2013 FARM SHARES at SWEET MORNING FARM

910 Greenfield Rd.

Leyden, Massachusetts

Shares are on sale!  Sign up SOON for yours!  I'd love to have you as a farm member.  Now is time to reserve your share of locally grown, organic vegetables, fruits, and flowers.  Shares come in three sizes to suit a variety of needs and all sizes include flowers, as available.

Full Shares:  $625.00 to $675.00  (20 - 22 weeks, weather dependent, starting May 23)

Half Shares:  $325.00 to $350.00  (20 - 22 weeks, weather dependent, starting May 23)

Mini Shares:  $105.00 (16 weeks - starting June 6)

Extended Mini Shares:  $130.00 (20 weeks - starting June 6)  (Only 6 available.)

Early Bird Special:  Pay in full for your share by March 1 and receive one dozen eggs as a signing bonus.   (Full shares get two dozen.)

A July Full Share

An August Full Share

FULL SHARES are intended for a family of 3-4 or two people who really love vegetables and cooking and perhaps want to put up some food for the winter.

A July Half Share

HALF SHARES are great for two people or one person who loves vegetables and lots of variety in their share and enjoys a bit of preserving or entertaining.

A July Mini Share

MINI SHARES are small.  Two items a week plus flowers.  The mini share folks can choose what they want from a list of available items each week, or take Farmer's Choice.  

Lots of PICTURES from the farm at this LINK.

Pick up at the farm on Thursdays afternoons.

If you have questions, just give send me an email or give me a ring.  I love talking about vegetables!
Laura Timmerman
413-773-8325

laurat-at-crocker.com

This blog is my old blog.  The new one is under construction but you can see it HERE.

FARM WEEK # 24 - THE LAST SHARE - October 25, 2012 - Full and Half Shares only

THE LAST SHARE 

October 23, 2012

Can you believe it?  24 weeks, the end of October, the farm share season ending, the last share of a wonderful harvest season despite drought and heat.  2012 has been a good year and I thank you all for being part of it.


FARM NEWS:

1200 garlic cloves planted for 2013 eating!  The duck house is in a new location, closer to the house for easier winter care, the ducks have started laying.  The field is full of green shoots of winter rye.  Soon the chicken coop will have its own completed hoophouse/sunroom for the chickens and the hoophouse will be all planted for the winter.  I am still tucking in transplants of kale, leeks, tat soi, lettuce and more wherever I can find room. Last weekend I moved 2 artichoke plants to the hoophouse, just to see if they will carry over the winter and there's a young fig tree in the corner for the same experiment.  The hoophouse is really a funhouse.

THIS WEEK'S "BIG" SHARES

mesclun
kale/collards/chard/NZ spinach - some of whatever there is
celery
broccoli raab
baby leeks
daikons/winter radishes
1/2 dozen small eggs

See you Thursday and thanks again!
Laura

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

Lots more farm news and pictures
(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 # 22 - October 11, 2012 - EXTENDED MINI SHARE # 3

Hon Tsai Tai - A type of broccoli raab coming in the shares this week.

October 9, 2012

Hello farm members,

SHARES:
Things still look good for 24 weeks of farm shares.  That will mean the last big share will be on October 25. Extended Minis have 1 more after this week, for a total of 20 shares for the season, last mini share will be October 18.
After the shares end, I'll switch to Eggs & Extras only.  Email me if you want your name added to that list.  Hopefully, there will be kale, salad and more this winter!

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

Once again, there will be some choosing and weighing during pickup.  Last week I separated the items that needed weighing from the choose-your-own items and that seemed to help.  Let me know if you have ideas about this method.

FARM NEWS:
Winter preparations continue.  The field is tilled, limed, and planted with winter rye.  (Thanks, Rob!)  There are over 1200 cloves of garlic prepped for planting later this week.  I keep tucking more items into the hoophouse, just "to see what happens".  We've been gathering leaves to add to the compost and for a leaf mold bin.  (Thank you, trees.)  The hens are laying really nicely.  One day this week we got 24 eggs!  (Thank you, chickens!)  Some are still kind of small, but they are delicious.  I prefer small eggs myself and I understand that they are a nutritional bargain, more yolk and egg for your dollar.  I am selling these for $3.00 a dozen until they get bigger.  Large eggs are $4.00. Pasture-raised, organically-fed, free range chickens lay the tastiest eggs!

The daikon radishes and broccoli raab are looking really great this week.  Frost is coming, possibly before the shares.  Summery items are winding down, for sure.

Daikons growing

With the coming frost next weekend, most likely the marigolds will be gone.  Come pick as many as you like, for bouquets, garlands, whatever you like.

MINI SHARES

Extended Mini Choices Week # 3 - 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.

broccoli raab
daikons
chard
baby leeks
mesclun
1/2 dozen eggs
Farmer's Choice


THIS WEEK'S BIG SHARES

mesclun
kale/collards
broccoli raab
chard
baby leeks
beans?
daikons
sorrel
herb bundle
1/2 dozen eggs
tomatillos?
ground cherries?

