Week Three and I Have No Good Excuses

This week marks our 3rd week of harvest for the CSA. And, we must offer our sincerest apologies for ignoring this medium to communicate with all of you about what's in each week's share.
But, I promise we'll keep you all posted from here on out.



Week 3
Lettuce
Spinach
Napa Cabbage
Beets
Rainbow Chard
Hakurei Turnip (salad turnips meant to be eaten raw)
Garlic Scapes (a delicious spring garlic treat....the flowering part of the garlic plant)
Cilantro
And, maybe a small pint of strawberries

A note about the berries: We tried something new last summer when we planted the berries and it doesn't seem to have worked as well as our previous strategies. This translates into a smaller yield of berries this season than in past seasons and we apologize. We may not have weeks of those overflowing quarts for everyone this season. However, the good news is, next year's berries are planted, we went back to our old ways and everything is coming along nicely. We'll be overloaded with 2X as many berries as any other year next year. I know that doesn't help your shortcake and jam plans for this year, but....

A note about 4th of July: We will still be harvesting your CSA share on the 4th of July. Feel free to come as early as noon to collect your share if you have evening barbecue/fireworks plans. If you need to switch to Tuesday for travel reasons, just drop Stacy a line.

What's new at the farm....
We are in full tilt boogie over here with lots of new faces. Bread and Butter joined us this past weekend from our friend's at  Ten Apple Farm in Gray. They are Alpine dairy goats and full of love. They are living between the livestock barn and a paddock near the outhouses. Make sure you come say hello. Our summer camp kids are in charge of the goats, walking or carrying them back and forth to their paddock in the morning and afternoon. I think its going to be a wonderful union.



Babycakes, a little bull (male) calf,  was born to our dairy cow, Clementine, on June 9th. I took this little video on the afternoon of his birth.

She found her way to the bottom of the pasture and gave birth on the first really warm day in June. Everyone is doing well. They can be found grazing in the pasture or chewing cud in the barn. Clementine is producing crazy amounts of milk for us as a freshened cow. We are loaded with 4-5 gallons a day. Break out the Nesquik....its chocolate milk time all the time over here.

Flora convinced me she needed ducklings because her friend was getting some.



 We searched online and she decided on white crested as a breed. They look like my little old Jewish uncles with yellow fluff suits and little yamakas on their heads. They always seem to be dancing the hora around their swimming pool. When you mail order poultry, there is a minimum of 15 in an order to make sure they have each other's body heat to keep them warm. So, we have about 8 more ducks than we need. Anyone want some fluffy little Jewish uncles in yamakas dancing the hora in your kiddy pool this summer? The white crested breed is a dual purpose breed. Good for meat or eggs.



The turkey babies have arrived as well. There are 15 and as in previous years, we'll raise them up for Thanksgiving. In the fall, we'll offer a choose-your-own-turkey-and-learn-to-process-poultry class to folks who want a hand in where their bird comes from. It has been a wonderful class to teach and we always enjoy walking people through the experience.



And, the farm stand is open. We moved it out of the flower shop and into the back of the long barn where the CSA distribution occurs. It will be open M-Sat, 9-6 and stocked with flowers and produce. We don't set up the stand on Sundays, but you are always welcome to take a drive out to see the animals and walk the fields and trails.



We built a new produce washing area. We love it and are learning the flow of a new space.





The crew for the season is all here. Between the education crew, the field crew,the floral design ladies and everyone who's able to dance between all of these roles, we have 13 employees. Rafael and his son, Johnny are here with us for the summer from Puerto Rico, where they have a small coffee farm.


We don't count Flora on the payroll but she's mighty helpful and gets paid in ducklings.



Without all these hands, we would be helpless. We are forever thankful to our crew for their patience, sense of humor, and tenacity to get the job done.


Happy first week of summer!
Blessings on the meal-
Stacy


 I'm pretty sure she's not eating vegetables in this picture....