Getting Ready for Winter!

At the end of the work day today, I walked around the fields checking the irrigation outlets one by one.  As I stomped around in my winter boots, rain pants, extra thick gloves and four sweatshirts, I could feel the ground freezing into place with each clunky step.   A week ago, I had met up with my tractor repair man for our annual field walk and irrigation line evacuating session.  His truck carries an air compressor, and we have outfitted one of the irrigation risers with an air attachment.  In mid-to-late fall, he drives into the field; we hook up our special outlet, turn on the air and clear the water out from under the fields, protecting our system from the damaging effects of freezing.   I open and shut valves and run back to the truck when the generator shuts off and talk with Gary about farming and life and whatever else is on his mind that afternoon.  The ritual went according to plan and we congratulated each other for getting the job done before the really cold weather sets in.  

So as the sun was heading down and the weather report was warning me of temperatures in the teens, I took a cold walk through the nearly veggie-less fields to make sure no water was hanging out, waiting to freeze.  With a shovel over my left shoulder I made my way to each outlet, opening and closing the values, flushing the remaining drops deep into the pipes below the soil, tucking it away for winter, hiding it at the bottoms and elbows of pipes a few feet below me.  I replaced the covers, and pulled out the mouse nests that were tucked in the corners.  I walked across our fields-named for the states-Washington, Colorado, New Mexico and over to Maine.   A shell of frost encased the soil as I walked.  Where I had been sinking, I now stood tall on ridges of once muddy soil.  The sun was about to set.  Winter is on its way to the farm and we are getting ready.  

See you at the farm!  Dress warmly!

Meryl & the Powisset Farm Crew

  

Third Winter Share Pick-up & Farm Stand!

This Saturday, November 22 

10am-5pm!

At the farm stand & in the share:

carrots, potatoes, shallots, onions, leeks, butternut and delicata squash, spinach, lettuce mix (most likely), rutabega, garlic, beets, celeriac, cabbage, kale and more! Plus eggs, pies, pork, beef, cranberries, coffee, applesauce, honey and lots more produce at the farm stand!

Come see us at the farm!!  

Special Holiday Pies!

It’s the time of year to unabashedly eat your heart with some delicious seasonal pies. We’ll have a few holiday pies in the farm stand freezer to take home if the mood sways you, but you can also order a large variety of pies directly from Bushel + Crumb. Here are the details from our favorite pie-makers:

It's November, which means it's time for Thanksgiving pies! Brighten your holiday table with a variety of sweet and savory Bushel + Crumb pies.
For a full description of the different pie varieties and to order your pie online, visit www.bushelandcrumb.com/thanksgiving-pies
Pies will be available for pickup at Powisset on both Saturday, November 22nd and on Tuesday, November 25th from 4pm-6pm. On Saturday we are excited to offer a selection of frozen, unbaked pies.  Simply pull from your freezer and pop in the oven on Thanksgiving morning for a fresh-baked pie (or stock up for the cold months ahead).
Feel free to contact us at info@bushelandcrumb.com with any questions about Thanksgiving pies.

A New Potter Joins Us in the Barn!

For this Saturday’s pre-Thanksgiving Winter Share and Farm Stand, we’ll be joined by Judy Ogilvie, a community member and talented potter who will be bringing her unique clayware to the barn. Here is a bit about Judy in her own words:

My name is Judy Ogilvie.  I am a retired school librarian who is following a long-held dream - to be able to throw clay pots.  Every step of the process of creating something from clay is a fascinating undertaking, from wedging up a ball of clay to the finished product.  Every time I sit down at the wheel I learn something new, maybe about the feel of different clay bodies, maybe about the science of why some pots hold their shape and others collapse.  Then there is the magic of glazing.  No matter how well you know your glazes and kiln, when that kiln is opened there is always a surprise inside!  I look forward to bringing my pottery to the Powisset Farm barn and hope you enjoy them as much as I do.  

Get your Berries!

Winter is right around the corner, and just when you feel like it’s freezing outside and you don’t want to get out of bed and it gets dark somewhere around 2 pm and all there is to eat is celeriac, have hope! Remember those sweet wild blueberries from Maine that herald the long and lazy days of August? We’ve got these treats stocked in the freezer, ready to come back to your kitchen and sweeten up the holiday season. So far - in our many exhaustive tasting trials as a crew - we haven’t found any way to eat these that we don’t like: throw the frozen berries into your morning bowl of cold or hot cereal, put them frozen onto your yogurt or ice cream, make muffins, make pies, make scones! The list goes on. If blueberries aren’t for you, we’ll also have fresh cranberries from The Edible Yard, to either eat right out of the bag on your drive home or for your Thanksgiving staple dishes. Taste the real rainbow! 


From the Farm Kitchen:

Join us for in the Powisset Farm Kitchen to warm your bellies and feed your mind! 

The following workshops are coming up:

:
For the Pantry: Sauerkraut and Kimchi

Thursday, November 20 | 5:30-7:30PM

CSA member and fermenter extraordinaire, Audra Karp, will guide us in the process of creating easy, delicious, sauerkraut and kimchi that you can make at home. When Audra is not fermenting everything in sight she works as a Homebirth Midwife!

From the Fields: Winter Soups

Sunday, November 23 | 10AM - 12PM

Winter soups...is there a better way to stay warm from the inside out?!
Farm Fun for the Whole Family: Potato Latkes and Lantern Making

Sunday, December 7 | 3-5PM

Potato pancakes and lantern making -- the perfect combination of activities to brighten any holiday season!

Email Rachel with any questions!