Aley Chubeza 182, December 23rd-25th 2013

I am happy to inform you that Maya, our new office helper (whom some have already met by email and phone) has been joined by Dror, a veteran Chubeza worker for many years. When we first started out, Dror worked with our clients, and over the years he has been making Chubeza deliveries. Now he will be involved in the overall management of the office, customer service and delivery organization. I am taking a step back (or a step up, some might say) from working in the office in front of a computer screen to happily returning to fieldwork and other Chubeza necessities.

Dror and Maya will be pleased to take care of any issue or need you may have regarding your orders. Please be patient while our new office administrators learn the ropes. Of course, I am still in the picture, and we will all continue to be in touch…

Good luck to all!

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Recovering

This past week was sunny, sometimes very cold, and lately rather warm. Last weekend’s shock has given way to wound-licking and some improvement and recovery. The field is still saturated with water. The plants have enjoyed the dazzling light and the warmth of the weather, and gratefully lapped up the water gathered on the earth. All the sub-earth dwellers awaken when the dirt is damp and saturated, especially when there is no flooding. We were glad to see that the drainage worked well in the field, indicating a ventilated and very deeply aerated soil, thanks to Gabi’s professional “root canal,” the ants and other earth insects. Our greens are happily basking in the sun, but they still bear the scars of the hail, those white dots you noticed last week. Because the younger leaves were damaged as well, it will be some time before these scars disappear and new trauma-free leaves grow.

The potato beds are making attempts at recovery. In one area the leaves were almost completely frostbitten, and we are patiently and fervently waiting to see if the under-soil parts of the plants, the roots and lower stems, were strong enough to produce new leaves. We promise to keep you updated. The second part of the potato plot was not as badly hurt. (It is so interesting to see the many variations in how the storm affected the different fields, even parts of the same field!) The leaves did not completely die, and we can tell they are recovering and renewing.

All in all, despite the difficulties and damages the field endured, we were lucky compared to other farmer friends who have reported on structures which collapsed, and entire plots covered by hail or frost which “bit” them badly. So we are definitely, humbly grateful for the relatively easy blow we were dealt, and hope that we are able to endure the next winter storms.

Over the next weeks, you will not yet be receiving cucumbers. The reason is that they are winter vegetables and grow in hothouses during this season. Farmers who run hothouses located in areas washed by the heavy rain and cold weather were hurt badly, and the growth slowed down in any case. This is why the whole market, specifically the organic market, is suffering a heavy deficit in cucumbers. In order to satisfy the immediate vegetable salad need, we try to purchase peppers for you. Kindly understand and join us in our wishes for a speedy end to this shortage.

Last week we received a great deal of feedback from you. Some of you were full of encouragement and warmed our hearts. Others were disappointed by the battle-scarred, sparser box and the missing cucumbers. We thank them as well. We always like to hear from you, even in question or criticism.

Some thoughts, apropos the storm and your feedback: Our “Community Supported Agriculture” program is a partnership. When the field diligently braves the elements and suffers, the boxes can sometimes be a little less impressive, the greens more injured and the quantities smaller. On the other hand, when there is bounty, we all share it happily.

We would like to express our deep gratitude and admiration to our delivery people, especially Eli, Dror and Yochai who deliver in Jerusalem and its environs and to Gush Etzion. Last Monday Eli and Dror took a shovel with them to plow away the snow and deliver boxes on half-plowed roads. Very, very slowly. Some of the clients told me they could not believe their eyes when they saw the box at their doorstep after several days of storm and siege. Well done, valiant delivery team!!! You are the best!

We wish you all another week of gentle, healing sun, and plenty of time to gird up your energy and stamina in preparation for the next storm…

Have a great week!

Alon, Maya, Dror, Bat Ami and all of us at Chubeza

WHAT’S IN THIS WEEK’S BOXES?

As mentioned, there will be no cucumbers over the next few weeks, but we have purchased peppers for your salads instead. While the lettuce is still recovering from its storm wounds, several other greens are coming your way:

Monday: Coriander/dill, sweet potatoes, kohlrabi/beets, tomatoes, arugula/totsoi/ kale, daikon/ turnips/radishes, leeks/scallions, bell peppers, carrots/Jerusalem artichoke, spinach/Swiss chard, cabbage/helda (flat) green beans

In the large box, in addition: Cauliflower/broccoli, parsley, celery

Wednesday: spinach/tatsoi/kale, arugula, peppers (yellow/red/long), cilantro, sweet potatoes, carrots, kohlrabi, leek/green onions, tomatoes, celery – only small boxes, cabbage/beets – in small boxes

In the large box, in addition: radishes, Jerusalem artichoke, parsley, beets, cabbage/broccoli

And there’s more! You can add to your basket a wide, delectable range of additional products from fine small producers: flour, sprouts, fruits, honey, dates, almonds, crackers, probiotic foods, dried fruits and leathers, olive oil and bakery products too! You can learn more about each producer on the Chubeza website. On our order system there’s a detailed listing of the products and their cost, you can make an order online now!

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