2023-12-04 newsletter

Greetings from 12 Seasons Farm,

The tomatoes are really starting to produce well now. We have some
new varieties we are growing this year that we hope you will enjoy. I
will try to showcase them in future newsletters.

Market on Saturday was bustling! Thanks to those who came out. We
plan to begin at Captiva market on Dec. 19. Thanks also to all who
placed orders for farm pick-up and home delivery. This was our busiest
week yet!

For those that pick up produce at the farm, remember that there are
two parts to pick up– the cold produce in front room of walk-in cooler
and the warmer produce (e.g. tomatoes and avocado), kept in the back
room of the walk-in cooler. Several have forgotten to pick up the second
part in the back room.

Here is our schedule this week:

THURSDAY FARM PICK-UP OR HOME DELIVERY : Please
place an order online before TUESDAY, 8 pm, if you want farm pick-up for
Thursday. 14840 Old Olga Rd., Ft. Myers, FL 33905

SATURDAY BONITA FARMERS’ MARKET **** ****: Our first
farmers’ market of the season begins this Saturday, 8am-noon at the
Promenade Shops at Bonita Bay. Buy directly from the stand or
place a preorder online by Thursday, 8 pm.

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

This is what we are harvesting:

• Summercrisp Lettuce
• Baby Butterhead Lettuce
• Large Leaf Butterhead Lettuce
• Romaine Lettuce
• Arugula
• Zucchini
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Sweet Italian Bull’s Horn Peppers (limited)
• Broccolini (limited)
• Cabbage (limited)
• Cherry tomatoes
• Heirloom/Specialty tomatoes
• Red Slicing tomatoes
• Round radish
• Daikon radish
• Cilantro
• Dill
• Avocado
• Pummelo
• Lemons
• Navel oranges
• Papaya
• Starfruit
• Banana
• Saw Palmetto Honey

Here is a photo of the students in the course I taught this semester
at the Heart Institute in Lake Wales, FL. Heart stands for Hunger
Education and Resource Training Institute. I teach a course called
Sustainable Agriculture. Today was the last class of the semester. I
have been teaching one day a week on Mondays.

As part of the course, the students plant and maintain a garden. The
above photos are the 4X40’ student garden beds. The gardens are a
no-till permanent raised bed system. The beds are enriched with compost
and covered with mulch. These contained gardens work well for Florida,
given the naturally infertile soils.

Erin, a student from Canada, harvested today a very large daikon
radish! Wow!

We welcomed a new family to the farm– the Harringtons. Here are Robin
and Chet with son Ezra. Chet has been helping finish the greenhouse
construction. They are from Maine and helping out for this season with 4
of their younger 6 kids present with them.

Here are Robin and son Enoch planting lettuce.

Here are some beautiful radishes going to a restaurant.

Mikha on the tractor. We are grateful to have Ek helping out on the
farm here for a couple weeks.

The kids and Vicki danced in the Deck the Halls concert yesterday
evening with the Gulf Coast Symphony and Ft. Myers Mastersingers at the
Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall. Elena Watkins, who also works at
12 Seasons, and her mother and sister were also dancers.

Here are Josiah, Simeon, and Annika on Sunday. The kids do Irish
dancing. It is fun to see them get so excited.

Sweet Italian Bull’s Horn peppers are starting to ripen.

The diversity and production on the farm is slowly increasing. Each
week we seem to be able to bring a little more to market. We look
forward to serving you fresh, healthy, and delicious fruits and
vegetables!

Have a great week!

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