The farm truck just drove by my kitchen window. About a dozen orange harvest baskets are stacked on the new flat bed, overflowing with weeds and old flowers from the flower garden. CSA member and flower garden work share, Kathy, rides along with the bins, legs stretched out along open truck bed. Earlier this afternoon, Kathy told me that she had become ‘one with the weeds,’ this season. True statement. And as any volunteer or work share knows, we won’t hesitate to pull you into the patch of tall grass and spiky amaranth with us any day of the week, with the simple instructions, “pull” echoing from our lips.
I walk outside to
check on the irrigation, running for the past couple hours in the youngest cucumber
planting and prepare to move the water over to tiny spinach plants, begging for
moisture. Down the farm road, a familiar
painter pulls his car next to the pig pasture and sets up his easel and canvas
and sets out on his work for the day. Just
beyond the artist, I see the Neighborhood farm crew packing and unpacking their
cooler, organizing their veggies for the week of markets ahead. I throw some “seconds” tomatoes to the
chickens and peek in on the mama pigs, sleeping back to back in their long
shed.
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| garlic in the share again! |
I step into the
pick-your-own shed and see the turned over pint containers, empty shelves where
the quart containers once were and search for the many missing scissors. And I remember last Saturday; one of our
busiest CSA pick up days that we have ever had!
Nearly two-hundred shareholders picked up during last Saturday’s pick
up! That’s half of our entire membership!
In the first two hours alone, we had one hundred shares checked off our
trusty clipboards. I stood under the
slight shade of the PYO shed and remembered back to when we had a total of one
hundred members –throughout the whole week! I so clearly remember the days when
we would pick for thirty or forty members in a morning. Three of us, hustling, packing and moving
veggies from fields to barn with a tiny wooden cart and mostly broken down blue
dodge ram. Now, we pick every day for
one hundred to two hundred shares. And
on good days, when we have enough help and are slightly rested, we finish
before lunch and are back in the fields weeding as the barn doors open and the
distro begins.
Yesterday, on a
Sunday walk with my partner and that crazy farm dog, we ran into some wonderful
(they bring treats!), long-time shareholders, who commented on how quiet a day
it was at the farm. It is true that the
quiet days are happening less and less every year; replacing it, a steady hum
of activity, energy, trucks passing by, farm crews growing and shareholders
multiplying. I love the quiet days, the
walks into the back fields, or my morning field walks on my own. But the reality of people really living with
this farm, truly enjoying and connecting with this farm and fields in real ways—taking
the time to pick each week, or walk the fields, or stay late after the farm
slows down to have a picnic dinner on the lawn—these are the moments I know
that the farm has so far surpassed what I thought it would be during that first
year. I look back on the quiet days with
fondness and treasure the moments where I can find them. I also want to celebrate, with you all, the
life, energy, noise and many peaceful moments that we have all helped to nurture, sustain and grow on
this beautiful farm.
I’ll see you in the
fields, (I’ll be the one setting up irrigation by moonlight until the rain
comes),
Meryl & the
Powisset Farm Crew
***speaking of busy
days at the farm….***
If you would like to
be at the farm during our quieter hours, please visit us on Tuesday or
Thursday. Here are our hours: Tuesday:
1:30-6:30, Thursday: 10am-6:30pm and Saturday: 10am-5pm. Those are the same as our pick your own
hours. (although, we don’t mind if people come early on Saturday to do the PYO,
come as early as 7am). Remember, if you
are sending a friend in your place; please remind them of our hours. It’s quite a push to get everything ready by
the time we open, so it’s tough when people come early! Thank you!
***speaking of parking…***
Just to let you all
know, we do have expanded parking areas coming soon, including a better and
bigger area for handicap accessible parking closer to the barn entrance!
What’s in the share (most likely):
Full: lettuce, arugula, kale or chard, tomatoes and
tomatillos, peppers, eggplant, carrots, onions, garlic, sweet corn (probably
last week for this), maybe squash and/or cukes
Small: lettuce or arugula, kale or chard, tomatoes and
tomatillos, peppers and eggplant, onions, garlic, sweet corn and maybe squash
and/or cukes
What’s Cookin’ with Powisset Cooks!
Please note the schedule change for the next two Powisset Cooks! workshops:
THIS Sunday, September 14, 10AM-12PM
For the Pantry: Tomato Preservation
Do you have an abundance of tomatoes? Do you want to learn creative ways to savor these sweet treats of summer? Join Powisset Cooks! in the field for a short harvest followed by an exciting hands-on exploration in the kitchen with our Culinary Educator to create sauces, oven roasted tomatoes and more. Limited to 12 participants, so sign up quickly!
NEXT Tuesday, September 23 | 5:30-7:30PM
Herbs are one of the many unsung culinary heroes; when used well, herbs can add so much depth and flavor to a dish. Join Powisset Cooks! in the field for a short harvest followed by an exciting hands-on exploration in the kitchen with our Culinary Educator. You will learn new and easy ways to infuse herbs into breads, sauces and more. Limited to 12 participants, so sign up quickly!
Contact Rachel for more information
Bushel + Crumb Pies in the Farm Stand this week!
Summer is drifting away, but before we’re all wearing
sweaters and trading sunburns for snowflakes, the expert pie bakers of Bushel +
Crumb have planned a sweet ode to summer for their early September pie flavor:
nectarine and blueberry with a lemon ginger crumble. Pies will be available
starting this Thursday afternoon in the barn.
Get Your Sip On
We’re excited to bring a new product to the barn this month:
Giv Coffee! Other than vegetables, coffee is likely the most near and dear item
to our farmer hearts, and our coffee mugs are constant companions in the
fields, next to tractor seats, on the truck dashboard . . . So we’re
particularly thrilled that Giv not only roasts delicious coffee, but is also
committed to integrity in sourcing and community investment. Giv was started in
2011 by a husband and wife team seeking to use coffee as a vehicle to connect
communities in need with necessary resources, both abroad and locally. Already
coffee connoisseurs and small-batch roasters, the folks at Giv Coffee began
their organization with three critical goals: to source the highest quality
green beans, with special attention to micro-lots, organic and farm-direct
coffees; to purchase only fair-trade beans to ensure farmers are receiving a
fair price for their crop; and, as the name says, giving back - $2 of every bag
of coffee is returned back to the communities with whom Giv works. It tastes
good and it does good, which is pretty great for your morning cup of
joe.
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| coffee team! |
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| being really good at his job. thank you! |
Just saw your profile in the Globe. Keep up the good work.
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