Farm to School Program

[LeslieH]

I'm in Baltimore right now.

Hope to be leaving Thursday. Mom is still not good, but hopefully now that she's in a different unit, she'll get the rest she so desperately needs.

Anyway, when does bidding occur? You may not get into the school thing this year, but possibly next year. It also allows you to see if you can be competitive by growing as if for the school.

And would it make sense to go to the County as a farming group to change the bidding system?

L

[mommagoose]

Those are all good ideas. I have planned on contacting the extension agent who set up the program. She does not have a background in agriculture so I am not sure how she is going to help the farmer deal with the purchasers at the schools. She is also the person managing the farmers market your sister in law and I attend. I know she knows nothing about growing veggies!!! I have to get the greenhouses running as soon as possible. We have no money coming in at all now. The chickens are making enough eggs to pay the feed bill only. The greenhouses have sucked up all the profit from this years market garden. It is very scary. There is no chance to get a loan with my husband out of work since April.. I am so glad I buy my internet connection a year at a time ( you get two months free if you do) I will be on line until May. It is going to be tight for a while .
Linda

[LeslieH]

Hey there.

I'm right there with you in the scary department. Mom's med bills are piling UP. But, I have enough food squirreled away to feed 2 of us for close to 6 months.

Would it make sense to get 1 green house up and running? Focus on just one, get it working for you to get some money in and then worry about the other.

If nothing else, it would help feed you guys. And yes, I had a feeling the extension person was her. Can you call Cornell directly for advice on how to deal with the farm to school thing?

I may do some research on it tonight. I may forget too, but that way you're not trying to find crap on dial up. I have bookmarks on my home computer about the program, but nothing here.

Oh. Are your original green houses growing anything for you?

L

[mommagoose]

The sun is shining, my budget is working and little boxes of seeds are coming in the mail. It is almost Spring. I have been paired with two small school districts in the Farm to School Program, Harpursville and Windsor. One has only 1,000 students and the other about 3,000. The food managers of each school district should be calling me this week so we can work out a plan and get to know each other . Right off the bat they are looking for spinach but I am hoping if that works out ok , they will be buying more product from us. The greenhouses are not quite operational yet, they still need the film and end walls. The carpenter who is building the end walls was here before I left for the Farmers' Market this morning and he seems enthusiastic. After my previous experience, I won't be holding my breath until he actually begins work. He is a family friend and worked with my first husband 40 years ago. It should work out ok. Fingers and toes are crossed.

I am going to start my onion seeds this week and I don't think it is too early to start half of my shallot seed. In two weeks I am going to start a few of my tomato , pepper, broccoli and cabbage seeds. This is uncharted territory for me starting seedlings this early. This an el nino year though and traditionally it means an early Spring here. I can't wait to transplant and play in the dirt of the greenhouses.

Thursday I took a Greenhouse IPM and sanition class offered by Cornell and in the afternoon I applied for three grants at Farm Services. I applied for the High Tunnel Program, an agricultural irrigation program and a transition to organic program. I am especially interested in the Agricultural Irrigation grant. I suspect our Home water Supply will be hard pressed to keep up with the demands of 4 greenhouses.

Time to get outside in the sunshine for a while. What is everyone else doing right now?
Linda

[LeslieH]

Hey lady!
Going insane in my corner of the universe.
I've gotten about 2/3 of my seed, and am awaiting the last bit. Have to split them with a Katrina Family I'm still helping and get them shipped off to her asap, and then will start thinking about my own seedlings.
I'm still going down to Baltimore once every 2 weeks. 2 weeks here, 1 week there. Am hoping this is my last trip down, but we'll see.
Once I'm back for the next 2 week stretch, I'll be tapping my maples and getting 1 boil out of each. Starting seedlings - not sure what yet. We'll see. And looking at making a collapsable cold frame. It's going in a flower bed, so I'll need it out by mid spring. Why make a big thing if I can get away with collapsing?
If your carpenter dude doesn't work out, let me know. I've got a couple of friends in the business I can tap if need be.
As for your water needs - I've got a book I can let you borrow - mail it to you - Create an Oasis with Greywater. Let me know and I'll get it to you.
Leslie

