6/13/2006

Pinehold Gardens

In early spring, TW and I decided to buy a farm subscription to Pinehold Gardens in Oak Creek. Some folks also call it 'farm share' or 'community supported agriculture' (CSA). Each week, we'll get a box of fresh organically-grown produce from the farm. There are a few pick up locations around the Milwaukee-Racine area, but for us going directly to the farm is most convenient. The cost was $300 for a 20 week subscription. For another $20, we added a dozen eggs every other week, too. For those doing the math, this works out to $16 a week. So, here's the first haul:

Two medium-sized heads of pak choy (aka boy choy?), a big bag of well-washed spring greens(about 1 1/2x the bags from the grocery store), 2 heads of spring garlic (immature garlic - use it as shallots or mild garlic), a bunch of carrots, six small herb plants (sage, savory, oregano, parsley, cilantro, rosemary), plus the dozen eggs. It looks skimpy, but it really isn't bad when you work it out. Conservatively, you could figure its about $2-3 worth of bok choy, $3-4 for the spring greens, $1 for the garlic, $1.50 for the carrots, and $3 for the herbs. So, 10 to 12 bucks worth of produce, give or take. And I think the boxes should get a bit heavier in the coming weeks as more crops start coming in. I'll be posting further photos in my Flickr account (now upgraded to pro, because I got addicted on their free samples - damn pushers). Feel free to check the set here.

Since we went direct to the farm, we got to meet the father of the female half of the husband-wife team that runs the farm. They're in their 50's, so her dad must be in his 70's maybe 80s. Seemed like a nice guy, and he's been in the area all his life. I'm sure he's got stories to tell, and I can't wait to hear them! The Girl, on the other hand, has decided he's just another old man. As we drove away, she observed, "One thing I've noticed about old men - they just talk and talk and talk." When pressed for examples, she cited: the farmer, our neighbor, and her great grandpa. I'll grant her the point.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't you think you can get those same veggies at a cheaper price at the supermarket?? You have a baby on the way and you are wasting $300 on vegtables. What were you thinking??

TheFishmonger said...

I was thinking "Mmmm... vegetables..." Yeah, I wonder if I'll get my money's worth. But I'd spend more than $300 on vegetables anyway, over the course of the summer. And worst case is, we blow a few extra bucks a week on veggies. Could be worse - I could be spending it on chocolate flavored whey!

Anonymous said...

At least the chocolate flavored whey doesn't cost me $300. And last time I checked, chocolate shakes taste better than organic veggies if you ask the average person.

TheFishmonger said...

So how much DOES a 5 pound jar of whey powder cost? So I see you're in Tampa now. How's it going there? Ready for hurricane season?

Anonymous said...

Hi Mike. The whey only costs $16 at abbott. About $40 retail. The weather is extremely hot and humid everyday, even at nightime. Hurricane season started early, but luckily it missed us here, but not by much. I'm still training here at work, so it's really boring. Hopefully, I'll be fully trained to work in the lab in two weeks. So, when's the baby due?? Any new developments with the TW or TK??

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