2024-03-25 newsletter

Greetings from 12 Seasons Farm,

Thank you to all who came last week to the markets in Bonita, Captiva
and Naples. All markets were busy though Saturday was less so due
perhaps to people’s concern over inclement weather.

We are encouraged to see the Captiva market strong again. We are
grateful for a very devoted group of customers who have stuck with 12
Seasons Farm even with their many challenges of rebuilding since the
storm. We plan to be back there tomorrow as well as at the Naples market
with beautiful fresh produce!

If anyone knows of restaurants in SW Florida that might appreciate
having 12 Seasons produce– especially high quality tomatoes– please let
us know. We are well supplied with tomatoes and would like to see if
there are any restaurants that might be interested.

We sometimes get asked who does buy from us. Currently we sell to the
following establishments:

• Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa in Bonita Springs
• Shell Point Village
• Harold’s in Ft. Myers
• Sanctuary Golf Club on Sanibel
• Bentley Village
• Bay Colony Beach Club
• Sea Salt
• Sails
• Osteria Tulia
• Syren Oyster and Cocktail Bar
• Rebecca’s Wine Bar and
• The Continental in Naples.

We would be happy to serve a few more establishments and welcome your
recommendations.

Here is our schedule for this week:

TUESDAY CAPTIVA MARKET : Tuesday, 9am-1pm at South
Seas Island Resort , Captiva. Buy directly from the
stand or place a preorder online by Sunday, 8 pm and
pick it up at the market.

TUESDAY NAPLES ST. JOHN’S FARMERS MARKET
(NEW!)

Tuesday 9am-1pm at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Naples. The St. John’s
Farmers Market is located at 500 Park Shore Dr., Naples, FL 34103, just
south of Pine Ridge Rd. Due to vehicle space and staff limitations we
currently don’t plan to do preorders for this market.

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
• Summercrisp Lettuce
• Baby Butterhead Lettuce
• Large Leaf Butterhead Lettuce
• Romaine Lettuce (limited by the heat)
• Arugula
• Curly Kale
• Flat Kale
• Mixed Kale (multiple varieties)
• Swiss Chard
• Green Beans
• Zucchini
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Sweet Italian Bull’s Horn Peppers
• Broccolini
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower (ending soon)
• Carrots
• Green onions
• Large onions
• Celery
• Cherry tomatoes
• Campari tomatoes
• Heirloom/Specialty tomatoes
• Red Slicing tomatoes
• Round radish
• Daikon radish
• Cilantro
• Dill
• Curled Parsley
• Flat Parsley
• Lemongrass (preorder only)
• Ray Ruby Grapefruit
• Papaya
• Starfruit (just about over)
• Banana
• Sunflowers
• SW FL Saw Palmetto Honey
• SW FL Wildflower Honey
• Strawberry Butter

We have beautiful Swiss Chard right now. It prospers in the heat.

We have wonderful sweet red and white onions.

The curled and flat parsley have been strong crops this season.

Harvesting and then rinsing the soil from the carrots is therapeutic–
the hidden beauty is revealed!

We have been harvesting loads of premium cherry tomatoes. Joe and
Mike are great workers and do a fantastic job with harvesting and
quality control. It is a great pleasure to have such conscientious
coworkers.

Here is a 15# flat of tomatoes headed out to a restaurant
tomorrow!

We are still getting a decent strawberry harvest though with the
increase in heat, the plants are slowing down.

After a 2 year absence of papaya production due to Ian, it is
wonderful to be harvesting papayas so bountifully each week! If showing
out of stock on the website, just request in the customer notes.

The avocados are in full bloom and leaf exchange.

The avocado trees lose their leaves each year and nearly
simultaneously exchange them out with new leaves so it often goes
unnoticed; the fruits have a giant dense seed and an oily flesh– all of
these are very intensive and demanding processes in a tree. In spite of
this, they produce bountiful harvests. It is an enormously generous
tree– a great and nutritious gift from God to humanity. It is like
butter growing on trees.

The photo above is of an intercrop of curly kale in between the rows
of the avocado trees. They benefit each other– the avocado provides some
beneficial shade and cooler temperatures to the kale while the daily
watering and enriched soil where the kale is growing keeps the avocado
well nourished and watered. It is one of the roles of a famers to plant
wisely so species such as these– in their quest and demand for air,
water, light, and space– cooperate for their betterment versus compete
to their detriment. If I plant too close or in the wrong location, they
can harm each other rather than help. It is fun to be a witness to such
beauty and productivity.

Here is a photo from the Bonita market on Saturday. We ended up
having a good market day in spite of a lower turnout. The weather was
actually really nice with a cool breeze and no rain.

Last week the boys had a sleepover with two of their good friends
camping out at the back of the farm as part of a delayed birthday party
for Simeon. The farm is a great place to grow up!

This is Carrie Bell’s last week for this season. She is a special
part of our family and the 12 Seasons Team. She has been the anchor of
the Captiva market this season. Her 5th season here is winding down as
she plans to head out next weekend to make her way to Utah for the
summer. She will be missed. The kids really enjoy hanging out with her.
For me she is like my sister and a true pleasure to work with at this
farm. Cheers and gratitude to you Carrie for another great season!

Thanks to you all for your supporting 12 Seasons Farm! We hope you
are enjoying many meals and receiving added nutrition with the bounty
from the farm!

Have a great week!

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