Local food in these challenging times…
During this awkward time of “social distancing”, we are finding ourselves full of gratitude. Grateful for our health, our wonderful home and for truly being best friends. We are grateful that we have electricity, internet and that we can still enjoy our friends & family safely via speaker phone. Grateful we have created a homestead that can feed us in challenging times. I’m immensely grateful that we have been able to find the silver lining. For us, it means less distraction and more focus on the homestead. Completing projects that have been on our list for far to long. Time to focus on growing food in the gardens once again. Here at The Shyre, we’re working with other farmers, WSU Small Farms program and health officials to continue to support our community with food. Our farm stand will be open, albeit by reservation only. In an effort to protect ourselves in our isolation and to protect our customers who have a need, we are going to try something new.
Our farm stand will become virtual. If you need eggs, please call or email to check availability first. Once confirmed, you can pay via paypal at “thesmithshyre@gmail.com“. On the phone call or in our email response, we will let you know when they will be available to pick up in our farm stand. These eggs will not be in the refrigerator, as it serves as a vector for transmission. They will be set out shortly before your pick up time and will be labeled with your name. Please do not take eggs that are not labeled for you. If this happens, we will have to stop our services. NOTE: To cover the added cost of using paypal our eggs will now be $8 per dozen with a limit of 2 dozen per household.
As our gardens grow, we will begin to offer produce as it becomes available. Stay tuned for more information regarding produce.
This is a strange time for us all. The recent events have brought the concerns of “food security” to the for front. We encourage all our friends and neighbors to start growing gardens of their own – simple, fast things – radishes, lettuces, spinach, peas will get you eating in about 30 days. But also plant longer, sustaining items like kale, chard, carrots, potatoes and onion sets if you can find them. Braising mixes are another long sustaining offering that will last all season if taken care of. It’s not to late to run out and get your supplies now – seeds, tools, soil and supplements. Plastic sheeting and tubing will help you to make a row tunnel or mini greenhouse, which would let you get started right now. These do not need to be tall enough to walk in, you can make them from an 8ft pvc pipe, bend with the ends cut at an angle to enter the soil. You’ll want clips to hold the plastic down, but we used this system our first few years with great success. You can do this!
Best of luck to you all, stay safe and we’ll keep posting as things progress.
“Be the change” ~ your friends at The Shyre, Erin & Roni
