Big News: We're Moving!
Photo by Chelsea Dimyan, Chelsea Photography Design
Spade & Plow is looking at some BIG changes moving into 2021, and we’re excited to share them with you!
Here's the backstory:
Spade & Plow has been on short-term, month-to-month leases since the business got its start in 2015. Short term leases for farmers are a nightmare, as you might imagine. The security is low and the risk is super high. It leaves little to no capability to invest in or secure long-term infrastructure to help the business grow, along with a laundry list of other things we’ll share another day.
Spade & Plow lost 75% of the land it was farming this year due to the feebleness of our lease, which left us with 10 acres to grow on. All to feed 500 CSA members, hundreds of market folks, and a whole caboodle of restaurants. It's a miracle we have been able to stretch things as well as we have, on top of the pandemic.
Silver lining: It totally kicked us into shape! We have been on top of timing, planting, and yields more than ever.
Here's the “good Scary” news:
Spade & Plow is transitioning to a long-term lease on a property 10 times the size. Long-term is a huge deal, folks. Holy moly, we’ll be able to grow fruit trees, berries, and more! We are encouraged by the potential of the space to host events and gatherings when the timing is right. It’s right at the base of the East Santa Clara County foothills in a quiet little neck of the woods.
Our first seeds were planted on New Years Day (see video below!), a sweet little omen for the abundance that awaits for 2021. Our team has begun to prepare for the transition, though none of us have any idea of the scope or tedium that it holds. This is a big turning point for our family business, and as the saying goes, it's "the good scary."
Farmer Mike and Farmer Jose check the first seeds for proper depth & spacing.
“The keep on keeps keepin’ on”
You’ve probably guessed, we can’t just uproot all of our veggies and transport them over to the new property. As many crops take several months to grow, we’ll be bouncing back and forth quite a bit in the coming weeks to prep beds and plant at the new place, only to turn around to continue cultivation and harvest at our current property.
We intend to complete the transition by the end of May… just in time to plant next year’s artichokes. Farming: the keep on that keeps keepin’ on!
All that to say, folks, we couldn’t have dreamt any of this as a possibility if not for you. Winter is hard. Slower and fewer yields, not nearly as much variety (don’t you dare tell us you’re sick of radicchio!), but we just survived an entire year that felt like winter: isolating, cold, and confining. We’ve made it through thick mucky mud, and spring is looking oh-so-sweet!
Thank you for your continued support. Be in touch with what you want to see more of in your CSA boxes moving forward! Here’s to the good days ahead!