2012 - June Newsletter

Hillsong Ridge Farm 2012 June Newsletter

Lots going on at the farm these days. The fields and gardens are FULL, the animals are all happy (all the weeds and extras they get to eat!), and we are already starting to harvest! It has been great to see everyone, family and friends, coming together to help at the farm. A part for a tractor, mulch supply, nutrition for the fields and plants, weed and pest control, animal care, future planning of a greenhouse, homemade recipes, and knowledge are just some of the things floating around the farm. When we talk about “CSA’s”, COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE, that is exactly what is going on here. I see a community of people coming together to live a healthier lifestyle and create a future for our children. Thank you to all of you that continue to spread the word about what we are doing at the farm. The connections that continue to happen have been so helpful and fun to experience.

If anyone is looking to get away for a bit and have some peace and quiet, come on out to the fields. THE WEEDS ARE WAITING FOR YOU! This is the time of year it really pays to get ahead of the weeds. Pretty soon we will be so busy with harvest and fall planting that weed control moves down the list of things to get done in a day, but is just as important. It really makes a quick difference when 3-5 people are working together when weeding. 14 rows of Onions, lets have a race to see who can get to the end of the row first, while doing a good job of course. In a few hours (or less) the onions are weeded and good to grow! Maybe you are just looking for a fresh box of produce and would like to put some time in at the farm. Call Jamie to schedule a time to WORK FOR PRODUCE!

Chickens: Those of you who ordered chickens will hear from me by next weekend to let you know our butcher schedule. Anyone interested in farm fresh chickens this summer should place an order with Jamie (e-mail or call). The first batch is spoken for. The second batch of chicks are getting bigger every day and we are getting lots of orders, so ordering now will get you a farm fresh chicken for your summer grill outs. We will also be doing a “winter batch” of chickens that we will butcher in Nov. I am taking BULK orders for freezer chickens. After November we will not have fresh chickens again until June 2013. Plan now for how many chickens you will eat in a week throughout the winter and spring and how much freezer space you have. I would like to have all bulk orders in by the middle of August so we can plan accordingly.

EGGS: We’ve got farm fresh eggs! $3/ doz or $4.50 / 18pk.

CSA Box Members: June 5th starts WEEK 1 of our CSA Box Program. I am so EXCITED! Remember, boxes may be smaller this time of year and over flowing towards the middle to end of the season. Most of you will receive boxes this week. Some of you will have to wait until next week, because I split all the ½ shares up in 2 weeks, to keep our weekly packing numbers close to the same. I have sent an e-mail to the ½ share members letting you know if you will pick up on “odd” weeks or “even”. Your foodie sheets will help remind you of what week we are on. I am always looking for simple and fun recipes for our foodie cheat sheet. You can e-mail me any time about new things you try with your produce. Don’t forget to let the kids get involved too. They may be more open to eating fresh veggies when they know where they come from and help in preparing them. It has been HOT so the spinach and radishes are slow to grow and we’ve had to replant some seeds that did not emerge, likely from the dry weather. I think we went 3 weeks without rain. Let me tell ya, I did some dancing in the pouring rain because I was sooo excited to have it at the farm, and it felt good too! We watered transplants to keep them alive and help them root, and a sprinkler in the garden helped too, but everything else is in mother natures hands. The bugs are all around too. Your greens will more than likely have holes and you may find some bugs or wormies on your produce. Nothing a good cleaning won’t take care of. Like on ‘The Lion King’: “SLIMMY, YET SATISFYING!” Just something we have to get use to when eating naturally grown produce. Have fun with your first box and get ready for some great eating.

Just a heads up, this time of year you will continue receiving e-mail updates during the week to let you know what is for sale at the farm. You can also check out our website to see what is for sale each week. As always, please feel free to contact me with any comments, 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) or send a text.

Word of mouth has been the best way to spread the word about what’s going on at the farm. It is fun to hear how someone new found out about us. The word is spreading fast thanks to all of you that support us daily. We can try to make a living, doing what we love, and supply you with healthy food for your kitchen tables.

Have a safe, happy, and healthy day,
Jamie

2012 - May Newslettter

Hillsong Ridge Farm 2012 May Newsletter By: Jamie Spahn

Plant it and it will grow! Plant, plant and more planting. Transplants and seeds are making their way into the dirt at Hillsong Ridge. Rows of radishes, lettuce, beets, and peas are growing well from our early plantings in the lawn garden. Cabbage, Broccoli, Kohlrabi, Cauliflower and even some Black Cherry Tomato transplants are rooting and growing well with the rain and cooler weather. Onions, Potatoes, Carrots, Spinach, Swiss Chard and Kale are also enjoying the spring mother nature is providing so far. The next few weeks we will get Beans, Peppers, Tomatoes, Cukes, Zucchini, Sweet Corn, Pumpkins, and much, much more into the ground, along with our second plantings of things like lettuce and peas.

Grandpa said, “The radishes are ready.” It was so exciting to watch the girls go get the harvest baskets, walk to the garden, and point out to me which ones the radishes were. I told them, “Start pulling this whole row, put them in your baskets and bring them over to the hose to wash them.” I walked over to start cutting rhubarb and turned to see them both bent over picking radishes. How Cool! It didn’t take very long til they were over by the hose. (Kids and water…) Lucy worked hard and her basket was fuller than I thought. Lily just liked to keep turning the hose on FULL BLAST. We bundled 6 bunches of radishes! We are so excited to grow for you! It’s what we love to do!

WE HAVE A WEBSITE! Just another thing that makes this all so real. We are in the third year growing produce and it IS a business. Check out our site anytime. We will be making regular changes and updates to keep you posted on all that is happening at the farm. Thank you so much to Kathy Spahn (Grandma) and Joe Meinholz for putting this together. This is going to be a great way for us to communicate with all of you!

FOR SALE:

Radishes $1.75/ bundle

Rhubarb $1.50/bundle or $2 for 2

Potted Herbs and Specialty Garden Baskets $5-$18

Leaf Lettuce $2 = ½ lb $3.50= 1lb

Possibly Spinach by the end of the week.

Chickens:

Our first batch of chickens are looking good. We are aiming for the 2nd week in June to start butchering but that will be determined when it gets a little closer. I will be contacting those of you that pre-ordered your chickens the first part of June to schedule pick ups/deliveries. Most of the 1st batch is spoken for but we are still taking orders. We have also ordered the 2nd batch of babies to arrive next week. They will be ready the first part of July. Yum, chicken on the grill! I can’t wait!

Eggs:

We are still getting LOTS of eggs. Swing in at the farm to pick up your fresh eggs daily. Deliveries to Sauk, Cross Plains, and Spring Green on Wednesdays. 

$3/doz

$4.50/18pk

CSA Weekly Produce Box Members:

As of right now we are on track for starting boxes the first full week in June. Expect things like lettuce, spinach, radishes, beets, kale, table onions and hopefully some asparagus and strawberries the first couple weeks. I will be meeting with some of our drop off sites to go over how things will work when boxes are delivered. I am also starting to put together our foodie sheets for the boxes. I am looking for easy recipes for first timers cooking with fresh veggies. Receiving produce is very new for some members so I want to help make it less overwhelming by making sure I have lots of good ideas of how to work with these foods. Please e-mail your ideas and recipes to hillsongridgefarm@gmail.com. Thank You!

WIN A FREE DOZEN EGGS!

Lots of our chickens are laying “double yolkers”. If you are eating eggs from Hillsong Ridge Farm, I would like to hear about your experience with these big eggs. The girls like to pick out the biggest egg in our dozen each week and make bets. The winner gets to eat the egg! E-mail your story to me at hillsongridgefarm@gmail.com. I will share the stories with the kids and the best story gets a free dozen eggs! (I will also share in next months newsletter)

Just a heads up, this time of year you will start receiving e-mail updates during the week to let you know what is for sale at the farm. As always, please feel free to contact me with any comments, 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) or send a text. 

Word of mouth has been the best way to spread the word about what’s going on at the farm. It is fun to hear how someone new found out about us. The word is spreading fast thanks to all of you that support us daily. We can work, doing what we love and supply you with healthy food you want to share.

