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.)