Dear Customers and Friends,
On days like today, as sunbeams penetrate the cloud cover over our little corner of paradise here in Dufur, Oregon, I get excited for what I know comes next. Slowly, but surely, the snow recedes and the soil begins to thaw from the warmth of those golden rays reaching the fields of our farm. Soon, eager seed leaves will be reaching upwards in response to the glowing sunlight, grabbing hold of the opportunity to advance life on this earth for yet another trip around the sun.
It’s a gift to be part of this miraculous process—cultivating the earth, working hand in hand with nature’s rhythms, bringing food to the table.
I think we all have a longing and a calling, deep within, to bring ourselves back into a more natural cycle, and to participate in cultivating growth and life. I am convinced that each one of us is meant to be a gardener of one sort or another, and if we give it a go, everyone can find great satisfaction in it.
And that’s why Ellie’s Eden was born. Every year, in the depths of winter’s freeze, we germinate and grow more than 175 varieties of fruits, flowers, vegetables, and herbs to get your garden off to a strong start. This way, even if you don’t have your own greenhouse, you can hit the ground running with a ready-made bounty of “plant starts” to begin your adventure in cultivating your own food. Yes, Azure will sell you fresh organic produce each month, delivered to your closest drop location. But we really want you to know the satisfaction and have the security of growing your own garden. We want you to teach your kids to dig their hands into the dirt beside you. We hope you’ll share your harvest with friends in your community. And when those plants mature, flower, and make seeds, we hope you’ll collect those seeds. They hold the potential for endless generations of offspring, so go ahead and save them to plant next year and the next. In no time at all, you will build a sustainable future for an organic food supply in your own neighborhood.
This year, we have a few new Ellie’s Eden starts that I am excited about, one of which is asparagus (GP1176)! I have been experimenting with this delicious and nutrient-dense vegetable over the past couple years. It’s most often propagated by dividing the crowns, because this is a faster process than growing new plants from seed (which requires an additional year). But asparagus is fraught with a soil-borne disease that can readily be spread by crown division, so we opted to grow it for you directly from seed—this way we know we are protecting your garden from any latent disease. I hope you’ll give it a try. Asparagus is a favorite around here—it makes a tender and delicious addition to any meal.
Other new additions to Ellie’s Eden this year include rhubarb (GP1174), dill (GP1172), medicinal yarrow (GP1178), German chamomile (GP1175), lobelia (GP1173) and a couple other new herbs, so be on the lookout for those in the Ellie’s Eden section of our sales flyer and website. (You can search on our website for Ellie’s Eden plants March 12, when they begin to become available.) You might also remember I mentioned a few months ago that I was experimenting with tomato varieties. I discovered a very early salad tomato, Sugar Mama Tomato (GP1181), that produces across a long season. It’s great for northern gardens, and it’s a nice size (a little bigger than a cherry tomato—just big enough for quartering into your salad). It’s quite tasty, and I think you’ll love it.
We still believe the best way to change the world is to empower individuals to live out their values. Here at Azure, we help people live abundantly healthy lives by eating well, because we’re all more effective in pursuing our dreams when we are not held back by illness. If you want better food for better health, we want to help you learn to grow it and share it. Together, if we support each other and an alternative food supply chain, we can build better lives and a better world for everyone. Check out all our plant starts (beginning March 12 through early June) and our incredible selection of seeds (many heirloom varieties!) and get going with that garden!
Pursuing a Future of Hope and Health,
David Stelzer, Founder and CEO