[mommagoose]

I am a little sad about the Farm to School Program. I called the school I am supposed to sell to and was informed they expect to buy salad greens $9 a 20 pound box. Also they want tomatoes and cucumbers all winter. How do I do that? They also want me to sell them apples and pears. I don't grow them and I have desire to be a middle woman with another farm. This is going on hold for now. I don't have the time to baby them . Let the local schools find out for them selves what they want. I can sell my produce retail all winter at an indoor Farmer's Market and to local restaurants. I can not afford to give my produce away and I sure as heck don't have the time and energy to sell someone elses product. I take pride in the fact that I grow everything I sell fresh and locally. I really wanted to help the local children eat healthy produce but this is our only income.
Linda

[LeslieH]

Linda,
Wow - So much for the great deal. Was it a new buyer for the school, or the same person you dealt with before?
I'm just glad you have other sources to sell to.
I'm sorry it fell through. It would have been so exciting to see it happen.
I don't know if you have time or not, but it might be a good thing to write to your state rep to let them know why you won't be participating in the program. Sort of like an exit interview.

I know you were really looking forward to doing this. I'm sorry. Really. I was excited for you.

L

[mommagoose]

Leslie, I am not writing it off completely. I would like to visit the cafeteria and see what kind of quality the $9 lettuce mix is and how the tomatoes look. I just don't have a lot of time to waste right now. My product will speak for itself if she sees it. I am not going to give away my produce. Along those lines of giving things away. I got a call from a state representatives office. He wanted me to provide residents of a low income housing an inexpensive alternative to store produce. I gently explained to him I was not a charity and my income was $2000 below the poverty level myself. He said thankyou and goodbye . Moron. I did not vote for him either.
Linda

[LeslieH]

Originally Posted by mommagoose

I got a call from a state representatives office. He wanted me to provide residents of a low income housing an inexpensive alternative to store produce. I gently explained to him I was not a charity and my income was $2000 below the poverty level myself. He said thankyou and goodbye . Moron. I did not vote for him either.
Linda

Ha! You gave me a great chuckle. Thank you - I was very much in need of it. And people wonder why I'm in the "re elect no one" party. I would like to think brand new morons have a little more common sense than the morons that have been in for 4-40 years.

FWIW - I'm about the same below poverty level as you, so I know where you're coming from.

If I had the energy before the disability, I'd help the low incomers learn HOW to garden - giving fish v teaching to fish thing. But selling to them for nothing? Sorry - no can do. I sell my extra to friends who can afford it. Even though this year, because my aunt is doing so much cooking for me, I'm supplying her veggie habit too, so won't be much extra to sell this year.

I wish I had your energy! I might stand a chance then. LOL Now that Mom's gone, I'll be prepping part of the property for chickens/turkeys. Not many of each - just enough to live off of. Mom didn't do flappy things. LOL So, no flappy things were allowed on the property.

[mommagoose]

Well, the energy comes from being bipolar so I do not wish it on you. I just figured out how to channel the excess energy for good rather than evil. lol. Planted 430 more sweet potatoes this afternoon. I can't remember if I had mentioned this earlier but I had ordered 500 sweet potatoes from Steele Plant Company. The delivery was late and I knew they had lots of flooding in Tennesse so I called them. The lady said everything was fine but they had trouble getting around with all the water so the slips would be a week late. That was fine with me I just wanted to be sure UPS hadn't lost a third shipment of plants to me this year. The woman then asked if I would mind changing my order from georgia Jet to Beaugard because they georgia jets did not look so good. I agreed to the change but when they arrived on Thursday there was 1000 instead of 500. I guess I should be agreeable more often . There are 11 baby figs on the Desert fig I bought in April from Willis Greenhouse. They like the heat in the tunnel. I also have a Brown Turkey and an Italian Everbearing. If they do well during the winter, I will get more next year. I am going to try and get some sleep now so I can get up early and plant my cucumbers.
Linda
Linda