The Season…In Seeds
Here are your CSA shares weeks 1 through 30…as seeds. Its amazing to think that over the next 8 months all of these seeds will grow to become the beautiful vegetables that will nourish you and your family. Here at SIO we work with a variety of seed producers, some right here in the Willamette Valley such as Frank Morton’s Wild Garden Seed out of Philomath, OR. Wild Garden Seed is actively breeding regional, open-pollinated, ecological selected varieties specifically breed for Oregon’s growing conditions. We also purchase from Seed Savers Exchange, a non-profit member supported organization with a mission to preserve genetic diversity. Seed Savers provides us with the seeds for our delicious and unique Torpedo onions, as well as the seed for Moonglow heirloom tomatoes, the SSE ‘s 2007 Tomato Tasting winner. The majority of our seed comes from High Mowing Organics Seeds, a small family owned certified organic producer out of Vermont. We choose to purchase from them because 100% of the tried and true varieties they grow are certified organic, and they are also wonderfully suited for our farming systems here on Sauvie Island.
Here are some fun seed facts:
- In one ounce of onion seeds there are 7,146 individual seeds
- Beet seeds are actually fruits containing up to 4 seeds, which is why many gardeners thin their beets after germination.
- Broccoli, kale, collard greens, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and romanesco are all different varieties of the same exact species, Brassica oleracea.
- At SIO cover cropping is integral to our soil fertility and we use 12 different types of seed: oats, cereal rye, triticale, winter wheat, crimson clover, common vetch, Austrian winter peas, bell beans, Sudan grass, buckwheat, phacelia, and sun flowers.
Garlic, seeded back in October, started coming up in our fields in January.
Spreading Our Roots: New Pick-up Sites for 2011
We know convenience is something that is important to our members, and this season we are adding more pick-up locations around the greater Portland area in hopes that one is just right for you. This season we’ve decided to partner more of our pick-up sites with Portland area businesses, and if you’d like to find out more about them just click on the name to go to their website. Family, Individual, and Salad Shares will be available at all of the new pick-up locations, so take the plunge, sign-up and start picking-up your share in your neighborhood or at your workplace this coming May. If your workplace is interested in becoming a pick-up site please contact us at csa@sauvieislandorganics.com.
Artemis Cafe (1235 SE Division – Ladd’s Addition) Wednesday PM
Family Box / Individual Box / Salad Share
Fork Revolution (5823 NW Cornelius Pass Rd.- Rock Creek Neighborhood)
Thursday PM Family Box / Individual Box / Salad Share
Green Drop Garage (1417 SE 9th @ Madison) Wednesday PM
Family Box / Individual Box / Salad Share
Lincoln Street Church (Mt Tabor) Tuesday PM52nd & Lincoln
Family Box / Individual Box / Salad Share
OHSU Marquam Plaza Building (Downtown)- staff only – Tuesday PM
Family Box / Individual Box / Salad Share
OHSU Market Square Building (Downtown)- staff only – Tuesday PM
Family Box / Individual Box / Salad Share
OHSU Bancroft Building (South Waterfront) – staff only – Wednesday PM
Family Box / Individual Box / Salad Share
OHSU West Campus (Beaverton/Hillsboro) – staff only – Thursday PM
Family Box / Individual Box / Salad Share
Vote for Jenn Louis from Lincoln Restaurant
Voting is underway for Food and Wine’s People’s Best New Chef, and one of SIO’s top Portland picks, Jenn Louis from Lincoln Restaurant, wants your vote. You can vote for Jenn in the Northwest region by clicking here. We’ve been working with Lincoln since 2009 and Chef Jenn for over 10 years, and her attention to detail and appreciation for high quality ingredients makes her one of our favorite customers. If you haven’t already experienced some of delicious offerings at Lincoln, put it on the calendar for your next date night because it’s guaranteed to please.
Shares Still Available for 2011! – Sign-up Now –
Tell your friends, tell your neighbors, its not to late to share in the harvest for 2011! As we are busy planning and preparing we want to remind you that sign-up for the coming season is open and we have space available at all of our pick-up sites. We still have Family, Individual and Salad Shares available and signing-up is quick and easy! Just complete the Community Farm Agreement and submit on-line, then send in your $100 deposit to reserve your slot for the coming season.
Field Assitant, Brian, is turning in winter cover crop in early February.