First CSA Distribution

First Color in the Flower Bed

One of the most exciting weeks of the year has arrived. The farm stand will be open for CSA pickups starting tomorrow and we are looking forward to seeing everyone again. Seeding and transplanting will certainly continue, but this week adds the task of harvesting to our schedule. It is great to mix another interesting job into the day, but it is particularly rewarding to see our many hours of hard work pay off. As you know, this produce has been a long time in the making. These vegetables will now conclude their journey by making their way into your kitchens. Here is where we are able to receive your feedback and hopefully see smiles on the faces of friends and customers who have waited for months to regain access to their fresh, local produce once again.

Strawberries on the Lawn

This time of the year also brings other changes to the farm. We will be adding additional summer staff to our existing group of three (plus our excellent band of volunteers). Powisset will welcome back some employees from past summers, a volunteer who proved herself this spring, and a couple new faces who are seeking to experience the challenge of agriculture. The additional crew will allow us to better keep up with jobs around the farm as we reach the peak season.

Dragonfly Operating the Cultivating Tractor

This past week was filled with seeding, weeding, transplanting, and cultivation on the tractor. Plastic mulch has done a good job of preventing pests and weeds from totally overwhelming certain crops, but there is still hand-weeding to be done at the base of the plants. There is also the chore of keeping up with weeds that grow in the aisles between beds. The grass that grows here can look beautiful, but it will eventually harbor pests and overtake our crops. These aisles can partially be managed by quickly driving over the beds with the tractor while dragging an implement that rips out unwanted vegetation and buries it under the soil. This is not a perfect system, but it can save a lot of time and energy spent hand-weeding many miles of beds. As far as transplanting goes, we were able to put in squashes, pumpkins, cucumbers, melons, eggplants, and peppers. Some of these crops can be quite vulnerable to ravenous pests that frequent the farm. However, they are also some of the most sought-after food that we grow. We will keep doing our best and hope for some good fortune that they will stay strong and provide the return we are looking for.

• After much ado, here is the lineup for this week's CSA distribution. If you have purchased a half-share, please check your email for information about when to pick up.
• Green Garlic
• Head Lettuce
• Kale
• Radishes
• Spinach
• Salanova
• Cilantro
• Dill
• Pick your own herbs in the herb garden (strawberries will be available another week soon)

If you are interested in enjoying a new experience at the farm, please check out our upcoming biergarten. Notch Brewing will be serving up a good time at Powisset this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It is a beautiful time to enjoy the property, and we would love to see you there.

Hope to see you soon,

Jeff Hoodlet

Farm Apprentice