FARM WEEK # 18 - September 13, 2012 - MINI SHARE # 15

September 11, 2012

PICK UP NOTES 
Pick up time is Thursday, 1:00 - 7:00.  I'll send an email when the shares are ready.

Apple drops are available for "pick"-your-own on Thursday and most likely there will also be extra chard for PYO as well.

FARM NEWS

I am loving being home this week and getting to garden, garden, garden!  And the weather is fantastic as well.  It feels like such a treat.  I'll be doing more planting this afternoon and generally feeding my soul.

Can you believe that it is already the 18th share for the big shares and the 15th mini share?  That means that for most of the mini shares, this is the penultimate week and September 20 will be your last share.  For those getting extended minis, they will continue for another 4 weeks.  If you want your name to be added to the weekly email list for extra items, you can still get fresh produce from the farm on a week by week basis.  If all goes as planned, that will include the late fall and winter...

There is such a shift in the season and in the garden going on.  The kale is growing quickly and is no longer eaten by flea beetles, the winter radishes and broccoli raab look like substantial plants, the days are perfect and sunny, great for ripening tomatoes and peppers and the nights are awesomely cool.  I am planting new things, protecting warm weather crops, planning for 2013.  It feels great.

FARM PICNIC:

You should have received an invitation to the Farm Picnic on September 22.  If not, let me know and I will fill you in the details.  You are certainly welcome!

In brief:

4:00

Pot luck supper

Fun!

POULTRY: 

More and more of this year's hens are laying.  I am still waiting on the first green eggs and the Golden Polish hens and the Andalusians are yet to lay.  But the Red Stars, Leghorns, White Rocks, Cuckoo Marans and Orpingtons are laying like champs.

Robin has been working on building a "coop house" for the hens this winter.  This will be smallish hoophouse attached to the coop that the hens can use as an outdoor scratching area in the winter.  Because it will be covered, there will be no snow there.  Because it will be plastic, it will be warm and the earth will be unfrozen for a large part of the winter.  Because it will be filled with weeds, leaves, straw, and other organic matter, the hens will be able to turn those items into compost for the spring garden.  Yay!

We'll be butchering the first round of Freedom Rangers this Saturday, Sept. 15.  Here's a video of the plucker Rob built:  

MINI SHARES

Mini Choices Week # 15 - Pick two or I will choose for you.  It works well if people tell me their top 3-4 choices. Then I can figure your share based on the harvest.  I am including a couple of things that I know I do not have enough for all.  I'll put the requests in a hat to decide who gets them since not everyone can check their email all the time.

basil
chard or kale or NZ spinach
tomatoes
onions
beans
mesclun
1/2 dozen eggs

Farmer's Choice
(I give you 2 items from the garden, from this list or not, based on general preferences you have shared with me and based on the harvest.  Farmer's Choice may include items not on this list, like peppers or NZ spinach, depending on availability.)


THIS WEEK'S SHARE

mesclun

radishes
kale/collards
chard
basil
onions
New Zealand spinach
tomatoes
beans
tomatillos?


Laura

Laura Timmerman
910 Greenfield Rd
Leyden, MA 01337
413-773-8325
laurat-at-crocker.com

Lots more farm news and pictures at our facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/SweetMorningFarm
(You do not need to be "on facebook" to view this page.  If you use facebook, you can "like" the page for updates and pictures.)

FARM WEEK # 17 - September 6, 2012 - MINI SHARE # 14

September 5, 2012

Thanks for your patience waiting for this email.  I am feeling a lot better than I was this morning but I am still moving slowly.  We can have the shares tomorrow.  (I don't think I have anything contagious, just ate something that didn't agree with me.)
Since I haven't even started picking, I'd like to shift tomorrow's PICK UP TIME to 3:00 - 8:00.

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Also, I would be happy to have some HELP with the picking tomorrow, 6:30 AM - 11:00 AM.  Any amount of time would be useful since usually I start the picking on Wednesday.  Thanks!
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PICK UP NOTES (Note later time.  Please email or call me so I know you got this or want to help.  Thanks.)
Pick up time is tomorrow, Thursday, 3:00 - 8:00.  I'll send an email when the shares are ready.


