Pick up #5 June 13, 2024: Final Pickup

June 11, 2024

We took some time today to head over to the Oxbow, a 4 acre piece of land we lease. Typically we grow crops that don’t need as much attention over at the Oxbow: Onions, Winter Squash, Garlic, Potatoes, Beets, Carrots,

and Pumpkins. Due primarily to pests we have put the puzzle pieces together differently for this season and have onions and potatoes growing at the farm while the brassicas (Kale, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Cabbage, and Broccolini) are over at the Oxbow. In the next few weeks we will fill the oxbow with pumpkins and winter squash, beets and carrots, and some successions of Greens.

While discussing the week ahead we checked out the garlic, looked at the brassicas and planted some dahlias that didn’t fit over at the main farm. Tomorrow we will lay down some mulch and irrigation and then plant all the winter squash and pumpkins. Excited to get this last large planting in the ground.

Thank you all for your support as Spring CSA Members!

This is the final pickup.

The summer CSA begins next week and we still have a few spots available.

PICKUP IS FROM 3:00 - 6:00

IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO PICKUP THURSDAY, PLEASE LET US KNOW SO WE CAN PUT YOUR SHARE ASIDE TO BE PICKED UP AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE. Call or email

Jaime will be present to help!

Spring Onions

We grow a yellow storage onion called Patterson, Redwing a red storage onion, and Ring master a delicious sweet onion, wonderful as a spring onion or right after harvest. Ring master onions have a short storage life, and are best eaten when the greens are still standing straight up. These are excellent in any dish or even grilled/roasted on their own.

Grilled Asparagus with Spring Onions and Lemon Dressing

Simple Sauteed Broccoli with Spring Onions

INTERESTED IN MORE? CHECK OUT THE CSA RECIPE PAGE!

Enjoy! Thank you for supporting local agriculture. See you Thursday if not before.

Your Farmer,

Sam (For Tim, Matt, Mikaela, Jeannie, Jim, Jaime, Evrald, Shawn, Colin, Jessie, and Clara)

Our pigs by the farm stand have enjoyed frolicking in the wood chips that have recently arrived.

Pick up #4 June 6, 2024

June 4, 2024

Our planting efforts continue as we move into the summer season.

In the past week additional successions of zuchinni, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, basil, salanova head lettuce, and scallions have all made it into our fields. We even got the first and only succession of Sweet Potatoes in! Winter Squash, pumpkins, and more beets and carrots arte on the horizon for the end of this week.

Peppers and broccolini both coming along. We are thrilled with the brassicas at the Oxbow. They seem to be doing great.

Temperatures greatly determine our progress during the spring season and considering how low we are, any temperatures around 40 degrees could very likely result in a frost for us. We all remember last year on the evening of May 19, 2023 when temperatures plummeted causing catestrophic apple blossom loss and other crops in unheated greenhouses or farmer fields all over NH and VT. With extension cords plugged into heaters out in the greenhouses past the blueberries we weathered the storm and really didnt lose anything, although at the same time, there was maybe 2 hours that entire night where someone wasn’t running around the farm stocking wood stoves, checking heaters, or even shuffling heaters around.

Last week we did in fact prepare for and then see a spotty frost in our fields, a few weeds were hit, and thats about it. Often winds accompany the cooler night time temperature, so we hooped all the outside beds, and laid some row cover by each garden, then came back around sunset to cover. Totally worth the time spent considering the alternative.

A big effort also went into planting both our cut flower garden by the wash center and the PYO flower garden out front.

Mikaela planting the PYO Flower garden out front by the road.

We look forward to beginning harvest most likely sometime during the second and third weeks of July.

Jessie adding some nasturtium to the PYO flower garden.

Garden 2 has turned into our farm cut flower garden. This was one of the first completely no-till gardens on the farm.

PICKUP IS FROM 3:00 - 6:00

WOODLAND COMMUNITY SCHOOL CHILDREN AND PARENTS MAY BE STILL IN AND AROUND THE DRIVEWAY WHEN PICKUP BEGINS, PLEASE BE CAREFUL NAVIGATING THE PARKING LOT.

IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO PICKUP THURSDAY, PLEASE LET US KNOW SO WE CAN PUT YOUR SHARE ASIDE TO BE PICKED UP AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE. Call or email

Jessie will be present this week to help!

Broccolini (Sprouting Broccoli)

Broccolini is a cross between broccoli and Chinese broccoli, and also belongs to the cabbage family. Broccolini have long, firm stalks (thinner and more tender than those of broccoli), a few small leaves and small florets. (Food network post)

We are thrilled with the sweetness of the broccolini coming out of the field and are excited to share it with you this week.

