2021 CSA Farm Update: Week 15

Welcome everyone to week 15 of the Katchkie Farm CSA share. Autumn officially starts this week. It seems like only yesterday that seedlings were being started in the greenhouse and spring was in the air.

Fall, however, brings the smell of drying chiles to the greenhouse at the farm. These are not just any chiles, they are chiles very near and dear to our farm crew. These are the chiles that they had grown in Mexico, but now grow them here at Katchkie Farm. Very few farmers have the relationship to a particular seed in that they are its steward. Farmers often buy seeds every year for what they want to grow, but do not actually see the plant complete its cycle from seed to seed. Rodolfo and Elizabeth are these seeds stewards. Planting, tending, harvesting, and selecting are just a few of things they do to keep these plants going from year to year.

In this day and age, one who carries the existence and narrative of an annual plant from year to year is almost mythical. Maybe this is something your grandparents did? Many of today's children do not even know that food comes from seeds. The amount of fruit and vegetable varieties that have disappeared in the last 50 years can boggle the mind. All I can say is I am quite honored to work with keepers of the flame. When the north wind start blowing there just might be the essence of chiles in the air!


Until next time,
Farmer Jon