Dear CSA members,

As the COVID-19 pandemic has swiftly disrupted our lives and normal routines, many of us are trying to figure out how our immediate and longer-term plans will be affected. We wanted to take a moment to assure you all that we are committed to running our CSA this season, though we recognize that we will all need to make some changes and be flexible to promote the safety of our members and farm crew. We feel it’s too early to make decisions in this rapidly changing landscape, but we are thinking through lots of possible scenarios and are ready to nimbly make adjustments to safely grow and share food with our community.

It’s astounding how quickly things can change in a week. We have been absorbing the news, reflecting on what this means for our family and families across the world, and having conversations with other farms about how to address the challenges this uncharted territory presents. Yesterday, we joined a Zoom meeting with fellow farmers in the FairShare CSA Coalition. We talked about anticipated challenges and response options related to the coronavirus, and covered topics ranging from employee health and safety protocols to best practices and flexibility for deliveries. We’re grateful to be part of a group of passionate farmers who are troubleshooting and thinking not only of the potential economic impacts on their own farms and livelihoods, but about how we can best help our communities.

34 farmers coming together in a Zoom meeting on 3/19

Farmers are nothing if not resilient. Though none of us have dealt with a crisis quite like this before, we have weathered many storms – often literally. We think that CSA, with its diversity and tight-knit community, is well suited to adapt as needed to continue in these uncertain times.

There is a lot we don’t know right now, and it’s hard or downright impossible to make strategic decisions under such uncertainty. Fortunately, we still have over two months before the start of the CSA season, so we have a little time to wait and see how things progress so we can make smart and as-informed-as-possible decisions about what adjustments we’ll need to make to the CSA. We also want to hear from our members. Let us know if you have questions or concerns about the coming season – about managing risks, flexibility in payment, or anything else. You are part of our farm, and we are in this together.

While CSA is the core of our business, we do sell at the Fitchburg Farmers’ Market (also one of our CSA pick-up sites). The market manager is assessing the situation and in touch with us and other vendors. Right now, we’re not sure if the market will open on time, late, or not at all. If it’s not open during the CSA, we’ll sort out an alternative delivery plan. We’re also considering adding a Spring CSA share for the month of May so we could get our early produce (asparagus, greens, rhubarb, etc.) in the hands of our members who want it. We’ll keep everyone posted on our plans.

Please know that the safety and health of our community is our number one priority. We are taking this very seriously, and know you all are too. Indeed, we have always taken food safety very seriously, yet we will be reviewing and strengthening our procedures as we prepare for the upcoming season. This will involve changes and efforts on the part of all of us. We are grateful for our returning members’ continued support of our farm as well as our new members joining us this year. There is no more important time when strengthening our sense of community – whether around food or other aspects of life – can benefit us all.

In some ways we’re experiencing a sort of cognitive dissonance on the farm. On one hand, nothing feels normal right now. Yet on the other hand, we’re going through many of our typical routines at the farm. We’re planting seeds, welcoming the migrating birds back, restoring our prairies with controlled burns, and managing CSA sign-ups. We find comfort in these routines, knowing that no matter what is happening in our world, people need quality food, and we are committed to providing this service for our community – always, but especially in this time of need.

Farm pup Senna exploring the prairie in the aftermath of a recent controlled burn

On the farm, life marches on. Spring is here, and our baby plants are growing strong.

We hope you are staying well, and taking care of each other. We’d like to share a favorite poem below. Even in this current time of social distancing, we hope that you are able to spend some time outside, and reflect on the beauty in our natural world that marches on.

“The Peace of Wild Things” by Wendell Berry

When despair for the world grows in me

and I wake in the night at the least sound

in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,

I go and lie down where the wood drake

rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.

I come into the peace of wild things

who do not tax their lives with forethought

of grief. I come into the presence of still water.

And I feel above me the day-blind stars

waiting with their light. For a time

I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

In solidarity,

Chelsea & Scott

A Letter to our CSA Members: We are in this Together