Have a safe, happy, and healthy day,

Jamie

2012 - April Newsletter

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

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

2012 - February Newsletter

It is Feb. 1st, and I am no longer on “winter break”. I have had so much fun staying home with the girls the past 2 months. We all had a chance to really get to know each other and lots of cuddle time!!! I couldn’t have thought of a better way to start my 1st day of work than with a press release at the farm. We are supporting a Dane County packing house/food hub project that will create lots of jobs, but more importantly get our produce in schools, hospitals, and other institutions. I get to the farm with the girls around 9am. Visitors are supposed to start arriving in an hour. Steve took off work for a short while and surprised me. I am glad he was there because he puts a lot of time in at the farm and is a big part of this “dream”. It was getting close to 11am and I was starting to get anxious, not a single person was there yet. Where is everybody? "Maybe this isn’t that big of a deal," I thought.

I WAS WRONG. A few minutes later 2-4 cars pulled in at a time. The driveway was full and people were starting to park on the road. Introductions were happening so fast that I instantly forgot most peoples names. I decided the ones that stuck in my head would guide me on my path for the event. Everyone was scattered and talking. Lots of comments heard about how nice of a day it was to get out of the office. (I’m glad I’m a farmer). Just like that, the “release” started. We stood in front of the cameras and press, like a family, proud in what we are doing. One by one the girls lost interest in standing quietly. Thank you to Kimmy for being there to take them. When all the questions where answered it was over and the reporters made their way thru the small crowd. Matt from Middleton Times found me 1st. I had remembered that name! He wanted to cover the story with a different angle, from the farmers perspective. Questions and pictures with the girls and Steve by the goats. Leo was talking with people, we were talking with people, others were interviewing, and some were walking around taking pictures. My adrenaline was rushing. They love seeing the animals and that we had fresh eggs available. All I could think was, “This is so AWESOME!”

Finally the girls were done. All they wanted to do was play in the snow pile. Slowly the cars disappeared and all was quiet on the farm again. The story was not all about us, but we got some nice exposure and I will support anything that will get local foods into the school systems. We were on all 3 Local News Channels at 6pm. You may find the reports on their websites. Also, look for the articles in the Wisconsin State Journal and Middleton Times. I will let you know of others when I see them.

WHAT WE’VE STARTED TO GET READY FOR THIS SEASON:

The days are getting a little longer so that means PLANTING SEASON is coming. We’ve already ordered many plant varieties from Mama’s Farm -Mazomanie- and I start my own flower and herb seeds in 2 weeks. We will be placing seed orders over the next 2 weeks as well. Here is a list of what we have ordered so far:

BROCCOLI -Packman
BRUSSEL SPROUTS - Hybrid Jade Cross
CABBAGE - Dynamo, Huron, Pennant, Ruby Perfection, Savoy Ace AAS
CABBAGE, CHINESE -Hybrid Blues
CAULIFLOWER - Hybrid Snow Queen Improved
KALE - Red Russian, Vates, Dwarf Blue Curled(we will also plant by seed)
KOHLIRABI - Early White Vienna, Early Purple Vienna
LETTUCE - Summertime, Buttercrunch, Parris Island
SPINACH -Melody F1
CANTALOPE - Early Dew Honey Dew
CUKES, PICKLES -Bush Pickle, SMR 58
EGGPLANT- Bibo, Black Beauty
TOMATO, HYBRID - Celebrity, Mountain Fresh, Wisconsin 55
TOMATO, HYBRID – SMALL - Aztec, Sungold, Agriset 8279
TOMATO, OPEN POL. - Yellow Pear
PEPPER, O.P. SWEET -California Wonder, Purple Beauty, Sweet Banana, Carmen
PEPPER, HYBRID SWEET - Early Sensation
SQUASH, SUMMER HYBRID - Peter Pan (Patty Green), Sunburst AAS
SQUASH, SUMMER - Early, Prolific (Straightneck)
WATERMELON, OPEN POL. - Crimson Sweet, Sugar Baby

We have lots of ordering to do yet too (like sweet corn and potatoes), so the list above just gets better. And hopefully a little fruit too. We will purchase fruit from other local farmers when they have extras, because it is important to include in your daily diet and farms like to support each other whenever possible.

We will have open market at the farm again this year, times and days to be determined. The deadline for the Box Program is in 6 weeks, so you may see lots of advertising until than. We will be looking for workers at some point during the season, but you will see a separate posting when we are ready for workers. We may just need help in short spurts when all the planting needs to get in before the rain or a day or so after a good rain when the weeds are easiest to pull. We have plans for kid event days too, but not all the details have come together yet. I will keep you posted on this.

2012 Weekly Box Program (CSA): Our goal is a 20 week Season.

2012 Weekly Produce Box Member Prices:

½ Share = EVERY OTHER WEEK Box (9-10 weeks from Mid June - Mid October) = single person or veggie lite household = $225

Small Share = Every Week Box (18-20 weeks from Mid June - Mid October) = provides for a household that eats & cooks fresh veggies (family consumption may vary) = $450

Large Share = Every Week Box (18-20 weeks from Mid June - Mid October) = large firmly or household that eats LOTS of veggies and may want to can/dehydrate/freeze portions = $630

Add EGG SHARES to your box membership:
½ share = 1 dozen, every other week, for 10 weeks = $30
Full Share = 1 dozen, every week, for 20 weeks = $60

WORKERS SHARE:
We will be offering a workers share in 2012. Come to the farm and work 5 hours a week and receive a Small Share every week. You mush be 18 or older to participate in the workers share and have your own transportation to and from the farm. As a “worker” you will participate in multiple duties at the farm like; planting, WEEDING, harvesting, bundling and packaging produce for boxes, putting together boxes, and other light chores. Please note that if you commit to a workers share, we and other members expect 5 hours of your hard, concentrated work every week, rain or shine.

Hillsong Ridge Farm is focused on producing chemical free, fresh produce for our local communities. In our 3rd year we will continue to grow a wide selection of veggies, herbs, and fruits. We work hard as a family to bring you the best quality food we can provide as we learn how to build a sustainable farm for everyone to enjoy. We put lots of love into what we do at the farm. With your continued support we see a healthy future for all of us.

When you join our box program, you become an active member @ our farm. You will receive weekly or biweekly boxes filled with a variety of common veggies as well as other not so common varieties that are grown in Wisconsin Climate. As we continue to nurture our fruit production (it will be a few years yet before we have large quantities) you may also receive a variety of fruits in your box. Included in each box is a “Foodie Sheet” that tells you how to care for and cook your products. You will also get a monthly newsletter, updating you on what’s going on at the farm each month.
The Weekly Produce Box program is an 18-20 week season that was designed to help you save money on produce, teach to eat seasonally, learn to preserve fresh foods for winter, and provide members with special product privileges. The deadline for WPB sign up is March 15th 2012. Payment is due before March 15th, in the form of cash or check. You may pay in full or pay ½ now and post date a check for the other half for July 15th 2012. (Other payment plans available upon request.)

As a box member you agree to share in the RISKS as well as the BOUNTY with the farmer and other members. Understand that due to wildlife, mother nature, and/or other production factors, the quantities and varieties may vary seasonally from 1 year to the next. (There are NO REFUNDS with the box program).

Pick Up times at the farm on:
Tuesdays: 3pm-7pm or
Thursdays: Noon to 6pm

Home Deliveries Available: (we will not be charging for delivery but will except donations for gas.)
Thursdays 2pm-6pm
**We recommend leaving med-large size cooler out for those hot days and to keep away pests and other critters if you will not be around to receive your box soon after it is delivered!**

We deliver to:
Middleton
Madison (North and West Side, and Downtown)
Verona??
Waunakee
Windsor
Cross Plains
Black Earth
Mazomanie
Arena
Sauk
Spring Green

If you live in a town not on the list, but are interested, please contact me to see if we are able to deliver to your direction. We will also be looking for 'DROP OFF LOCATIONS' so multiple customers can pick up their produce in one spot! If you would like to volunteer your home or office for a drop off spot, please contact me ASAP! Possible discounts for the members who volunteer depending on how many boxes at your site.

What are you doing now with your frozen produce from last years growing season?

