I’m sitting in the farm kitchen after lunch on this rainy
day. To my left I can see out the window
at the soggy fields and windy branches letting go of their leaves with each
large gust that passes through Powisset.
In front of me I can see through the glass doors into the distribution
area and see the farm crew working with potatoes, onions, beets and turnips;
bagging them up in preparation for our first winter CSA pick-up. To my right, on the table, is my to-do list
for the month, with a great variety of tasks—from ‘plow new fields,’ and ‘harvest
all carrots & beets this week,’ to larger projects like, ‘write draft of
next season’s crop plan’ or ‘create staffing plan for next year.’ There are plenty of open boxes waiting to be
checked off and maybe a few things that I was proactive enough to cross off the
list in this week and a half since our last summer share. Tessa is busy working on the farm stand,
making sure that our fall and winter offerings are delicious and comforting as
we head into the “cozy food” time of year.
And I can see the display growing and changing before my eyes.
I’m still in my yellow overall rain pants that I put on
before I left my house this morning. I haven’t
even been out working in the rain, but somehow the feeling that I may need to
go harvest something or be ready to do field work hasn’t quite subsided for the
season. I feel comforted knowing I could
head into the fields at any moment without skipping a beat. It’s a hard thing to let go of—the duty to
the fields. The obligation to the work
in the fields, which begins in March, is winding down. In the season, the needs of the fields-the
needs of the plants-come first. If
plants need to be planted, we do it. If
weeds need to be pulled, we pull them.
If tractors are broken, they are fixed.
If there is a CSA pick up, then we must harvest. The fields tell me the plan for the week and I
listen and do. Now, as the season slows
down, even as we know that the freeze is on its way—we have to push ourselves
to keep up our pace, keep picking and keep listening to the fields, even when
they are headed to bed for the season and seem to have less to say. So, I keep my rain pants on, ready to go if I
hear the call, but grateful for being able to get to those other items on the
to-do list.
For this week, there’s a lot of harvesting and bagging and
washing and weighing, so I’m off to help.
I hope that you will come to the farm this weekend for these perfect
bags of parsnips and pea shoots and purple top turnips!
See you in the barn (or come out and listen to the fields
with me),
Meryl & the Powisset Farm Crew
What’s in the first Winter Pick up and Farm Stand:
(some of these items are in the share; all are available at
the stand)
This Saturday, October 25th, 10am-5pm
Lettuce, lettuce mix, spinach, pea shoots, arugula,
broccoli, leeks, onions, shallots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash,
garlic, chard, kale, carrots, beets, hot peppers, daikon, watermelon radishes,
salad radish bunches, escarole, cilantro & other herbs, parsnips, rutabaga,
purple top turnips
Get Your Soup On!
The glory of Fall is upon us and our closets are full with a
bounty of sweaters. Break out your best pullover and come to the Powisset Barn
for our fall potluck dinner event: Sweaters, Soups and Pie! Walk in the crisp
fall air in the afternoon at 3 pm, come back to the barn for some pedal-powered
apple cider to the beat of live music at 4 pm, and warm up in the barn with a
potluck dinner starting at 5 pm. Let us know if you can make it and let’s
celebrate the best season of all! And remember: life is better, in a sweater. Email
Tessa at tpechenik@ttor.org to reserve your spot.
CSA Member Workshop:
Join CSA members Cheri Boissonnault and
Kerri
Esselman for an educational workshop at Powisset Farm. Cheri and Kerri
are founding members of "The Healthy Home Movement.” Their workshop
focuses on how you can use your purchasing
power to make your home a healthier place.
Saturday, October 25 at Powisset from 11am-12pm.
Learn:
*The
effect that chemicals in our personal care and cleaning products are
doing to the current generation of adults and children.
* How to easily identify & replace products with safer alternatives.
*Why making intentional buying decisions matter to your family’s future.
For more information:
News From the Powisset Farm Kitchen:
The cool fall weather is here and there are plenty of
opportunities to warm up in the Powisset Farm Kitchen!
Our next workshops include:
Sunday, October 26 | 2-4PM
Field to Lunchbox: Creative Solutions for Lunchbox Boredom
There’s only one spot open for this workshop AND there’s
another Field to Lunchbox workshop on November 11!
Sunday, November 2 | 2-4PM
From the Fields: Farm-tastic Desserts
From the Fields: Farm-tastic Desserts
-do/greater-boston/pc-6-1.html
Join our very own Bushel and Crumb pie maker, Simca Horwitz,
for an afternoon of scrumptious desserts that feature farm vegetables! Beets,
sweet potatoes and butternut squash will be featured in ways you will have to
see to believe!
This workshop overlaps with our Sweaters, Soups and Pie
Barn Potluck on November 2nd! Join Powisset Cooks! in the Farm Kitchen
for Farm-tastic Desserts and then join the Powisset Farm community for cider
pressing, live music and a potluck. Scroll down for more information about our Sweaters,
Soups and Pie Barn Potluck.
Tuesday, November 11 | 9-11AM
Field to Lunchbox: Creative Solutions for Lunchbox Boredom
Field to Lunchbox: Creative Solutions for Lunchbox Boredom
Looking for a family-friendly Veterans Day activity? Join us in the Powisset Farm Kitchen to prepare delicious treats for the whole family to enjoy!
Thursday, November 20 | 5:30-7:30PM
For the Pantry: Sauerkraut and Kimchi
For the Pantry: Sauerkraut and Kimchi
Get your fermentation on and join us in the Powisset Farm
Kitchen to learn this time honored tradition of food preservation!
If you have any questions, please email Rachel: rkaplan@ttor.org
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