As the 2016 Season Begins, Prairie Heritage Farm Pivots

Photo by Missy Sprouse.

The summer season seems to sneak up on us every year, but this year, it's been extra sneaky.

This winter was a long one (aren't they all?) as we grappled with some health issues (mostly fine now!) that gave us a late start but also helped us better prioritize by focusing on what's important.

So, this season will bring some changes at the farm. We've scaled back on a few things (we've capped the number of traditional summer CSA shares and reined in vegetable production somewhat) so we can expand other enterprises (like the Farmers' Market Share program and a double-down on grains and sourdough bread).

Life (and business) lesson #458: Sometimes you have to say no to some things so you can say yes (and not just a yes, but a Heck Yes!) to others.

It's a tricky balance. You might even call it precarious, but that's running a small business or a family farm for you -- living in an almost constant state of flux. It means being vigilant in choosing which enterprises and crops and markets are going to best serve your land, your community, your bottom line and your family.

Sometimes, it feels like we should have it all "figured out" after seven years in business. But if we've learned anything, it's that "figured out" is like "caught up" -- a fictional state of being.

And with the right intention and mindset, flux isn't chaos. It's innovation and experimentation and the latter two is where true change and true progress happens.

So, here's what we're working on in 2016 on the farm:

Artisan sourdough bread made from the Sonora Heritage Wheat we grow, grind and bake. We're expanding the baking and adding in some variety: Seed bread, olive rosemary bread, focaccia and straight up sourdough, which we call "Papa Bread," because that's what our 3-year-old yells (and we mean YELLS) for in the morning. We will be selling bread at the Great Falls Farmers' Market (Saturdays starting June 4) but we're also in the midst of applying for a wholesale license, which will allow us to sell bread farther and wider eventually.

More sales and production of our ancient and heritage grains, both for home bakers and cooks and as seed for farms like ours. This year, we're focusing on Prairie Farro, Bronze Barley, Sonora Heritage Wheat, Einkorn, Japanese Hulless Popcorn (Popcorn!) and Early Riser corn (For cornmeal! Tortillas! Polenta!). We will continue to offer these grains whole but also hope to have our big mill up and running this summer to be able to start offering fresh flour as well. And soon, we'll start selling some of these grains as seed to other farmers interested in these unique, important varieties.

Fresh vegetables sold at the farmers market, through some grocers and restaurants and in our CSAs. As we mentioned above, we're focusing on a smaller traditional CSA this year to best serve that membership and offering more Farmers' Market Shares, which are like pre-paid cards for shareholders. Instead of us picking what veggies to include, customers get to pick whatever they'd like from our market stand at the Great Falls Farmers' Market. We're still growing all kinds of veggies, but we are scaling back somewhat to hone in on specific crops. You'll also find some of our fresh veggies at 2Js Fresh Market in Great Falls and on occasion at awesome local restaurants like Electric City Coffee.

Hearty, high quality vegetable seed, which we sell through the Triple Divide Seed Coop but also to national companies like Fedco, High Mowing Seeds and Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co. This year, we're planting for seed:  Snow peas, mustard greens, arugula, fava beans, pole beans, lettuce, kale, chard, carrots, onions and tomatoes.

And, in general, giving longer-term projects like soil health and our budding orchard more attention and care. (The orchard -- pears, apples and plums -- is still in its infancy, as you can see in the awesome photo by Missy Sprouse below).

Photo by Missy Sprouse.

In the tech world, they'd call all of this somewhat of a "pivot" and that seems particularly applicable considering the other, agricultural, definition of pivot. We love the imagery the term gives -- the water direction and flow may change slightly but the whole thing still operates from its center. The engine driving the center of our pivot is running a farm that nourishes our family, our farm, our communities and our planet.

So, let's get this truck (farm) moving! 

Photo by Missy Sprouse.

Oh, hay.

2014 Veggie Farm Share (CSA) Delivery Schedule

Great Falls:

Thursdays, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. at Gibson Park
(Half Shares pick up every other week starting with the first pick up on June 5.)

Choteau:

Thursdays, after 4:00 p.m. at Mountain Front Market

(Half Shares pick up every other week starting with the first pick up on June 5.)

(Our long-time customer and farm friend Terri (Thanks so much Terri) will be doing the delivery this year so you'll go around back to get your share out of the white cooler. Terri will drop the cooler by no later than 4:00 every Thursday. But after you pick up, go into Mountain Front Market and buy a bunch of food from Jill too! :)

Helena (Half Shares Only)

Thursdays, from 6:00-7:00 p.m. at 705 Saddle Drive.

(First pick up is June 12.)

What to Expect
With the Prairie Heritage Farm CSA you can expect:

-To eat in season. Your first few shares will be early-season crops like lettuce, greens (kale, chard, etc), radishes and the like. Your first share will be baby greens, salad mix and greens mix. We'll ramp up as the season progresses.

-You'll get a weekly newsletter via email with information on the week's share and recipes to give you some new ideas in the kitchen. (So make sure we have the right email address for you!)

-Everything you get in your share will either be harvested that morning or, at the very longest, the night before. There's nothing like fresh-picked homegrown produce.

-To know your farmers. There are many reasons it's good to know your farmers, but one big one is that you have a direct line of communication with us. So, we hope throughout the season you'll tell us what's working for you and what could be better. If you want more of one thing and/or less of another, please let us know. We keep our CSA numbers small so we can have a direct relationship with you and can make sure this isn't a one-size-fits-all program. We understand that different families have different needs and preferences. So, let us know if we can do anything to make the program work better for you and your family.

-Please bring your own bags to pick up your produce

If You Can't Pick Up
If you are not able to pick up your share, it is your responsibility to make arrangements to have someone else pick up your share or you can choose to donate it back to the farm. Please be respectful of the time and energy it takes to harvest and put together your share and let us know -- with some advance -- if you'll need to skip a week. We can be flexible on where and when you pick up to make it work -- we just need a heads up.