Charred Broccolini Caesar with Kale and Chickpeas

Cilantro

An herb with an incredible flavor, although for some cilantro tastes great and others like soap. We are hoping you enjoy cilantro.

INTERESTED IN MORE? CHECK OUT THE CSA RECIPE PAGE!

Enjoy! Thank you for supporting local agriculture. See you Thursday if not before.

Your Farmer,

Sam (For Tim, Matt, Mikaela, Jeannie, Jim, Jaime, Evrald, Shawn, Colin, Jessie, and Clara)

Our animals enjoying the sun, clouds, and field!

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Pick up #3 May 30, 2024

May 28, 2024

As we welcome new employees and familiarize them with the farm, our numbering system for gardens and greenhouses always comes up. It makes sense to folks returning, however can be a handful for new farmers to grasp:

Greenhouses and Gardens earned their number when they came to be. As a result GH7 (the moveable greenhouse out by the road) is next to G3 (garden 3), and now GH10 resides in G6.

Not including the 4 gardens at the Oxbow, we have 8 numbered Gardens, the Asparagus garden, blueberry patch, and flower garden along with now 10 greenhouses, so “where things are” is often a quick learning curve.

This past week we finished (for now) Greenhouse 10, prepped the beds with soil amendments, laid down irrigation, fabric and plastic mulch, and planted and staked tomatoes. The end walls, hip-boards and baseboards along with plastic will go on when the summer has calmed down or the fall colder weather requires us to. The effort and time put into this project will pay dividends.

Back in 2021 we picked up two 48’ moveable greenhouses from a farm up in Strafford New Hampshire that was ceasing operation with the intention of erecting a 96’ stationary greenhouse. Here, Noah who now runs Bhoomi Devi Seeds in Maine and Mikaela unload the “new-to-us” greenhouse.

After the rainy 2023 season we reset garden 6, mulching all the beds with leaf mulch and began to mark out the greenhouse location. Matt set all the ground posts in September and October and after a little more work we entered the winter with all the bents in place.

Welcome Spring 2024!

Matt with help from Shawn, Evrald, Colin, Tim, and Sam added more support to the greenhouse, squared it off and prepped the greenhouse to be able to support a tomato trellis similar to the systems we have in GH3 and GH4.

Colin, Matt, Shawn, and Evrald braved the heat and set up the irrigation, fabric and plastic mulch, and planted mainly slicing tomatoes which we hope to begin harvesting towards the middle of July.

As mentioned above, we will finish the greenhouse before the snow flies this coming winter.

Check out the video of plastic going on GH3 back in 2022 for an idea of what covering GH10 might look like.

PICKUP IS FROM 3:00 - 6:00

WOODLAND COMMUNITY SCHOOL CHILDREN AND PARENTS MAY BE STILL IN AND AROUND THE DRIVEWAY WHEN PICKUP BEGINS, PLEASE BE CAREFUL NAVIGATING THE PARKING LOT.

IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO PICKUP THURSDAY, PLEASE LET US KNOW SO WE CAN PUT YOUR SHARE ASIDE TO BE PICKED UP AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING BAGS!

Jaime will be present to help, however.... Please check off your name so we know you picked up your share!---

Radishes

Raw or roasted radishes add a little sweet spice to your plate. Many enjoy them as a starter, sliced thin with a little salt and butter on a cracker.

French breakfast radishes are cylindrical and long with white tips. Also with radishes you can eat the greens either sauteed or in raw in a salad.

Simply roasted these will make a delicious side dish.

Beet Greens

Tender and sometimes with baby baby beets still attached. These greens make an excellent addition to a savory dish. Typically cooked, sauteed, or roasted (with something else) these greens are hearty and healthy. You can eat the stems, roots, and leaves.

INTERESTED IN MORE? CHECK OUT THE CSA RECIPE PAGE!

Enjoy! Thank you for supporting local agriculture. See you Thursday if not before.

Your Farmer,

Sam (For Tim, Matt, Mikaela, Jeannie, Jim, Jaime, Evrald, Shawn, Colin, Jessie, and Clara)

Pick up #2 May 23, 2024

May 21, 2024

The overall atmosphere on the farm is one of steady progress and fulfillment, while trying to stay ahead of everything we have going on from animal pens, school groups, gardens drying out, seedlings growing, and a greenhouse to be built, we are busy!

At our recent Tuesday team meeting, moving animals, expanding our harvest, and prepping space to get more transplants in the ground is the overarching theme of the week ahead.

