Lloyd Craft Farms Fresh Produce, Locally Grown

Time is slipping through our fingers like snowflakes–that’s not a very good analogy…snowflakes don’t slip, but then maybe it is a good analogy of the last two weeks with the 37 degree daytime temps.  We have been in a holding pattern.  But as we circle we are making the last efforts to be prepared for a hectic, crazy month!  

MAY is planting time in Wyoming–

Today, while The Farmer and Son made a trip to Colorado for more fertilizer, and Casper for building supplies, The Farmer’s Wife finalized the garden plan and tonight ordered the last of the seeds.

We will hit the ground running next week—Potatoes are coming by freight tomorrow from Montana and the Fingerlings should be in our mailbox from Idaho.  Onions will ship from Texas latter part of the week.  All those things go into the ground–the beds are ready…we got them all laid before the storm hit.  1,200 Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Cabbage plants, that will be picked up from Janene at Enchanted Gardens, will be poked in the ground through the plastic mulch. Carrots, Turnips, and Beets have to be hand planted into shorter beds.  Kale, Swiss Chard, Spinach and Broccoli Raab may be delayed–there is only so much time in a week--and we have the Buyer’s Group Wednesday.  🙂

This is just the start for a busy month–all the Peppers, Eggplant, Tomatoes, more Cauliflower, first plantings of Melons, Cucumbers, Summer Squashes, Bunching Onions, and the first round of Corn go in the Second Week of May!  This, of course, after checking the night-time temps for the next couple of weeks and a good look at the Farmer’s Almanac– 

Happy Spring! I CAN HARDLY WAIT–here’s a word picture on time:

“Time is like a handful of sand- the tighter you grasp it, the faster it runs through your fingers.”  Anonymous

The Farmer’s Wife

Today–APRIL 20th– Organic Produce at Bee Healthy, 635 Big Horn Ave, Worland–Prices competitive — wholesale plus small markup to cover handling– All must go today!  Best selection earlier in the day–Last call 5:30 p.m.

Opportunity to sign up for the CSA— $300 for 12 weeks (13 this year), $160 for 7 weeks!  4 Pay Plan available with Down payment in April.  Fresh produce grown right here in the Big Horn Basin.  Opportunity to buy Eggs, Whole Yogurt, Fruit, and herbs including Fennel with membership in the CSA.  6 Openings Left–

The Farmer’s Wife–craftterri@rtconnect.net

Buyer’s Group is April 20th at Bee Healthy–10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.  WALK-IN’S WELCOME!

Administrator’s Special:  Bartlett Pears and Blackberries, Russet Potatoes and Jumbo Red Onions, XL Green Bell Peppers, Washington Asparagus, Sunburst Squash and Zucchini, Baby Rainbow Carrots, Butterhead Lettuce AND our very own Red Radishes from our very own hoophouse!

A wide selection of other produce as well!  Extra quantities of Bananas, Yams, Broccoli and Cauliflower, Gator Egg Avocados, Blueberries, Strawberries, Carrots, Chard and Kale, Celery, Mushrooms, Kiwi in a clamshell, Taylor Farms Green Beans, Pink Lady Apples, Baby Spinach…and more!

New item this week:   Mangoes

See you there!   The Farmer’s Wife

We are so excited for this year!  We’ve made some changes that we think are going to improve an already great thing–simpler and more straight forward–more options for more people–less of our time tied up in book-keeping and share preparation–MORE time in the garden and harvesting everything more completely!!

Your FRUIT/LETTUCE VOUCHERS (pay before midnight today–April 15th) will be mailed in JUNE to use at the first Pick Up in JULY.  (Post-mark counts toward the April 15th deadline!)  These vouchers are our way of saying thank you for paying sooner–Your $300 or $160 or $575 pays our input expenses, which we are incurring right now for seed and transplants, plastic mulch, drip-line, fertilizer, and fencing.  We have been able to keep up with the costs so far–and are about 8 shares short of being FULL!

