We got this nice letter from our fruit & egg (& pasta) farmer and wanted to share it with you:
Dear CSA Members,
We at Breezy Hill Orchard, Stone Ridge Orchard and Knoll Krest Farm would like to thank you for an incredible 2010 season. For five and a half months we brought you a selection of the best fruit, eggs, and pasta we had to offer. Your early support enabled us to invest in the vital staffing and equipment that kept us going strong at the beginning of the year. Without your support, the seeds could not be planted and the trees could not be pruned. In exchange we worked week after week to provide a variety of top quality fruit, eggs and pasta and to ensure a smooth delivery. We hope you could taste the result of our great effort in the shares you received every week. Like most years, we faced a few challenges in 2010 including an early frost and a summer drought. With trickle irrigation we persevered. Your continued membership can help us with the challenges we will surely face in 2011.
For the 2011 season, our determination to provide the highest quality product and customer service is even greater. Now that we have completed our sophomore year serving CSAs, our operation will only become more efficient. We’d like for you to join us in our third year of providing fruit, eggs, and pasta to CSA members. Seasonal, local fruit is a healthy part of any diet, and it’s our honor to share it with you. CSAs are a great way to ensure that local farms have a future in New York State, and the most important part of the CSA is your individual memberships.
Along with two years serving CSAs, Breezy Hill Orchard and Stone Ridge Orchard are Eco Apple certified for two years running. The health of our customers, the health of our land, and our own health are the top priorities in our decision making process. Through the Eco Apple program, our environment can continue to be healthy and strong for years to come.
In addition to our many farmers’ market locations, we are excited to announce a new store front location at La Marqueta in East Harlem. With the office space that this store front provides, our NYC based coordinator will improve communication and coordination with CSAs. In addition, this space provides a potential site for a CSA distribution. We have also opened a new store front in our own backyard in the village of Rhinebeck, NY. So if you find yourself in East Harlem or Rhinebeck, please stop by and visit us.
CSAs have become one of the cornerstones of Breezy Hill Orchard’s success, and we owe it all to you. This year many CSA members made it up to the farm, and next year we hope to see each and every member come to see where their fruit grows. So as we celebrate the New Year, please renew your CSA membership. Say yes to local business, say yes to healthy eating, and say yes to sustainable farming practices. With that yes comes months of high quality food delivered directly to your neighborhood. We’d love to work with you again.
Best wishes during the holiday season, and Happy New Year!
Elizabeth Ryan, Anne Diaz-Matos, Stephen Burgess, and Everyone at Breezy Hill