We want to hear from you. Preserving can take some time and be a little overwhelming but I sure love having fresh peppers and other veggies for my stews and other cooking needs during these last few months before this years seasonal produce becomes available.

FRESH EGGS AVAILABLE DAILY @ the farm or possible delivery on Wednesdays. We are always looking for drop off locations for eggs as well. We require a minimum of 3 customers per site. If you are having a hard time finding egg members, let me know. If I spread the word you may be surprised to find others in your area that are interested.
$3.00/dozen
$4.50/18pk

Please continue to stay updated with our blog and face book pages. We are working on the website and hope to have it up and running very soon.

The warmer weather has been nice. I will not be surprised if we get a few large snow storms yet though. It is winter in Wisconsin. I am at the farm a few days a week now and working more hours from home as well. Please contact me with any questions about the upcoming grow season. We are happy to grow for you and communicating with the customer is very important to us. We are so thankful for your continued support of our “dream”.

Stay Healthy and Happy,
Jamie.

2011 - December Newsletter

Thanksgiving was truly blessed again this year. A HUGE Hawk flew in front of the van while traveling between families and reminds me to LISTEN!
The goats are comfy in their winter home, close to the house. I caught myself watching them from the window today. They are funny. They all react together to the noises on the farm, including the girls. Lily always has to say Hello to them when we get to the farm and Goodbye when we leave. The piggies just keep eating and the new laying hens are not laying eggs yet but their variety takes a little longer than the others. The cats are finding their warm homes on the farm and the kids are getting out their scarves, hats and mittens to continue with outside adventures thru the winter season.

TIME TO ORDER SEEDS:
We are making our plans for next years growing season and ordering our seeds and plants NOW. As we will be able to add crops thru May we’d like to get a good start for next year by placing some orders now for the early spring.

What are your favorite vegetable VARIETIES????

Instead of having mostly BELL peppers we want to expand with multiple varieties for your cooking needs. (and to please your taste buds)

YOU and your families are an important part of what keeps our farming community going. WE WANT TO GROW FOR YOU. Imagine getting a BOX of fresh, local produce delivered to your front porch, once a week, with the varieties you KNOW and LOVE. E-mail me some names of the varieties you like and we’ll starting doing some research on how to grow them for you.

Produce, Chickens, and Turkeys: We are taking chicken and turkey orders and WPB Memberships for 2012. The box program will start in June and we order chickens as soon as the weather gets warmer in the spring. Turkeys went fast this year and we had lots of people interested the week of Thanksgiving and could not fill their orders. If you are thinking of having a farm raised, fresh turkey for your holiday season next year let us know as soon as possible.

WINTER HOURS:
Office: Mondays 9am-5pm
FARM: I am at the farm on Wednesdays from 10am-2pm. I would be happy to put orders together for you to pick up at your convenience.
Email is a great way to get hold of me, but I will be taking days off and disconnecting while I spend time with my babies. We love everything we do at the farm, but now is the time to stay home, spend LOTS of time together, relaxing and recharging for next year.

Sweet Potatoes and Rutabaga for Sale:
Sweet Potatoes: $1.50/lb (we are getting down to just the small ones. They are a little shriveled but just as delicious and nutritious!) DISCOUNTS ON BULK BUYS OVER 10LBS.

Rutabaga: $1/lb

Fresh Eggs: Please only take 1 DOZEN at a time if you stop at the farm. $3/doz. Thank You.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OPEN GREENHOUSE AND OPEN HOUSE Sunday Dec 4th 2011, 1pm-4pm.
MAMA’S FARM (Mazomanie):
10906 Amenda Rd
Mazomanie WI 53560

==============================================================

**There will be NO 2012 Jan. Newsletter, but you may receive e-mail updates once in awhile.**

From everyone at the farm, we wish you all a safe, happy, HEALTHY Holiday Season.

Please feel free to share this with your family, friends and neighbors. We hope you have a great end to a wonderful year!

Jamie

November 2011 newsletter

Sweet Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, SWEET POTATOES! If you’ve stopped at the farm lately, you know what we are talking about because you saw the HUGE pile of potatoes in the garage. Cleaning and sorting seems to be taking forever, but like other jobs at the farm, it is a peaceful one. Did you know Sweet Potatoes are one of the healthiest foods for you to eat, and can be prepared MANY different ways?

LIST OF ALL THE WAYS TO MAKE SWEET POTATOES:Baked - warm or cold sweet baked potatoes make a great snack for young and old. Kids like nature’s “push-up” - a sweet potato cut in half, grasped in the hand and gently squeezed. As that yummy part of the sweet potato emerges upward, one simply gnaws away at it. This can also be done with a spoon, and instead of pushing the potato insides up, one digs down with a spoon. Even little ones can master both of these techniques and will have fun trying.

Steamed
Grilled
Pancakes
Breads
Fries
Roasted
Soup
Pies and puddings
Casseroles
Baby Food!!!
If you have a great sweet potato recipe, please share!!! Not everyone likes sweet potatoes, but with all the different ways to cook them, you are sure to find something you like.

LIST OF ALL HEALTH BENEFITS OF SWEET POTATOES:This starchy vegetable has bulk to keep your tummy full for hours. Yet its nutritional profile makes the calories worth it, especially since they are fat-free. Its fiber alone is enough to make a sweet potato worth eating. If a beta-carotene contest were held, sweet potatoes would tie carrots for first place. That may make them top-notch for fighting chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease, as well as disease related to inflammation, such as asthma and rheumatoid arthritis.

Sweet potatoes are also rich in potassium and vitamin C; a small potato provides almost half the daily allowance.

Sweet potato is rich in Vitamin A (beta carotene) and Vitamin C. Both Vitamins A and C are powerful antioxidants that work in the body to remove free radicals, this free radicals are chemicals that damage cells.

Sweet potato is good for stomach ulcers and inflamed conditions of the colon.

It is beneficial for low blood pressure.

May be helpful for hemorrhoid because of its high fiber content.

Sweet potato is a good food for people involved in heavy muscular work, since this food is high in vitamins and minerals.

Sweet potato may help prevent cancer in glands and organs with epithelial tissue due to its high Vitamin A content.

Sweet potato is a good food for diabetics, because it helped stabilize blood sugar levels.

OK, enough about sweet potatoes. Let’s talk animals! The goats have been moved to their winter home. You can visit them whenever you like, but please be aware that the wire fence that runs across the top of the pen IS ELECTRIC and WILL SHOCK YOU. We hope they like their home. It will be a little warmer for them during the cold winter months and a little closer to the other animals to make the feeding trip a little easier when it’s 20 degrees below zero.

The Spring Laying Hens have still not started laying eggs yet. Chickens naturally slow down with productions when the weather changes and as they age, so our “old” layers are just keeping up with demand. If you stop at the farm for fresh eggs, PLEASE only take 1 dozen at a time. Once the other layers start laying we should have plenty again to add new egg share members and have whatever you need on demand, but until then we are at the will of the chickens.

As for what’s left for veggies: We were a little disappointed when we didn’t have enough time to weed a few of our peppers and eggplant. Now were are happy to STILL have both because the weeds have helped protect them from frost. We have SOME Kale, Spinach, Turnips and Kohlrabi. Brussels Sprouts, Rutabaga and Sweet Potatoes A PLENTY.

BOX MEMBERS:As a member, we’d like to invite you to come to the farm on Wednesday, or Thursday this week and grab a few veggies off our produce shelf to take home for the winter. Now that we’ve harvested almost everything we have a few things for you, but not enough to FILL boxes for everyone. If you had a small share - fill ¼ of a paper bag, if a standard share - fill ½ paper bag, and a large share fills 1 paper bag full. It is best to cut the spinach and kale fresh for you, so if you know when you are coming send me a text or give a call so I can cut them for you. If we get a hard frost again, everything may be done, but until than we will bring in what is still surviving out there.

