Dear friends and neighbors,

Ground Hog Day is behind us! The days are getting longer, and spring will return before you know it. This is the time of year that our Westport Island farmers, Kyle DePietro and Angie Trombley, are scouring seed catalogs for interesting varieties of heirloom and hybrid vegetables or fruits with great flavor and eye appeal. Kyle and Angie proudly steward the Tarbox Farm off West Shore Road with care and love. Their farm is certified by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), allowing them to produce the most delicious and nutritious food possible. They work with nature by using cover crops and organic amendments (rather than chemicals) to enrich the soil. They rotate crops annually to promote healthy and disease-free soil.

In addition to vegetables, fruits, flowers, and culinary herbs, the Tarbox Farm pasture raises pigs with organic feed containing no antibiotics or hormones. The pigs are handled daily and humanely causing them little stress. Kyle and Angie are thankful to be raising their own meat, knowing exactly what it is made of.

Why not support a small family farm while keeping money in the local community? You too could be a member of the Tarbox CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Now is the time to sign up for a share of $100, $200 or $300. Joining now allows you to invest in a healthy year of eating while helping Kyle and Angie with start up costs that range between $8000-$10,000 for seeds, soil, compost and organic fertilizers. This year flower and herb production will be expanded as well as trying some new tomato and perhaps sweet potato varieties. My husband and I have been members of the Tarbox CSA for nine years, and we love picking out the produce we want right here on the island every Friday afternoon from mid-June until October. Starting in May, you can also find the Tarbox Farm at the Boothbay Farmers’ Market on the Commons Thursday mornings or at the Bath Farmers’ Market on the Waterfront Saturday mornings.

Here’s how it works. Send a check for the share size you choose to “Tarbox Farm” at 177 Post Office Road, Westport Island, ME04578. The CSA runs concurrent with the outdoor market season, so you have 6 months to use up your share of vegetables, flowers, herbs, and berries. (Pork is not included in the share.) Kyle and Angie also give all members an additional 10% credit on produce used during that time. (If you have a $300 share, you should spend between $15-$20 weekly.) For more information, check out www.tarboxfarm.com or call Kyle and Angie at 522-2579. Sign up now to look forward to wonderful food next summer!

On another note, I received a message from an island resident concerned about encountering unleashed dogs on walks with their owners. Most people’s dogs are suitably obedient and under control while off lead. However, some dogs need to be on a lead to avoid having walkers and their dogs charged. Please be considerate of others as you walk your dogs so that every person and animal remains safe. Thank you for your courtesy!

Contact your newshound pat-dick@midcoast.com or call 231-4040.