Editorial: Clear as Mud

Agriculture and food production is one of those things that should be transparent to us all. What better way is there to insure food safety and quality than to keep our books (and farms) open for everyone to see how things are done? After all, if we share our production methods and choices, outline our beliefs and invite inspection, wouldn't it be difficult to do less than our best?

In principle, this ideal is sound. An informed customer base through transparency builds trust in the producer and builds a base of support that works both ways (for the customer and producer) when times are rough. In fact, we strongly believe in keeping people up to date with what is going on at the farm. We want you to know what we are doing, how we intend to do it and why we are making the choices we are making.

And, we are finding that our transparency sometimes makes things as clear as... well... mud.

Don't get us wrong. We do believe disclosure works and we are pleased to have so many excellent people support us in what we do. There really isn't a complaint to be made about this at all. We are sold on why we should be open to inspection. It's the what, when and how that sometimes causes us grief!

What should we disclose to everyone?

This question is actually more difficult than it seems because we forget how much we have learned and integrated over the past six years. We don't always remember that we didn't understand what a crop rotation was or didn't fully appreciate what it means to be certified organic. In fact, we forget that there are several things we take for granted that most people are completely unaware of. So, what do we do? We share what we can and hope someone appreciates it.

When do we share information?

This one is a bit more a matter of allowing for repetition. We have to remember that not everyone in the CSA or on our mailing lists are 'veterans' with respect to affairs of the farm. So, we have to admit to ourselves that it is ok to repeat ourselves. But, it might be nice if the information were timely. The problem with this? The best time for timely information is exactly when we don't have...well...time.

How do we share?

In a way, we err on the side of trying to flood everyone with information in the hopes that it is there when it is needed. Unfortunately, we don't always succeed. Or, worse yet, we think so hard about some tasks (like updating a web page) that we believe it has been done - even if it has not. The newsletter, the blog and the website are all attempts to disclose to everyone what we do and why we do it. We also believe in giving presentations, holding tables at exhibitions and being at CSA distributions to answer questions. But, then we run the risk of overwhelming everyone or becoming 'white noise' that is no longer heard.

So, that brings us to a solution. Have a question you want answered in a newsletter? Ask us!

A Historical Perspective of GFF

It's not that we're slow on the uptake. But, we are just now fully realizing that a sizable number of people in the CSA this year have very little background with respect to the Genuine Faux Farm. So, for those of you who haven't had contact with us until this year - welcome! For those who have watched us grow - enjoy the retrospective!

2004 : Rob & Tammy move to the farm and get permission to start a garden even before taking possession of the property. Excess produce and the development of a Tripoli Farmers' Market with low fees ($5/week and $25 total) encourages them to try selling at market. Their first market sales totalled $6 (both sales to other vendors who wanted us to feel better about ourselves). Eventually, they added the Waverly market and put sales money into a jar. It paid for a trip to the Iowa State Fair.

2005: With the help of Extension Director Darren Siefken, we went through the Farm Beginnings program and developed a business plan - the CSA and the Genuine Faux Farm was born. Our goal was to sign up eight CSA members and sell at farmers' markets. Instead, we had twenty CSA members. We started the season delivering to people's doors, but gas prices forced changes. We doubled our garden size to about one acre.

2006: The CSA grew to 27 members with pick up locations in Waverly and Tripoli. We implemented the menu-style delivery method and received positive comments. We doubled our garden size again to about 2.5 acres and had to work to find outlets for excess produce.

2007: With the addition of a Waterloo/Cedar Falls market, we added a pick up location there as well. Our CSA increased to 42 members (40 was our goal in our business plan). The gardens expanded one last time to approximately 5 acres and we applied for organic certification for the first time. Excessive fall rains introduced us to major crop failures for the first time, but we still managed to provide sufficient food for our members and the markets.

2008: Entering our second year with the same sized gardens, we thought we had a handle on production levels. But, we didn't count on the bizarre weather that was 2008. Even so, we managed to serve 59 families through the CSA and attend four markets a week. An extended fall and the first seasonal employees hired by us saved our year.

2009: We have 114 families in the CSA this year, have removed farmers' market sales from the equation and our fields are fully certified (no more transitional fields). We are looking to make better use of seasonal help and we are working with the Kaisers to put some of their land in production.