We are expanding and enclosing the shelter for the Pick UP’s that start in July–Thursday from 4:30 to 6:30.  You will be able to get your share, ‘shop’ the Extra’s table, put in your orders for canner’s shares, and purchase good wholesome food from our double glass door cooler:  Lettuce and Spinach, buy from a variety of Fruits, whole milk yogurt, farm fresh eggs, and some of our herbs…including fennel bulbs when they are ready!  Where else can you get these options!  And how cool to have the first $25 and $50 ON US–a thank you for paying before April 15th.  🙂

Plastic mulch goes down next week, potatoes should be arriving and going right into the ground…we are also expecting delivery of the new Gothic Hoophouse we acquired through an NRCS grant.  (Gothic design is supposed to handle wind better and snow, too.)  AND the hoophouse is full of nice, lush greenery for Buyer’s Group and peas and mache for Yellowstone Park through our Montana buyer!  I’ll try to keep you updated on The Farm–This is such an exciting time of year!! 

The Farmer’s Wife–  🙂

I’m getting ready for Buyer’s Group next week!  Are you ready?  Cleaned out the fridge–made applesauce from the left over Fuji’s from a month ago, and baked banana bread from the 3 unused bananas from last week.  Moved the last 8 Minneolas into the fridge from the box by the back door.  AND threw out the four tubs of Taylor Farms Spinach and salad mix from the outdoor cooler.  Yes–even I have to throw things out everyone in a while…but it is a blessing to have food that is alive…shorter shelf life, longer on nutrition and vitality!  (We console ourselves by ‘putting it in the compost pile’–)

If you want special items, let me know and I’ll see what I can do.  If you want a pound of lemons, let me know.  If you want to purchase more quantities of an item, let me know and I’ll be sure and order more to accomodate your need.  email me to craftterri@rtconnect.net

NOW–Some really exciting news!  We have Red Rover Radishes from the hoophouse–to be honest, I’m not crazy about radishes…don’t like hot…BUT these are an early spring cool weather crop and the flavor is phenomenal!  We will have some extra’s for Walk-in’s.  Remember that radishes have the mildest flavor if eaten sooner and not left in the fridge where they take on that pungent taste we are most familiar with–

Last “Are You Ready?”–Are you ready for a summer of fresh and locally grown vegetables?  Are you ready to support the local producer by being a part of this grand adventure?  If so–take advantage of the Early Bird Fruit/Lettuce Voucher and join before Friday, April 15th.  Payments can be dropped at The Farm, 1049 Washzkie Ten, Worland; or put in the mail today.   We are nearing fullness, and working diligently to get things ready for planting and organizing for a great year!

Call with questions!  Thanks and blessings to all– The Farmer’s Wife

Success!–Well almost success…I’ll take it!  I failed at downloading a movie onto http://www.lloydcraftfarms.com, but succeeded at downloading it and running it at Lloyd Craft Farms Facebook page–Check it out!

It’s a great movie of The Farmer with his latest ‘toy’–some guys like snowmobiles and four-wheelers…my Farmer?  He likes tractors and machines that save his strength and muscles for other work–Lord knows he has plenty to do!

The latest gadget is a wheel that mounts on the side of the Rain-Flo Mulch Lifter we bought three years ago.  **Before the Mulch Lifter all the beds had to be pulled up by hand–which is harder than it sounds.  The ground is rock solid at the end of the season…the mulch is set like concrete atop the raised dirt bed.  Hand lifting the beds would take a week to complete, and as the garden grew the job became more overwhelming.**  The lifter was a muscle and back saver:  Lifted the plastic mulch up out of the ground, but it still took a lot of time to pull the loosened plastic off the beds and pile them up to be disposed of.

NOW—thanks to the ingenuity of Mr. Eric Anderson–the wheel mounted on the side of the mulch lifter rolls up the plastic and the drip line(s) as the bed is being lifted, and then the rolled plastic can be slipped off at the end of the bed…or when full!  (It’s a little more complex than just a wheel, but I’m a simple woman when it comes to understanding mechanical things–)

Thank you for labor saving machines that help the poor old Farmer!  The Farmer’s Wife

Just going over the Reservation List for the CSA–we have about 8 openings left for this year!  Pay before April 15th and take advantage of the Early Bird Fruit and Lettuce Voucher.  WOW– that is wonderful–  We should be able to cover most of the garden input expenses–Should carry us through until the wholesale sales volume builds up to cover the remainder of the costs of operating the 6 acre garden.

