2023-01-23 newsletter

Greetings from the farm,

The produce harvests have been good now that the weather is with
pleasantly warm days and mildly cool nights. I often say the vegetables
we grow do best in the same weather that most people seem to enjoy. When
it gets too hot, then a lot of our crops begin to suffer too.

We had really good harvests today of sweet pepper, cauliflower, and
broccoli.

We will plan to be back at McCarthy’s Marina tomorrow (Tuesday), 9-11
am and Lakes Park in Ft. Myers on Wednesday, 9am-1pm.

If you would like to place an order for Thursday home
deliveries or farm pick up, please do so before 8 pm Tuesday at
www.12seasonsfarm.com.

Here is a summary of this week’s 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.

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.

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.

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

This is what we are harvesting:

• Strawberries

• Summercrisp Lettuce

• Baby Butterhead Lettuce

• Romaine lettuce

• Large Leaf Butterhead lettuce

• Cherry tomatoes

• Heirloom/Specialty tomatoes

• Red Slicing tomatoes

• Arugula

• Curly kale

• Flat kale

• Mixed kale

• Broccoli

• Broccoli greens

• Cauliflower (new!)

• Rainbow carrots

• Cucumbers

• Zucchini

• Sweet Peppers

• Eggplant

• Round radish

• Daikon radish

• Watermelon radish

• Green onions

• Dill

• Cilantro

• Italian flat parsley (limited)

• Curled parsley

• Saw Palmetto Honey

• Sunflowers

We are enjoying being in Captiva on Tuesdays. Annika has been going
with me each week. We have some great daddy/daughter time together!
While a small market, we are grateful for this opportunity to bring
fresh produce to the residents of Sanibel and Captiva.

The cauliflower harvest is really good right now. The cooler weather
favors the brassica family of crops (e.g. broccoli, cabbage,
cauliflower, kale). The cauliflower from the farm is such a different
experience from store-bought cauliflower as fresh-cut cauliflower is so
tender and tasty.

The next flight of sprouting broccoli has arrived and we should be
well endowed with broccoli for the next few weeks. The delicious stems,
leaves, and florets provide 3 vegetables in one bunch!

Brittany, Fritz, and Simeon are grading peppers while Wally is on
standby ready to rinse the peppers and anyone who looks in need of a
washing.

Myrah with 2 varieties of daikon radish. These giant radishes are
still very good even at such a large size.

Grace Washburn is a new worker for us. She arrived from Maine and is
friends to Eric and Susanna Hall who are a part of our team here. She is
beginning her 2nd week and we are grateful for her hard work and joyful
presence.

The lychee trees have rebounded well from the hurricane but still
have yet to flower. We are hopeful they flower soon. Flowering on mangos
has been delayed as well, but they are starting to flower well now. We
hope the lychees take the cue from their neighboring trees!

Stephan and father Rick Rauh joined us all last week and were a big
help with greenhouse construction. Stephan worked for us for an entire
season 7 years ago and is a cherished family friend. They are from
Illinois and Stephan is the Lead Produce Farmer for Hungry World Farm in
Tiskilwa, Illinois.

Stephan contacted us after Hurricane Ian to see how they could help.
They made arrangements to come the past week and worked intently on the
new greenhouse construction, especially building the custom ridge vents
for evacuating the heat. Great work!

Four little monkeys swinging in a tree…

I am not sure why there seems such pressure on children to grow up
fast especially when I see how much fun the kids on the farm have
here.

We are grateful to you all and look forward to bringing you some of
this week’s bounty!

Cheers!

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