CSA and the Garden

Wow, things have been really busy around here and not much time for posting. We are still working on issues with our daughter, but things seem to be looking up for the most part. I have spent a lot of time answering questions about our CSA. This is our first year offering CSA shares and we are only offering a few. However, since we are the only CSA in our area there is a good bit of interest. I was even invited to speak at a ladies group a week ago about local agriculture and safe food. Of course some other topics were thrown in as the ladies got into a discussion about all of this "stuff" they seem to be forced to live with. What was supposed to be a one hour presentation turned into a 4 hour discussion group. It was fun and I think the ladies enjoyed themselves as well as learned some things. I also took them all some of my homemade lip balm, which they all seemed to enjoy. Our garden is bigger this year and since we have had so much rain I can't get the tractor in the garden without just making a huge mess. So, I hired someone with a tiller to come and till the garden. He ripped me off and that made me angry with myself. And really the more I look and work in the garden the angrier I get because he didn't do that great of a job. I had tons of compost that needed to be tilled in really well and I simply think he tilled the compost mostly. I am still working it with a dirt fork. We are getting a bit of a late start because of how wet our spring has been. The ground is soaked and I am simply afraid everything will drown. It wouldn't be that big of an issue if I did not have people counting on food in April. So I just keep transferring the transplants to bigger pots. The potatoes will be later than I expected because I am going to plant them vertically in trashcans and straw to keep them from rotting. They would definitely rot if I put them in our ground. With as much rain as we have had the pond is overflowing and has a leak so that waters the garden along with the rain. I know, I am complaining about the rain and in July I will be begging for it. I will get the transplants in the ground tomorrow as the rows don't feel to soggy and most of the water is being diverted into the space betweeen the rows.That is a good sign that my plants have at least a chance of not drowning. For our first CSA year this is going to be a tough one. Thankfully, we have not taken on many customers. I hope all is well with everyone and that your gardening efforts are getting off to a great start. Blessings.