Dear Customers,
Here at Azure, we look forward to April because everything is vibrant and fresh; the fruit trees are in full blossom, the soil is freshly plowed for planting, and almost every day, our children are on the lookout to welcome newborn baby animals to the farm.
April is the time to begin gardening in earnest. Our Ellie’s Eden Garden Starts are going like gangbusters, and many are being planted in our fields or sent off to be tucked into your home gardens. As most of you know, I believe it is vital for the health of our families to have our own garden spaces. I know it isn’t practical for everyone, but if you have even a tiny postage-stamp-sized spot, it is beneficial to grow, at the very least, your greens. Kale, chard, lettuces, and other greens are so much better when fresh. If you can eke out just a little bit more room, poke in some tomato plants too, as your garden-ripened tomatoes will be so much tastier than anything you can get at the supermarket.
If you plan it right, garden-fresh produce can be yours from now until late fall; you might remember that last year I wrote about how I manage for early, mid, and late harvests by planting in succession. This way, you can always keep your plate full of fresh produce. If you are late in planning, Ellie's Eden Garden Starts can help you get a quick and strong start.
Springtime always gets me thinking about the upcoming year of bounty. While the calendar year begins in January, for me that is just the finisher of the old year, and the spring growing season is the real beginning! The frost is out of the ground, I begin tilling the black earth, and the sun’s beams are warming my back. It feels like the land has the potential to do anything we want it to – the world is at our fingertips!
Spring’s mesmerizing warmth and promises always convince me that this will be the best year yet, and that is as it should be. Early in spring, you don’t know what you’ll be up against, but it is important to begin by looking for the brightest, most favorable outcome. It is excellent to keep this same perspective in our lives – spring always returns, bringing hope, abundance, and fresh beginnings. We have the opportunity to start anew, too.
The historic 1917 Moro schoolhouse
On the topic of growth and renewal, last month I shared our need to expand our warehouse, which will help us become more efficient and more affordably serve your needs. Larger space means we can buy full truckloads, giving us better prices and saving on freight costs. As our warehouse expands, so will our need for more team members! Since Moro is a small community with very little housing, we decided to purchase and renovate the historic 1917 Moro schoolhouse. We are refurbishing this cherished community building into 30 – 40 modern apartments to house our team members, providing stability to our community. We feel good about bringing renewed purpose to something old!
You can do the same – wishing everyone a fruitful start to the gardening season as you allow the promise of new beginnings and hope to take root.
Warmly,
David Stelzer, Founder and CEO