Hello all,
Ryan and I want to thank everyone who has joined the Pekarek’s Produce CSA this season! We are glad to say that the vegetables have been doing very well to this point in light of the mostly seasonably warm and sunny weather. By joining the CSA, you not only receive a weekly box of fresh and delicious vegetables, but you are also helping to strengthen our local food security, contribute to the local economy and support a small family farm (that’s us!)
This year we will have two different pick up locations in addition to the on-farm pickups. Some of you will be picking up your bag on Tuesdays in Lincoln at Toast. The rest of you will be picking up your bag on Wednesdays in Seward at the Winter Wonderland.
Each week you will go to your pre-selected location (farm, Seward, or Lincoln) and find the Pekarek’s Produce bag labeled with your last name. The following week you will bring back your empty bag and leave it at the site. You will then be able to pick up a new bag full of vegetables. This means you will have 2 bags with your name that will be in circulation.
For those of you who are new to Pekarek’s Produce, let me give you a quick introduction. Pekarek’s Produce is run by my husband Ryan, and me, Katie. Ryan began raising vegetables in 2004 while in college. We moved to North Carolina in 2006, where Ryan got a Master’s degree from North Carolina State University in Vegetable Production. In 2009, we returned to Nebraska where Ryan began vegetable farming full time. All of the produce is grown on our family land just 14 miles north of Seward. Pekarek’s Produce now raises over 50 varieties of crops on approximately 12 acres. With the help of a small local crew, we tackle the many aspects of farming: seeding, transplanting, watering, hoeing, weeding, harvesting and much more. We have three kids (Jacob, Margret, and Michael), who as they get older, help out a little more each year.
Each week we will have a short newsletter describing some aspect of the farm, from hilling potatoes to building cold frames and more. As Ryan is always covered in dirt or mud, your newsletters will come from me, but if you’ve ever met Ryan, you can be sure he will be telling the good stories. We look forward to a great season!
Each week there will be recipes available for some of the seasonal vegetables you receive on our blog at pekareksproduce.wordpress.com. This week you will be picking up your very first bag of the season and we hope you enjoy the many weeks of yummy veggies that are headed your way.
Your Farmers,
Ryan, Katie, and Crew