Stopping by FoxDog Farm

Stopping By FoxDog Farm: Summer and Fall 2010 CSAs

Much has changed at FoxDog Farm since we were last featured at buylocalfoodinkitsap.org. We (Rikke Giles and Randy Wagner, the farmers) put up a farm sign in May. Perhaps you’ve seen it if you’ve driven by. When the ‘open’ sign is out, FoxDog is ready to sell vegetables and herbs off the farm. Or come down to visit with us!

Rikke and Randy and Their New Sign

We built a new, high tunnel greenhouse last year to house tomatoes and cucumbers. This tunnel really expands the growing area for heat loving plants at FoxDog Farm.  We built the high tunnel over three days with the help of two friends.

FoxDog's New High Tunnel Greenhouse

It features passive solar heating, roll up sides to allow ventilation and cooling, and a water-saving misting system that is put in place after the tomatoes are situation for growing.  Temperature management in the high tunnel greenhouse can be a bit tricky.  If the tunnel is closed up, it can reach 120 F on a sunny day when the outside temperature is only in the mid 60′s.  Along with the high tunnel greenhouse, we also built a shade house.  This shade house, a very simple structure, allows heat sensitive seedlings to be produced during the late spring and summer in an environment more conducive to their growth.  Lettuce, brassicas, and other vegetables get their start in the shade house, where the sun can’t burn their sensitive baby leaves, before being planted in the field.

Tomatoes Growing in the High Tunnel, 2009

We opened another section of land to provide growing space as the CSA expands.  The land at FoxDog Farm can be wet during the early spring, and this new area provides much needed dry space for early crops.

Opening the Land with our One Gang Plow

We also experimented with adding solar powered electric netting fence to the goat enclosures to allow the goats greater access to healthy and lush pasture. We love this system.  The position of the electric netting enclosure is changed periodically to allow the goats access to new pasture.  During this time the old pasture can recuperate from grazing, whatever developing goat parasite infestations will die down, and the goat manure will fertilize the pasture as well as the vegetable growing fields.

Here Are the Goats Running Back to Their Barn from Their Moveable Pasture at the End of the Day

April is goat kid month at FoxDog Farm.  We have 4 does scheduled to give birth during the month of April.  There should be goat kids aplenty to visit when the Summer CSA starts in mid-May.  The farm also has a new FoxDog, a Finnish Spitz puppy named Jaska.

Jaska on the Day She Arrived at the Farm

We’ve worked very hard to improve our operation and our farming skills with the things we learned last year, and we are very proud to announce the opening of our 2010 CSAs.  The Summer 2010 CSA will run for 16 weeks, from mid-May until the very end of August.  This summer’s season is shorter than last year’s in order to allow families with children some leeway as school starts and things get very busy at the end of August.

Part of One Week's Shares, Summer 2009

The Fall 2010 CSA will start the second week of September and runs for 10 weeks until the second week of November.  We have added vegetable types, including celery, raab, collards, kohlrabi and more herbs, to both the summer and Fall CSAs.  We have also expanded their CSA offering to 30 shares.  Last year we offered a greenhouse addition for the summer which included peppers and tomatoes.  This year both the Summer and Fall CSAs have greenhouse additions.  The two seasons of CSAs can be bought together for a small discount or separately if desired.  Both seasons’ CSAs are on offer right now and FoxDog Farm has come up with an incremental payment plan to help those on limited budgets.

Shares in the Cooler, Ready to Go

You can get more information from the farm’s website at www.foxdogfarm.com and http://www.foxdogfarm.com/csa/foxdogcsa.php or email the us at farmer@foxdogfarm.com.   We also have a blog at http://foxdogfarm.livejournal.com/ if you are interested in our farm’s daily life.