The 10 day forecast looks favorable and so we are in the process of planting peppers, eggplant, basil, beans, cucumbers, zuchinni, broccoli, and cauliflower transplants into their specific gardens and greenhouses. The plan we created back in November and December is coming to fruition.

Jessie and Evrald planting Salanova Head Lettuce in Garden 6

On the farm you will see different types of mulch used from plastic, grass clippings, leaves, straw, wood chips, compost, and black fabric. We use mulch to suppress weed growth by blocking out sunlight and preventing weed seeds from germinating.

In our Tuesday Team meetings we cover all aspects of the farm from “general housekeeping” to CSA updates, groups visiting the farm, food safety, harvesting techniques, farm stand, vegetable world, animals, and the week to-dos.

Evrald and Shawn enjoying our Tuesday Team Meeting in comfort.

At the Oxbow, where water drains faster through the sandy soil, we use fabric and plastic mulch to also retain moisture. The mulch reduces evaporation so the plants have more moisture to grow.

This past weekend, more fabric was added to Garden 2 (at the Oxbow) setting us up to plant more brassicas: Cauliflower, Broccoli, Broccolinni, and Kale.

After planting our garlic in October and November, we use straw mulch to insulate the garlic seed throughout the winter months, and then act as a weed barrier in the spring and summer. With some of the higher water levels last November went some of the straw mulch, however the garlic seed remained intact and is coming up nicely.

No denying it, Mulch also adds to the aesthetic of the garden or greenhouse!

Buttons our Boar, excited to move with Penny, Patty, and Myrtle to the new spot in the nursery.

Greenhouse 7 (out by the road) filled with recently planted eggplant,.

The blueberries are flowering! Hoping for a good crop of berries this season!

PICKUP IS FROM 3:00 - 6:00

WOODLAND COMMUNITY SCHOOL CHILDREN AND PARENTS MAY BE STILL IN AND AROUND THE DRIVEWAY WHEN PICKUP BEGINS, PLEASE BE CAREFUL NAVIGATING THE PARKING LOT.

IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO PICKUP THURSDAY, PLEASE LET US KNOW SO WE CAN PUT YOUR SHARE ASIDE TO BE PICKED UP AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING BAGS!

Jaime will be present to help, however.... Please check off your name so we know you picked up your share!---

Spinach

We have lots of spinach of all different sizes. We are excited to share this bounty with you!

Over-wintered spinach is sweet, delicious, and full of goodness. Last fall we moved from always planting our tried and true “Space” spinach and moved to a few other varieties touted for their winter and spring growing, disease resistance, and in some cases they're upright growing, making it easier to harvest.

Aurech, Lizard, Space and Red Tabby all reside in the mix of spinach in your share this week. Eat it raw, steamed, sautéed, or in a smoothie.

There will be plenty, bringing the Popeye out of everyone this week!

Sautéed Spinach

Spanakopita: Greek Spinach Pie

Asparagus

We are thrilled to include asparagus in your share this week. The many beds of asparagus at the farm have been cared for and watched over by Jim who can also be found keeping an eye on our laying hens too.

Incredible to have a bed of asparagus that’s about 30 years old. If well maintained asparagus plants will produce for years. All the beds were mulched, weeded amended as the harvest began a few a weeks ago.

Enjoy! Thank you for supporting local agriculture. See you Thursday if not before.

Your Farmer,

Sam (For Tim, Matt, Mikaela, Jeannie, Jim, Jaime, Evrald, Shawn, Colin, Jessie, and Clara)

Pick up #1 May 16th 2024

May 14, 2024

Greenhouse 4 in the evening light

Spring CSA Welcome

May 10, 2024

Thank you for supporting us and welcoming our fresh, nutritious, high quality, local produce into your kitchen this Spring. We are thrilled to welcome you into the farm community and share what we have been working hard to grow.

SPRING CSA BEGINS IN LESS THAN 2 WEEKS

THURSDAY MAY 16TH FROM 3 - 6 PM

An email will arrive at the beginning of each week with reminder about pickup, however it is now here, this webpage, where you will find the farm happenings, farmer thoughts, some pictures, and what you can expect to find in your boxed share. So bookmark a link to this page and come back here to find out the CSA details. I will aim to have the weeks newsletter ready for you by Tuesday evening at the latest.

Your CSA Pickup is at the farm between 3:00 and 6:00 pm on Thursdays.

Look for the CSA sign by the shed roof ahead and on the left once you drive into the farm. After checking in with the farmer welcoming you, remove the contents of one black crate and drop the goodies in the bag or box you brought with you to transport your share. Bring your own bags or box so you can take your share and leave the black crate.

