2023-04-03 newsletter

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

There seems to be no let up in this heat. This limits most of our
lettuce crop to Summercrisp which is a type of open leaf lettuce. It
remains tender even under intensely warm days. We still have baby
butterhead that is still sizing up in the fields, but much less. Most of
the romaine is now finished for season. Romaine performs the poorest of
all the lettuces we grow in the heat.

Tomatoes are going strong and we should have a goodly amount of
colorful heirloom/specialty tomatoes for those who want them this week.
Cherry tomatoes and camparis are also doing well.

We should also have ample blueberries while strawberries will be very
low.

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

Thank you to those who choose to pre-order. It does help us plan and
helps others by not having the line take so long on Saturdays.

We are currently planning to be at the Bonita Saturday market through
May. We will give updates on Captiva and Lakes Park markets as we know
them but certainly plan to be there for all of April and likely into
May.

Here is our weekly 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. ****

 ** 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

• Blueberries (from certified organic farm in Central
  Florida)

• Summercrisp Lettuce

• Baby Butterhead Lettuce

• Large Leaf Butterhead lettuce

• Cherry tomatoes

• Heirloom/Specialty tomatoes

• Red Slicing tomatoes

• Arugula

• Curly kale

• Flat kale

• Mixed kale

• Broccoli

• Broccoli greens

• Cauliflower (limited)

• Rainbow carrots

• Cucumbers

• Zucchini

• Sweet Peppers

• Eggplant

• Round radish (limited)

• Daikon radish

• Watermelon radish (limited)

• Green onions

• Large sweet onions

• Dill

• Cilantro

• Italian flat parsley

• Curled parsley

• Saw Palmetto Honey

• Nasturtium Flowers

• Sunflowers

Thank you to all who came to the Bonita Springs Saturday market. We
had a great day there. Above is Vicki and Patty Stiles. She and Pete
have been long time customers of 12 Seasons. We are grateful to so many
of you who have been with us so many years!

After a slow start to cherry tomato season, we have a very good
supply of cherry tomatoes right now.

Here is Carrie Bell after putting in pints some of today’s picking of
cherry tomatoes. Many of you know Carrie from home deliveries and
Saturday markets. She is in her 4th season here and is an amazing
talented individual and does so much for 12 Seasons Farm and the
community here. She harvests a lot of cherry tomatoes!

We have the next batch of heirloom/specialty tomatoes beginning to
ripen in the new greenhouses.

Broccolini has been a star in the heat. I am very impressed with it
staying tender, even in these very hot daily temperatures.

Here is Dan Hallau bunching up some of today’s harvest of broccolini
(aka sprouted broccoli).

Restaurant sales have been going decently well this season now that
we have been amply supplied in tomatoes. Pictured above are Chef Michele
and Executive Chef James at Bentley Village in Naples receiving a
delivery of fresh produce from 12 Seasons last week. We are grateful for
Bentley’s consistent orders this season.

Life on the processing deck! We have lots of good conversations and
laughter while cleaning, washing, and prepping the produce we just
harvested.

Fritz and Wally in their garden at the farm last Saturday. The Hallau
Family had just came back from being gone for a week’s vacation visiting
their grandparents and extended family in South Carolina. Upon their
return, the boys first ran to their garden. Fritz found 2 strawberries
and Wally had several tomatoes. They were beaming with excitement over
their garden treasures.

In their garden, they have strawberry plants, tomato, sweet potato, a
sprouted coconut, cauliflower, basil, lettuce, moringa, pineapple,
lemongrass, onions, snap peas, green beans, and many other plants.

Good job Fritz and Wally! The bounty is just about to begin. It
brings us great joy to see these kids develop such a keen sense of
gardening and individual plant care.

Here is Wally with a yellow tomato, older brother Fritz, and Benjamin
with a sweet Italian bullhorn pepper. The kids often gather around the
processing deck and enjoy helping where they can and also getting first
dibs on the #2 produce that doesn’t make the cut.

Thank you for supporting 12 Seasons Farm, your local family and
community farm. We work with several families and individuals who have a
desire to learn the craft of raising healthy and delicious crops. Of
course the farm life is also a great way to raise healthy and curious
children.

My apologies about somehow erasing the last paragraph in last week’s
newsletter. Here is what I had written under a picture of our team at a
previous week’s potluck lunch before it got erased…

“We are grateful for a team that enjoys being together. We come from
many walks of life and some come without much prior agriculture
experience, but we strive together, learn, and work hard to do the
common things uncommonly well. We enjoy the labor of farming and
bringing to you all a healthy harvest of goodness.”

Have a great week!

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