We ended up with 19 continuous weeks of fresh produce boxes. A few boxes were a little small at the beginning of the season and when we transitioned to fall harvest, but most weeks the boxes were LOADED with awesome veggies and a few fruits. There were veggies we had way to many of and some veggies that didn’t make it at all. I have a lot of learning to do about herbs too. We’ve got lots of perennial herbs planted so hopefully next year you will have lots more herbs in your boxes. As our first official box members you will always mean something special to us at the farm. You give us the faith we need to continue because you’ve shown us the need and want for fresh, chemical free, local foods. You will see our box member prices for 2012 at the end of the newsletter. Please know that 2011 members will receive $10 off the total of a ½ share or $20 off a small or large share. This discount will be for 2011 MEMBERS ONLY, THAT ARE CONTINUING WITH US IN 2012. You will notice we have raised our prices a bit. This is due to what we learned in the 2011 season (our 1st box season at the farm). We learned that we need more support in the costs of products and EMPLOYMENT. As we grow we NEED more employees to help provide more food.


2012 Hillsong Ridge Farm Weekly Box Program:Hillsong Ridge Farm is focused on producing chemical free, fresh produce for our local communities. In our 3rd year we will continue to grow a wide selection of veggies, herbs, and fruits. We work hard as a family to bring you the best quality food we can provide as we learn how to build a sustainable farm for everyone to enjoy. We put lots of love into what we do at the farm. With your continued support we see a healthy future for all of us.

When you join our box program, you become an active member @ our farm. You will receive weekly or biweekly boxes filled with a variety of common veggies as well as other not so common varieties that are grown in Wisconsin Climate. As we continue to nurture our fruit production (it will be a few years yet before we have large quantities)you may also receive a variety of fruits in your box.

The Weekly Produce Box program is an 18-20 week season that was designed to help you save money on produce, teach to eat seasonally, and provide members with special product privileges. The deadline for WPB sign up is March 15th 2012. Payment is due before March 15th, in the form of cash or check. You may pay in full or pay ½ now and post date a check for the other half for July 15th 2012.

As a box member you agree to share in the RISKS as well as the BOUNTY with the farmer and other members. Understand that due to wildlife, mother nature, and/or other production factors, the quantities and varieties may vary seasonally from 1 year to the next. (There are NO REFUNDS with the box program).

2012 Weekly Produce Box Member Prices:½ Share = EVERY OTHER WEEK Box (9-10 weeks from Mid June - Mid October) = single person or veggie lite household = $250

Small Share = Every Week Box (18-20 weeks from Mid June - Mid October) = provides for a household that eats & cooks fresh veggies (family consumption may vary) = $450

Large Share = Every Week Box (18-20 weeks from Mid June - Mid October) = large family or household that eats LOTS of veggies and may want to can/dehydrate/freeze portions = $630

Add EGG SHARES to your box membership:

½ share = 1 dozen, every other week, for 10 weeks = $30
Full Share = 1 dozen, every week, for 20 weeks = $60

WORKERS SHARE:We will be offering a workers share in 2012. Come to the farm and work 5 hours a week and receive a Small Share every week. You mush be 18 or older to participate in the workers share and have your own transportation to and from the farm. As a “worker” you will participate in multiple duties at the farm like; planting, WEEDING, harvesting, bundling and packaging produce for boxes, putting together boxes, and other light chores. Please note that if you commit to a workers share, we and other members expect 5 hours of your hard, concentrated work every week, rain or shine.

Chickens and Turkeys:We are SOLD OUT on our chickens. We will have fresh chickens sometime in June 2012. If you’d like to pre-order your chickens for next year please let me know (it will help us determine how many baby chicks to order in early spring).

The Turkeys are a little bigger than we expected. I will be contacting everyone that ordered a Thanksgiving Turkey this week to discuss details on butchering and price change (lowered). If you ordered a turkey and do not hear from me by the end of the week, please contact me ASAP.

The winter season is sneaking up on us pretty fast. We still have a few things left at the farm that are good for storage or freezing for the winter months. Stop in or give a call so we can put some produce together for you to pick up. Winter can be long and depressing for some, and having a good supply of nutrients in your freezer will only help with the health and energy for your body.

Please feel free to share this with you family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. If they do not have e-mail access, have them give me a call and I’d be happy to mail a copy.

Take care and stay healthy.
Jamie

September 2011 Newsletter

I remember going up to the gardens and finding the very first tomato of the season. I got a sickening feeling in my stomach for a short moment just because we had too many tomatoes last year I couldn’t stand the smell of them by the time the season was over. My very next thought was “YEAH! FRESH TOMATOES!” This year has been a totally different growing season than last year. We had so many carrots last year that a lot of them stayed in the ground, and this year we have NONE. What a disappointing and confused feeling. We weeded them this year and the deer found a wonderful snack. They may have survived if we wouldn’t have had the long stretch of hot, dry weather. However Eggplant and Zucchini have been in abundance. Our broccoli did good too until we couldn’t keep up with the flowering due to the extremely hot days. And why does it seem like weeds grow no matter what the weather does.

LEARNING seems to be the big word this month. We are already looking back at the last few months of the growing season and making decisions about what we are planning to do next year. Like BEES! The apple trees were full of flowers this spring but because of the lack of pollination there are very little apples to harvest. Anyone with helpful knowledge of Bees please feel free to send me some info or stop by the farm to talk, my ears are listening.

One batch of baby pigs arrived a week ago. There are 8 of them. The 2nd mamma pig had her babies Tuesday. She had eight as well. We tried to be patient to witness the miracle of life, but it wasn‘t meant to be because every time we walked away she‘d have a couple. I was surprised at how long the girls would just stand quietly and watch. I think they were hypnotized by watching the baby pigs learn how to breath, walk and find their mommy for food. We learned that each piglet will find it’s food source and stay their for it’s baby life. Lucy thinks it’s cool that each piggy knows its own mommy. For such a messy animal, they sure are cute. If you do stop in at the farm, please keep your distance from the pigs though. THEY WILL BITE. Pigs can get very aggressive when pregnant or with little ones around. Just stay back and watch. If you are lucky, Leo might grab a baby pig to see up close. (Thanks grandpa!) The newest batch of spring laying hens are getting ready to start laying eggs too. We call their first eggs, pullet eggs. They are very small. With all the action going on at the farm, the girls are sure learning a lot about animal life.

Wow, it sure looks like we have a lot going on at the farm, including fall harvest. The next couple sections will be good to read if you want to stay updated on the produce part of the farm.

WPB Members:
We have about 7 weeks left of the box season. We recently sent out a survey to see how the box program is going. We want to thank all the members for filling out and returning their forms. We got lots of good feedback and are excited to see what we can change for next year. One of the biggest things the boxes are lacking is FRUIT. We are working on increasing our fruit productions, but this will take some time. Like mentioned above, I think our biggest challenge right now is pollination. This year we planted hundreds of raspberry and blueberries, along with blackberry plants and apple, peach, plum, cherry, and pear trees. Our hopes is to have so much fruit we won’t know what to do with it all, but until then we only have a small supply.

It was also interesting to read everyone’s comments about what veggies they liked and wanted more of, and what veggies they could do without. We wish we could know exactly what each member wants and only put that in your box, but figuring out how to cater to each individual is something we are still trying to figure out. Part of the box program is to learn to eat new things, and to eat seasonally. Like myself, if you’ve always bought whatever you wanted at the grocery store, eating only what is fresh for many weeks in a row can be overwhelming. I am finding a benefit to the boxes is to freeze some produce every week. You won’t be able to pull peppers out of the freezer to eat fresh but they will be great in soups, stews and casseroles this winter. I don’t know about you, but I get this AWESOMELY wonderful feeling knowing I have fresh, local, chemical free veggies in my freezer for my winter cooking!

What to expect for the rest of the season:
Squash harvest is coming up fast. We have a lot of it, and so will you. Start preparing know for recipes and freezing. Tomatoes, potatoes, melons, beans, radishes, lettuce, spinach, kale, beets, and hopefully apples and grapes are also on the way. You may even see carrots because of the help of our wonderful neighbors. Oh yeah, and don’t forget PUMPKINS! Pumpkin can be frozen and used for all kinds of baking so get ready. The other big fall harvest crop is SWEET POTATOES! We had some problems with the company that supplied us with plants this spring so the sweet potatoes got planted pretty late this year. If we have a long fall we will have a huge harvest, but if our first frost and cold weather comes early we may have very little. Welcome to the world of farming.

