Photo courtesy of Dustine Shell Photography
I'm Bob Brackett. I've been growing produce by the organic method since 1980 in the Champaign-Urbana area of east central Illinois.

 

WE’RE BACK for the 2024 Main Season! The first pickup is 5/28/2024 (the day after Memorial Day), and the last pickup is November 5th (Election Day). Even though I flirted with the idea of retiring, I changed my mind. Actually, I was only going to retire if I didn't have any help. This past year without help convinced me (if I needed any convincing) that I just can't do it all by myself. Thanks to all of the people who hung in there through (mostly) the thin. I started the season with four volunteer helpers and one main helper. All of them deserted me. (You know what they say about volunteer help - what I used to say but forgot my own wisdom, “ You get what you pay for!!!" ) One woman did help to bring some of the 8 to 10 ft weeds under control, but she could only work 3 hours per week - and there was a lot more than that to do just to make it look like we were doing something. I hope that this PAST year of " set aside" will improve the soil immensely. Usually when one “sets aside " and grows a cover crop to improve the soil one chooses the cover crop - whether a cereal grain or a legume or some sort of combination of the two, preferably crops, that can be dealt with before any go to seed. All the seeds from this year's weed crop will be with me for years to come. Some guy in Canada started a study of weed seeds years ago, and after he died his colleagues carried on the study. He put weed seeds into jars and buried them and dug one jar up every 10 years. Even after 100 years there was still some germination. Something to look forward to... I have a helper now, a friend of our youngest son who " promises " to work for one season to learn the tricks of the trade so he can go back to North or South Carolina to start his own business of growing. So, I have a helper for the upcoming season, and I'll hold off on retiring. What am I supposed to do anyway, retire and take up gardening??? I have already started planting (under lights) for the 2024 season. The 3,000 or more onion plants have arrived and are begging to be planted in the ground, and seed potatoes are making the same requests, and the 1,000 everbearing strawberry plants will arrive soonish. And the diehard fans have already sent in their money for the coming season. I have started, and once I start, I can't easily give up. Ideally, it would be great for me to hire a bunch of people to do the hard work so I can sit around and bark out orders to them - i.e. assume a more administrative role--BUT ... It's hard to find helpers and I would go out of my mind telling people what to do if couldn't do it myself as well. So - the 2024 season of Brackett - CSA is a go! Sign up now, keep the money coming in so I can maybe get an upper hand on the problems that still exist. I can't do it alone! Thanks. We depend on you. Check us out on Instagram. Youngest son Kevin is operating that from California. You could check it out yourself and comment. Lots of good pictures I hear. Print our 2024 brochure for this year's summary of our offerings and rates. You'll need to print out our 2024 contract separately and mail or deliver it to us with your payment. Thanks! Don't miss our week-by-week photos of a typical Brackett CSA share of fruits and veggies, arranged by month (part of May through end of October). Take a look! Check out this great summer party idea! Tomatoes, basil, and goat cheese appetizers look delicious. Photo courtesy of Cheryl Louviere

In 1985, what began as an intensive hobby of backyard gardening began expanding into an equally intensive, though more extensive, business with the purchase of 3.5 acres outside of town, in the hopes of selling our homegrown produce to the people of the community -- while attempting to make a living from it.

At least temporarily sparing you the details of my difficulties with "reclaiming farmland", I will fast-forward to 1994/1995 when I began co-growing for a CSA. After many disappointments and setbacks, I started my own CSA, Brackett CSA, in 2000. I can honestly say that my CSA has been of benefit to both farmer and consumer/partner since day one, and not merely for the tasty fruits and veggies.

I'm looking for people in my area who are interested in healthy, tasty, and nutritious fruits and vegetables on a weekly basis throughout the growing season.

I want to invite you to become a paying partner in this farming adventure!

Let me ask you:

Do you like to eat vegetables and fruit?

Would you like to include more vegetables and fruit in your weekly diet…especially if they were locally grown right here in east central Illinois?

Would you like to have the benefits of having fresh produce from your very own backyard garden, but can't seem to find the time or the space or the perseverance to do so?

Would you like to have these delicious delicacies without all the stuff that might have been sprayed on them in order to get them to you in picture-perfect condition?

Come along and I'll tell you more!