Delivery Day At The Farm

This past Friday I went to the farm to see what a delivery day entails. I went on the least busy day, only 16 boxes, so I wouldn't be in the way or take up too much of David's time on a busy day like Wednesday where there are 50 shares to organize.  I thought I'd done well getting there by 8 from Sandy with two small kids, but David and his help had been working since 6.

Although David prefers to pick the day of delivery, there is simply too much to do for everything to be "same day".  David has things growing at other sites (apricots, spinach, microgreens) than the packing field, and to have everything picked the morning of and boxes ready to go by 10 am, some squash had been picked the day before and lay ready under burlap.

This made me think that I need to do better trying to use our share right away since so much effort goes into peak freshness. David needed many more items picked after I arrived, including more pattypan, so we went out to the squash field. It was a slow process, walking through such a large space and so many plants looking for squash to have arrived at the ideal size since the day before.

On this quietest of the delivery days David has 3 workers, but on Wednesdays there are 9. The others were back working on sorting, checking the delivery list that is updated weekly, and writing up new boxes for those that they didn't get back from the week before. 

Each box is checked 3 times with the list (when laid out, filled, and before leaving) by the time it gets on the van to make sure the right size is going to the right person.  Each week I send David an updated list since shares are traded, delivery sites are changed, and new members sign up. 

After all the vegetables are gathered, divided and trimmed/cleaned, they are boxed carefully, matching back to the list again. 

At the end David took me on a tour, pointing out a few things that will be ready soon, like broccoli, and showed me the different varieties of fruit, some that will fruit early and others later so he can spread out the crop.  

David even let us taste some of the early variety peaches and berries that are starting to come on.  He's planning a member picking day for the 3rd Friday in August so everyone can have the chance to get their hands dirty and watch food go from farm to plate. Hope to see everyone there. More details to come.


-Helena