January 2012 Produce Parable

By Adam Calder, Produce Manager

With 2011 behind us, it is time to look ahead on into 2012 and see what the year has in store for the Wheatsfield Cooperative Produce Department!
   

I just placed an order with Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, IA and by mid-January we should have our first shipment of gardening seeds for the 2012 growing season!  These seeds will go great with the upcoming Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Fair we are hosting on January 28th.  This fair will be a chance for you to meet and mingle with some of the families and farmers that supply Wheatsfield with produce and also learn about various CSA programs.  You can even sign up for a CSA share that day!  
   

I will also be spending this month and next month arranging meetings with all of the local farmers who sell produce to Wheatfield. At these meetings, we talk about the previous season and what our expectations are for the upcoming season. We do this to ensure Wheatsfield gets the best selection, availability and prices it can and also so that our farmers all have a market for their wares. We are constantly trying to increase our local sales, and to help facilitate this our deli manager Michelle will be sitting in on these meetings as well so we can begin to see more and more local food in our hot bar, grab and go case and deli counter.  
   

In February we will again be offering for sale Fair Trade roses.  I ordered them early this year so I could get the best selection, and what a selection!  It was hard to pick just a few, but I settled on some red rose varieties named First Red, Forever Young and Black Magic.  I also ordered a hot pink rose named Hot Lady; a yellow and orange rose named Circus; a yellow rose named High and Yellow Magic and a cream and crimson rose named Blush.  

Things are constantly moving and shaking in the produce, so be sure to stop by often to see the changes each new week, month and season bring to our department.  And from all of us in the produce department, have a happy, safe and healthy new year full of fresh organic produce!