Happy National CSA Day! In honor of the holiday, we’re offering 10% off all CSA packages for 2019 today through 2/24! You can see those offerings here!
We also thought today would be a fitting time to introduce you to the two people who make our CSA possible.
Tina Claydon is our Retail Operations Manager, which means she is responsible for everything pertaining to the farm stand, bakery, ice cream room, CSA, and PYO. It’s quite an exhaustive list, and Tina is never bored!
Jeremy Tackett is the farm’s agriculture manager, and is currently leading the charge in overhauling our farming practices with a greater focus on sustainability. We keep him very busy.
Without further ado, meet Tina and Jeremy!
Tina
What is your favorite season?
Fall has always been my favorite season, even before working here at Smolak Farms. I love the smells, the colors, the food and the transition from the hot, balmy days of summer to cool crisp evenings when I can break out my cozy socks again. Of course the fall is our busiest time here at Smolak Farms. I love the energy of a busy fall weekend, people spending time with their friends and families picking apples and devouring hot apple cider donuts.
What are your favorite fruits and veggies?
I have a hard time picking a favorite fruit, but I would have to say peaches. That first bite into a ripe, juicy peach picked fresh from the tree is amazing.
As for a favorite vegetable, again it’s too hard to choose, but beets are something I look forward to each year especially roasted in a salad with a fresh locally made goat cheese… my mouth is watering!
What 2019 CSA offering are you most excited about?
This year I’m really looking forward to lots of fresh salad greens
What do you love most about working at Smolak?
Pretty much everything… I love the team of people working here from Michael Smolak, the owner, to the kids who work in the Ice Cream room. Everyone is dedicated to what they do and just loves being here and it shows.
Let’s hear one fun fact!
Although I grew up in England, I was actually born in Singapore. My father served in the British Navy and I spent the first 5 years of my life living in Malaysia which is just a short hop over a causeway from Singapore.
Jeremy
What are you responsible for at Smolak Farms?
As the Agriculture Manager, my job is to ensure a balanced and bountiful harvest of all crops on Smolak Farms, including the fields and woods of Small Oxx Farm (down the road in Boxford), tending to all living organisms, and especially guiding others to assist along the way.
What is your favorite season?
Autumn
What are your favorite fruits and veggies?
Melon and kohlrabi
What 2019 CSA offerings are you most excited about?
Rosemary, delicata squash, and purple anything
What’s your favorite part of working at Smolak Farms?
The expansive environment, the diversity of both flora and fauna, and the community as a whole.
Let’s hear one fun fact!
Approximately 10% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions are stored in soil, and soil is a living system.