2024-05-27 newsletter

Greetings from 12 Seasons Farm,

We had our final Bonita Springs farmer market of this season. Now we
will open the market at our farm for Saturdays in June. You are welcome
and encouraged to preorder for the Saturday market since production
becomes more limited as we enter the final month of our selling season.
As in past seasons, we will have a market stand you can buy directly
from.

The farm address is 14820 Old Olga Rd., Ft.
Myers, FL 33905. Just park on the grass on right as you come
down the driveway. You should see the green tent.

The tomato production remains strong though tomato size starts to
become smaller in heat. We are now very limited in lettuce and
broccolini. These long hot days bring stress to a number of crops.

I have mentioned before and will do so again… if we mess up on your
order or if you are in anyway displeased, please let us know. We want to
make it right. At the end of the season, we experience more challenges
from this intense heat and humidity

We will keep deliveries to Ft. Myers, Bonita Springs, and Naples as
long as the produce continues to hold up and there is an interest– at
least 3 more weeks, hopefully 4. People can also pick up at the farm now
on either Thursday all day or Saturday until noon.

There are two Tuesday options again for getting produce on Sanibel
and Captiva islands– home delivery and picking up your 12 Seasons order
at MacIntosh Books + Paper. We are grateful to have the produce drop at
MacIntosh Books + Paper available again for the residents of Sanibel and
Captiva. For those interested in picking up your produce order on
Tuesday between 11 am and 2 pm or have a home delivery, please place
your order before each Sunday 8 pm.

The Island Store on Captiva continues to carry 12 Seasons Farm
tomatoes! Mead, the store’s owner, has been ordering cherries, red
slicers, and heirloom/specialty tomatoes each week from us.

Here is our schedule for this week:

TUESDAY MACINTOSH BOOKS + PAPER PRODUCE PICK-UP AND HOME
DELIVERY FOR SANIBEL AND CAPTIVA RESIDENTS : There is a free
produce pick-up of your online order at 12 Seasons Farm at MacIntosh
Books + Paper between 11 am and 2 pm on Tuesday. We also have Tuesday
home deliveries on the islands. 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 12 SEASONS FARM MARKET : Saturday, 8am-noon
at our own farm for the month of June. Buy directly from our own produce
stand and/or place a preorder online by Thursday, 8 pm.
Use the farm entrance at ******14820 Old Olga Rd. Ft. Myers, FL
33905
**

Orders can be placed online at 12seasonsfarm.com

This is what we are harvesting:

• Summercrisp Lettuce
• Curly Kale
• Flat Kale
• Mixed Kale (multiple varieties)
• Swiss Chard
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Sweet Italian Bull’s Horn Peppers
• Broccolini
• Carrots
• Cherry tomatoes
• Campari tomatoes
• Heirloom/Specialty tomatoes
• Red Slicing tomatoes
• Round radish
• Daikon radish
• Cilantro
• Curled Parsley
• Flat Parsley
• Italian Basil
• Lemongrass (preorder only)
• Lychee
• Papaya
• Banana
• Sunflowers
• SW FL Wildflower Honey
• Strawberry Butter

Saturday was the last Bonita Market for this season. We are tired,
relieved, and grateful! The farming season is long and demanding here
but overall it has been very good. Thank you to all of you who have
supported us at this market!

Alexios out harvesting lychees. This is the ‘Mauritius’ variety. We
have a lot available now. They can be ordered online or you can buy off
the farm stand on Saturday. We are hoping to have a few mangos on
Saturday as well but the crop is unfortunately light this season.

The ‘Mauritius’ variety is way more productive than ‘Hak Ip’ and very
tasty too, just with a larger seed.

Bruce out mowing with the rotary cutter. We are getting this field
ready to sow a cover crop as we plan to rotate the strawberry planting
to this field next season. Strawberries are very susceptible to sting
nematodes, a very tiny soil roundworm that feeds on strawberry roots.
Successive strawberry plantings in the same location become very
problematic as the nematode population builds up and significantly
damages the plants. Before we had the additional 10 acre farm, we were
very limited in space and had more challenges with this pest.

We are in the process of finally getting the roof replaced where
Bruce and Jan live on the farm. The roof sustained damage in Ian and was
in desperate need of replacement. Thank you for all who supported us
with the extra funds last season. This is one of the last major projects
in a long road of recovery. Thank you!! They should be putting on the 5v
metal roof this week.

Here is a photo from the front of the lychee and mango orchard with a
young bougainvillea planting that hopefully will serve as a beautiful,
colorful hedgerow and living fence along the road.

The other day as I jumped on my farm cart, I was blessed by this
special note and flower from Annika! Wonderful daughter!!

This morning I took Michelle (on right) to the airport. We are
grateful for how much she has helped us the past 2 seasons and look
forward to her rejoining the team again next season. We are super
pleased and thankful Sammi (on left) plans to stay with 12 Seasons
through the summer and all of next season. She has been with us nearly a
full year and has adjusted well with her many diverse
responsibilities.

The 12 Seasons team is much smaller these days, but we are still
capable and strong and the farm is still producing delicious produce.
Again, thank you for all the continued support which directly impacts
and supports us and our workers.

Have a great week!

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