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We have made it, folks! The last CSA pickup of the 2024 season is here. I think it is fitting that the CSA is ending with the first snow flurries of the fall happening this morning. I want to thank you all for being on this journey with us this year. Not only for supporting the TC3 Farm but for supporting the students this past growing season. The 3 interns who were with me this fall will be graduating with their Sustainable Farming and Food Systems degrees in December and onto their next adventures. I have seen a lot of growth (pun intended) in them these past four semesters and am extremely appreciative of their hard work and dedication as they begin forging their paths in our food system. There are lots of ups and downs throughout one growing season and each time they were on the farm they were here doing their best while creating a small community. I love seeing folks bond over shared experiences, especially when it revolves around growing food and feeding people. I am excited to see what is next for these wonderful young people.

Even though the CSA is ending, there are still about 4 weeks left in the semester. It seems like there is plenty of time left to get all the tasks needed to be done, but seeing the first snow today and a look at what the nighttime low is supposed to be tonight (22 degrees), I know we need to kick it into high gear. All 700-plus tomatoes in two hoophouses have been cut and are mostly removed. With most of these plants being 8 feet tall or higher, there is a lot of organic matter to get rid of. I'm accustomed to the end-of-the-season tasks, so I don't usually think twice about what needs to be done, but there was a little bit of sadness for the interns doing this job for the first time. Their work with the tomatoes started back in late January when we were looking through seed catalogs and deciding on which varieties to grow. It continued with seeding them in late March, to transplanting them in late May. After we begin trellising them, the tomatoes are worked with every week until this week. It was another reminder for me why I love working with students. I get the opportunity to experience "first times" on an annual basis.

Before we get to what is going to be in the final CSA share, I wanted to share with you all about the last Capstone project that is happening this semester. We have a student who is initiating a new project that will be happening with the TC3 Farm and the Sustainable Farming and Food Systems program. For several years, Wells College ran a "Seed Program" that provided free seeds to individuals in the Cayuga County community. With the closing of Wells, they didn't want to see this community asset end and approached me to see if it was something that we could take on and expand to the communities in Cortland and ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ counties. I brought this opportunity up to my students when we were starting to think about Capstone projects this semester and had one who was very motivated to keep this going. They have been working hard to transfer records from Wells and create a system that we can implement here. In the coming weeks, they will be soliciting donations from over 80 seed companies so we can launch the new Seed Program here in 2025. I will be sure to share that information when the new program begins next year.

Okay, on to the last CSA pickup of the 2024 season. This final choice will feature a new kale variety that we are growing for the first time. It is a beautiful cross between Red Russian and a green curly variety. I think it is something that we will try again next season. There will also be potatoes, radishes, hot peppers, and garlic. The garlic will be mostly the large Music variety, but we will include some of the smaller Russian Red. There will also be mixed boxes of the last tomatoes, boxes of peppers, hot pepper salts, cayenne powder, and fresh ginger.

Thank you all again!

Have a great winter!

-Farmer Todd