< Rhubarb - the next big thing? | Main | A B-day party for Baby! >

O Spring, Where Art Thou?

Posted at 5:15 PM on May 24, 2008 by Cher Stuewe-Portnoff (2 Comments)

Between the cool weather and the rain, Missouri farmers have had a hard row to hoe, not just figuratively speaking, this year. The fresh produce delivered through our Combined Community-Supported Agriculture group so far has consisted of some lovely, tiny fresh herb bouquets and a handful of flavorful, dark green spinach. Since it's a C-CSA, our weekly share is turning up other fare: locally roasted coffee, bread or tortillas, homemade preserves or salsa, mushrooms, a farmed trout, a chicken and some very fresh eggs, dried black beans, popcorn, peanut butter, varieties of cheese, pancake mix and maple syrup, rice. But still, it's been a tough start.

No one yearns for the growing season to settle in more than the farmers, but we are right there with them. The Clayton farmers' market started today, at last. The main offering grown in real Missouri dirt: healthy, fragrant herb and veggie plants, at very competitive prices. The few stands with ready-to-eat spring greens and a few red radishes on hand were selling out faster than we salad-starved folks could line up.

The sulky weather isn't the only hurdle local producers have had to face. Feed and gas prices are spiraling upward, as everyone knows. So it was heart-wrenching to learn that one of our fine chicken-and-egg farmers has just lost 250 of 400 young replacement chicks to predators. That's an enormous hit on a precarious livelihood. "How much are people willing to pay for fresh local eggs," they wonder. We want to reassure them that we're all in there for the long haul, but how much can we pay? We're wondering, too.

One of the things about eating locally - you know the names and the faces of those whose produce you buy... or don't buy. This year, those faces are showing considerable stress - tired smiles, not quite reaching their eyes. It makes you think about where each dollar in your (diminishing) food budget goes. That decision gets more and more personal every day.

Comments (2)

Cher-After church this morning, I sit down to the computer and found this blog on The Splendid Table site. Our farm is located SW of St. Louis so I am interested in your thoughts.
My latest adventure is keeping bees. Currently, I have two hives and I am enjoying observing the complex society.
My hives are located on our farm and do not have to worry about objections of neighbors. It is my understanding that some municipalities forbide this activity. The Sauce Magazine had an article recently about a lawyer that kept bees in Ladue, I believe.
Do you have any comments on this hobby?
Yes, I agree this spring has been cooler than those in the recent past,but I for one have enjoyed the extra moisture. The many past years with drought are not easily forgotten.
We like to go to the Tower Grove Park Farmers Mkt. when we are in the area.
Pat

Posted by Pat | June 1, 2008 11:30 AM

Pat - Thanks so much for taking time to touch base. (And BTW, I'm with you on the cool, moist weather as far as personal preference goes.) Bee (and ant) life has mesmerized me since I was a child. In the 1980s, our farmstead in WA State felt the loss when a generation or more of bees was decimated by the eruption of Mt. St. Helen's. And I don't have to tell you how unsettling it is to get news of bees in general continuing to fall on hard times. As goes the bee, so go we, as far as I can tell. Our family prefers honey to sugar, though we don't use much, so we buy enough farmers market honey to last each year. The variety of flavors is amazing. Are your bees staying healthy? I'm heartened that there are still small beekeepers like you in the area. I'd favor municipalities allowing (encouraging) skilled small-scale beekeeping. They're sure a lot quieter than roosters. Take care.

Posted by Cher | June 1, 2008 12:56 PM