2023-03-06 newsletter

Greetings from 12 Seasons Farm,

The production remains steady and good at the farm for most crops! We
are grateful now for a strong strawberry harvest. Cherry tomatoes are
also producing well.

We send out 2 newsletters each week– one for Sanibel and Captiva
customers and this one which is sent to our entire mailing list. If
anyone wants to receive the Sanibel/Captiva newsletter as well, please
write us at [email protected] and
let us know to add you to that mailing list.

We plan to be at McCarthy’s Marina on Captiva tomorrow (Tuesday),
9-11 am and Lakes Park in Ft. Myers on Wednesday, 9am-1pm and at the
Promenade in Bonita on Saturday 8am-noon.

If you would like to place an order for Thursday home
deliveries or farm pick up, please do so before 8 pm Tuesday at
www.12seasonsfarm.com.

Here is a summary of this week’s schedule:

TUESDAY PICK-UP FOR SANIBEL & CAPTIVA: Place an
order online before Sunday, 8 pm, if you want to pick up an order at
McCarthy’s Marina in Captiva on Tuesday, 9-11 am. Extra produce will be
available for those who want to buy off the table. one ****

 ** WEDNESDAY LAKE’S PARK FARMERS’
MARKET:** We will be at the Lakes Park Farmers’ Mkt. each
Wednesday from 9 am to 1 pm. in Ft. Myers. Parking is free during the
farmers’ market.

THURSDAY DELIVERIES & FARM PICK-UP: Please place
an order online before Tuesday, 8 pm, if you want home delivery or farm
pick-up for Thursday.

SATURDAY FARMERS’ MARKET AND PREORDER PICK-UP

Market runs 8 am to noon. Please place an order by Thursday, 8 pm to
pick up your preorder at the Bonita market. If preordering, please pick
up preorders after 10 am.

Orders can be placed online at ** www.12seasonsfarm.com**

This is what we are harvesting:

• Strawberries (8# flats now available online)

• Summercrisp Lettuce

• Baby Butterhead Lettuce

• Romaine lettuce

• Large Leaf Butterhead lettuce

• Cherry tomatoes

• Heirloom/Specialty tomatoes

• Red Slicing tomatoes

• Arugula

• Curly kale

• Flat kale

• Mixed kale

• Cabbage

• Broccoli

• Broccoli greens

• Cauliflower (limited)

• Rainbow carrots

• Cucumbers

• Zucchini

• Sweet Peppers

• Eggplant

• Round radish

• Daikon radish

• Watermelon radish

• Green onions

• Italian Basil

• Dill

• Cilantro

• Italian flat parsley

• Curled parsley

• Saw Palmetto Honey

• Nasturtium flowers

• Sunflowers

The strawberries intercropped with leeks are yielding exceptionally
strong.

If interested, we have made available on-line 8# flats of
strawberries.

The avocado trees are in full bloom. It is a symphony of humming
insects busily collecting pollen and nectar.

I took this photo this morning while harvesting the broccoli with
buzz of busy bees all around. Here you can see a bee with a load of
moistened avocado pollen that is stored on its legs. They have a concave
area on their legs that is surrounded by dense hairs that helps keep the
heavy load of pollen in place while flying and maneuvering all around.
What a spectacular site and sound to witness. While collecting food for
themselves and making honey back at the hive, they are helping pollinate
the flowers for next year’s avocado crop. What an essential gift these
creatures are!

—

The Italian large leaf basil is also a strong attractant to bees, as
you can see in the photo. We have a good crop of basil right now. It
prospers in this hot, dry weather

We are getting a decent crop of cucumbers again. We harvest 6
days/week. This is today’s harvest.

Ek is working on a structure for the last cherry tunnel of the
season. The stink bugs are a real problem in the spring and these screen
houses help exclude them, making it possible to grow cherry tomatoes
late into the season and without the caustic insecticides that
conventional farms use to try and control these damaging pests.

Here is a little go-cart made by Ek that is powered by an 18-volt
Makita battery. Fun!

Future farmers of America. Victoria, Fritz, and Wally at the morning
meeting with their parents.

We celebrated Simeon’s 11th birthday on Saturday. Carrie and the team
kindly covered for us at market so we could have the day off and have
some fun family time.

Simeon got a pair of binoculars to go with his keen interest in
birds. This boy loves the farm, climbing trees, and watching birds. We
are so grateful for him! So many of you have seen him grow up, even
knowing us before he was born. Thanks for your many affirming words over
the years and investing in our children’s lives. Many of you have taken
the time to have positive conversations with them and bless them and
help them hone their math skills. Thank you! We know Saturday market
with the kids is not always the most efficient or peaceful, but these
kids enjoy participating in the life of the farm and we are grateful for
your support in that!

Have a great week!

Danny, Vicki, the kids, and the 12 Seasons Team