See you soon,
Laura

Laura Timmerman
910 Greenfield Rd
Leyden, MA 01337
413-773-8325
laurat-at-crocker.com
Lots more farm news and pictures

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.

**********************************************************************************************************************
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.)

Today's Share # 13 - August 9, 2012

More PICTURES

Half Share: 

2 ears of corn
2.5 oz. basil
3/4 lb. chard
4 oz. New Zealand spinach
10 oz. onions
3 oz. garlic
1 1/2 lb. tomatoes
15 oz. eggplant
5 oz. peppers
3 1/2 oz. kale micro greens
8 oz. beans
a bit of parsley

(except one person got 9 oz. tomatillos instead of eggplant)

Full Share:

twice as much on all except spinach and beans
plus 1 1/2 oz. ground cherries and 3X the amount of chard

Mini Shares:
2 items plus garlic for everyone

FARM WEEK # 13 - August 9, 2012 - MINI SHARE # 10

August 6, 2012

Good morning, friends and farm members,

FARM NEWS
The weeks seem to be flying by at the moment.  Busy with the garden and friends.  Robin and I had a major weed-a-thon last weekend and made great and visible progress.  There's a clean slate for some fall planting and I am eager to do that this week, thinking about daikon radishes, arugula, and spinach in the cool weather.

BUT for now, it's summer!  We had our first fresh picked and grilled sweet corn on Saturday and it was wonderful.  I'll be putting some in the big shares this week and should have enough for 2 of the mini shares. Yay!  The shares will include the makings of ratatouille or salsa, if you are so inclined.

I transplanted about 75 more feet of kale just before the rain.  The beans are plumping up.  The tomatoes look good.  I decided to give the carrots a rest this week so they can get bigger.  There are peppers and eggplant this week but blossoms and fruit set are a bit slow at the moment.  According to my research, that is sometimes a problem during extremely high heat.  Here's hoping that they can set more fruit now that it is a bit cooler and before the nights get below 60 degrees.  Tricky.  There are some peppers and eggplant in the hoophouse so they won't suffer from the cooler nighttime temperatures.  I hope that what this all means is that there will be peppers, and lots of them!

The rain has been great but with only a shallow spring for a water supply, I continue to be very careful with my water use.  Mostly it is a matter of paying attention to supply so I don't run out at any given time but this is the earliest in the season that I have ever had to think this carefully about timing my water use.  I hope it rains a whole bunch more over the next couple of months.  We all need it.

And that is just a prelude to saying, thanks for doing such a good job returning clean, dry containers.  It saves me time and water.  (Right side out bags are better than inside out so I don't need to wonder about what the inside of the bag has been touching.  Thanks.)

POULTRY
We got two more Moscovy ducks on Sunday from Judy Sopenski of Not Your Ordinary Farm in Guilford. Thanks, Judy!  Now we have 3 female Moscovys instead of only one.  The new birds were accepted almost immediately by the other ducks.  The older birds were curious and the other Moscovys spent some time sniffing them, at least it looked like sniffing, and now everyone is getting along fine.  That was nice.  If it were chickens they would be working out their pecking order for days.  It may be that because the new birds were females, they were not seen as a threat by the other ducks.  I don't know but I am glad it was easy.  Oh yes, and Rob extended the duck yard on Friday.  It looks great.

On the down side, the ducks are figuring out ways to get out of their pen!  So that's the next little poultry puzzle. If you are driving in, please look out for roving ducks.

Judy sells her home raised duck, chicken, lamb and pork at her home and at various locations including the Franklin Farm store in Guilford and the Franklin County Farmer's Cooperative in Greenfield.

I collected 2 very tiny eggs lately that might be from the new pullets!  I am waiting to see if that continues but it is exciting.  The Freedom Rangers have been safe in their pen/house so I think the beefed up security worked out.


MINI SHARES

Mini choices week # 10 - 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
garlic
onions
corn - 2 minis only
kale - 1-2 minis only
tomatoes
flowers?

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 NZ spinach or tomatillos, depending on availability.)

PICK UP NOTES
Thursday, 1:00 - 7:00.  I'll send an email when the shares are ready.  I'll be home, probably planting and weeding.  Feel free to come find me to say hello.

THIS WEEK'S SHARE

corn!  I will pick this when you come to get your share so it is as fresh as possible.
basil
chard
New Zealand spinach?  Looking better this week so far.
onions
garlic
tomatoes
eggplant
sweet peppers
kale microgreens?  I am pretty sure that the youngest kale will need thinning.
beans?  At least some...
ground cherries/tomatillos - I continue to dole these out week by week, giving people turns.
flowers?  Not so sure this week...except for marigolds!

No-raccoons-allowed-Laura

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

Lots more farm news and pictures on the farm's facebook page:
(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.)
Last week's share: