Summer CSA Week 2

Week 2:

Wow what an incredible first week of distributions to kick off the summer CSA season. I really enjoy welcoming you all back onto the farm at the beginning of the summer. Looking forward to seeing the rest of our half share folks this week. This week is week two (even week) so if you have a half share and your last name starts with M-Z then this is your week to pick up your share!

This is also the first week of the fruit share. The share will be delivered on Tuesday. If you have signed up for a fruit share you can pick it up Tuesday (recommended), Thursday, or Friday.



Needing the tractor head lights
to wrap up a long day

Every Monday I take a crop walk around the farm to asses what is ready to harvest for that weeks CSA as well as what looks like it will be ready in the coming weeks. I really savor this time to slow down and check in with every inch of the farm. I also scout for pests in the fields and make a plan to deal with them. This year I am partnering with UMASS extension who is sending a graduate student to the farm every week to collect data on out pest populations and best practices in controlling them using organic methods. Our first wave of cucumbers is almost ready and we will likely be harvesting next week. The broccoli is also on the cusp of being ready.

 

After a bit of a slow start due to the cool spring temperatures the farm is really starting to fill out. This week brings more diversity to our harvest list.

Your share this week

In this weeks share:

Lettuce

Scallions
Beets
Arugula
Pick one cooking green (kale, collards, or chard)
Spinach
Garlic Scapes
Radishes

Our peas were hit hard by a pest this week called the seed corn maggot. Seed corn maggot is the pupa of a fly. They lay there eggs on the surface of the soil and burrow down into the soil. They prefer to eat large seeds like corn, peas, and beans. Our peas were affected as well as one of our plantings of beans. We still have a shot at spring peas from one of our plantings but unfortunately no peas for picking this week.

* The strawberries are just beginning to fruit but there are not yet enough to open them for picking. Please be respectful of your fellow CSA members and the Powisset Farm staff and refrain from picking the strawberries this week.

PYO:
Herbs

I often get asked the question "what is a garlic scape and what do I do with it?" Garlic scapes are flower stalks that garlic  plants develop this time of year. We harvest them before they go to flower because this will cause the plant to send energy into the bulb and create a bigger garlic bulb. Garlic scapes are edible and can be made into pesto, sliced into coins and sautéed with greens, chopped and sprinkled on salad, or pickled.

Your Farmer,

Zannah

CSA Week 1!!!

Apprentices Diane, Phil, and Jared have been
working hard on the farm this spring

Baby cucumber, they will be in your CSA
in just a few weeks

Week 1:

Wow, summer is here.  As I sit down to write the first of twenty summer CSA blog posts it is a scorching 93 degrees. What a difference a few days (and 365 days) makes. Overall this has been a cool wet spring but my memories of spring quickly fade on days like today. I am incredibly grateful to see the pond next to the barn at peak capacity. With all this rain, the water table has been recharged after last year's extreme drought. We have been working hard all spring preparing the farm for your arrival, and here we are: week one of the summer vegetable CSA. For folks who have purchased a half share, this is week 1 (an ODD week). This means, if your last name starts with A - L this is your week! Folks who have a half share and who's last name starts with the letters M - Z, we look forward to seeing you next week.

If you didn't make it to CSA orientation you will notice a few

 

These two melt my heart

changes in the distribution barn when you arrive to pick up your share. As always please check in at the counter and lets us know you are picking up your share. Items in the share will be listed on the chalk board by the entrance as well as on the chalkboards above the display tables. Also we don't provide bags so please bring your own reusable bags.



Farm softball!

What's in the week 1 share:

Head lettuce, arugula, green garlic, choice of cooking greens (chard, kale, or collards), spinach, and pop corn.