Remember please contact us (email or phone) in advance if you will be unable to pickup at the designated time on Thursdays, that way we can store your share in our walk-in refrigerator to keep it fresh for you to come and pickup at a convenient time.

Enjoy! Thank you for supporting local agriculture. See you on Thursday May 16th if not before!

In the meantime stop by the farm stand (open 7 days a week) and pickup some greens or stop by for our plant sale (Thursdays - Sundays 10:00 - 5:00). Also check out our CSA recipe page.

CSA: Spring 2024

We took some time today to head over to the Oxbow, a 4 acre piece of land we lease. Typically we grow crops that don’t need as much attention over at the Oxbow: Onions, Winter Squash, Garlic, Potatoes, Beets, Carrots,

Thank you all for your support as Spring CSA Members!

This is the final pickup.

The summer CSA begins next week and we still have a few spots available.

PICKUP IS FROM 3:00 - 6:00

IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO PICKUP THURSDAY, PLEASE LET US KNOW SO WE CAN PUT YOUR SHARE ASIDE TO BE PICKED UP AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE. Call or email

Jaime will be present to help!

Spring Onions

Enjoy! Thank you for supporting local agriculture. See you Thursday if not before.

Your Farmer,

Sam (For Tim, Matt, Mikaela, Jeannie, Jim, Jaime, Evrald, Shawn, Colin, Jessie, and Clara)

Our planting efforts continue as we move into the summer season.

Peppers and broccolini both coming along. We are thrilled with the brassicas at the Oxbow. They seem to be doing great.

A big effort also went into planting both our cut flower garden by the wash center and the PYO flower garden out front.

We look forward to beginning harvest most likely sometime during the second and third weeks of July.

PICKUP IS FROM 3:00 - 6:00

WOODLAND COMMUNITY SCHOOL CHILDREN AND PARENTS MAY BE STILL IN AND AROUND THE DRIVEWAY WHEN PICKUP BEGINS, PLEASE BE CAREFUL NAVIGATING THE PARKING LOT.

IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO PICKUP THURSDAY, PLEASE LET US KNOW SO WE CAN PUT YOUR SHARE ASIDE TO BE PICKED UP AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE. Call or email

Jessie will be present this week to help!

Broccolini (Sprouting Broccoli)

Broccolini is a cross between broccoli and Chinese broccoli, and also belongs to the cabbage family. Broccolini have long, firm stalks (thinner and more tender than those of broccoli), a few small leaves and small florets. (Food network post)

We are thrilled with the sweetness of the broccolini coming out of the field and are excited to share it with you this week.

Cilantro

An herb with an incredible flavor, although for some cilantro tastes great and others like soap. We are hoping you enjoy cilantro.

Enjoy! Thank you for supporting local agriculture. See you Thursday if not before.

Your Farmer,

Sam (For Tim, Matt, Mikaela, Jeannie, Jim, Jaime, Evrald, Shawn, Colin, Jessie, and Clara)

As we welcome new employees and familiarize them with the farm, our numbering system for gardens and greenhouses always comes up. It makes sense to folks returning, however can be a handful for new farmers to grasp:

Greenhouses and Gardens earned their number when they came to be. As a result GH7 (the moveable greenhouse out by the road) is next to G3 (garden 3), and now GH10 resides in G6.

Not including the 4 gardens at the Oxbow, we have 8 numbered Gardens, the Asparagus garden, blueberry patch, and flower garden along with now 10 greenhouses, so “where things are” is often a quick learning curve.

Back in 2021 we picked up two 48’ moveable greenhouses from a farm up in Strafford New Hampshire that was ceasing operation with the intention of erecting a 96’ stationary greenhouse. Here, Noah who now runs Bhoomi Devi Seeds in Maine and Mikaela unload the “new-to-us” greenhouse.

After the rainy 2023 season we reset garden 6, mulching all the beds with leaf mulch and began to mark out the greenhouse location. Matt set all the ground posts in September and October and after a little more work we entered the winter with all the bents in place.

Welcome Spring 2024!

Matt with help from Shawn, Evrald, Colin, Tim, and Sam added more support to the greenhouse, squared it off and prepped the greenhouse to be able to support a tomato trellis similar to the systems we have in GH3 and GH4.

Colin, Matt, Shawn, and Evrald braved the heat and set up the irrigation, fabric and plastic mulch, and planted mainly slicing tomatoes which we hope to begin harvesting towards the middle of July.

As mentioned above, we will finish the greenhouse before the snow flies this coming winter.

Check out the video of plastic going on GH3 back in 2022 for an idea of what covering GH10 might look like.

