What Members Can Expect From Us

by Andrew Griffin

Italian Parsley

For the price of a share, Mariquita Farm agrees to grow a wide variety of crops. The fruits and vegetables we grow are chosen for their flavor, nutritional content and beauty. The crops are organically grown in their best season and harvested ripe for maximum flavor.We do not need to grow varieties that have been developed soley for their durability in shipping. We are growing for you, our neighbor, not for export. We take pride in growing many heirloom vegetables that have been forgotten, as agribusiness has replaced the family garden. We take pride in growing your food organically with no chemical pesticides, herbicides or water-fouling chemical fertilizers.

Basil

Mariquita Farm will take you on a food tour of the world as you eat your way through the seasons. Expect to see strawberries and English peas in the spring. We will have Russian fingerling potatoes and a galaxy of Italian and French vegetables in the summer. We’ll have native American beans, squashes, corn and peppers in the summer and fall. As the days shorten and nights grow cool we’ll add Asian cooking greens and cabbages from time to time. A variety of apples will sweeten up the fall. The weekly harvest is presented in a balanced fashion so that the share holder is neither overwhelmed with too much of any kind of food or left wanting.

Kabocha Squash

After 20 years in agriculture, I can say that the only sure thing in farming is that nothing is ever a “sure thing.” Weather, bugs, politics and earthquakes all play a role in keeping our lives unstable. But there are several things I take on faith, and my faith has been rewarded over time. If you treat the earth and soil well, if you apply study and diligence to your task, and if you don’t take more from the land than you put in, you will receive an ample harvest. And don’t hurry mother nature. Everything has its time, its moment, its internal biological clock. Crops planted in their season usually grow the best, taste the best and give us the most satisfaction. With this in mind, consider my harvest schedule.