Pick Your Own:

Choice of herbs: Thyme, oregano, and sage

A favorite Powisset past time

You may be scratching your head wondering what to do with green garlic... Green garlic is garlic that has not yet fully matured. It is tender and more mild than cured garlic. You can slice or mince the white end as well as some of the green stem. Use it as you would a clove of garlic or toss it fresh on salad. For a more in depth explanation as well as a green garlic pesto recipe follow this link:
https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/2011/02/15/green-garlic-pesto-recipe/
I like to toss some greens like arugula, kale, or spinach into my green garlic pesto and toss with steamed pasta, or spread on some good bread.

Your farmer,

Zannah


Powisset Happenins!

It's been a while since I have filled you in on what is going on at Powisset Farm! There has been so much, that it is hard to keep up!

First of all, thank you to all who came out on Memorial Day for Springfest! Despite the chilly temps, we all had a blast. A couple of our favorite activities were the pie-eating contest (right) and the Powisset Cafe (left)! For those of you who also enjoyed the Powisset Cafe, know that it will become a regular thing this summer so stay tuned for details. We are still looking to hire a Manager as well as some counter and food prep help. If you know someone who is interested in working at the Cafe every other Saturday I'd love to hear from you (nnacamuli@thetrustees.org). Lastly, in addition to hosting a Spring Festival, this year on September 16th we will be holding a Harvest Festival so mark your calendars!

What's to Come? Well, besides the excitement of the CSA and farm stand opening on Tuesday(!), below are just a few of our upcoming events and programs!

Sunday, June 18th, 11-1pm: Fathers Day Bluegrass BBQ: Join us as we celebrate dad by enjoying food catered by Blue Ribbon BBQ, music by the Railroad House Band, lawn games, animals and much more! Beer (provided by Jack's Abby Brewery) and wine will be available for purchase. Registration will close on Thursday so sign up today!

Saturday, June 24th, 10-12pm: Strawberry Shortcake: From the Fields to the Kitchen: This is our 3rd annual strawberry shortcake class and it is always a sell out. While we won't be able to pick strawberries due to the timing, we will be collecting eggs (for the biscuit wash) and mint to adorn the shortcake! 

Friday, June 30th, 6-8pm: Friday Farm Dinner: We are excited for our first farm dinner of the season! Chef Didi Emmons will be cooking up a storm using seasonal produce from the farm and we will enjoy music by the Railroad House Band, beer from Castle Island Brewing, lawn games, and the scenic view of the farm at sunset. Come early (at 5:30pm) for a farm tour with one of our farm staff! We will be holding Friday Farm Dinners every other Friday through September.

We hope to see you at one or all of these events!

Lettuce, garlic, spinach, oh my!

Lettuce for days

News from the fields:
Wow, I can't believe June is almost upon us. I'm sitting in my office watching the sweet spring rain saturate our fields. This week we transplanted tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, scallions, and our first generation of cucumbers. We also direct seeded carrots, radishes, arugula, cilantro, and the week isn't over yet. We are plowing in the last sections of cover crop on the farm to prepare our fields for summer and fall crops.

Busy town! This week we had work done
on the well and put in some new fencing

When we aren't out in the fields we have been preparing the farm for Spring Fest. Please join us on Memorial Day from 10-3. There are a ton of vendors, activities (including farm tours!), and a great band. Swing by the farm stand and check out the renovations! The farm stand will be open and fully stocked.

CSA details:

Cultivating beets

I have received a few inquiries recently asking when the CSA will start and how the half share rotation will work. If you have a half share and your last name begins with a letter A through L you will pick up on odd share weeks (1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15,17,18,19). If your last name starts with a letter M through Z you will pick up on even weeks (2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18,20).

Week 1 or the CSA is scheduled to start Tuesday June 13th!

The farm crew is really excited for the start of the farm season. The farm just isn't the same without you.

Your farmer,


Lush cover crop building our soils

Zannah



Transplanting broccoli
 





 



New's from the fields




The farm is so lush this year


 

Plowing in preparation for cucumbers

Wow, spring is in full swing here on the farm! We have several killdeer nesting in the fields, swarms of insects buzzing around (both pests and beneficial insects). The farm has really come alive in the past few weeks. We have had a really nice balance if rain and sunshine this spring. The farm is incredibly lush. We seeded a lot of rye and vetch cover crop last fall that did not germinate very well due to the drought but this spring it has come in incredibly lush and vibrant. Good cover crop reflects a healthy soil biome. And healthy soil means healthy, robust crops!





