Muscadine and Scuppernong Grapes and Okra Available
Farm Phone - 843-559-0988
Our next CSA Season will begin
mid October, 2024 Sign Up now- limited shares availalbe
Our next CSA Season will begin
mid October, 2024 Sign Up now- limited shares availalbe
At Ambrose Family Farm, Pete and Babs Ambrose have been cultivating their lands with diverse and innovative agricultural practices since 1976. On our 135-acre farm at Selkirk Plantation on beautiful Wadmalaw Island, Pete grows crops year 'round, some familiar and some uncommon. We sell our produce at our farm, family owned business Stono Market and Tomato Shed Café, and through our Ambrose Family Farm CSA.
We offer what we grow already picked and/or Pick Your Own on the farm:
2349 Black Pond Lane, Wadmalaw island 843-559-0988
During spring and early summer, there are employees on the farm to help you, but during the off seasons, an Honor System is in place for check in and out.
We accept Cash, CC or Debit Cards, and Venmo.
Spring hours are different each year and are posted in advance on this web site. Off Season hours are-
"If the gate is open, we're open"-usually 8:30am to around 5pm
There is an answering machine on the phone, but it's not well monitored in off season
At Ambrose Family Farm, we take pride in our environmentally sound and sustainable farming practices. Without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, we prioritize building soil fertility naturally, even nurturing earthworms as indicators of our soil's health.
Our commitment to quality produce at reasonable prices ensures that you receive the freshest, most flavorful, and nutritious vegetables possible. Keeping it local and fresh is at the core of everything we do.
As leaders and advocates for locally grown, sustainable produce, we prioritize communication and education within our community. We believe in fostering a deep connection between communities and the land they rely on.
While we grow as organically as possible, we are not certified organic growers, and there are several reasons for this decision. First, maintaining certification may restrict our ability to respond to unforeseen challenges that threaten our crops. Second, we prefer to operate without excessive governmental involvement and associated expenses. And last, the stringent requirements of GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) certification are often financially prohibitive for small-scale growers like us.
In our over 10 years of organic farming, we've encountered a few unusual disease or pest issues that necessitated the use of "non-organic" treatments for control. In such rare emergencies, we rely on the guidance of Clemson Extension experts and opt for the gentlest yet most efficient products at our disposal. Transparency is key for us, and we make sure to inform our customers upfront about the organic status of our crops. This way, everyone can make an informed decision when it comes to purchasing.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) fosters a unique bond between local farmers and the communities they serve. Through this partnership, members invest in a "share" of the farm's anticipated fresh, high-quality produce, cultivated using the safest and most organic methods available. This commitment ensures that members receive the best-quality, freshest, and widest variety of sustainably grown produce while supporting the future viability of local family farms by guaranteeing fair economic returns for the farmers' efforts.
Joining our CSA is a proactive step towards securing access to fresh, wholesome produce. It's essential to sign up well in advance to allow our farm the time needed to plan and cultivate crops. From scheduling planting and ordering seeds to nurturing young plants and ultimately harvesting and delivering the produce, every step in the process requires careful attention and time. Unlike ordering items online for immediate delivery, the growing cycle for crops like arugula, radish, and baby lettuce mixes can take just 25 days from seed to harvest, while other crops, like beets, carrots and winter squashed take as much as 90 to 120 days to mature, emphasizing the importance of early enrollment in a CSA program, especially as it relates to future seasons.
But there is a risk for you just as there is a constant risk for farmers- the unexpected: excessive rain, hail, out of the ordinary frost or freeze, severe drought, unknown disease carried by wind or rain, strange bugs or diseases from strange places that our experts are unsure how to control. A Farmer's partner is Mother Nature who is the MOST unreliable and unpredictable partner. A farm is like a widget factory without a roof or walls.
Most CSAs cannot provide families with all fruit and veggie varieties each week of every season to meet their usual intake. Depending on the size of your family and how much you cook, you will probably find that you need to supplement your share contents from time to time. Farmers cannot grow everything all the time. Ambrose Family Farm cannot grow lettuce varieties in the heat of summer, nor can we grow summer squash in the winter. Variety is always limited to the growing season.
If you are not accustomed to eating seasonally, you may find that it takes a while to make a transition from eating whatever is at the grocery store (pretty much everything -anytime) to whatever is in your CSA bag (what's in season). It may surprise you to find that tomatoes ripen in June in our area and that strawberries are usually available in very early March. You should expect the season to start off with lighter weighing veggies like lettuces and greens and than mid-April we're harvesting brussel sprouts, asparagus, cabbage, and generally heavier produce added. In area, the Winter crops will be salad greens, peas, green onions and the like. By the end of the season, the bags should be much heavier, with things like winter squash, potatoes, tomatoes, and broccoli.
We list anticipated and usual crops and their general seasons so you have an idea what to expect and when to hope for it. It's not written in stone but an educated guess for each season.
When filling the weekly CSA bags, we try and provide a variety of items, in a reasonable quantity. We don't want to be skimpy, and don't want to overwhelm you either. Too much -even of good things- can end up going to waste, which makes everyone feel bad. Over time, we've develop a feel for how much is the right amount- what's fair, what's reasonable, what will get eaten. Of course, the weather and other mitigating circumstances can get in the way of our ability to provide the ideal amount, as discussed above. One of the most important questions to ask before you sign up is, "About how much produce do you expect to deliver each week, and how does that vary from the beginning of the season to the end?" The answer is not a commitment, but an experienced projection.
We encourage members-and non members(anyone) to get extra quantities of certain vegetables for canning or freezing when the season is in it's peek. If this is something that interests you, we'll work with you to make purchasing extras very affordable-especially if you Pick Your Own.
CSA farmers differ in their policies regarding what happens with your bag if you don't pick it up (e.g. vacation, something-came-up, I forgot, etc.) Make sure you know how these situations are dealt with, before the season starts.