Tag: local-farmers

Life Is A Journey

Life is a journey and the path we are currently on in WNC, Buncombe County to be specific, is a most challenging one. Patience is a MUST. Prayers are being made without ceasing. Robert and I have heard from many of our CSA Members asking how we are. None of our phones are in service at this time, but spotty texts do come in–often days after they were sent. Obviously, I have managed to find a location with power and internet service as I write this Blog! Robert and I are fine and our sons and their families, located in Buncombe County, are both fine.

Unfortunately, our entire farming infrastructure was washed away in this 500-year? 1,000-year? flood. The waters covered both tractors and destroyed the electrical system which operates the wells which we use for underground drip irrigation. Indeed, the power pole is laying flat in the middle of the field with the wires still attached to it, but also tangled up in a very, very, tall debris pile. The blueberry bushes are standing, but most all of the ground fabric, poles, fences, etc. and gone. Any fabric left is covered with many inches of mud–we think. Once the mud is removed, we will know for sure! Some very large rocks washed into the field and with tires, etc. What was once the outer garden and became a sand bar in the 2021 Hurricane Fred is now a gravel/rock bar. That area will never be a garden again. As I drove out today, I saw Dalton’s Fairview 66 Towing attempting to remove the second ten-foot container which was stuck in Cane Creek under the bridge at the edge of our property. I trust they will get the 1950 +- pickup truck next! What an adventure!!

We did harvest beautiful peppers and eggplant in the rain on the Thursday, September 26 before the flood. On Tuesday, October 1 we took CSA Boxes to Filmon Process Corp (which amazingly also escaped damage except for fallen trees). Understandably, no CSA Members ventured out; but if they had, they would have found their boxes! Thursday, October 3 was our last CSA Box pick up day at Troyer’s Country Amish Blatz off Old Fort Road in Fairview. I did attempt to notify all members who had a box for which they had paid in advance. Four or five families were able to show up; many more were unable to get there and asked that we donate the vegetables. This was easy as Troyer’s is a Mennonite Disaster Service site! Workers with travel trailers and tents and big equipment were there from PA and when that group left a crew from MI took their place!! Many mouths to feed after a hard day of labor repairing roofs and sawing up fallen trees in the community. By the way, water and miscellaneous supplies are available at Troyer’s if anyone is in need.

I am not sure what the future holds for Cane Creek Asparagus & Company CSA. Robert and I have always been able to do our own clean up after any “seasonal flooding.” However, this unprecedented disaster brought to WNC by Hurricane Helene is one of an entirely different nature. The cleaning up will take professionals with the appropriate “big boy toys.” We are grateful for the Blessings we have received. We know so many who are much worse off. For now, Over And Out.

CSA Starting

As of today every one of our CSA Members will have heard the date of their first veggie pick up. We are excited to get the 2024 Harvest Season started. The hail storm in early May is just a reminder that we are not in control of the weather. Also, a few “hail holes” do not change the delightful taste of our greens!

Drone pic of Spring Garden!

One of our sons brought over his drone and snapped some photos of Robert’s “works of art” from the sky. Above you can see the larger, first planted wave of crops at the top and the later, more recently planted waves toward the bottom of the photo. If you look carefully at the middle, more barren row, you can see the drip irrigation tape running down the middle. A drip tape runs down each row of veggies.

Our “potato patch”

The potatoes are looking good! There is one bare spot at the far end where one variety did not grow well; but despite this, I think we will have enough to satisfy. Everything is so pretty this time of the year before the weeds begin to grow and start to take over like they always do. One just learns to love them, too.

CSA Member Families can look forward to eating Joi choi, the “second” choi, Ching Chang, Tatsoi, Kale, Asian Delight, and Green Romaine lettuce! We like the Tatsoi Fetta Pie and Quiche Cakes recipes which you can find under “T – Z” in the recipes. Everything else mixed together in a huge salad is our way of eating. If bitters are not your favorite, try drizzling a bit of local honey over your salad. Adding a handful of Craisins works, too. If you get tired of chewing, one inventive CSA Member tells me these greens make a delightful pesto! And in case you do not know it, pesto can be frozen in ice cube trays for later use as a sandwich spread or tossed into a soup for “greens” nutrition and seasoning.