Again, thank you for filling out your surveys. We are excited to make some changes for next year and hope you will all stick with us as we try to fine tune our box program. This was our first year and I look forward to the challenges of healthy, seasonal eating in the years to come.

NEWSLETTER RAFFLE WINNERS!
September is my favorite time of year. You get to say goodbye to summer and HELLO to fall. Beautiful colors and HALLOWEEN! Oh yeah and FOOTBALL SEASON!!! Thanks goes out to Martin Timmins (Papa) for donating 2 Bucky Badger carrying bags. I had the girls each pull a customers name from a hat today.

The winners are: Helen Meinholz and Karen Schmitt. Congrats Ladies. I will deliver your bags sometime next week.

CHICKENS AND EGGS!
Next week is the start of a new egg share quarter. If you would like to join, let me know. You can pick up your eggs at the farm or get them delivered. We like to have at least 3 members in one area to deliver to, but I make box deliveries on Mondays til the end of October so if you are on my route, I will drop off some eggs for you. The egg share program has been great. It helps a lot to know how many eggs we need each week and how many laying hens we need to plan for every year. Once the new hens start laying consistently we will offer the other hens as SOUP CHICKENS!

EGG SHARE PRICES: per Quarter/12 weeks

½ Share = 1 doz. Every other week = $18 (+ $2 delivery fee)
Full Share = 1 doz. Every week = $36 (+ $4 delivery fee)
1 ½ Share = 1 doz. one week, 2 doz. the next = $54 (+ $4 delivery fee)
2 Full Shares = 1 doz. Every week = $72 (+ $4 delivery fee)

Freshly Frozen Chickens available daily @ $2.50/lb. The next batch is getting close to 4 lbs, which is when we cut them into halves, quarters, and pieces. We add $1 to the total cost of the cut chicken to pay for processing and packaging. Place your orders today for your freshly cut and vacuum sealed chicken. The TURKEYS are looking fabulous. We only have a few that are unspoken for so place your order today. We have decided to charge $2.75/lb this year. I need all orders in by the middle of October for planning purposes. Thanks!

Thank You Everyone:
There are so many people I have been thinking about lately. Thank you to our customers. Whether you receive a box every week, purchase only what you need, or support us with education about our different crops, we are so thankful. This great community that is being formed is such a blessing. I say this daily, “the world is changing and we have to change with it, not fight it.” The prices in the grocery store keep rising and we keep paying, when in reality, for the small cost of seeds and lots of hard work, we can have free food right in our back yards. Plus with the continuing rise of cancer, it just seems simple to cut out those boxed foods we are accustomed to eating and put healthy fresh foods into our bodies. Remember our body is the temple our souls live in on this earth, lets take care of it.

A big thanks goes out to the business owners and customers at the Eagle Plaza (in Sauk). Seeing your smiling faces every Wednesday keeps me going. Salons for You is a great place to go for body maintenance along with energy rejuvenation. The ladies there are true “healers”. Ancient Healing is also the place to go when you need some good energy and healing. The wide range of professional healing and products is just what you need to help you on your “life’s path”.

Now that school is starting we are losing some of our best workers. My cousins have been working their butts off this summer in the fields. I think that really builds character when you choose to work for the health of others instead of spending the summer being a kid. My grandma (Nana) has also been a big help this year and we wouldn’t know what to do without her. We are truly making this a family business!

Since this is our first year with the box program we’ve found ourselves coming up short on produce a few times. Thank you to our neighboring farms, families and friends who have committed their gardens to organic practices to help us fill our orders. I’ve said it before, “I can’t change the world but I can change a community.”. This is only our 2nd year and it looks like the community is already changing for the good.

There’s lots of you out there to thank, so I just want you to know I think about you and thank you all deeply for your support and smiles.

YOUR GARDENS:
I would love to hear about your gardening experiences this year. I think it would be nice to have a “YOUR GARDEN” section in the newsletter each month to share with everyone. I know we have a lot to teach each other. Send me an e-mail anytime!

Well, we have a couple months left of the season and some days it takes a lot of energy to make it through the day, but it’s all worth it when I hear Lucy say, “I want to be a farmer like you mom when I grow up!” I am pretty sure I said the same thing to my dad when I was her age!

Please feel free to share this with your family, friends and neighbors. We hope you have a great September!

Jamie

July 2011 newsletter

Happy summer Everyone! Heat, bugs, bees, pools, sprinklers, bonfires and of course FRUITS AND VEGGIES! We hope all of you are enjoying the summer and time with the kids/family. As always, things are crazy busy at the farm. Weeding and harvesting mostly. I give all our workers a lot of credit. With the heat and no rain it makes it hard to be in the fields. I suppose if there was too much rain, there’d be too many weeds, like last year. We do need some rain so say a little prayer to mother nature to bless us with some natural water for our natural crops.

We have some new additions to the farm: 2 mamma pigs and 2 baby jersey calves. We are hoping to have baby piggies in a couple weeks. Anyone that wants to visit with the kids should send an e-mail or call to set up a day or feel free to bring them when you pick up your produce during open market times. (Fridays and Saturdays work best). Rosie is 2 months old now and we are starting to get on a schedule, which is making it a little easier to get things done on the farm. The kids are also working hard putting together boxes, washing tubs, making mud pies, and running thru the sprinkler! We were able to get up north for the 4th of July and just have family time, no work! Thank you all for waiting til I got back to answer your questions or get you your products.

Chicken Update:
Leo has been butchering our 1st batch of chickens the past couple of weeks. Our 2nd batch of chicks are growing nicely. We are still taking orders for whole and cut chickens. You can get them cut into halves, quarters, or pieces. We will try to always have freshly frozen chickens available to purchase daily as well, for those of you that would just like to pick one up when you want. They are between 3-5lbs right now.
Current Prices:
$2.50/lb (add $1 to the total of cut ones for the cost of labor and packaging)

Turkeys: We are taking orders for your homegrown fresh holiday turkey. Not many left so place your orders soon.

Goats:
The goats are loving their new home in the grass pasture. I love to watch them. One minute they are all spread out eating away at the grass and the next they are all laying together under the shade trees. Anyone visiting the goats please know they are in an electrically charged fence. There is one big metal green fence that we can all stand by and feed the goats without getting a little shock.

Eggs:
We are officially WI State Certified Egg Producers. We passed inspection with flying colors. From what I hear the inspector was very impressed. This means we will be able to sell our eggs @ markets and stores and other places off the farm. We haven’t purchased them yet, but you will start seeing blank egg cartons with our labels on them. When the time comes, please help us out by saving and returning your cartons.
Prices:
$3.00/doz
$4.50/18pk

Fresh Eggs Available Daily at the farm. If you and anyone in your neighborhood is interested in weekly or biweekly deliveries please contact me so we can set something up.

WPB MEMBERS:
Well, we are approaching week 6 of our boxes. I have to be honest that it is a little overwhelming sometimes to figure out, harvest, clean and bundle, and box produce. But it is so cool to watch your boxes fill up and head out the door to your kitchen table. We are learning a lot every week, like how to keep produce looking fresh if we harvest the day before, or how to keep greens from shriveling up in the heat. You may have also noticed that one week you get very little of something or it’s not quite ripe and the next week you get an abundance with lots of taste. Timing has been challenging since this is new. Also the weather makes things different every week. We hope everyone is enjoying their boxes so far. Please let us know how we are doing. We want to hear the good and bad so we can keep learning how to serve our customers better. Also, please try to hang on to your foodie cheat sheets every week. You may need some info. from the past sheets as I always try to put new stuff in the current sheets every week. The biggest thing to remember is to always wash your produce and to know how to store your fresh veggies (or how to freeze them). If you find a great recipe please feel free to share with me and I will post it for everyone to try. Personally I like most of my produce raw, right out of the garden, but love to hear how everyone is preparing their local, farm fresh food!

If we get some rain, some of your upcoming produce will be:
Peas, Broccoli, Cabbage, Summer Squash/Zucchini, Beets, Lettuce, Cucumbers/Dill, Basil, Parsley, Rosemary, Thyme, and other herbs. Along with Green, Purple, and Yellow Beans, Kohlrabi, Fingerling Potatoes, New Red Potatoes and raspberries. (and maybe blueberries). Sweet corn and cherry tomatoes by the end of the month. Please know that if we don’t get rain, the productions of crops will slow down dramatically. This is just part of being involved in a member shares box program. Just keep sending your good rain energy to the farm.

