Early high hopes began to fizzle as the weather dried and the drip irrigation system failed to drip. Late crops naturally withered, with complete failures or shriveled roots, bulbs or foliage. On the distribution side, we lost our Mt. Kisco drop-off center of many years, and had to improvise with timely help from some cooperative newcomers. Happily, most of our members accepted what remained good and overlooked the bad.
One of the brightest aspects of that discouraging season was the consistent and timely help, mostly in harvesting, from Jane Wainer, of Katonah. Many times she turned up at Ryder Farm before the hired day workers, after dropping off her own child at a Westchester school. She has set a good example for others who may be free and willing to follow in her footsteps.
Finally, my belated, sometimes combative, attempts succeeded
with the NOFA-NY certifiers and I got their approval late in the season. The main bones of contention were duplicate water tests, inadequate harvest records and my keeping excessive accumulations of waste engine oil from farm tractors.

Growing Enthusiasm
Each year brings more public acceptance of locally or regionally grown food. We will continue to ride this rising tide.

Retained Experience
We begin the 2008 season with much the same work force as in 2007, but with more determination to overcome past mistakes and misfortunes. One notable addition is Fuad bin Aziz, who has volunteered his efforts to compensate the Farm Manager (Hall Gibson) for a personal financial obligation. Fuad was formerly the field manager for Ryder Farm, and is now employed in Brewster with an organic food retailer. He will be
growing CSA vegetables on a plot in the field adjacent to his current residence at Ryder Farm.

Fee Creep
After two years of static fees, we have joined the nearly universal trend toward higher prices. The reasons are common to most enterprises and
well known to practically all readers, so we will not elaborate here; however, your comments and questions are welcomed.

Innovations
Sod Strips
Once again we will try to make a success of our on-farm experiment with permanent growing beds flanked by permanent sod strips. Progress has been agonizingly slow because the experiment requires some unique and innovative tractor implements, notably a “coulter bar” with large, special type discs. Most of these are now on hand, so we expect to lay out most of our growing fields according to the new pattern.

Drip Irrigation
Another year of practical experience and some outside expert technical aid should bring this watering method up to its potential for overcoming our perennial problems with drought.

New Hen House
A remarkable hen house, dubbed “The Hen Hilton,” is being built on Ryder Farm, as this newsletter is written. It will be 20’ x 20’, have a concrete floor, year round water, insulated walls and ceiling, plus other features to insure a safe and pleasant environment for about 100 hens next year. Come and see it as you visit Ryder Farm.

Loop Road
Another major addition to Ryder Farm is a long-planned stream crossing for people, domestic (and wild) animals, and vehicles, to be located at the outlet of the little pond near a water-logged field adjacent to Starr Ridge Road. Plans are well underway. When completed, perhaps this Fall, this link will allow us to complete a “Loop Road” that will allow easy access to our 8-acre hay field and to remote parts of the farm that now are underutilized. It also should enhance a compost making facility that has been planned and marked for funding by the Croton Watershed Agricultural Council.

The World Around Us
This end piece is meant to encourage readers to explore some of the many good books that can help us live more effectively in our stressful world. My favorite is Lester Brown’s latest book, “Mobilizing to Save Civilization,” a revised and expanded edition of “Plan B 3.0.” Brown, a former tomato farmer from New Jersey, is now one of the best informed environmentalists in the world, and perhaps is a candidate for a Nobel Peace Prize.
Another useful book is a tightly focused new book addressed mainly to CSA members: “An Endless Harvest,” by Betty Levine. From an early rural life in North Carolina, and a dozen years of CSA food experience, she answers many questions about the “what” and “how” of CSA food in the Hudson Valley. More information can be found at her web site: www.anendlessharvest.com
by Hall Gibson

Hall Gibson
April 2008