Homestead Growers Newsletter

Hello fellow fans of Homestead Growers.

I was at the farm recently; Anita was going to pick cucumbers so I tagged along to help. Anita was very informative during the time. Telling of the different varieties, shapes and when to and not to pick. Leaving the cucumbers on just one more day makes a big difference. She told me how they had to hand string (trellis) the cucumbers (there are a large number of them) so they grow vertically and not on the ground. This helps keep the bugs at bay and by providing a structure you will get cucumbers that are more uniform in size and shape. Anita checks them often to make sure they are not straying from the trellis. There are several varieties growing on the farm…. all delicious.

During the rainstorm last week the wind blew over all the sweet corn. Still waiting to see if it will bounce back and grow but it may be lost. The spring was very wet and made it hard to get into the fields. When plating did take place rain continued and the corn was not able to grow strong enough. Neighboring farmers experienced this very same issue.

Mushrooms are growing wonderfully. A new air conditioner system was installed and they are now able to have higher quality control of the air temperature and humidity levels. This ensures a better crop production and great looking mushrooms.

Hello to all the Homestead Growers Fans

Let me introduce myself. My name is Melissa Stuart and I am privileged to be close friends of Steve & Anita Spencer and Jeff & Amy Spencer, a.k.a. Homestead Growers. I have known them many years and cannot say enough good things about them.

I have the wonderful opportunity to write to you on a regular basis informing you of the goings on at the farm. I will let you know of anything new, interesting or in some cases…funny. We do have lots of fun at the farm.

Yesterday I spent the day at the farm and was able to lend a hand. I helped at the washing station rising lettuce heads. I assisted Anita in getting a couple orders ready, organizing the walk in cooler and other odds and ends around the farm. There were lots of laughs and we did get some work done.

Currently in season and growing beautifully on the farm are buttercrunch lettuce heads, red romaine, broccoli, green onions, kale, kohlrabi and beets. The cabbage is coming along but not quite ready. Then there is always those tasty gourmet mushrooms…yum!

The farmers markets are in full swing. Not only can you purchase chemical free produce but you will enjoy yourself as well. Come by and visit us at one of the markets, you will be glad you did.

We are officially opening our 2009 CSA membership for the 3rd year in a row!  We are excited about the changes we have made for this coming growing season.   We are retooling several areas of the business to allow us to be able to provide what we want:  good quality food, grown and processed the right way.

We want to first thank everyone who supported us in the 2008 season.  It was an interesting year, filled with a lot of ups and downs onthe weather front.  I guess that might be the norm in the farming business!?  We had fun anyway and learned  a lot along the way.  We really appreciate everyone’s enthusiasm and loyalty.   We also want to thank everyone in the family for all they do, especially Summer Cooper, whom many of you met this past summer.  If it weren’t for Summer coming back in 2009, there wouldn’t be a CSA program!  She’s wonderful to work with, and has become part of the family…we love her!

We are excited to announce that we will be offering an additional “egg share” plan along with your CSA membership (vegetable shares).  Our dear, and close friends, Matt and Mandy Corry of Bloomington will be providing their wonderful egges to us for your enjoyment!  We go through close to 2 dozen a week ourselves!  They have a wonderful farm, and believe in raising animals the right way.  Check out their web site to see what they do.     www.schachtfleecefarm.com

Our CSA has designated pick up locations or offers home delivery (small fee).  We fill our CSA box with what is growing currently on the farm which means you will not be receiving corn or green beans in June!  This is a good way to learn about the seasons that vegetables grow in Indiana.  We love to grow different varieties of CHEMICAL-FREE vegetables so many times you will be receiving summer squash, for instance,  but not in the usual color/shape that you are used to seeing at a store.  We include weekly recipes that highlight some of the vegetables that you will be receiving in that week’s box.  We do have a box return plan….either bring a reusable sack (and fill it up with that week’s vegetables) and leave your empty box or return the empty box the following week for us to reuse.  Last year’s members found that bringing their own sacks to pack that week’s vegetables worked good so they didn’t have to remember their empty box the following week! 

 Please visit our CSA page on our web site for more details about our CSA.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at homesteadgrowers@aol.com.

There is an article running in the Indianapolis Star about our sister company Local Folks Foods. It is in the Monday January 7 edition of the Star or you can view the online version here.

Local Folks Foods, our sister company that produces food products that are made from produce grown from our farm and other local farms, has launched the new web site. You can view the new web site here.

We are pleased to announce that we will be starting a newsletter to keep our customers informed about the latest news from Homestead Growers. Here you will find information about special deals, new products, and anything newsworthy about the farm. We look forward to bringing you the latest information about our products and services, so make sure you check this page often so you dont miss out on the freshest news from HG.