WORKERS SHARE:
We are still looking for help at the farm. If anyone is interested in working 4-5hours a week in trade for a Weekly Produce Box, please send me your contact information, along with the days and times you may be able to work. We look forward to having you join us in the fields and sharing in the wonderful things you will help us grow.

Markets:
We are having a great time at the Eagle Plaza Market in Sauk on Wednesdays. Seeing a lot of return customers and lots of new ones too. I even had a good sales day during a rain storm, weeks ago. I set up thinking, “it’s just sprinkling right now, I’ll set up my tent and see what happens. We had lots of customers, even when the rain started coming down hard. Anyone driving by when I was packing up that day got a laugh too. I was putting the tent down, (the rain was coming down pretty hard at the time) and was standing on the outside, not thinking about what was about to happen… all the water on the tent came rushing down on top of me, almost taking me to the ground. One of the moments when you hoped no one was looking.

Market at the farm has been slow. Please let me know if there are more available times that work better for you to pick up produce. We have not started at the Spring Green Farmers Market for a couple of reasons. Not enough produce and lack of time and energy on my part (because of the kids!). We are making deliveries on Mondays so if anyone needs something delivered please let me know by 10am on Monday mornings.

Current Market Times:

Sauk: (Eagle Plaza parking lot)
Wed: 11am-1:30pm

OPEN MARKET AT THE FARM:
Wed: 3pm-7pm
Fri: 2pm-6pm
Sat: 10am-2pm (times may change)

Facebook and blog:
I recently updated face book with some new pictures from the farm. Check ‘em out!
Don’t forget to check out our blog pages for recipe updates.

Though we have been very busy, it is really great to see all your smiling faces. The best is when an 8 year old picks out something like broccoli or berries for dinner that night. Knowing we grew it and that there are many people supporting us to provide that meal is an unexplainable feeling. And we are not even half way thru yet. Hopefully there will be lots of goodies available in the next couple months. Please don’t forget about those winter months when you are craving fresh foods. We’ve been freezing berries and broccoli so far. I think about that winter grocery bill and how we might be able to cut back on cost with the frozen goodies in our freezer. Plus all the colors in the freezer makes it look pretty, not just full of boxed and bagged things from the store. Just ask about our ¼ and ½ bushel pricing!!

Please feel free to forward this newsletter to any family members, friends, neighbors, and co-workers that you think may be interested in the farm and what we have to offer. If they do not have e-mail access, have them give me a mailing address, as I am more than happy to mail newsletters every month.

Jamie

June 2011 Newsletter

Hillsong Ridge Farm        2011 June Newsletter            By: Jamie Spahn

WOW! Is all I can say about what’s going on at the farm.  We have been so busy planting yummy veggies and fruits, weeding, fixing, feeding animals, communicating, and ENJOYING every minute watching the kids on the farm!  The weather has been pretty good to us.  We could use some light showers throughout the week tho, so say a few prayers for gentle rain.  It has been very exciting to watch the farm grow this year along with the kids.  Little Rosie is a month old already! It won’t be long before she’s running with the other 2 causing all kinds of mischief. Lucy and Lily have been working very hard along with playing at the farm.  Weeding is one of Lucy’s favorite things too do besides watering. (Watering means: MUD PIES!) Lily just wants her shoes OFF! I can not keep shoes on her no matter how hard I try. She also loves to lay in the dirt.  She lies down in dirt rows between the lettuce and stares at the sky.  

Leo has been busy creating the fruit hill. Raspberry, blueberry and blackberry plants on one side and Apple, Plum, Peach, Pear, and Sweet Cherry trees on the other.  We are very excited to have fruit on the farm in a few years.  We are hoping for “Pick Your Own” patches.  Besides taking on the fruit hill, Leo, along with some great  helpers, has been planting ACRES of produce. Now the WEEDING is really starting to become a daily thing at the farm.  It is actually very relaxing to weed, and if we stay ahead of them, it doesn’t take to long to get thru a row.  Things are looking real good so far, let’s hope mother nature is good to us during this great growing season.

I am sure there is much more going on to tell you about but these days my mind if filled with the joy of a newborn.  Rosie is one healthy little girl that loves to eat.  I please ask that you be patient with me at the farm and markets.  The other day we got to the farm and she had soiled herself up to her neck.  I had to give her a bath, with her 2 big sisters trying to help (and cause a little trouble), and all I could think about was, “what if there was a customer here right now?”  The answer is: They will have to wait or help themselves.  We will have our produce set up and priced during market hours but if you come to the farm at other times, just know you may have to help yourself or wait if I’m busy with my babies!

Please feel free to forward this newsletter to any family members, friends, neighbors, and co-workers that you  think may be interested in the farm and what we have to offer.  If they do not have e-mail access, have them give me a mailing address, as I am more than happy to mail newsletters every month.

Again thank you all for your support. I know I say this a lot, but we REALLY mean it.  I get to wake up every day happy, and get to raise my kids on a farm, being with them as they grow.  That means more to me than words can describe.

Jamie

Ken Meinholz
Barb Crosby

Congratulations Ken and Barb! You will receive your 2011 Farm Coupon Book in the mail this week.
WEEKLY PRODUCE BOX MEMBERS:
Thanks to everyone that signed up for the weekly boxes.  As we love to do farmers markets and open market at the farm, it is really exciting to know we are for surely going to feed a number of families this year.  The box program has allowed us to plan our plantings a little better and your up front payment supports everything that is going on at the farm right now.

This week will be our FIRST week of boxes.  I will be contacting ALL members to make sure we have you down for delivery or pick up and at what times. Things you will see in your box this week: Lettuce, Spinach, Radishes, possibly Mustard and Table Onions.  There is not much for variety yet, but as the weeks continue you will see your boxes full of all kinds of wonderful, fresh, chemical free, homegrown produce.  Those of you that have signed up for every other week can plan on getting your boxes on the odd numbered weeks starting with week 1.

A big thanks goes out to MaryAnn Marx from the Sauk Community Center.  She worked very hard in putting a box program together for the Sauk community.  We are very excited to be a part of this new program and can’t wait to see how it grows for members and other farms.  It feels really good to bring so many people together because of wanting to eat healthy and take care of our bodies the way mother nature intended!

WORKERS SHARE:
We are still looking for help at the farm. With the continuing growth of our WPB members and the market season starting this week,  we will be looking for lots of help on the farm this year.  If anyone is interested in working 4-5hours a week in trade for a Weekly Produce Box, please send me your contact information, along with the days and times you may be able to work.  We look forward to having you join us in the fields and sharing in the wonderful things you will help us grow.

Thank you to Linda, Charlotte, and Kris for coming out to the farm the past couple weeks. Your hard work and great energy is very appreciated.

“I’ve started weeding at the farm, and have been surprised at how relaxing it is. The first time I was there I stopped only because it had started raining, and discovered I’d been at it for 3 hours. I was so surprised! It was satisfying to look back at the work I had accomplished. The calming affect it had on me made me want to come back for more work. Who da thunk?? I highly recommend it.” - Linda Ruiz

CHICKEN UPDATE:
We are hoping the chickens will be at the 4lb range in the next 2 weeks.  I will keep you all posted with a butcher date when it gets closer.  We are taking orders for whole and cut chickens at this size and orders for whole chickens around 5-7lbs.  If you’d like your chickens bigger than 7lbs please contact me right away so we can set aside your chickens to grow.  We do not have the new pens finished yet but they are getting outside and it is amazing how much faster they grow once that sunlight hits them.
We have also just received our 2nd batch of baby chickens and turkeys. I will be in and out of the farm next week, but if anyone would like to bring their kids to the farm to check out the chicks, come during our Open Market times at the FARM.

TURKEYS:
We have our baby turkeys for the November/December holiday season.  We are also taking orders now for your holiday turkey.  Let us know how many you want, about what size, and fresh or frozen.  Since Thanksgiving is pretty far away yet, it is ok if you don’t know what you need, but give me a heads up if you know you are interested in a farm fresh turkey.

