February 2023
Halfway between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox, February arrives with transformation and hope, as plants slumber and snow falls.
A Reminder of Our Growing Practices
Schul Farmstead is a woman-owned, family farm growing on about 1 acre in the town of Cambria, NY. Our vegetables, herbs, and flowers are grown without the use of conventional, synthetic, or artificial fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides. The amendments that we use to aid in plant growth come directly from the earth or from our cows’ aged manure. The overwhelming majority of our seed is sourced from certified organic seed producers and when it’s not, we purchase heirloom seed varieties to preserve the biodiversity of our food culture. We see ourselves as stewards of the soil, so you’ll find us practicing growing methods that support a thriving soil ecosystem, like minimum to no-tillage beds and growing cover crops. To mitigate pests, we practice a careful rotation of our crops, companion planting, and built a habitat for beneficial pollinators, insects, and birds. These practices help us to avoid the use of pesticides that are harmful to humans, insects, wildlife, soil, and water.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Share Memberships Available
Become a member of our 2023 CSA Share! Our CSA share memberships provide you with 20-weeks of farm-fresh vegetables between June 15-October 25 for $650. That’s a break down of approximately $32 of vegetables each week, which includes 7oz. of salad mix, a bundle of fresh herbs, and 5-9 additional varieties of in-season produce. (See the makeup of 2022’s shares.) All produce is grown at our farm, so you can be confident about how the vegetables going into your body are grown.
We provide members with several tools to maximize their CSA experience, including a recipe book with 75+ recipes, a weekly e-newsletter, and a resource guide. Members also have a choice of adding on an additional share of other agricultural products to their weekly pickup, including cheese, bread, greens, and baked goods. Learn about our add-on shares.
Shares are picked up each Wednesday between 4:30-7:00pm at the farm or village of Lancaster. Read the full details of our CSA share memberships by clicking this link.
“Great variety and beautiful produce! We looked forward to our share every week. I loved the Sunday email to help me plan our meals. We also appreciated the range of information provided to get the most out of our share from preserving to using as much of the plant as possible.” — 2022 CSA Member
Farm Happenings
In the midst of winter the farm is still active, we’ve just switched our attention to other aspects of the business. Spending a significant time indoors, we are working on starting seeds, book keeping, creating our crop plan, and administrative projects.
Speaking of administrative projects, you probably noticed our email newsletter looks different. We moved from MailChimp to Substack to send out these monthly communications. Now you’ll be able to access previously sent newsletters without cluttering your inbox. You can also comment on newsletters, to connect with us and members of this virtual community of local food enthusiasts.
This winter we are also spending many hours with our new little one. At the end of November, Aurora and Patrick welcomed a baby boy, Naish.
Growing Together
As winter chugs along, it’s the perfect time to think about what you can grow in your space; whether that’s a backyard garden or a few pots outside your door. There are multiple seed companies to choose from, but we recommend Fruition Seeds and Hudson Valley Seed Company since they are New York State businesses selling heirloom and organic varieties that are adapted to our climate. Other seed companies to check out include: Seed Savers Exchange, High Mowing Seeds, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, Sistah Seeds, and True Love Seeds. It’s not too late to get lost in their colorful digital catalogues and dream of spring.
Another way to acquire seeds acclimated to your region is to trade seeds with other growers and gardeners. Some public libraries, like the Wilson Community Library and the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, have a seed library where you can borrow seed packets to grow in your own garden.
Featured Friends
WNY is home to many small businesses and community organizations. Each month we introduce you to 2 that we think you should know.
Business Friend: Eden Valley Creamery
Eden Valley Creamery (EVC) hand crafts artisanal organic cheeses and cheese curds every day from their certified organic herd of dairy cows located in Western New York. As a certified organic dairy their cows do not receive antibiotics or artificial hormones, and the food they eat is free of pesticides and herbicides. In 2022, their Good Neighbor's Gouda won the Award of Excellence in the NYS Dairy Products Competition in the Farmstead/Artisan Hard Cheese Class. We partner with EVC as an add-on to our CSA shares, where members can receive a rotating supply of cheese and cheese curds bi-weekly throughout the season with their veggie share. Find a retail or farmers market selling their delicious cheeses on their website.
Community Organization Friend: Every Bottom Covered
Every Bottom Covered works to address diaper need across all eight counties of Western New York, providing clean basic hygiene needs to underserved families. 1 in 3 U.S. families struggle to provide clean diapers for their infant and toddlers. According to a 2013 peer-reviewed study, the experience of diaper need had a demonstrated link with maternal depression. Every Bottom Covered seeks volunteers to organize and distribute supplies and accepts donations of diapers, pull-ups, wipes, and diaper creams. Learn more about how you can get involved on their website.
On the Blog
Some of our most recent blog posts focus on community supported agriculture (CSA) since it’s still a term many folks are unfamiliar with. Hop over to our website to read:
