Produce Pack Week 4 and Intro to the Crew

This week we have cherries! We picked one batch today for Tuesday’s pick-up and will pick again on Wednesday for Thursday’s pick-up. It takes a long time to pick them, but we had fun doing it on a nice breezy, sunny afternoon. Other new items this week are beans, dill, and hopefully enough cucumbers for everyone. We will have salad mix, peas, swiss chard, green onions, radishes, zucchini, basil, parsley, garlic scapes, arugula, and eggs. The bread is still in development. We are also introducing the ‘swap box’. If you pick out your items, and there is something you don’t like, you can put it in the swap box and take something else out. Please check out the Facebook page for all the recipes that are being posted there. When I get a moment I will collect them all into a format for the website.

This week I’d like to introduce you to the Abundant Acres crew, Bruce, Dylan, David, and Jen.

Bruce Glass joined us in January, and he is learning everything he can. He is a quick study, a loyal and persistent worker, and he is very stubborn about getting the job done. He ran his own painting company for a while, so he knows what it takes to run a small business. The other day he pounded in fence posts all day to make pasture divisions for the cows, he briefly sat down to eat, then got up and did a few hours of painting for his friend who just moved into the big farmhouse. He would really like to have a four-wheeler, but since we don’t have one, he uses my bike to get around the farm quickly. He’ll ride up to the field on the hill, harvest and clean salad mix, jump on the bike with the bin of salad mix on the back, and ride down the hill with the dog trotting along beside him. Bruce is a blessing and possesses a rare and enduring work ethic – as long as we feed him enough smoothies and bacon. He also has a very big heart and is mature beyond his years. He has inspired us all to do a lot of growing.

Dylan Cant joined us for 9 days in May while with Katimavik. He decided he wanted to come back for the rest of the summer and we are so glad he did. He not only wants to learn about farming, but also cooking, preserving, and herbal medicine. Even though Dylan is the youngest member of the crew at 18, we could argue that he is the most emotionally mature. He is also the best musician and chess player, although Bruce is learning fast. Under David’s guidance, Dylan has taken over a good portion of the cooking, which is a big job because we are a very hungry crew! He also provides technical assistance for any computer issues that come up. And he does it all with a smile and a twinkle in his eye.

David Greenberg started farming 17 years ago and his active and creative mind comes up with farming innovations on a pretty regular basis. He provides training for us all in market gardening and cooking. David is able to cook delicious meals for a crew of hungry people while at the same time farming all day, with the help of his favourite kitchen gadgets, the crock pot and rice cooker. David weeds and plants and harvests about 4 times faster than the rest of us, although the crew is catching up. He starts work every morning at daybreak and works until dark. Somehow he is able to be entertaining and interesting all day while getting a pile of work done. David’s favourite way to relax is to watch the cows graze in the evening. He is always thinking of what needs to be happening a year down the road in order to make the farm more productive and more efficient. Our Produce Pack customers last Thursday discovered that David cannot spell ‘arugula’.

Jen Greenberg is the oldest, shortest, and only female member of the crew. She knows the farm well, as she has been living there since ’93. She takes care of the livestock, accounting, and administration. Jen collects and dries herbs for teas, she makes bread and yoghurt, sometimes makes cookies, serves up breakfast in the morning, and has her pet development projects, like growing ginger, seedless grapes, and sweet potatoes. She is convinced that soon she will be able to produce a commercial crop of northern kiwis. One day! Her faith and optimism keep her bouncing out of bed every morning bright and early. Her main skill is convincing other members of the crew to reach or lift things for her.