Still in need of help–  If you know of someone who loves to harvest, package, and bundle garden goodies and wants to work full-time have them get ahold of me:  craftterri@rtconnect.net or call 431-1219.

Want to help with Harvests….but as a Volunteer?  2 to 3 mornings a week, 7:00 to noon… Can pay a little or swap out in veggies.  🙂  call, text, or email.  Moms and older children invited–  🙂

Once we have filled the CSA openings, we will move to Phase TWO– arranging Pick Up’s and Deliveries, taking pre-orders for Canner’s Shares, and finalizing the rest of the CSA operation.

Garden plans are coming together!  Waiting for the potatoes which should be arriving next week…trying some new Fingerlings…PURPLE Peruvian and PURPLE Fiesta, and Russian Banana–  The Farmer and The Oldest Son have finished pulling up the plastic mulch from last year…will post a movie showing the new mulch wrapper than Mr. Anderson retrofitted on to the mulch lifter…look for it Sunday at the web site under the About Us, Update on the Farm page.  (Tried now but the file type is not supported–)  Pretty cool!

Well…hungry men crowding the office…gotta go!  The Farmer’s Wife

YES!  Tomorrow is the day–Produce came in today…except no tomatoes and the green beans in bulk are being sent back.  REMEMBER–If you bought AVOCADO’s last time, I have replacements for you.

Some things to check out:  Gator Eggs- Haas avocados in a 6 pack–  Great selection and good quality.  Haas avocados are smaller with a tiny pit.  You probably have more meat than the larger avocados.  Texture is creamy and tasty– $4.75

FRUIT–

Heirloom Oranges–4# for $3.25/  38# box for $33/   $1.25/#

Meyer’s Lemons–1# bag for $1.75      Super Sweet Strawberries–1# for $3.75

Blackberries–1 pt for $5.00

Fuji Apples–$2.50/#                Bananas--$.85/#                Kiwi--clamshell of 6–$3.50

VEGGIES–

Sunchokes–8 oz for $2.50                     Asparagus–1# for $4.75

Celery–1# bag Carrots—Yellow Bell Peppers—Cucumbers—Zucchini

ORG Baby Bok Choi–1-1/4# bags for $4.25  (13 available)

Broccoli—Cauliflower—REASONABLY PRICED and FRESH

Snap Peas—back by Popular Demand–resealable bags–8 oz for $3.75

3# bag Yellow Onions—Leeks—Red Potatoes—Yellow Sweet Potatoes

GREENS:  Kales, Swiss Chard, Baby Spinach, Herb Salad Mix, Wellness Mix

See you at Bee Healthy!  635 Big Horn Ave, Worland–  10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The Farmer’s Wife

Here’s what we have ordered!:

Asparagus, Red Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, 3# bag Yellow Onions, bulk Green Beans–buy by the pound or ounces, Baby Bok Choi, Broccoli and Cauliflower, Red Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Cucumbers, Snap Peas, Peppers, Zucchini,

Kale and Swiss Chard, Baby Spinach, Taylor Farms Herb Salad Mix, Wellness Blend,  Red Butter Head lettuce

Fuji Apples, Heirloom Oranges–by the pound, by the box, or 4# bag; Grapefruit, Minneolas, Avocados, Kiwi clamshells, Blackberries, Strawberries, Bananas, Meyers Lemons.

Ginger Root, Garlic, Oregano, Basil, and Rosemary-Sage-Thyme combo mix.  Portabello Mushrooms and White Mushrooms. Sunchokes.

Come and check it out–best selection earlier in the day–quantities limited on most items–Next opportunity:  April 20th–

The Farmer’s Wife

Produce has been ordered!  If everything is available and quality is acceptable, the Administrator’s Special will be as follows:

3# White Sweet Potatoes–back by request 🙂

3# Pink Lady Apples–always the BEST!

Snap Peas–slightly less than a pound each–

Cherry Tomatoes on the Vine, Crimini Mushrooms, Croutons, Baby Spinach- recipe for Spinach Salad included…add bacon and eggs, and make the Yummy dressing!

Yellow Bell Pepper and Red Butter Head Lettuce

Arrive early to check out the other offerings!   The Farmer’s Wife