Important Dates

• May 23 - Waverly Farmers' Market 8:30-11:30
• May 26&27 - Electronics Recycling, Tripoli Schools
• May 28 - Waterloo Hy-Vee Farmers' Market 4:00-7:00
• May 30 - Iris Fest at the Farm - 4pm - ??
• June 13 - Tom Sawyer Day/Support Food Bank 1:00-5:00
• Week of June 15- projected first CSA delivery

Plant Sales Concluded

We no longer have heirloom plants available for sale. Brisk sales during our first farmers' market, combined with a some larger sales have brought us to the point where we have no more tomato, pepper or basil plants available.

It seems clear to us that we should prepare to grow more next year. In order to do that, we will need to address some production issues to make the process easier for us. We very much enjoy providing people with healthy heirloom plants for their gardens and will continue to do so in the future.

Bartels to Use GFF Plants

Bartels Retirement Center in Waverly is starting a garden on site to provide some of the fresh produce used in their kitchens. Sales of heirloom tomatoes by GFF to Bartels has convinced them that the taste is worth growing the heirloom plants. As a result, Robin Gaines and Tracy Wilson of Bartels requested that we grow some tomato, pepper and basil plants for their use. We've seen the garden plot and the plants are going to be very happy there!

3E Heirlooms to Use GFF Plants

3E Heirlooms Organization and Society purchased all remaining plants in our stock this week for use in their community gardens in the Quad Cities. Karen Rogers of 3E says that they have five garden plots and have the ultimate goal of identifying five varieties of tomato, pepper, etc so that they can maintain their own seed stock. This year, 3E will grow a wider variety of heirloom plants to determine which ones meet their needs most effectively.

Garden Report

Our garden reports are provided so you can have a chance to see what is going on at the farm, even if you can't easily come out to visit. You will also find that we share such things on our blog.

As of May 26:

• All tomatoes are in the ground and are effectively watered in using natural methods (rain).
• All potatoes are in the ground.
• Two transplant sets of lettuce are in.
• First plantings of arugula, beets, spinach, radish and peas are in and are visible..
• First cucumber, dry bean, carrot and rutabaga are in the ground.
• First plantings of green beans are in and beginning to appear.
• The first group of broccoli and kohlrabi plants are transplanted.
• Onions and most leeks are transplanted.
• 50% of our garlic crop failed to survive the winter. The garlic that survived is a bit behind schedule.
• All but one fruit tree survived the winter. They are young, so we do not expect a harvest this year.
• Field and soil conditions are very good this year. A relief after the difficulties over the last two years.
• First iris bloom was May 24 this year.
• Younger/weaker perennial plants had a lower survival rate over the winter than usual.
• Canadian thistle pressure is higher than usual in tilled areas this Spring, but we have a management plan in place for them.

page 2

Organic Inspection

Our organic inspector for IDALS, Matthew Miller came to our farm on May 15th for the 2009 certification inspection. As always, we welcome these visits and thoroughly appreciate Matt's intelligent questions and useful feedback. While he grows organic row crops, he has excellent overall knowledge and has earned our respect.

Once again, the site inspection went well and our organic application is in order. There were no issues uncovered by the inspection and we can rest assured that our organic certification will be renewed again.

The best part is that ALL of our fields will be certified this year since the last of our transitional plots have passed the three year period after removal from non-organic row crops. This means that all of your CSA produce is certified organic!

Tom Sawyer Day - Support the Food Bank

NOTE: The day of this TSD is changed from our original calendar.

The Genuine Faux Farm is pairing our Tom Sawyer Day with a chance to support the Northeast Iowa Food Bank.

When: June 13 from 1pm to 5pm. Food available starting at 5pm. Attendees may arrive at any time from 1 to 5pm. (Rain date: June 20th)

RSVP: Please let us know if you plan on attending as soon as you make the decision to attend. Knowledge of attendees helps us to plan the task list and the event so that it is a positive experience for all who wish to be involved. You do NOT need to let us know that you will NOT be attending.

Food: After the workday, there will be some food. We will provide roast bison sandwiches from the Sumner Locker and Hawkeye Buffalo Ranch. Attendees are encouraged to bring other potluck items if desired, but this is not required.

