A late winter’s greeting to all:

There is snow on the ground and a snowstorm in the forecast, but at this time of year each snowfall could be the last. The day’s are stretching longer and longer and I can’t sleep in quite so late anymore or retire quite so early in the evening to sit in front of the woodstove.

This is the time of year that I pull out my list of last year’s CSA members, my envelope of checks collected from you last year and my waiting list for the 2010 season. I have messages for three groups of 2009 members: 1) those who are paid up for the 2010 season, 2) those who didn’t re-sign up last fall, but didn’t tell me they were definitely not going to, and 3) those who did let me know they were dropping out. So, just skip down to the information pertaining to your group and ignore the rest.

This week, I will cash the checks that you gave me last fall. Thank you all for joining up for another year of Henry’s CSA and your willingness to pay up front for a promise of produce to come. Just as late winter/early spring is when our larder of produce put up during the previous season begins to grow low, it is also the time when the bank account filled up last year begins to grow low, so the infusion of funds at this point in the year is a great boon for us.

I know that despite the obvious benefit of getting a weekly supply of the some of the most delicious, fresh and nutritious food on the planet, belonging to my CSA has its inconveniences as well—arranging your schedule around the weekly pick-up, for example. So I thank you for making the extra effort. I thank you not only for myself and my family, but for the planet itself, for not only are you getting food that is delicious, fresh and nutritious, you are getting food that is raised in a way that is good for the soil, water, air and all the living beings that live therein. A bite at a time, you are helping to save the environment on my farm as well as the global environment.

Speaking of the global environment, this year I will be using an electric tractor for planting and cultivation, thereby dramatically cutting my use of my diesel tractor. I have been burning biodiesel made from used cooking oil in that tractor because used cooking oil is cleaner burning than regular diesel, is a renewable resource and recycles a product that would be throw away. However, burning that fuel still releases greenhouse gases. My electric tractor will greatly cut down on my greenhouse gas emissions and lighten my carbon footprint.

What I am really looking forward to, though, is the lack of noise pollution. I have always hated the sound of the combustion engine in my field, blotting out the sounds of the birds and insects and wind through the trees. I am looking forward to a quiet year in the fields.

One last reminder: remember that if you change your email, make sure and get yourself resubscribed to this list with the new email address. All communication from me will come through this list.

If you didn’t re-sign up for the 2010 season last fall, but still want to, it’s not too late. Last week, two 2009 members contacted me and asked to rejoin. However, I am going to send out an email to my waiting list for the 2010 season this week and will start signing up new members. If you want to rejoin, send me an email right away and I will save your spot and keep it from going to a new member.

If you are not re-signing up, now would be a good time to unsubscribe yourself from this list, by following the instructions at the bottom of the page.

Thanks for your patronage last year and have a good year.

Thanks for your patronage last year and if you ever decide you want to give the CSA another try, just let me know.

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