Tomatoes!

On dry days we have been hustling to get the fields prepared for transplanting and seeding. Wet days are ideal for transplanting spring crops(strawberries, lettuce, onions, scallions, beets, broccoli, kale, spinach, and Swiss chard). Over the next few weeks we'll be transplanting the first of our hot weather crops like tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers.
 
 


The piglets are outside and
ready for you to visit!

 
This week we welcomed our summer field crew. Jeff, Tim, Kurt, Paul, and Emily (who will join us in June) are critical members of the farm team. The field crew spends their days transplanting, weeding, harvesting, and moving irrigation equipment. They work behind the scene on the farm but we all get to enjoy their handy work. Please welcome them if you see them around the farm.

 
Springfest is right around the corner. The farm stand will be open and we will have spring produce for sale. We will also have your favorite farm stand products as well as lots of new offerings. Their are tons of activities planned including the annual trail run, farm tours, kids activities, vendors, Powisset Cafe, and much more.
 
Add a fruit share to your summer vegetable CSA!

We are thrilled to offer a FRUIT SHARE as an add-on to your 2017 CSA at Powisset Farm - if you’re interested, please read on below and follow the link to sign up. 

DETAILS:

- Local, seasonal, delicious fruit! 10 weeks for $100. 

- For 10 weeks we’ll have fruit from Cider Hill Farm in Amesbury, Mass., ready for pickup alongside your veggie CSA on TUESDAY of each week.  

- The share includes 1-2 items per week (for example: 1 quart of strawberries; or 2-3 pounds of apples; or 1 pint each of blueberries & raspberries). 

- Berries generally come in smaller quantities as they are higher-value and more labor-intensive to harvest (pints or quarts);  peaches, plums, pears and apples come in 2-3 pound bags. 

- Generally, here’s what you can expect (but just like the veggie CSA, things may change with the weather and show up earlier or later!): 

 

early-mid June: strawberries, cherries



 

early-mid July: blackberries, raspberries, blueberries

early August: peaches, nectarines 

late August/early September: pears, apples 

About the orchard: 
Cider Hill is a family farm, owned and operated by Glenn & Karen Cook (read more about them & their farm here). Cider Hill is a leader in renewable energy sources on farm. Their fruit is not organic; they use IPM (integrated pest management) to track pests & diseases and spray only when necessary. The quality and flavor is excellent! 
If you want to sign up, click here and bring a check with you to the first CSA pickup (week of June 12). 
Please note that fruit will arrive at the farm each Tuesday of the fruit share; we will keep fruit in our walk-in cooler but recommend you pick up on Tuesday as it’s best enjoyed when very fresh! 

2017 Summer Beef CSA:

 

We are also excited to announce that The Trustees are launching our first ever Summer Beef CSA!  



 

As a quick overview:

The Summer Beef CSA includes 2 lbs. of beef per week distributed over the course of 20 weekly pick-ups.  This will total 40 pounds of meat over the course of the season.

The meat CSA begins in June 2017 and ends in October 2017. Pickups will be held every week, for a total of 20 pick-ups.

Pick-ups are offered at the following locations and times:

• Powisset Farm, Tuesday 2-6PM, Thursdays 10AM-6PM, Saturdays 10AM-4PM

Meat CSA members can choose the time that is most convenient.

The cost of the Summer Beef CSA is $22 per pick-up, or $440 for the season. On average, these prices represent a cost of $11/lb., which includes all cuts.  This is the same price as the Winter CSA

For more information and to sign up, visit: thetrustees.org/meatcsa

Your farmer,

Zannah

Powisset Happenins!

It's been a while since I wrote so I thought I would fill you in on all of the exciting things going on at Powisset in the near future...and this summer!

