It’s April 10th and I am just getting to the newsletter. Just a sign that the “farming” season has started rolling. The weather has been perfect for getting outdoor work done. The pens are getting cleaned out, goats and Jerseys are grazing, yard is being weed whacked and mowed, flower beds are clearing and even BLOOMING. Warm weather feels great to us but is a little scary too. All of the fruit trees have blossomed so any talk of “hard frost” or “freeze” really gets your mind thinking. What will this growing season be like with things happening so early? I just had to plant a few rows in the garden when we had 3 weeks of “record highs”. Not much, just some radishes, beets, kohlrabi, spinach, lettuce and peas! I really hope the peas make it. We didn’t have enough to freeze much last year so I am really CRAVING them.
“CRAVING FRESH VEGGIES?” Anyone who has known me for a long time, knows that is fairly new to me. I’d like to say my taste buds are changing as I get older but I really think it boils down to eating fresh out of the garden. After having the blessing (and choice) of growing fresh foods on the farm the past 2 years, getting food from the store just isn’t the same anymore. You may find a grocery store that carries good food when you need it, but the flavor, textures, colors, and energy does not compare by far. The FACT that my body feels better when I eat this way is a no brainer. That being said, there are still a few slots open in our CSA Weekly/Biweekly Box Program. Signing up in April will still give us a little time to plan our plantings. If you need more info please contact me.
KIDS!!
The kids are having a blast. New baby chicks, picking up LOTS of eggs, new goats adding to the herd (no babies yet), and seeing how much the Jersey calves and fall piglets have grown, open their eyes wide. They laugh when they watch the ducks splash in “Leo’s Duck Pond” (kiddy pool) and they are getting really excited for new baby kittens too. They have been watching as the mama cats bellies get bigger and bigger. Lucy is not a fan of the smells on the farm. You will always see her plug her nose when it’s time to go in the barn or to the hen house to get eggs. Lily on the other hand has no fear of any animal or poop. If there are chores to be done, she’s right there with you doing them. I took her into the hen house for the first time to get eggs. The hens make a noise that can be a little intimidating when there are so many but she just talks right back to them. Thank you for the eggs chickens, I love you”. We may have a few more broken eggs by the time we are done but reaching in those boxes to find a surprise of 1 or many eggs is so fun for her. Lucy will do it too but she’d rather feed the goats corn. She has figured out her own way to communicate with them! We have had a few visitors this past week and she will call the goats to come from the pasture to see everyone. She will also sit down and shuck corn into a bucket for an hour, so we can feed them. She gets the love of goats from her daddy. And don’t forget about Rosie! Every time she sees an animal she says, “HI!”. We almost had a “not so good” moment with baby chicks. My niece was seeing the chicks for her first time and was a little shy about it. I caught a chick and held it close to Rosie to show her that even Rosie is not scared. Well, Rosie did what any 11 month old would do. She reached out and grabbed it by the neck and started squeezing. A short moment seemed like forever, as I tried to peel her fingers away from the chick to keep the eyes from popping out in front of us. My sister and I let out a little scream too, so that didn’t help my niece’s fear at all. It took a second but then we put the baby chick down and away she ran to join the rest of them as they ate. PHEW!
Since we are talking about the kids, now is a great time to remind ALL to be very careful when pulling in at the farm. We have a fenced in playground to keep the kids safe, but they are not always in there so keep your vehicles slow and your eyes open for them at all times. Thank you. The busiest kid traffic area is between the house and the garage and when you come up the driveway it’s a little hard to see them before they pop out from behind the wall by the front porch. To be safe it is a good idea to park down on the lower part of the driveway by the pigs and old corn crib. Other safety issues at the farm are the pigs, fences, and horns on the animals. Please do not feed or pet the pigs, they may bite. They are fun to watch so please visit with them from a short distance. Also, the top fence by the pigs and the fence around the goats pasture is electric. You will get a shock if you touch it so please remind your children to stand back a bit from the fences. However, we do have a GREEN gate by the goat pasture that is NOT electric so that is a good place to pet and feed the goats. Some of the goats have horns though so please remind the kids to hold their hands out to feed them. I am learning that all little kids, by nature, like to stick their faces out close to the animals to say “hello”. We have a ways to go before we can have “tours” all the time at the farm, but it is nice to have scheduled visitors to help us learn how this process will have to come together. Everyone is welcome to visit the farm, but during this busy planting season we ask to call first to set up a scheduled visit. There are too many tractors and other machinery moving around daily right now so SAFETY FIRST!!!
CHICKENS:
We have had lots of pre-orders coming in (thank you), so if you are thinking about purchasing a fresh chicken in June you may want to contact me now to get on the list to guarantee you a chicken. We will be ordering another batch in a few weeks but those will not be ready til July.
EGGS: $3/dozen or $4.50/18 pk
Last month we were just keeping up with egg orders, and now, only a few weeks later, we have eggs coming out of our ears. Anyone that would like to join the egg share program, please contact me to get on the list. I make weekly and biweekly deliveries on Wednesdays. We’ve had a new customer join with some co-workers this month. I deliver every other week to their work, saving them time at the end of the day and supplying them with local, fresh eggs for their families. Just like with the drop off program, we’d like to have at least 3 dozen or more to start a site. I deliver to Sauk, drop off site is Ancient Healing (located in the Eagle Plaza). I have also had a volunteer in Cross Plains for a biweekly drop off site. If anyone in the Cross Plains area is interested in eggs, please let me know. We are open at the farm daily for egg sales as well. We are State Certified with our eggs so we can sell to businesses and sell at markets. If you have a business and are in need of farm fresh, local eggs, we are here for you.
KALE FOR SALE: (limited amount so first come first serve)
$4 = ½ lb
$7 = 1 lb
CSA MEMBERS:
I want to first thank ALL of you for your support with this program. The money you pay upfront has been great to get things going at the farm. Seeds are in, and plants are looking beautiful in the greenhouses that are growing for us. We’ve been able to purchase some equipment that will help in the fields and have some money to pay employees. With the amount we are growing this year, we will need LOTS of help. If you are a member and want to get your hands dirty but didn’t have enough time to dedicate for a box share, you can still come out and help. I will be sending out e-mails to let volunteers know when help is needed. We love to trade time for eggs and extra produce, so that is always an option.
Those of you that signed up for the workers share, please know that we will be ready to have you start working in a couple weeks. You don’t have to start now, but if you want to put hours in now when there is work, then you can “slack” a little in the summer when you want to take vacations, spend time with family, or when the weather does not cooperate.
We have almost hit our goal of 75 weekly boxes! This is SO EXCITING for us. Just knowing that the need for local, fresh produce is out there reminds me that I am on the right path. Nothing makes me happier than working at the farm, whether it’s in the garden, with the animals, or on the road making deliveries. I knew this dream was possible but you are all making it come true!!! My love comes back to you in every seed I plant for the food we will grow for you and your families!
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). I truly believe we can change our habits and live healthy lives. The healthier we are, the happier our live will be. SPREAD THE WORD!
Looking for information? Check out our blog and face book pages.
hillsongridgefarm.blogspot.com
(website in progress)
Have a safe, happy, and healthy day,
Jamie
