Although another winter chill is in the offing this weekend, it is high time for us to shift gears, to imagine for a moment that Spring is upon us, and to launch the 14th growing season at Arlington Gardens with great fanfare. We have already received most of our seeds (a source of endless delight), completed our field and crop rotation plans (an origami-like challenge of epic proportions) and are now awaiting a thaw or two to begin tinkering with some of our farming machinery and equipment. We find ourselves in a pleasurable and contagious state, one that leads us to want to invite you to share in our excitement by registering for the 2023 season asap.
CSA basket deliveries will begin on Wednesday June 7 and, depending on your drop-off location, will end on Sunday, November 5. As always, you will have the choice between a smaller basket ($31 per week for 1 to 2 adults) and a larger ‘family’ one ($42 for 3 or more people); and at our market stands, you will also be able to choose between a pre-packed CSA basket and our pre-paid ‘Loyalty’ card – which allows you to buy what you want, when you want it (any unused balances simply carry over the the next season). As you may already know, we are quite flexible with respect to members’ vacation schedules, provided you commit to making up for missed baskets before and/or after your holidays (or find someone to stand in for you in your absence).
We have had a milder winter this year, which means we are hopeful that we will be able to offer several weeks of organic blueberries this year. This stands in marked contrast to last year, when plummeting temperatures in January 2022 nipped almost all our blueberries in the proverbial bud, so to speak. I will spare you the long list of all the vegetables that will fill your baskets and that you will find on our farm stands over the course of the season, but I will mention our ongoing fascination with the wonderful world of Asian greens. I will also strive to perfect our production of parsnips and root celery, two delicious fall vegetables that have proved challenging in recent years. Suffice it to say that our mouths are already watering at the thought of so much freshness to come – cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, lettuce, leeks, zucchini and so much more.
We remind you that we will, once again, be delivering the organic breads of our friends at Capitaine Levain at neighbourhood drop-off locations in the city* and at the farm. To register for their breads, please note the links we provide on our sign-up page and use them to register directly with them. We find their (organic, sourdough) breads truly exceptional, which is why we have continued to deliver them to you over the years.
We hope to see you return in droves, and look forward to seeing you all again this summer.