In case you didn't notice, its May and Mothers Day is coming up. On Sunday, May 14th we are hosting our 2nd Annual Mothers Day Brunch. Join us as we toast Mom with delicious food catered by Bonne Bouche, listen to some music by the Sharon Music Academy, visit our animals including our newly born piglets, and kids will have the opportunity to make a craft for Mom. Tickets are going quickly so get yours now!

2 weeks later, on May 29th (Memorial Day) we host our biggest event of the year, Springfest! This is when we do a little dance and celebrate that CSA season is about to start! The event, which starts at 10am is preceded by the Powisset Farm Trail Run (starting at 8am) organized by SunMultisport. The lineup for Springfest includes music by The Railroad House Band, The Powisset Cafe will be open for breakfast and lunch, the farm stand where we will be selling veggies and other local products.We will be offering 2 farm tours, we'll have our goats friends on hand (including 2 goat milking demos), a pie-eating contest, a bike blender (whipping up smoothies), lots of local vendors, and much more! Check out our whole line up here.

Looking for something to do with your pre-schooler this spring. We will be hosting a 4-week series program called "Pre-School Farm Explorers", held Wednesdays from 10-11am, May 17th-June 7th. Every week will be different and we'll be doing activities such as collecting eggs from our chickens, planting some veggies and/or herbs, reading a farm-friendly story and perhaps even learning about seasonal foods.

Looking ahead to June and beyond....for anyone who has enjoyed our Friday Farm Dinners, we will be holding 7 of them this season - every other Friday starting on June 30th. Didi Emmons will be our chef for all dinners, and we will of course have music, lawn games, beer & wine for sale...and lots of family-friendly fun! To check out all of the dates, please see the "Things to Do" section of our web site.

We're Hiring! We are still looking to hire a Cook to prepare yummy local food for our Powisset Cafe this summer. The Cafe will be open from June 13th thru mid Oct from 10-2pm. If you or someone you know are interested in learning more about this position please contact me at nnacamuli@thetrustees.org.

On behalf of the Powisset Farm team, we hope to see you around the farm!

News from the fields

News From the Fields:



Garlic is up!

Field preperation

It has been very busy on the farm recently. We started seeding in the greenhouse in mid march and have continued at a hasty pace. The greenhouse is filling up! In the fields the garlic is up, and the chickweed and henbit are in full bloom. We have been busy preparing the fields to create a welcoming environment for all the crops we will grow this year. Last season I purchased a drop spreader to apply fertilizer soil amendments. The drop spreader allows us to apply custom fertilizer mixes that are specific to each crops needs and apply them directly to where the plants will grow. We used to only be able to apply fertilizer field wide or by hand. The drop spreader has been getting a lot of use the last few weeks. We purchased a few other key pieces of equipment over the winter which will really help streamline our systems on the farm freeing us up to hopefully spend more time on innovation as well as engaging with you  in the barn and fields.



Apprentices Jared, Diane, and Phil problem solving

This week we are dodging rain drops to get some of our early plantings into the ground. We are planting onions, strawberries, kale, broccoli, chard, beets, peas, and fava beans (to name a few). We have a lot to do but we have three talented apprentices that joined the farm team at the beginning of April. They have already begun learning about crop planning, greenhouse maintenance, field preparation, and tractor operation. You will be hearing from each of the apprentices this season in the CSA distribution area as well as through the blog, and at our programs and events.



First lady beetle of the season

A day at the spa

As I mentioned above we have been transplanting strawberries this week. You will notice a few new aspects to our strawberry planting this season. First off its in a different field than it was last year. Secondly the strawberries have been planted into plastic mulch. We are using plastic mulch because it allows us to run irrigation lines for the strawberries as well as reduces weed and disease pressure. Thirdly we have planted day neutral strawberries which will fruit a little later than you may be used too but should produce fruit for a longer period during the summer.


Andrew laying plastic mulch for the onions

We are all looking forward to sharing the fruits of our labor with you soon.

Your Farmer,

Zannah