2023-01-21 newsletter

Greetings from the farm,

This weekend we had a great effort by our team preparing the farm for
the colder weather. We covered most of the sensitive crops with
frost/freeze blankets, used propane heaters, and ran sprinklers to
atomize the water and elevate temperatures. We recorded 30.6 degrees on
Sunday morning and 31.1 this morning with a heavy, widespread frost.
Thankfully, it appears with all the preparations, the farm did well.

We will be back at McCarthy’s Marina this morning (Tuesday), 9-11 am.
and again at Lakes Park, Ft. Myers on Wednesday, 9am-1pm.

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. ****

NEW !! **
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

• 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 (new!)

• Broccoli

• Broccoli greens

• 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

• Lemons

• Sunflowers

Carrie and Justin at Lakes Park Farmers’ Market. We are grateful for
this new opportunity.

Here is a photo of a tomato variety called ‘Purple Zebra’. It is new
to us. The tomato is about the size of a billiard ball, delicious, and
attractive. You will likely see them in the heirloom/specialty tomato
quarts we sell at the market.

It was a full team effort to get the farm ready. Even the kids helped
out: here are Charlotte and Josiah pulling the cloth over young
cucumbers and tomatoes.

Because greenhouse construction was delayed, we had to do a makeshift
covering over the young tomatoes. It seemed to work well. Great
ingenuity by Ek and Corey to come up with something so fast.

Getting warm around 2am Monday morning. Many late nights the past few
days.

Ek and Mikha. He is learning well from the brilliance of his dad how
to build with bamboo and lash with recycled drip irrigation tape.

Monday night I had the enjoyable opportunity to speak at the Collier
Rare Fruit Growers Meeting. Simeon joined me in the front for the talk
and also got to share a few things about the farm. I gave an update on
the farm; the crop types and ways we farm (I call it the “life approach”
to farming); the impact of Hurricane Ian and recovery efforts; and
specifically about citrus and other tropical fruits we are growing at 12
Seasons Farm.

Breakfast at the Saturday market

At the Bonita Springs Promenade Farmers’ Market.

We are grateful to be back in full swing serving multiple
restaurants, farmers’ markets, and home deliveries. It has been a
whirlwind, literally, but we have a great team and such good support
from you all. Thank you!

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