Working Hands Farm Week 18

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Hi Friends & Farm-ily,

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It’s Week 18!  Only 2 more weeks remain for our Spring & Summer CSA.  The autumnal equinox is upon us and we are slowly transitioning into our cooler weather crops and Fall CSA season.  We harvested the first row of winter squash (good ol’ spaghetti) that are now curing in the lower level of the new barn.  We are growing 8 different varieties of winter squash this fall and are excited to try them all (and to find new  & enjoy old favorites).  The summer crops are still performing but as the weather/season changes so will the veggies.  The harvests have been so plentiful… we’re looking forward to the shorter days, to give these farmer bodies a little bit of re-coop time.  This is the time of the season where our backs feel it the most – 50 lb harvest crates x 3 days (and 75 shares) can add up to a lot of pounds of food being carried around this little farm…

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This week, we have another fun fact from the farm… so far, we’ve grown, harvested & distributed a little over 20,000 lbs of produce to our members and community this season.  Which means around an average of 1,100 lbs of produce that is being harvested and distributed each week.. on our little 3 acre farm by two people.    Who says small farms can’t feed the World?  Amazing!

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–Otis can’t get enough when it comes to melons.  Check out this funny little video of our pigs on our instagram…

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We’re also giving ourselves a pat on the back this weekend as we made our final pass on the tiller (after 12 hours) and seeded in our pasture mix for next Spring’s forage on 12 acres of beautiful soil.  We got it in just before the rains came on Saturday and are pleased as punch with ourselves… it only took 5 months to prep with our little tractor/tiller but day by day we’re getting there!

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Pick a Pumpkin Day!  This Saturday, we’ll be picking pumpkins with our Spring/Summer members in celebration of the Autumnal Equinox.  We tried our hand at growing 5 varieties of pumpkins this year (an extra little treat) and they are ready!  For those Spring/Summer members that are interested, we will have one pumpkin available per share and will be ready for pick up from 10am – 1pm come rain or shine! Due to the forecast of rain this week, we are canceling the picnic/potluck portion of our gathering as we don’t yet have a covered/dry area to sit under.  Please RSVP so we know how many members to expect.

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It will be a great opportunity to visit the new farm before we make the big transition over this Fall & early Winter.

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Spring & Summer members, come pick a pumpkin from 10am – 1pm this Saturday (rain or shine)

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Little Critter Watch.  Ellie’s due date of Friday the 13^th has come and gone and we are watching like hawks for any signs of calving.  Due to her older age it is common for cows to go over their due date up to 10 days so we’ll keep you posted.  Truffle on the other hand is showing quite a bit this past week.   We still have a few weeks to wait for piglets but we’re oh-so-excited for them to join the farm-ily! 

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Fall CSA.  Thanks to all our friends and farm-ily for signing up and supporting our farm through the Fall season!  We’re excited for the short but very sweet season and look forward to feeding you through the months of October and November.  Now, we just need to figure out a growing season here on the farm for the months of January – May….  Also, instead of Egg Shares, there will be “a la carte” eggs available during the Fall CSA pick ups!  We decided to go the a la carte route for the Fall due to less light/production during that time of the year and generally a simpler model for the end of the season.

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A different kind of view of the new farm from the second story of the barn!

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Crates!  As we begin to wind down our Spring/Summer season we will be keeping an eye on our crate inventory.  If you have any crates piling up at your house be sure to bring them by to this week’s pick up/delivery.  We’ve been short about a dozen or so crates the past 3 weeks and are hoping they magically reappear!  Thanks so much in advance.

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Enjoy the last few weeks of summer and beginning of autumn!  We’re still a few weeks away from the first frost here on the farm so enjoy the sun kissed fruits and the bounty of your farmer’s labor!

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Have a great week and we’ll see you all soon!

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We’ve been working hard on our off-harvest days.  Here’s a little video of our final transplanting for the Fall.

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With regards,

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Jess & Brian

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dirty hands, clean hearts

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