Newsletter Week 5

News From the Farm

The waters have receded and the mud is slowly drying up in the lower gardens.  Perhaps with another week of dry weather we can get into these beds to till and prepare for planting.  We are grateful to have half our garden on higher ground.  It's hard to believe that we are in July already and into the 5th week of the CSA with 19 more weeks to go.  Hope you are enjoying the produce.

On Monday, Wellspring was the site of a CRAFT workshop.  CRAFT is an acronym for Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training.  Farms with interns in Southeast Wisconsin and Northern Illinois get together throughout the season to visit other farms and learn from them.  Our garden manager, Jeff, took nearly 30 guests on a tour of Wellspring's gardens, greenhouse, interns' residents, post-harvest handing areas, and harvest shed which is our walk-in cooler keeping your vegetables fresh when harvested.  After the tour and discussions, we enjoyed a potluck meal under the large maple tree on our lawn.  It was a beautiful day and always stimulating to share stories and ideas with other farmers.  We heard many comments about the beauty of the Wellspring grounds.

We are grateful to those of you who are saving brown paper grocery bags for us.  We use these on the Thursday harvest for local shareholders.  Also, thanks for letting us know when you will be on vacation and not able to pick up your share.  However, we still have some shareholders not picking up their produce.

We enjoy our worker shares and community shares who help with the harvest on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.  There's a real feeling of community and fun while being productive together.  Thanks, helpers!

Wellspring is having an Herbal Workshop on Saturday July 12 at 2:00 pm.  Phyllis Heitkamp, a master herbalist, will be teaching about medicinal herbs, lead us on an herb walk, and guide us in making a natural remedy of our choice to take home.  Registration is due by July 10.  The fee is $25, but $20 for Wellspring or Riveredge members, made payable to Wellspring.  For more information, please call 1-(262)-675-0195.

Also, please pencil in another Saturday at Wellspring.  September 13 will be our Harvest Fest and Taste of Wellspring event.  Local chefs make a gourmet meal from Wellspring's own garden produce.  On top of wonderful food there will be hay rides and live music, so it is an event not to be missed!  Money raised will benefit the Garden Scholarship Fund with which we train interns in sustainable farming and gardening.  Hope to see you on the farm this season!

-Mary Ann Ihm