EASTER EGGS

Hello Everyone,
I just wanted to let you know we have LOTS of eggs now. (about 10 doz a DAY). Easter is next weekend and the brown eggs DO color well (just not great with yellow and orange). The colors will be darker but are cool especially on those speckled eggs. Getting them now and letting them sit a week or so will help with the peeling after hard boiling. You can stop at the farm any time. The eggs are in the large silver refrigerator in the garage. Help yourself if no one is around. You can leave $ in the fridge by the eggs or in the middle desk drawer.
$3/doz
$4.50/18pk

Have a happy and healthy day,
Jamie

Baby Chicks!

We got baby chicks yesterday. So fluffy and cute! Lucy has made it her job to unload them all into their new home. She LOVES workin' hard with Grandpa!

CSA Weekly/Biweekly Produce Box Sign up: DEADLINE MARCH 15TH

Hello Everybody,
I hope you all get a chance to enjoy the weather today, even if it's only for a moment.

This is just a reminder:

THIS THURSDAY, MARCH 15TH is the DEADLINE to sign up for the box program at our LOWEST RATES. We will continue to allow members to sign up til the end of April but our rates will go up after Thursday. We have to raise the price to cover extra expenses like ordering more seeds, plants, and employees. Signing up this week keeps us on track with our current orders/prices. Thanks to all of you that have already sent your payment. Things are starting to roll slowly at the farm and pick up a little more every day the sun shines! I can not say this enough, "WE ARE SO EXCITED TO GROW FOR YOU THIS YEAR!!!!!!"

Have a HAPPY and HEALTHY day,
Jamie

2012 - March Newsletter

Ordering seeds and plants, putting together budgets for the season, keeping an eye on the pregnant mamma goats, getting ready for baby chicks, planning for a greenhouse, answering e-mails about our farm and what we provide, and getting box members signed up seems to be keeping us very busy. The excitement is overwhelming. Just a few months ago we were so worn out and ready for a break and now all I want to do is get in the field and start working. The warmer weather is making me think we might get to start planting a little early this year, but it is Wisconsin, so we’ll just have to see.

What’s New at the Farm:
Ducks! We have 3 females and 1 male. They will help protect the chickens from predators and they are cool to watch. They are in the barn right now but soon will be roaming the farm, so watch out for them waddling around when you pull in the driveway. We also got a daddy pig. It was Lily’s turn to name an animal, so next time you are at the farm say hello to “Strawberry Shortcake”!!! We are thinking of raising pigs for meat. They too will not be on grass at this time but are home grown and healthier than anything you will find in the store. I love me some pork!!!

Last year we had a problem with pollination. From what I understand, due to all the industrial corn and soybean fields the bee populations are in danger. It is not the sprays that hurt them the most, but the chemicals in the seeds. The bees take the “dust” back to their hives and it will kill the whole hive. We are happy to announce we have 5 bee hives coming this spring!!!! Let’s hope the bees, fruit trees and produce work together to provide a wonderful environment for all to survive.

Weekly Produce Box Program Info:
I want to take some time to talk about our CSA Weekly Produce Box Program. There have been lots of questions and I want to make sure you all understand how the program works. The deadline for sign up is March 15th. We will take on members after this date, but please note that our prices will go up a bit so sign up now for your lowest 2012 rates.

