2023-05-29 newsletter

Greetings to the residents of Sanibel and Captiva from 12 Seasons
Farm,

Last Saturday was our final market in Bonita Springs. It is
bittersweet. We are grateful for another very good season there. The
Bonita Springs market is really the first market where we experienced a
real demand and appreciation for what we grew at 12 Seasons, nearly two
decades ago. So many of you have been with us from the beginning. Thank
you! Thank you!

Tomorrow will be our final week at McCarthy’s Marina. We plan to be
there 9-11am. We are so pleased with how the Captiva market worked out
this season. It was tough in the beginning without a location, but we
were earnest to get back to the island after the storm to serve many of
our long-standing customers. Thank you to Wendy Childers, Melissa
Laidlaw and others who were proactive in encouraging us early on and
helping us find a location where we could meet up with the residents of
Sanibel and Captiva. There is a corps group of you that have been so
loyal and affirming. Thank you! We also want to acknowledge Captain Bob
and Jenny Rando with Captiva Cruises for allowing us to be at the marina
this season! They asked for no rent and in place of money, we provided a
weekly box of produce. Whoever can, please find a way to thank them
and/or support their business. The Captiva Market run by Local Roots is
set to return back to the island next season on Tuesdays beginning
Dec. 19.

We plan to continue the Lakes Park famers’ market on Wednesdays into
June as that market was extended another month. We intend to set up
preordering next week at Lakes Park for those who want to pick up orders
there. You should see that as an option by next week’s newsletter. 

Home deliveries and farm pick up continue to be available on
Thursdays.

We will begin a market on Saturdays at our farm for those that want
to make the long trek. You may pick up a preorder at the farm as well.
The farm address is:

14820 Old Olga Rd., Ft. Myers, FL 33905. Please park on the grass on
the right of the driveway.

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

Here is our weekly schedule:

TUESDAY PICK-UP FOR SANIBEL & CAPTIVA: LAST WEEK!!:
Farmer’s mkt at McCarthy’s Marina on Captiva on Tuesday, 9-11
am. Extra produce will be available for those who want to buy off the
table. ****

**__******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 AT 12 SEASONS FARM : Market
runs 8 am to noon at our farm. 14820 Old Olga Rd. Ft. Myers, FL 33905.
If you want to preorder for this market, please place an order by
Thursday, 8 pm to pick up at our farm on Saturday morning.

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

This is what we are harvesting:

• Mangoes

• Summercrisp Lettuce

• Large Leaf Butterhead lettuce

• Cherry tomatoes

• Campari tomatoes

• Heirloom/Specialty tomatoes

• Red Slicing tomatoes

• Arugula

• Curly kale

• Flat kale

• Mixed kale

• Broccoli

• Broccoli greens

• Rainbow carrots

• Cucumbers

• Sweet Peppers

• Eggplant

• Round radish

• Daikon radish

• Dill

• Italian flat parsley

• Turmeric

• Saw Palmetto Honey

• Sunflowers

We have a decent supply still of daikon radishes and lots of rainbow
carrots. The photo above is from today’s radish harvest. Daikon radish
perform much better in the heat than the typical round radish.

We are finally getting a good supply of bananas since the storm. The
boys today found a ready bunch and helped prepare it by cutting off the
individual fruit. We remove the individual fruit from the bunch,
otherwise when fully ripe the fruit peel will tear at the stem and
expose the fruit.

We have a decent crop of mangos and they are just beginning to
ripen.

Josiah and Benjamin are enjoying one of the first few ripe
mangos.

Last week our staff thinned out even more. Grace and Emily and the
Small Family left to return to Maine for the summer. We had a going away
party in the honey house which is still under construction as you can
see, but certainly usable.

Good-byes are hard. There were a lot of tears shed on Friday. Grace
became a dear friend to Isabella and Annika. Grace would have a book
night once a week and read to the children.

This is a sign we put up at the Bonita farmers’ market.

Here is a photo from one of the first Captiva markets. Annika grew up
a lot this season. I had to throw a money bag on her early on during a
very crowded market and so many of you were patient with her. I will
remember this time in my daughter’s life where so many of you helped her
step up to the plate and do well! Thank you!

Many of you have gone north. Thank you all for a wonderful season. It
truly was a pleasure to serve you. We hope you are having a wonderful
summer and we look forward to serving you again.

For those that remain in SW FL we hope to see you this week at one of
our markets, the farm, or through deliveries!

All the best.

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