How will your participation help the Food Bank? : There will be a free-will offering jar available for donations to the food shelf. Also, GFF will make their organic bags with logo available for $10, with $2 of every purchase going to the food bank. A representative from the food bank will be in attendance to answer questions. And, by pairing a local food producer and the area food bank, we hope to encourage everyone to think about how local foods can support those in need. If you want a direct link, GFF donates fresh produce to the Northeast Iowa Food Bank. Your efforts to help us get tasks done at the farm helps us to achieve higher yields. Higher yields provide more produce for CSA members AND the food bank!

Check out our Tom Sawyer Day schedule and description on our website.

Iris Fest at the Farm

Iris Fest is scheduled for May 30. The festival is scheduled around our peak iris bloom. While we no longer have as many iris as we used to, there should be some nice looking iris to view. If you are planning on attending, please let us know.

There is no work expected at this gathering - it is a celebration day, plain and simple! We will have a gas grill going and you may bring what you wish for grilling. We run this as a potluck and as a family event. CSA members, honorary CSA members and other farm supporters are welcome to attend.

For more information, check out our Festival Day schedule and description on our website.

Vol 5 Issue 5- May 2009

Sample Blog Entry

Our blog, Genuinely Faux, can be visited by taking the link. This is an entry posted within the last month, which can give you a sample of what you might find there:

May 1, 2009 - A Warm Welcome to....

...our brown thrasher friends who have returned to the farm.

Fondly known by us as the 'Chirpa-chirpa bird,' our brown thrashers arrived two days ago (April 29) and greeted us with their familiar series of repeated phrases. Their arrival usually indicates to us that swallows are not far away (they arrived yesterday) and 'Waldo' (Baltimore Oriole) is also not long until he reappears with his clear, flute-like song.

We enjoy the bird sounds around the farm in the Spring. The robins have a wonderful morning and evening song "it's going to be/been a great day." The flicker just sounds continuously annoyed. The sparrows annoy everyone else. The swallows talk too fast and need to get off the caffeine. We don't get much love from the cardinals, so we miss their song. And, of course, the killdeer are always crying - but their chicks are cute cotton swabs on stick legs. And, the bluebirds look like they have a 'beerbelly' when they slouch on the electrical line to the barn.

And, we are still awaiting the little bird with the big voice - the wren.

While we take note of all of these birds on the farm, I think we both feel like the thrasher is the bird that tells us it is time to get a move on with the planting. And, like the wren, it is so persistent with its song that we feel it might be trying to communicate with us. But, of course, he's not really all that interested in us at all. We just like to feel important.

Pictures generally do not show how attractive this bird can be. You have to catch one when the sun hits its feathers - very nice.

You can learn more about a brown thrasher and hear its song at the National Park Service website.

page 3

Broadforks R Us

Amongst our equipment purchases last year were two broadforks. One is engineered for harvesting and the other for soil preparation. The harvest broadfork paid for itself by significantly reducing the time and effort in garlic and carrot digging. The preparation broadfork is showing more of its value this year and we are attempting a controlled experiment with potatoes to see how much its use might improve production.

The treatment group consists of rows where the growing area was given a 'rough' surface till (using our rototiller) and let sit for a couple of days. Then, the broadfork was used approximately every foot within the production row. After this, a 'fine' surface till made the bed for planting. The control group eliminates step two.

The premise is that the broadfork loosens the soil more deeply without breaking down the aggregate and exposing the weed seed bank for germination. Therefore, we might expect a root crop, such as potatoes to produce a better crop that may be easier to harvest in rows that used the broadfork. We are also hopeful that its use will help improve drainage in areas that have a history of holding water on the surface after heavy rains.

We'll post the results this fall.

Wanted

• Plastic green pint sized strawberry cartons (like those you get in the supermarket)
• Tom Sawyer Day participants
• your continued support (thanks!)
• Auction and garage salers who could look for cheap but good quality larger coolers, prefer $5 bargains, but would pay up to $10 for good coolers (approx 3 ft in length)

Vol 5 Issue 5- May 2009

Pickup Locations and Times

Waverly - Tuesday at Farmers' Market from 3:30-6:00 pm. Projected first date is June 16.

Tripoli - Monday at the farm 4:00-6:00 pm. Projected first date is June 15.

Cedar Falls (wait listed new additions) - Monday at Roots Market from 4:00-6:00. Projected first date is June 15.

Cedar Falls (non-wait list members) - Thursday at Roots Market from 4:00-6:00. Projected first date is June 18.

