Signs of Spring

The other day, I walked past the organic garden on my way to the main barn and it hit me – the aroma of rich, thick damp soil – and I stopped and took a huge, deep breath. After one of the hardest winters in recent memory, it had been months since I really smelled the earth. Thankfully, spring has finally arrived and our organic garden is teeming with life! Beets, kale, tomatoes, black beans, snap peas, summer squash, lettuce, braising greens, garlic, radishes, cucumbers, carrots, thyme, dill, peppers, bok choy, tomatillos, and cabbage are all thriving! But wait – there’s more – Julie tells us to expect green beans, broccoli, eggplant, and melons in the near future! At CAS, we do our best to be kind to the earth – many of us are vegan or vegetarian, we are 100% solar-powered, our garden uses manure from our horses and cows, and we’re currently transplanting extra sod from the garden into our chicken yards so the birds can play in the tall grass. Now in its second season, the organic garden will play an even bigger role in the work of CAS. Like last year, kids enrolled in Camp Kindness will learn about organic gardening, and use the food to create delicious meals to share with their families. This year, we’re launching our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program and many of our friends will take home portions of the weekly harvests. If this CSA test run is successful, we hope to expand it to the larger community next year, offering affordable, sustainably grown, organic food–along with recipes and encouragement–to folks interested in a plant-based diet. The next time you visit CAS, please stop by the garden and take a peek! If you’ve got some extra time and want to volunteer with watering, weeding, and transplanting, call Julie at 845-336-8447 x202. Thanks and see you soon!