Kurt’s Field Notes – The Final Week, October 18, 2025

What a season it’s been. Hard to believe this is our last CSA box of 2025. Writing this note each year always hits me in the same way — a mix of pride, relief, and a twinge of sadness. I’ll miss seeing your faces each week at pickup, but I’m also ready to slow down, take a breath, and let the farm rest for a while.

This season reminded me again why soil health is everything. The payoff of years of crop rotation, compost, and careful stewardship really showed up. Did you see the size of those collard greens and cauliflower heads? The plants are thriving because the soil is alive. Healthy soil really does lead to healthy food, and healthy food leads to healthy people. It’s a good feeling to see that cycle working the way it should.

Harvesting collards

Gratitude from the Ground Up

Before the tractors go quiet, I need to say thank you — first and foremost to you, our CSA members. Your support keeps this whole operation possible. Every renewal, every kind word at pickup, every picture you post of a meal you made… it all fuels us through the long weeks of planting, harvesting, and packing. You’ve stood behind us for another year, and that means more than you know. Many farmers never get this kind of feedback loop, and I often wonder if this disconnect is what contributes to their glass half empty.

A huge thanks goes to my incredible field and harvest crew: Jose (crew leader), Juan, Pedro, Asuncion, Noah, and John. They’re the real muscle behind Shared Legacy, working in the heat, the rain, the cold, and the early mornings to bring you food that’s worthy of your table.

To my boys, Jed and Josiah, thank you for jumping in whenever I need you — often without pay and always without complaint. (What will I do when you leave me, Jed?)  And to my wife, Corinna, who somehow keeps this ship sailing: newsletters, photos, social posts, the online store, customer emails, and family life — all while continuing to heal and regain her strength this year.

Thanks to Glen, my cousin and jack-of-all-trades, for keeping the machines humming; to our site hosts: Esther, Jahnine, Anessa, Chris, Derek, Karen, Stephanie, Lee, Becky, Anita, Dena, Chris, Amy, and Tanya — for making pickup days smooth; and to our CSA and store pack crew — Tara, Karen, Katie, Lori, Adelle, Holly, John, Clara, Kristi, Jen, Jenna C., Val, Phoebe, Debbie, Jen S., Lisa, Connie, Kim, and Sarah — who bring order out of chaos every harvest day. Our mighty bin washing crew — there were a LOT of bins to wash: we see you… CeCe, Hazel, Jinny, and Josiah.

A special nod to Cadie Jardin for the recipes, videos and kitchen coaching, and to Brianne, our bookkeeper who keeps the numbers honest.

Partners Who Make It Work

Farming is a team sport. We’re grateful to all our farm partners and vendors:

• Ben from Quarry Hill Orchards, Wayward Seed Farm, Bench Farms on Route 2 for sweet corn and melons, and Aaron & Kristi from Clay Hill Farms for those beautiful bouquets.

• Portage River Mushrooms  for keeping our store stocked with their amazing fungi.

• Stacie & Brian Anderson for the fresh eggs and our new chicken partnership. (Hopefully beef for next year…)

• Cork & Knife Provisions for helping us launch the Field-to-Table dinner and the Prepared Foods pilot.

• Adelle Rodriguez and John Kellar for the honey and syrup.

Behind the scenes, there’s a whole network of people who keep me going — neighbors, mentors, and friends. Adam Downs, my neighbor and right-hand man, for loaning equipment and talking shop. Adam Welly for guidance and partnership through the GRO co-op. Nick, my builder and best friend, for the new barn staircase and awkward pauses. Josh, for all the free manure and good neighborly help. And to my parents: for their love, wisdom, and land, and for teaching me that farming is more than a job; it’s a calling.

When I see this long list, I’m reminded how many hands make this possible. “Community Supported Agriculture” isn’t just a name… it’s how we thrive. When Corinna and I read the comments in the Daily Challenge posts (FB group), about “what you love about our farm” and “why you support us,” it’s interesting to me to see how often the word “community” comes up. We sell vegetables, true. But I think at the end of the day, what we really end up giving our customers is belonging and community. What a powerful thing we’ve all collectively created here. I feel like God is preparing us for something.

Wrapping Up the Fields

The cleanup has begun. The corn fields are disked under, the winter squash is curing, and the high tunnel is being prepped for spring. The crew’s still picking cauliflower and collards for wholesale, but the breakneck pace of CSA harvests is behind us.

Our site hosts at Perrysburg have a friendly rivalry.

In this week’s box, you’ll find two varieties of sweet potatoes, including the purple kind I’m especially proud of. Let me know what you think; I can taste a subtle difference in sweetness. The Brussels sprouts are still sizing up. I planted them late this year, but the leaves are looking great (no wooly aphids!). With luck, you’ll have them for Thanksgiving.

Looking Ahead

We’ll celebrate this Friday with our annual Adios Party Hog Roast — aka the Staff Party, a chance to thank our whole team before our H2A crew heads home to Mexico on November 3. Your generous tips will be delivered to them before they leave — it’s one of my favorite personal moments of the year, passing them that envelope.

November and early December are my “slow” months, though there’s still equipment maintenance, cover crops to seed, and beds to prep for spring. Once the crew is gone, Corinna and I hope to sneak away for a few days — maybe New Mexico — before planning starts up again in January.

That’s when I dive into spreadsheets, crop rotations, and seed orders. I usually order all the seed before New Year’s to get the early-bird discount. Your CSA deposits make that possible, and we’re so grateful. I’ll finalize our wholesale contracts, decide on equipment upgrades (maybe a new farm box truck?), and make the call on how many crew members to bring back through our H2A program. By March, we’re seeding onions again, and the cycle begins anew.

Butternut and honey nut squashes curing

The Finish Line

Corinna tells me early renewals are rolling in fast. The eggs sold out in ten minutes! (What the?…!) That support gives us both enormous peace of mind heading into winter.

If you’ve already renewed, thank you. And if this is your last season with us, please know how grateful I am to have grown food for your family. We depart on good terms with a firm handshake. We’ll stay in touch this fall with a couple of online pop-up markets before Thanksgiving and again in December. The chicken share and (maybe?) beef share will be announced after the New Year. Watch your inbox for those announcements, and don’t forget to fill out our CSA survey. Your feedback shapes next year’s farm.

From all of us here at Shared Legacy Farms… thank you for another incredible season. You’ve stood beside us through the long days and the muddy boots, and together we’ve built something we can all be proud of.

See you next spring,
Farmer Kurt