2024-05-06 newsletter

Greetings from 12 Seasons Farm,

We have entered the final couple months of this season. This week we
scale back to just one market per week in Bonita at the Promenade Shops.
As I have mentioned in previous seasons, the south Florida farm season
is book-ended by incredible heat and humidity– the opposite of northern
climates where the growing season starts and ends with cold. Both have
their advantages and challenges. We are now getting ready to sow some
fields with a cover crop to suppress weeds but also keep a blanket over
the soil to keep improving its quality. Soil does not improve especially
in tropical climates when it is naked and uncovered. So we sow a cover
crop and continue to build soil carbon and other nutrients by keeping
them in the biomass of the cover crops (as opposed to having them leach
away in bare ground).

This Tuesday we begin a produce drop at MacIntosh Books + Paper in
place of setting up at the Captiva Farmers Market. For those who place a
produce order, they can pick up their orders between 11 am and 2 pm at
MacIntosh. Owner Rebecca Binkowski has kindly offered this service and
there is no charge for picking up your produce there. We will do home
deliveries as well on Sanibel and Captiva for our normal delivery fee of
$14, also on Tuesday. Thank you again to all who supported us this
season at the Captiva Market.

Here is our schedule for this week:

TUESDAY MACINTOSH ON SANIBEL PICK-UP & HOME DELIVERY FOR
SANIBEL AND CAPTIVA RESIDENTS: Tuesday, 11 am-2 pm free pick-up
of orders at MacIntosh Books + Paper at 1620 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, FL
33957. Also home deliveries. Place a preorder online by Sunday,
8 pm.

THURSDAY FARM PICK-UP & HOME DELIVERY FOR SW FL (NOT
INCLUDING SANIBEL AND CAPTIVA): Please place an order online
before TUESDAY, 8 pm. For farm pick- up on Thursday, please come to
14840 Old Olga Rd., Ft. Myers, FL 33905.

SATURDAY BONITA FARMERS MARKET **** ****: Saturday,
8am-noon at the Promenade Shops at Bonita Bay. Buy directly from the
stand or place a preorder online by Thursday, 8 pm. If
possible, please pick up after 10:30 for pre-orders as
this will reduce the long line that often forms early in the morning.
When picking up, you are welcome to skip the line and go down the south
side of the tent to the back of our van where Annika will help you get
your order and grab any add-ons you might want.

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

This is what we are harvesting:

• Strawberries (nearly done)
• Summercrisp Lettuce
• Arugula
• Curly Kale
• Flat Kale
• Mixed Kale (multiple varieties)
• Swiss Chard
• Zucchini
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Sweet Italian Bull’s Horn Peppers
• Broccolini
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Green onions (mostly done)
• Large onions
• Cherry tomatoes
• Campari tomatoes
• Heirloom/Specialty tomatoes
• Red Slicing tomatoes
• Round radish
• Daikon radish
• Cilantro
• Dill
• Curled Parsley
• Flat Parsley
• Lemongrass (preorder only)
• Papaya
• Banana
• Sunflowers
• SW FL Saw Palmetto Honey
• SW FL Wildflower Honey
• Strawberry Butter

Photo from Bonita market last Saturday morning. Real living food!
These red tomatoes were picked on Friday and sold on Saturday– less than
24 hours off the vine. Now that is fresh!

Simeon and Mama! Not much longer and this boy will be outgrowing her.
It was at this same Bonita market 12 years ago that she was in labor
with contractions 30-60 minutes apart before his birth. Some of you have
been with us this long when we were primarily just citrus growers. Times
have changed– now we are primarily vegetable growers with not much
citrus and a full home!

Annika in front of MacIntosh Books + Paper in Sanibel where we will
have a produce drop this coming Tuesday from 11 am to 2 pm for those who
order online by Sunday 8 pm. Please pass on the word, even a copy of
this email. Thank you!

We are grateful to Rebecca Binkowski, owner of MacIntosh Books +
Paper who is providing this service. We also thank customer Ellen
Mayeron for suggesting MacIntosh as a pick up location.

Barb Nicholson came to the market stand last Tuesday in Captiva. She
is an artist that likes to paint sunflowers. She is displaying on her
phone one of her paintings. It was a pleasure to meet her and see the
amazing paintings she does of sunflowers. Her journey and work can be
seen on her Facebook page entitled Barb Nicholson Art.

Tasty mushrooms! For those that order for Saturday market pick up,
please let us know in the customer notes if you want either Trumpet,
Shitake, or Oyster and we can include that in your market pick up for
$6.25 per pint (approx. 1/4#)

Passionfruits are coming soon, perhaps the first ones next week. They
typically bear 2x/year, in winter and then again in May.

Simeon enjoying a big red tomato! They eat them like apples.

Alexios from Greece is showcasing an extra large purple carrot!

I will miss going to the market with my princess on Captiva. For the
past 2 seasons, we have got to do that market together– this season just
recently when Carrie headed out last month. I can’t tell you the joy I
have in doing it with such a wonderful daughter. We have such good times
together– loading the vehicle at 5 am, our morning drive with early
restaurant stops, setting up at the market, selling together, breaking
down, and then some kind of custard or sweet treat on the way home
before unloading back at the farm. She is a joy to be with!

We have had bountiful harvests of broccolini this season as seen in
this photo.

We are excited and grateful for another successful season. We have a
couple months remaining and hope to finish strong and well. We are so
blessed with a good team here at 12 Seasons and great, loyal customer
support. Thank you! We hope you have been nourished and strengthened by
healthy and delicious food!

From our family to yours, may you have a blessed week.

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