Week 10

Hi Everybody,

I got so involved in getting the chickens organized yesterday, I totally forgot to send out the weekly email last night. Speaking of chickens, we loaded them up early this morning and drove them up to Elkton to Locust Point Farm. That's where I have had them processed for the last couple of years. They are now an official USDA inspected facility and the inspector is on hand on processing day. That is one of the reasons so many of the smaller processors are no longer around. My understanding is that there has to be an inspector on duty while processing is done and when you're only doing a few birds a week it isn't cost effective to have the inspector there. The cost to us, now that they have become an USDA facility, has gone up 30%. It doesn't make it easy for the small family farms. As you know the birds will be back here at the farm Thursday around noon. We will do another 100 in three weeks.

We had a gathering of all the folks who work on the farm on Friday night. I'm trying to find some pictures to put up on the site. Of course the high light of the night was farm hand Liz and her fire dance. Her dance area smelled like kerosene for two days.

This week the tomatoes are here! You'll get a blend of standard, heirloom, sauce and minis. We're including a big bouquet of basil to go along with them. Don't forget corn will be available tomorrow as well. We thought, and some of you commented, that the corn was delicious and lasted into Saturday still tasting fresh.

Melons and eggplant coming soon!

In your crates this week:

Tomatoes
Basil
Garlic
Onions
Carrots
Beets
Summer Squash
Cucumbers
Potatoes
Sweet peppers
Green Beans

See you tomorrow,

Steve and Vicky

Week 9

Hi All,

Tomatoes are............not quite ready, but you will be getting some of the little rainbow bell tomatoes that are very sweet and we are including some green tomatoes in your crates this week. If you haven't had fried green tomatoes, you have to try them at least once. Just slice them, dredge them in flour salt and pepper and into the fry pan. Butter is best to fry them in, but if you're watching your butter intake any other oil will suffice. We will be extracting honey from our hives this Saturday. I'm not sure how much we will get, but hopefully enough for everyone who would like some.

It's going to be a scorching week, don't forget, the farm pond is available to you to cool off a bit.

A short report this week because I'm being pressured to get ready to go see Harry Potter this evening.

In your crates this week:

blueberries
cucumbers
summer squash
carrots
beets
Italian parsley
hot peppers
prairie blush potatoes (a cross between a red and Yukon gold)
onions
green tomatoes
rainbow bells
Swiss chard

See you Wednesday.

Steve and Vicky

oops

In my haste to get out to see Boy Potter, now Man Potter, I neglected to mention that we will have corn on Wednesday, picked that morning. I pick it up at 8am. So, if you want corn, it won't be here until 9. You can still pick up your crates from 8 til 9, if you don't want corn, as Vicky will be here to get your crate together. 13 ears will be $4 for CSA members. General public price $5 for 13 ears.

Steve

Week 8

Hi Everyone,

Hot enough for ya? Today was a three dip day in the farm pond. Well, this past week apparently was Hollywood week here at the farm. Al Spoler, who co hosts "cellar notes" on WYPR and does TV work for MPT, stopped by with video camera in hand on Wednesday. He's working on an hour long TV special on local chefs, local food and local farms. Then Sunday morning Vicki Franz, owner and publisher of the monthly magazine "Arrive" dropped by to take some photos for an article their doing on local farms in their August issue. I'm figuring a call from Spielberg couldn't be to far off.

I had our first tomato on a sandwich for lunch today. Not enough yet for you all this week, but hopefully next week the tomato onslaught will begin. We've planted a huge variety. Many heirlooms and standard tomatoes along with cherry and grape tomatoes and some great sauce tomatoes too. I will have corn here a week from Wednesday 7/20. It will be $4 for you guys and $5-5.50 for the general public. That's for 13 ears. Remember it's not organic.

We hadn't planned on cucumbers for this week, but during my work around the place today, I noticed one then two and then many more, so cukes are in the crates this week along with:

Blueberries
Green Beans
Onions w/ a red onion included
Garlic
Cabbage
Beets
Summer Squash
Carrots
Rosemary
Peppers (not sure if they will be sweet or hot yet)
Cucumbers

See you Wednesday!

Steve and Vicky

Farm Photos

Doesn't everyone mow their lawn in a bee suit?

Fire dancer Liz sorting out your Swiss Chard

Tina proud of her beautiful bundles

Week 7

Hi Everyone,

Hope you all had a nice fourth. Our fourth was spent with us and most of our helpers working starting to gather all the goodies for Wednesday. Lydia and Blanca picked blueberries, the pickin's getting a little slimmer, Liz and Tina worked in our staging area to begin putting everything together that I was bringing in. Carrots, beets, cabbage, onions, and potatoes were brought in and they began the process of rinsing, bundling or getting in baskets. The highlight was at days end Liz did her fire dance to celebrate the fourth, complete with kerosene soaked balls that were ignited and then twirled all around her. Very impressive!! We made her perform next to the pool, just in case of a fiery mishap.

We had a half inch of rain Saturday night, thank God, that helped a lot with everything. There will be twelve different items in your crates this week! Before I give you the list, a question...We have an opportunity to purchase sweet corn at a decent wholesale price. Since ours was a crop failure, would any of you be interested in purchasing corn from us on pick up day. The corn wouldn't be organic and would be around $4 per dozen. Any interest? Please let us know.

In your crates this week:

Potatoes
Green Beans
Blueberries
Swiss Chard
Carrots
Beets
Chives
Onions
Sweet Peppers
Summer Squash (just the beginning of a long and loving relationship)
Radishes
Cabbage

See you Wednesday!

Steve and Vicky