EGGS:
Next week is our last week of this quarters egg shares.  Contact me if you’d like to sign up for our next quarter of egg shares.  Prices below:

Eggs Share Program: (pick up at the farm available daily)
Our next quarter starts Thursday, June 16th.
The egg share program is quarterly (12wks).

EGG SHARE PRICES:
½ Share = 1 doz. Every other week = $18 (+ $2 delivery fee)
Full Share = 1 doz. Every week = $36 (+ $4 delivery fee)
1 ½ Share = 1 doz one week, 2 doz the next = $54 (+ $4 delivery fee)
2 Full Shares = 1 doz. Every week = $72 (+ $4 delivery fee)

We are definitely looking for more neighborhoods to deliver too.  We ask that you get at least 3 people interested in participating in the egg share program.  We will deliver a cooler to a designated house once a week with everyone’s eggs.  Those members will have a 4 hour time frame to pick up their eggs each week.  It is really a great way for you and your neighbors, friends and family members to get fresh eggs weekly and saves everyone a little money in gas (as we all know that is a bonus these days!)

Current Market Times:
Sauk: (Eagle Plaza parking lot)
Wed: 11am-1:30pm

OPEN MARKET AT THE FARM:
Wed: 3pm-7pm
Fri: 2pm-6pm
Sat:  10am-2pm (times may change)

Facebook and blog:
I have many pictures to update on our facebook page.  I am hoping to get to them this weeks, so keep your eyes open Please note we will be using our face book and blog pages (along with e-mails) to update you with info from the farm.  Each week we will let you know what’s fresh and what is included in WPB members boxes, along with available open market times at the farm.  The blog page will also include recipes and ways to store your produce for that week.
KIDS SAFETY AREA:  The Kids Playground is wonderful!  The girls are learning to play nicely together and it is fun to have something for the visiting kids to do too.  Like always, PLEASE slow down  and watch for the little ones when pulling into the driveway.  If you are not sure where to park when you visit the farm, down on the flat part of the driveway by the old corn crib/and trailer is always a good place.  
MAY’S NEWSLETTER RAFFLE WINNERS!!!

February 2011 Newsletter

Happy Snow Days! Though I love the snow, I am definitely ready for some warmer weather. The need to get my hands in the dirt, plants some seeds, and grow things gets stronger every day. Lots of things to talk about this month. We are starting the major planning part of the year. Putting together Weekly Produce Box Info, planting lists and schedules, events, building and fence reconstruction, and the fruit hill are some of our main focuses right now. I would also like to do more teaching this year about what homegrown products can do for your body. If you want to learn more about what types of foods may help a specific health issue, let me know. We want to help anyone we can, which may mean growing a certain type of veggie, fruit, or herb.

I had a great opportunity to attend the 13th Annual Value Added Agriculture Seminar in Madison last week. Taking classes on Farm to School, Cost of Goods, Grants, Agroforestry and sustainable fruit production, and Find Your Fit, was fun and I learned a lot. After the 2 day seminar was over my head was spinning. Not only did I learn about how to better our products, but how to connect with you, the customer. It will take a few years to really reach our true potential as produce farmers and providers, but we are well on our way down the right path. We dug our hole last year so this year will be dedicated to building a strong, reliable foundation.

A BIG THANKS goes out to all of you that took some time to fill out our farm surveys. We got some great feed back and look forward to using the information to run the farm this year and years to come. The following are a list of the WINNERS from the SURVEY RAFFLE.

CONGRATS TO:
Becky Ward - Won a $10 Massage Gift Certificate (from Jamie)
Carrie Knutson - Won a $10 Essential Oils Gift Certificate from Young Living Oils
Becca Biasi - Won a $10 Farm Gift Cert. for the purchase of any product from the farm.
Rhonda Janskowski - Won a Hillsong Ridge Farm 2011 Coupon Book
Again thanks for all your support and keep your eyes open for more raffle opportunities in the upcoming months.

2011 WEEKLY PRODUCE BOX (WPB) PROGRAM information:
The Weekly Produce Box program is a 20 week season that was designed to help you save money on produce, teach to eat seasonally, and provide members with special product privileges. The deadline for WPB sign up is March 15th 2011. If you are interested in an every other week program (10 wks), please contact me individually so we can figure out what you are looking for and create a program that works for you. Payment is due before March 15th, in the form of cash or check. You may pay in full or pay ½ now and post date a check for the other half for July 15th 2011. Remember: As a WPB member you agree to share in the risks, as well as the bounty, with the farmer and other members. Understand that due to wildlife, weather, and/or other production factors, the quantities and varieties you receive may vary seasonally from one year to the next.

WPB members will receive discounts on Bulk Buys (for canning and freezing) thru out the 2011 season. They will also ALWAYS get any fruit product we have available first before farmers market and drop by customer sales.

Large Box - 4 or more people = $42/wk = total of $800 for 20 wks
Standard Box - 2-3 people = $25/wk = total of $500 for 20 wks
Small Box - 1 person = $18/wk = total of $360 for 20 wks

Adding Egg Shares to your WPB program:
Large = 20 wks= 18pk of eggs every week = additional $75
Standard = 20 wks = 1 dozen eggs every week = additional $50
Small = 20 wks = 1 dozen eggs every other week = additional $25

We have not decided on Pick up days (at the farm and Sauk). It will more than likely be Wednesdays and Saturdays, but we are always open so if those days don’t work for you to pick up your box just let me know and I will get you on a different schedule. We are still working on finding a few drop off locations, but it will depend on who’s interested and where everyone lives. We will do our best to accommodate your needs. If anything we will offer home deliveries this year! Please do not let pick up days and locations keep you from entering this program as we WILL get you your produce no matter what.

For those of you that are interested in buying your produce in a box form but would like to pay for your box weekly or pick and choose what you want in your box every week, let me know. This option will be available every week, but know that your box price will be higher than the WPB program and prices will change weekly depending on the products in your box. (box form will be cheaper than buying each item separately) I do want to know if you are interested though because it will help us better determine how much product we need to grow. Just remember the WPB members will always get any available fruit first and the rest will be First Come, First Serve.

LIST OF 2011 PRODUCTS: (N) = new product for us this year. I do not know individual varieties yet.

Early (May-June)
Radish - red and white
Lettuce - multiple types
Spinach
Rhubarb
Strawberries
Kohlrabi
Peas (snow & snap)
Scallions (N)
Turnips (N)
Table Onions
Herbs (many diff. types)
Swiss Chard (N)
Greens (collards, kale, mustards) (N)
*We are currently looking for organically grown Asparagus, more Strawberries, and Garlic from neighboring farms, so they may be included.

Mid (July - Aug.)
Beets (many varieties)
Beans (green, purple, yellow)
Broccoli
Carrots
Cucumbers/Pickles
Eggplant
Herbs
Fennel (N)
Greens (collards, kale, mustards) (N)
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
Swiss Chard (N)
Tomatoes (many varieties, including cherry)
Watermelon
Zucchini/Summer Squash
Muskmelon
Sweet Corn

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

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

Chicken Update:
Our winter batch of chickens are almost around 4lbs. Anyone interested in whole or cut chickens at this size please let me know. We only cut chickens when they are around this size so now is the time to order as we will not have fresh cut chickens again until June-ish. I’m guessing we will be butchering next week. Current Chicken Price =$2.50/lb (+ $1.00 added to the total for cut chickens to pay for labor and packaging) FYI: As the cost of feed continues to rise, we will have to raise the price for our meat chickens and fresh eggs in the near future.
Fresh Eggs Available Daily: $2.50/doz

Check us out on FACEBOOK & our BLOG PAGE!
Become part of the Hillsong Ridge Farm face book page and get weekly/daily updates about the farm, along with the chance to see pictures of what goes on at the farm. Our blog page:
http://hillsongridgefarm.blogspot.com/ is also used to communicate updates, but I would mostly like to use this page to share recipes, including weekly menus for the busy households. If you have a favorite recipe you’d like to share please send it to Hillsongridgefarm@gmail.com.