Anticipated Start/End Weeks

Based on prior year experience and the way the year has shaped up thus far, we anticipate a first delivery to occur during the THIRD week of June (week of June 15). The last delivery (week 20) would then be the week of October 26. We will confirm these dates as we approach them.

First CSA shares typically consist of lettuce, spinach, radish and herbs. You may note that our shares are later than some CSAs. However, our heavier soil at the farm tends to dictate later plantings to us. On the positive end, we have much stronger fall plantings because our soil holds more moisture.

We will contact members if there is a change in these plans. Remember, Mother Nature has the final say and we simply have to adjust to work with her.

Delivery Method

Our returning CSA members will not need this reminder, but our new members may benefit from a quick summary with respect to our method of delivery.

We do NOT provide you with prepacked boxes of produce. We ask you to come with reusable bags, baskets or boxes to place your produce into. We do have nice organic material bags with our logo for sale if you wish them. We often bring extra cloth bags that can be loaned if you need them. If you have extra conference bags that you do not use, we can add them to the bag loan program for the CSA.

Your produce will be placed on tables in crates by type of produce (all of the cucumbers together, lettuce together, etc). There will be a menu for each size of share. There will be a checklist for all expected members for the delivery date with their corresponding share size. You will be responsible for selecting items from the menu from each crate in the amount specified by the menu. You can trade with other CSA members and may ask if we have extra of items.

We always pack extra to make sure that the first and last people of the day both have as good a selection as possible. Leftover produce will typically be donated to either the food shelf or women's shelter, depending on the day/location.

Running late? Raining hard? Kids in the car? Don't skip the day - call our cell phone 319-610-9201 to let us know your approximate arrival. We can help by prepacking your share if you ask.

Going on vacation? Have a great time, but don't forget about your share. You can ask a friend to pick up for you or you can ask us ahead of time to donate your share to the foodbank.

page 4

Produce to Expect in June

These represent typical items. We can only deliver what is ready, of course.

• Week 1: Lettuce, radish, spinach, spices, arugula
• Week 2: similar, plus garlic scapes
• Week 3: similar, plus peas

GFF Stories: Wheelbarrow Full of Goodness

In keeping with the iris theme that occurs for us at the end of May and beginning of June, we thought we'd tell a bit of a story about how our 'sickness' for iris began. It is, of course, all Rob's fault.

As in last month's GFF story, this occurs in Lake Crystal - where Rob and Tammy were going through the misadventures of owning their first house. This meant, of course, that we could landscape the yard in whatever fashion our hearts desired. We started with a vegetable garden in the back. And, we focused on the strips that were already worked up around the house and garage. Fairly traditional (and relatively safe) fare for gardening.

However, there was some talk that the ugly, gravelly patch between the drive, garage and house could get turned into something nice. But, that was a 'someday' job. But, as you know, 'someday' can become today very quickly given the right circumstance.

Rob typically would take a walk each morning to the post office to check the mail. On his route was a tall (for Lake Crystal) building for retirees. The building had plantings with numerous iris around its foundation. Quite nice actually.

One fine morning, as Rob turned the corner, he was horrified to find the building manager tearing out all of the plants. The manager informed him that the resident who used to care for the plantings could no longer maintain them. She wanted a simpler landscape to maintain and was tearing the flowers out.

Of course, Rob inquired if she had a home for the plants. The manager - sensing an opportunity to avoid more work - offered as many plants as he wanted if he would just take them away. I'm sure she was sad that he'd arrived after she'd dug most of them out!

The wheelbarrow from last month's story was implemented multiple times in trips between our house and the pile of iris. Getting them home was the easy part. Now Rob had to explain to Tammy what he intended to do with them all. A grand plan evolved rapidly for a raised triangular shaped bed that would be ringed with iris. And, to soften the blow a little - most of the iris were placed behind the garage so only one wheelbarrow full of iris would be seen initially.

Needless to say, there was a very long week of work putting in timbers and soil and selecting plants to put into this new planting. It turned out pretty well if we do say so ourselves. But, we did have to find homes for nearly two-thirds of the iris saved in this episode.

Getting to the Farm

From South of Tripoli: North on Hwy 63 to Hwy 93 (turn east). Two miles to 2nd gravel road (Navaho Rd) turn north. Two miles to 2nd gravel road (150th Street) turn east. A little over half a mile to the first farm on the north side. Grey house, red roof, blue silo and friendly outdoor cats.

Need more direction? Go here and scroll to bottom of page.