Hello, the Orchard Keepers here with some updates on our upcoming season.
The buds are blooming and we’ve almost wrapped up the winter pruning here in the orchard. The trees are clearly on the move with bees visiting on the rare sunny days (La Niña here we come!). We now have a team of six, with Rachael, Meg & Bri all joining in the last couple of months and we’re all settling in to our new rhythm.
We are delighted to announce our CSA subscriptions are open for our upcoming 2022-23 season. You can sign up now here. For those of you further afield we will be heading to Coburg Farmers Market again this season as long as the harvest is plentiful enough!
This year we plan to offer 100 CSA shares across 21-23 weeks depending on our harvests and how La Niña impacts us this season. Our pick up points will be:
- Central Castlemaine Location – Wednesday afternoons (NB we will no longer be at Castlemaine weekly farmers market)
- Harcourt Organic Farming Co-op Farm Shop, Danns Road, Harcourt – Wednesday to Friday
- Harvest at the Mill, Castlemaine – Saturday
Along with our CSA:
- We’ll be trialing a stall at the Castlemaine Monthly Farmers Market (First Sunday of each month) where we’ll showcase some of what’s in our boxes and we would love any CSA members to come down and say hello.
- We’re planning to attend Coburg Farmers Market when we have fruit to sell so please check in with our socials to hear about when we’ll be there.
CSA is such an important part of what we do – it is us, the growers and you, the eaters, joining in solidarity to share both abundance and the risk of growing food. CSA is valuing what is shared over what is individual. It’s a relationship based on recognition of mutual value, rather than an invisible transaction. So, we really value each and everyone of you who signs up and joins us in helping to make our local food system stronger.
Our first season was eventful and a huge learning curve. We have had a chance for a solid rest, to think big picture and to build a new team. There are now six Orchard Keepers and we’re excited about the possibilities for the coming season.
If you are ready to sign up, fill out this form. Feel free to get in touch with any questions!
Thanks,
The Orchard Keepers – Alex, Yoann, Bri, Meg, Rachael & Ingrid