FARM NEWS

I've continued my weeding and planting this week.  More and more of the garden is looking well tended and more and more fall crops are in.  I am getting excited about the winter hoophouse!  I plan on continuing weeding and planting and prepping ground until snow comes.  Next week I will be home all week to work in the garden so if you feel like coming by to visit, haul compost, pull weeds, prep areas for strawberries and blueberries (dig and haul soil amendments), clear brush, transplant seedlings to the hoophouse, etc., you are welcome to join me.  There's more to this endeavor than beauty and order; it will turn into healthier plants and a bigger harvest in the future.  Lots of variety in the project line.  You are welcome to join in the fun.  Best to call ahead.  773-8325

Rob and I mostly goofed off this past weekend and enjoyed our time with my son Dan and his gal, Maggie.  It was a wonderful visit!

Maggie and me.

Poultry:  The young hens are laying more and more eggs.   Mini Share folks can choose 1/2 dozen eggs as one of their items this week.  If you are near the ducks, check out the Welsh Harlequin drake.  He is coming into his adult colors and looks beautiful.  So nice, in fact, that I am reconsidering our plan of just keeping one drake. The next major culling of the chicken flock will be Saturday, Sept. 15, so Rob and I will be pretty busy that day. I will be posting a video of the chicken plucker that Rob built at the farm web site, assuming the video doesn't take hours to upload.
General Farm Blog: http://lasting-impressions-on-the-farm.blogspot.com/   Someday I will merge the various farm blogs (general, csa, farm stand and recipes).  Since I started those blogs, Blogger realized that people need more pages for their blogs.  So someday, I'll set things up properly.  Don't hold your breath though, it probably won't happen until the winter.

Water:  I am so grateful for the rain.  We made it through this last dry spell!  In a way, I like being conscious of the water situation in the world, especially our bit of it, but then again, I wouldn't mind the option of being oblivious from time to time.  For now, we are okay as long as the rains come on a regular basis.

Between visiting and being ill last night and this morning, I don't remember much in the farm news line to tell you.  I can tell you that it is pretty darn peaceful here.  I've mostly been weeding and planning what to plant in the hoophouse for winter harvest.  This weekend, we will probably cut some of the buckwheat in the field to prepare a spot for our hoped-for future hoophouse in the field.

Flowers:  Due to inconsistent planting and weeding, there are not many flowers these days.  I'll keep picking what I can, when I can.  There should be some tomorrow.

That reminds me, if you know of someone who would like to work as a FARM INTERN next year, in exchange for a share and/or to help with a school requirement, please send them my way.


MINI SHARES

Mini Choices Week # 14 - Pick two or I will choose for you.  It works well if people tell me their top 3-4 choices. Then I can figure your share based on the harvest.  I am including a couple of things that I know I do not have enough for all.  I'll put the requests in a hat to decide who gets them since not everyone can check their email all the time.  Since this email is going out so late, I'll try to have several choices available for those who aren't able to respond before pick up time.  (Thursday, 3 - 8)

basil
chard or kale
tomatoes
onions
beans!
mesclun
1/2 dozen eggs!

Farmer's Choice
(I give you 2 items from the garden, from this list or not, based on general preferences you have shared with me and based on the harvest.  Farmer's Choice may include items not on this list, like peppers or NZ spinach, depending on availability.)


THIS WEEK'S SHARE

mesclun
kale/collards
chard
parsley
basil
garlic
New Zealand spinach
tomatoes
beans?  I am offering these to the minis this week but there may be enough for everyone.
sweet peppers
ground cherries?
tomatillos

Thanks for your understanding about the lateness of this email.  I feel a lot better!
Laura

Laura Timmerman
Leyden, MA 01337
413-773-8325
laurat-at-crocker.com
Lots more farm news and pictures on FACEBOOK
(You do not need to be "on facebook" to view this page.  If you use facebook, you can "like" the page for updates and pictures.)