2022-10-06 newsletter

Greetings,

We hope this update finds you all safe and well. Hurricane Ian has
impacted so many of us and life as we knew it in SW Florida is now
drastically different. We recognize so many of you, especially near the
coast, have been hit really hard. Our hearts go out to you. We wanted to
provide our own update and communicate about the impact to the farm and
our lives.

We—our family and team here—are safe and well but we took a decently
hard hit from Hurricane Ian. Our home, our workers’ homes, the farm,
most of the greenhouse infrastructure and buildings, the vegetables and
orchard have in some way been damaged. The days leading up to the storm
we prepared by anchoring structures, stripping plastic from greenhouses,
getting generators ready, transporting and moving equipment and vehicles
to higher ground, sandbagging houses, and moving our seedlings indoors.
However, the long duration and intensity of the wind gusts combined with
a powerful storm surge that came up the Caloosahatchee River damaged
nearly every structure on the farm and destroyed much of our crops

Our home flooded along with Ek and Bianca’s, our community house
(“honey house”), and 3 of the 6 workers’ quarters flooded to around 24
inches. All but one greenhouse was damaged or destroyed. We lost the
entire first planting of tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce. We lost much
of the fruit from avocado, citrus, banana, and papaya. Everyone is safe
but several of us have been moved around, staying nearby with friends,
while reconstruction is beginning. Our children are currently staying
with dear friends while we have drywall and flooring repaired in our
home. We plan to move into an RV today and be together again as a
family.

The above photo is from Ek and Bianca’s house on the farm. We have
since removed the damaged drywall in both their house and ours.

The “honey house” was badly flooded. This photo is taken after the
waters receded enough to check on the farm and buildings.

Nearly all the beds we had covered and planted were damaged. We are
busy fixing beds and replanting.

Seedling house along with 2 other houses were completely lost. Two of
our large metal greenhouses were damaged and one is now mostly repaired
and the other partially. I ordered new greenhouse plastic and that
recently arrived, so we hope to reskin those greenhouses soon.

In discussing the potential devastating impact of Hurricane Ian
before it hit, my one friend said one really good outcome is the way
friends rally around one another. This has certainly been the case for
us. Each day folks show up and offer their help. Beginning with the
morning after the storm and every day since, so many folks have been
coming to help us rebuild the farm and our homes. Friends have been
bringing meals, snacks, and water for the team of workers, with as much
as 30 people here each day for lunch and dinner on the front porch.

Many fruit trees were blown over. This is a Honeybell Tangelo. Nearly
all of the young planted citrus trees, numbering over 300 still need to
be lifted and straightened.

I honestly wasn’t confident we would plant another seed this season
after seeing how devastating the impact was, but once the flood waters
receded and people started showing up to help we began planting 2 days
after the storm once the first beds were repaired. So many dear friends
have shown true love and kindness to us by being present with us through
this challenging and exhausting time, taking care of our children,
housing our team of great workers, cleaning out muddy river water from
our home and belongings, bending greenhouse pipe, lending heavy
equipment, clearing roads, chainsawing, and working long days to help us
all get our feet back under us. It is a journey together. We have been
bent, but not broken.

The work has begun with great vigor and earnest! We’ve had tremendous
help. A team come down over the weekend from Ocheesee Creamery in the
Florida Panhandle who helped us with several projects including
straightening trees that were blown over.

New drywall was put in this morning at Ek and Bianca’s house this
morning along with ours. The reconstruction will still take a while, but
we are closer to getting folks back in their home.

Our front porch area is headquarters for good food, refreshment, and
fellowship. It is a long road, but it doesn’t feel so overwhelming with
such a great team and so many friends. They have helped us get through
some initial critical repairs and the trajectory of restoration is
moving in a positive direction.

Many people have asked how to help. If you feel inclined to help in
the rebuilding process, our friends the Small Family (who came back in
their rv several weeks early to help with everything) set up a campaign
to raise funds. I will provide a more detailed plan as to how the funds
will be utilized in a future newsletter. The link is below. Thank
you!

https://givesendgo.com/12seasonsfarm

We are trying to get back to full production by the start of the
year. It seems daunting, but that is the goal. More updates to
follow.

Thanks to so many of you who have already communicated your concern
and well wishes!

All the best!

Danny, Vicki, the kids, and the very resilient, supportive, and
amazing 12 Seasons Team