Information I am Looking For:
For those of you that have your own business, I would like to organize an event on the farm this year for you to come advertise. I think it will be a good way to support our community. Please send me an e-mail to explain your business. I am looking for info now but will not be holding this event until later in the year. As I am due at the end of April, I want to get as many things together for the farm before than. I am also wondering who would be interested in a “Kid/Family Event Day.” I wish we could have them every weekend at the farm but this year we will probably be limited to 1 or 2 event days and some pre-planned visits. Some things we are considering are days to interact with the animals, learning how to make food and juices, learning how to can and freeze, planting/gardening days, wagon rides, plant your own seeds for take home projects, and pumpkin carving contests. My questions: Would you like to volunteer to help out on an event day? Any ideas for farm events? Do you have a group event interest, like field trips for daycare or play dates?


Sauk Wellness Night: Join us for the 2nd Annual SPA NIGHT!
Date: Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Time: 6:00—8:00 p.m. Community Center Gym
730 Monroe St., Sauk City
You’ve worked hard and now it’s time to reward yourself with a “Health Trip Spa Night”! Enjoy an evening of being pampered featuring local businesses who specialize in making you feel special! Free demonstrations and services such as massage, reflexology, guided imagery, yoga, reiki, scalp massage, pedicures, and nutrition counseling will be available for you to try. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see what it’s like to be treated like a King/Queen! This event is free to all Health Trip participants, any non-members can attend by contributing $5. Proceeds will go to the Sauk Prairie Food Pantry.

Hillsong Ridge Farm will have a booth set up at the community center that night. We will be raffling off 2011 Farm Coupon Books and Free Product Give-Aways! We plan to teach about our farm fresh, chemical and hormone free products along with the benefits of Locally Grown Foods, and homemade baby foods. There will be lots of opportunities to learn good health tips and pamper yourself. Come Join Us!

Please feel free to send this newsletter to any family members, friends, and co-workers you think may be interested. If you know anyone that wants farm info but does not have e-mail access just have them call me or send me their address and I will mail the newsletters to them.

Thank you for your support and have a great February! (Spring is almost here!)
-Jamie

May 2011 newsletter

Hillsong Ridge Farm 2011 May Newsletter By: Jamie Spahn

We’d like to welcome our new little farmer, Rosemary Ann Spahn. Born 5-1-11 = May Day!!! 7lbs 14oz 21 ½ in long. Rosie and mommy are doing great. Her big sisters have been very helpful and there’s lots of love floating around right now. It will be a week or two before we make our fist adventure to the farm, but I know she will just love it. We can’t wait for all of you to meet her!!!

Hopefully all the April showers will bring May flowers and lots of nice days for planting. We have the lawn garden full of rows of greens, radishes, beets, and more, but we really need some nice weather to get into the upper gardens and get planting. Guess we can’t force mother nature. The fruit hill has been cleared and plowed as well, so when the weather allows, the blueberry and raspberry plants will be going in too. We’ve had lots of new additions to the farm lately. We have about 25 goats now and 2 new baby twins. They are very cute and growing well. Our big Mamma Goat, had a baby boy a few days ago. He needs to be fed a bottle a few times a day. It’s taking him a bit to catch on but he’ll get there. The boys have been working hard on making the new goat pen for all of them to run around in the grass. The little stinkers keep getting out, so it has been a little challenging. Once the weather warms up and the planting is done we will have open house days for visitors to come and play at the farm!

KIDS SAFETY AREA:
Some of you may have noticed the new fence around the swing set , sand box and picnic area. This was put up to create a safe place for the kids to play. With lots of vehicles pulling in and out of the farm we need to always be watching for kids. Please, please, please SLOW DOWN and keep your eyes OPEN when you pull in the driveway, as you never know when a kid will pop out of no where. The worst place is between the house and the garage, where the kids run between and there is a blind spot from the porch wall when pulling up the driveway. The farm is a great place for everyones kids to live life, so let’s keep it safe, thank you very much!

MAY’S NEWSLETTER RAFFLE WINNERS!!!

Dean Baley
Judy Ketelboeter
Congratulations Dean and Judy. You will receive your 2011 Farm Coupon Book in the mail this week.

WEEKLY PRODUCE BOX MEMBERS:
We are still taking on members for the WPB program until the middle of May. If you are interested, please let me know and I can send you the info. We are still planning on having the first boxes ready the first or second week in June, but with the rainy, colder weather it might be a week later. Hopefully not, because we have lots of stuff planted in the lawn garden to get us started, and they have just sprouted so keep praying for that sun!

WORKERS SHARE:
With the continuing growth of our WPB members we will be looking for lots of help on the farm this year. If anyone is interested in working 4-5hours a week in trade for a Weekly Produce Box, please send me your contact information, along with the days and times you may be able to work. We look forward to having you join us in the fields and sharing in the wonderful things you will help us grow.

CHICKEN UPDATE:
The baby chickens have arrived! We have 300 laying hens and 400 meat chickens. We are currently taking orders for meat chickens. It takes about 8 weeks or so to get them to around 4lbs. Over half of them are already spoken for so place your summer orders soon for your whole or cut chickens. We will be getting more baby chickens the first week of June that will not be ready til August, so plan accordingly. There’s nothing better then a fresh chicken on the grill for all those summer weekends!!!
We have all the chickens in the new hen house. The outdoor part of the pen is not finished yet, but will be by the time they are ready to explore the outdoors! The hen house is much bigger then the one in the barn and will have lots more room and outdoor access for the hens!!! Plus we are hoping to make it more accessible for customers to come and collect eggs with their kids!

TURKEYS:
We have ordered 50 turkeys for the November/December holiday season. We are also taking orders now for your holiday turkey. Let us know how many you want, about what size, and fresh or frozen. Since Thanksgiving is pretty far away yet, it is ok if you don’t know what you need, but give me a heads up if you know you are interested in a farm fresh turkeyJ

EGGS:
The hens have really picked up on production as the weather continues to warm. The next egg share quarter starts the 3rd week in June. We are always looking for new communities to add to our egg share/delivery program. If you and some of your neighbors, family members, or co-workers are interested please let me know. The way it works is that everyone involved pays for 12 weeks of eggs and we deliver to someones house or office once a week. Please keep in mind that there is a small delivery fee and you need at least 3 people to start a delivery program. You can ALWAYS join the egg share program and pick up at the farm every week.

Here are some benefits of FARM FRESH EGGS: (factory eggs loose these benefits)
- good source of low cost, high quality protein
- boosts brain health
- reduces inflammation
- provides a good source of choline
- promotes weight loss
- good impact on heart health
- improves cholesterol levels
- helps to prevent blood clots
- protects against muscular degeneration and cataracts
- protects eyesight


THANK YOU:
A thanks goes out to Carrie Knutson, who has volunteered to help with the WPB weekly product updates and blog menus. Carrie is a good friend of the family and also is a SHAKLEE product distributor. If you would like to learn more about the natural products she has to offer please contact her at Knutson.carrie@gmail.com. http://healthconnections.myshaklee.com/us/en/

RECIPE:

“Egg-Cellent Taco Brunch”

Ingredients: (serves 12) cooking time = 15 min.

10 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
1 medium-sized onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
12 hard taco shells
1 medium-sized tomato, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. In a large bowl combine eggs, salt, and pepper. Beat Well.
3. In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter, and cook the eggs until scrambled, but still moist. Remove to a bowl and add taco seasoning mix; mix well.
4. In the same skillet, melt the remaining butter and suate the onions until tender and lightly browned.
5. Stand the taco shells open end up in a 9x13” baking dish and put a ¼ cup of egg mixture into each shell. Top each taco shell with 1 tablespoon of onions, olives, and tomatoes. If there are any toppings left over, divide evenly over the tacos. Top each taco with 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese and bake for 6-7 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
NOTE: These can be topped with taco sauce or salsa just before serving if desired.


Please feel free to forward this newsletter to any family members, friends, neighbors, and co-workers that you think may be interested in the farm and what we have to offer. If they do not have e-mail access, have them give me a mailing address, as I am more than happy to mail newsletters every month.

I hope this newsletter finds you and your families well and happy in life. You are all a very important part of the farm and what we stand for. Your support has been a wonderful overwhelming feeling and we hope you are excited for all the things we have to offer you this year and years to come! We may not be able to change the world but we can change communities together.

Jamie