FULL AND HALF SHARES STARTING THIS THURSDAY! - May 17, 2012

Farm Member Linnie helping us move and admire the chicks.

May 14, 2012

Hurray, the farm shares are starting!
There will be plenty of good food ready this week, thanks to gentle weather and the amazing hoophouse.

Contents of this long email:
Reminders
What's in your share
Farm news

SOME QUICK REMINDERS:

1 - Please bring/return clean, dry bags and containers.  I will leave a box or bag on the porch to put them in. Some people like to provide a double set of their containers and just switch off each week.  Basically, I try to reduce farm costs and plastic waste while still packaging your food so it stays fresh.  Your help is much appreciated!

2 - Pick up between 1:00 and 7:00, although it's easier for me if you can come by 6, in case I am going out.  I will send an email on Thursday when everything is ready.  Some weeks, I can't help being late.  Some weeks I will be done early.  Most items will be in coolers and if I know that you aren't able to pick up that day, I will refrigerate them for you, if at all possible.  I have some flexibility on this; just let me know.  773-8325

3 - There will be flowers for make-your-own bouquets.  Bring a jar or bag and I will have water handy so you can bring them home.  Just use your judgement about how many flowers to take.  I'll let you know if there is something in short supply.  It always seems to work out.  One person prefers a certain color or flower and someone else likes something different.  Some people love flowers and some just want their vegies.

4 - There will be sheets set up with a list of everything that you should take for your share.  I will do my best to label items so you can tell what is what.  Just ask if anything is confusing.  There will be a list of all the people picking up shares.  Please check off your name as go.  That way, if I am not here, I can tell who has their share. And you can tell how many bouquets still need flowers!

5 - I am probably forgetting lots of things I could be telling you so feel free to ask.

6 - If there are foods you don't like or are allergic to, please let me know.

7 - I am hoping to set up an area for Trade-Ins.  If there is an item you don't want, you can put it there and if there is something in that area, you can take it instead.  I've never done this before but I know some farms do. If you have suggestions about it, please let me know.

THIS WEEK'S SHARE
This is always a bit of a guess but this is what will probably be in your share:

Kale
Spinach
Romaine lettuce
Mesclun
Green garlic (like scallions but tastes like garlic)
Salad turnips (mild and sweet, fine for eating raw)
Radishes
Herbs - dill, cilantro and sorrel
Flowers - Peonies and yellow lilacs and ?

FARM NEWS
Follow this link for May Photos:

Robin and I have been very busy around here, having a blast!  Lots of seedlings being planted.  Lots of tilling. The house for the ducks is nearly done.  The Cayugas and Welsh Harlequins are coming May 22.  The chicks have been moved out of the garage and into the chick house.  They have been enjoying the grass, scratching and pecking like big birds, and last night, (their second night in new quarters), they went inside all all their own. Hurray for that because chasing 30 little birds around their pen gets old fast.

The snap peas are growing up their fence, the next batch of mesclun looks bigger every day, the tree peony is opening!  Keep your fingers crossed that the blooms don't get ruined by the rain we are having today and tomorrow.  I transplanted 33 rhubarb plants to a new bed.  Some day we'll will have a Whole Lot of Rhubarb but it won't come into full growth until next spring.  I am looking forward to making some rhubarb wine with my new wine making kit.  The fava beans in the hoophouse look amazing!

The first round of spinach is still producing nicely but more plants are starting to bolt.  I have a second batch coming in a few weeks.  Would you folks prefer more spinach in the summer or more beets or potatoes?  Or something else?  Just curious.  Figuring out the space in the garden is sort of like doing a jigsaw puzzle, with a few other factors besides shapes thrown in, like time, weather, and what do we all like to eat.

The next Sweet Morning Farm Work Bee will be Saturday, June 2 but we are usually here on Saturdays, doing what needs doing so if you get the urge to plant and weed or just visit the farm, come on by!

See you Thursday!
Your farmer, Laura

Sweet Morning Farm
Leyden, MA
Farm on Facebook