PICKUP IS FROM 3:00 - 6:00

WOODLAND COMMUNITY SCHOOL CHILDREN AND PARENTS MAY BE STILL IN AND AROUND THE DRIVEWAY WHEN PICKUP BEGINS, PLEASE BE CAREFUL NAVIGATING THE PARKING LOT.

IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO PICKUP THURSDAY, PLEASE LET US KNOW SO WE CAN PUT YOUR SHARE ASIDE TO BE PICKED UP AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING BAGS!

Jaime will be present to help, however.... Please check off your name so we know you picked up your share!---

Radishes

Raw or roasted radishes add a little sweet spice to your plate. Many enjoy them as a starter, sliced thin with a little salt and butter on a cracker.

French breakfast radishes are cylindrical and long with white tips. Also with radishes you can eat the greens either sauteed or in raw in a salad.

Simply roasted these will make a delicious side dish.

Beet Greens

Tender and sometimes with baby baby beets still attached. These greens make an excellent addition to a savory dish. Typically cooked, sauteed, or roasted (with something else) these greens are hearty and healthy. You can eat the stems, roots, and leaves.

Enjoy! Thank you for supporting local agriculture. See you Thursday if not before.

Your Farmer,

Sam (For Tim, Matt, Mikaela, Jeannie, Jim, Jaime, Evrald, Shawn, Colin, Jessie, and Clara)

The overall atmosphere on the farm is one of steady progress and fulfillment, while trying to stay ahead of everything we have going on from animal pens, school groups, gardens drying out, seedlings growing, and a greenhouse to be built, we are busy!

At our recent Tuesday team meeting, moving animals, expanding our harvest, and prepping space to get more transplants in the ground is the overarching theme of the week ahead.

The 10 day forecast looks favorable and so we are in the process of planting peppers, eggplant, basil, beans, cucumbers, zuchinni, broccoli, and cauliflower transplants into their specific gardens and greenhouses. The plan we created back in November and December is coming to fruition.

In our Tuesday Team meetings we cover all aspects of the farm from “general housekeeping” to CSA updates, groups visiting the farm, food safety, harvesting techniques, farm stand, vegetable world, animals, and the week to-dos.

PICKUP IS FROM 3:00 - 6:00

WOODLAND COMMUNITY SCHOOL CHILDREN AND PARENTS MAY BE STILL IN AND AROUND THE DRIVEWAY WHEN PICKUP BEGINS, PLEASE BE CAREFUL NAVIGATING THE PARKING LOT.

IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO PICKUP THURSDAY, PLEASE LET US KNOW SO WE CAN PUT YOUR SHARE ASIDE TO BE PICKED UP AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING BAGS!

Jaime will be present to help, however.... Please check off your name so we know you picked up your share!---

Spinach

We have lots of spinach of all different sizes. We are excited to share this bounty with you!

Aurech, Lizard, Space and Red Tabby all reside in the mix of spinach in your share this week. Eat it raw, steamed, sautéed, or in a smoothie.

There will be plenty, bringing the Popeye out of everyone this week!

Asparagus

We are thrilled to include asparagus in your share this week. The many beds of asparagus at the farm have been cared for and watched over by Jim who can also be found keeping an eye on our laying hens too.

Incredible to have a bed of asparagus that’s about 30 years old. If well maintained asparagus plants will produce for years. All the beds were mulched, weeded amended as the harvest began a few a weeks ago.

Enjoy! Thank you for supporting local agriculture. See you Thursday if not before.

Your Farmer,

Sam (For Tim, Matt, Mikaela, Jeannie, Jim, Jaime, Evrald, Shawn, Colin, Jessie, and Clara)

Thank you for supporting us and welcoming our fresh, nutritious, high quality, local produce into your kitchen this Spring. We are thrilled to welcome you into the farm community and share what we have been working hard to grow.

SPRING CSA BEGINS IN LESS THAN 2 WEEKS

THURSDAY MAY 16TH FROM 3 - 6 PM

Your CSA Pickup is at the farm between 3:00 and 6:00 pm on Thursdays.

Remember please contact us (email or phone) in advance if you will be unable to pickup at the designated time on Thursdays, that way we can store your share in our walk-in refrigerator to keep it fresh for you to come and pickup at a convenient time.

Enjoy! Thank you for supporting local agriculture. See you on Thursday May 16th if not before!

In the meantime stop by the farm stand (open 7 days a week) and pickup some greens or stop by for our plant sale (Thursdays - Sundays 10:00 - 5:00). Also check out our CSA recipe page.

Your Farmer, Sam (For Tim, Matt, Mikaela, Jeannie, Jim, Evrald, Shawn, Colin, and Jessie)