1. CSA stands for: COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE - not only are we creating a farm for our communities to be involved in but we are also creating markets for our community farms (they help out when we do not have enough supply or when they can grow something we can’t)
2. How it works: Members pay an upfront, 1 time, seasonal payment to receive a box of fresh, local, chemical free produce weekly or biweekly for 20 weeks. We plan for the boxes to start early June, but it all depends on mother nature. Plan on the first boxes to be a little smaller then the rest and LOTS of greens at first.
3. Your payment financially supports our family farm (Thank You), while we promise to work hard to provide you healthy food for your dinner tables, which your bodies deserve. Cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, along with many other health problems are on the rise. I truly believe a lot of if has to do with the chemicals in/on our foods.
4. Some things your payment goes towards: plants, seeds, garden tools, equipment expenses, utilities, employees, packaging and marketing. We also set aside some of the CSA money to purchase a few things like fruit, until our orchard can supply all of us.
5. We will include a “foodie sheet” in every box. The sheet will have instructions on how to care for your produce and recipes for those not so familiar veggies or veggies that just keep coming like zucchini and tomatoes.
6. CSA Member appreciation event: We are thinking chicken BBQ (along with seasonal veggies) and bonfire. Date to be determined. July is a good time because there are lots of veggie varieties available but lots of families do summer vacations, so maybe October would be better for an end of the season celebration…
7. We do not have a program set up yet where you can pick and choose your produce for your box. Below you will find a “schedule” of what to expect each month. I highly recommend trying new things first. Sometimes just finding different ways to cook a veggie makes all the difference. Otherwise you can share your products with family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Last year I also saw members exchange things in their boxes. For example, if you don’t like peppers and your co-worker does but doesn’t like beets and you do, just trade!
8. The box season can be very overwhelming when supply is high but it can also be very fun. I love trying new recipes and things with the kids. We had way to many patty pan zucchini last year so we did a painting project and used the patty pans for awesome new designs. We will try not to put too much in your boxes when supply is high because we know it sucks to let produce go to waste when you are getting boxes weekly. You will get larger boxes at times though so be prepared to can, freeze or dehydrate for winter months. Please remember your areas local food pantry’s are always looking for donations!
9. When signing up for your box program you agree to share the RISKS and BOUNTY with us, the farmer, and other members. If a natural disaster happens at the farm, there are no refunds. We will do our very best to provide everything we can but mother nature is always in charge.
10. Box members receive discounted rates on all bulk buys through out the 2012 growing season.

2012 PRODUCE SCHEDULE:
Early (May-June)
Asparagus
Radish - red and white
Lettuce - multiple types
Spinach
Rhubarb
Strawberries
Kohlrabi
Peas (snow & snap)
Table Onions
Herbs (many diff. types)
Greens (collards, kale, mustards)
*We currently purchase organically grown Asparagus (our Asparagus patch won‘t be ready til next year), and Strawberries, from neighboring farms.

Mid (July - Aug.)
Beets (many varieties)
Beans (green, purple, yellow)
Broccoli
Carrots
Cucumbers/Pickles
Eggplant
Herbs
Greens (collards, kale, mustards)
Lettuce - multiple types
Onions - sweet and Spanish
Peas (snow & snap)
Peppers (green, red, orange, yellow, purple bells) Red Italian frying peppers and other hot peppers
Potatoes
Tomatoes (many varieties, including cherry)
Watermelon
Zucchini/Summer Squash
Muskmelon
Sweet Corn

Late (Sept.- Nov.)
Apples (some)
Beets
Beans
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage (green & purple)
Carrots
Cauliflower
Cucumbers/Pickles
Eggplant
Herbs
Greens
Leeks
Lettuce - many types
Muskmelon
Onions
Peppers
Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Pumpkins (pie and carving)
Radishes
Raspberries
Turnips
Spinach
Tomatoes
Watermelon
Winter Squash (Delicate, Butternut, Buttercup, Spaghetti, Acorn)

Possible Fruits this year: Raspberries, Strawberries, Apples, Cherries, Pears, Peaches, Blueberries, Blackberries, Grapes.

CHICKENS:
We will be getting new baby “meat” chickens soon. We raise them to 3.5-6lbs for butchering. Price per pound to be determined. You can get small ones cut and packaged or purchase them whole. They should be available around June. We love to take pre-orders, it helps with planning. As of right now they will not be pastured yet, but we are working on this. We have them in a chicken coop with outdoor (cement) access. We do not feed them chemicals, growth hormones, or antibiotics.

EGGS:
Our current project is getting the outdoor pen set up for the laying hens. I can’t wait to be able to watch them outdoors. The “new baby layers” haven’t started laying yet so we are just keeping up with demand again. As the days get longer and they get more daylight, they should start laying. When this happens we will be ready to take on more Egg Share Members.

As always, please feel free to contact me with any comment, concerns, or questions. You can reach me via e-mail or by phone (if I do not answer please leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as possible). This is our 3rd year growing produce for the public and we LOVE it. We know this would not be happening with out the support from all of you and we thank you so much. I truly believe we can change our habits and live healthy lives. The healthier we are, the happier our live will be.

Looking for info, check out our blog and face book pages. Hillsongridgefarm.blogspot.com
(website in progress)

Have a safe, happy, and healthy day,
Jamie