens, Asian Root Veggies, Carrots, Beets, Spinach, Kale, Chard, Italian Veggies, Green Beans, Summer Squash, Winter Squash, Summer Melons except for Large Ones as they require too long of time in the field, Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplant, Cucumbers (except for pickling), Potatoes (except for purple and blue too risky based on last year's yields), and any thing else you think I should try. If there is something you have chosen from the sources below that I had tried but did not have the most stellar performance I will let you know.

At the end of this posting I have provided you links to the various suppliers I have used and may be using for 2010.


http://www.fedcoseeds.com/forms/ogs32_cat.pdf
http://www.seedsavers.org/Items.aspx?hierId=8
http://www.territorialseed.com/prod_detail_list/vegetable_seed
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/c-1-vegetable-seeds.aspx
http://www.cooksgarden.com/vegetables_seeds_and_plants

Eating Organicaly on a Food Stamp Budget

Food for the brain of thought!
Great Article!
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_19330.cfm

Top 7 Foods Experts Won't Eat!

Interesting article just came about tonite waiting for the stew to simmer!

I am sure there are more important foods to add to the list like "washed and ready" salad blends at the grocery store which have been doused with preservatives to keep looking pretty in their fancy cello bags, garlic that doesn't sprout this time of year and more.
Here is the link!

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/the-7-foods-experts-wont-eat-547963/

This Week's Offerings/Goodies to those who helped keep this farm going for 2009!

I invite all of you whose shares had ended before this week to still come by and help yourself to one of each winter squash variety and a paper bag of no spray walnuts!

With the early frost that hit us a bit over a week ago, the remaining items I have in the share area are as follows;

I will have a piece of paper at the share area to write your name on to let me know you came and picked up these goodies!

Winter squash: Delicata, acorn, butternut, sweet dumpling and yes more crookneck! See previous post as to what winter squash is and how to cook it in case you have been putting it off til now.
Remember, this type of vitamin packed veggie can wait to be cooked if you keep it in a cool dry place. Some people will use them as holiday dec's for November and then eat them through the winter.
My favorite thing to do with any of them is this:
Clean surface
Poke holes like you would to bake a potato
Bake at 350-375 degrees til outside feels soft and mushy
Then peel and/or cut in to slices, place sections in zip lock bag or a reusable freezer container.
I then take out what I need for recipes or servings as the winter sets in

Walnuts-these are no spray! Directions on previous post

Random tomatoes and bell peppers that escaped the frost.

Feel free to come by and take the amounts that are stated on the daily share board for those who usually pick up at the 72nd farm and are scheduled to end this week.

Accepting 2010 Farm Subscription Contracts!

Now is the time to sign up for 2010 only if you want to save some money!

I have 5 full subscriptions left to sell at the discounted price of 500.00 for a 22 week share.
Pick up will be at Barberton Grange just two blocks south of the ole' Rosemattel's CSA farm on 72nd ave. Day of pick up is Monday and is between 430 and 530. Estimated date to begin pick up of your harvest is May17th. Half shares are 275.00 and your pick up will be a full share every other week.

I started with 8 subscriptions last week so they are going relatively fast at this price.

After the last 5 are paid for in full, the regular price will go up to 600/325 per share.

See the website www.rosemattelscsa.com for sign up info and the list of items we will similarly grow for next season. The only changes we will make to it are any special requests from current and re-upping subscribers. So far I will be adding more leafy greens, beets and more carrots than I did this year. The thousand or so of onions I did this year was still not enough, so will add more dedicated space to them for 2010.

Let me know what your favorites are when signing up!

Sincerely,
The Farmerette
battlegroundfma@yahoo.com
(360) 241-1278

Safe From Montsanto Seed Companies Links

For those of you who may have your own family gardens, here's some info on where to buy your seeds with some research behind the companies and any Monsanto ties. As times and circumstances change some of the companies these blogs list may change. Always do your homework and ask the company yourselves if they do offer GMO (genetically modified organism) seeds for your own peace of mind!

In previous posts I have mentioned Monsanto, a company who wants to rule the seed banks of the world and encourages GMO seed coding.

Whilst I was searching for seeds and such to order that I hadn't saved from this year, I also did some quick searches for non Monsanto seed distributors. Here is what I have found so far.

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=824672
and
http://www.patnsteph.net/weblog/2009/02/avoiding-seeds-from-monsanto/

If I find any other blogs about this I will update this post.

Here is a response from Nichols Nursery I receeived today 10/7/09

Hello Brenda,

We do not carry any GMO seeds nor will we ever. We do carry some Montsanto varieties because they are good performers and they have no GMO material and have been around for several years. We are doing trials of these varieties against other new selections to determine if they should and can replace some of our favorite Seminis varieties. It's a multi-faceted dilemma, if we want to be organic gardeners then we often need good disease resistance. Also, the truth is there are companies besides Montsanto who are actively working with GMO material. I'm not even certain Montsanto is the largest but they certainly have a way of being the mote in the public eye. I've had wonderful dealings with Seminis, which was purchased by Monsanto a few years ago. We've worked with this company formerly called Peto Seed for over fifty years. We don't deal with any other area of Monsanto.

Regarding GMO vegetable seeds, they are not presently obtainable except by huge growers who must sign legal documents. I think it is safe to say we're more likely to find GMOs on the grocery shelves than anywhere else. I wish everything that contained GMOs would simply have it declared. I hope I've answered your questions and if you would like me to give you a call to discuss this send me your phone number.

All the best,

Rose Marie Nichols McGee

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The Farmerette