We’d seen it in the forecasts and sure enough the cold set in. Jonathan Lipkin, photographer, rolled in from New York (a project in gestation phase) at 6:30 Friday morning. He tagged along as we swarmed to pull in anything too tender to freeze. The team ticked off items on the list methodically. 175 pounds of tomatillos, turnips galore, the last cayenne peppers, huge bags of chard and parsley… The daytime chill filled us with purpose and made farmer lunch more delicious. Friday afternoon we topped 600 pounds of onions and 200 plus pounds of shallots with the help of Liva’s parents visiting from California. More were left to finish curing in the unheated garage but we ensured the storage onions didn’t get touched by the freezing temperatures. The walk-in became one full fridge!
Of course the cold sweetens some of our crops, concentrating the sugars and with the comfort of warmer temps and sunshine Thomas (Mari’s cousin’s farmer from Milkweed Farm in Westmoreland, NH who recently relocated to the area) and Anna hauled in and washed the remaining storage carrots. Meanwhile, Jaska & Lauren dug deep into bags of tomatillos & parsley to put away many cases of salsa verde and pesto for this winter’s offers!
We rigged up the truck and drove up to Full Moon Farm in Hinesburg to gather 8 piglets from David and Rachel. Checkers miscarried and thus for this round we need to supplement and we are thrilled to find ample piglets available from another farm who’s practice we respect, including the now rare feeding of organic grain, which we insist on continuing.
Fall is when we get to share the full harvest with you, friends of the farm. And this week has been made more fun preparing food for the harvest supper and getting ready for our friend Melissa Crabtree’s concert in the barn.
These piglets need names. A goat is thawing for the spit, and Melissa has been called a contemporary, female Woodie Guthrie… Where else than our barn Saturday night? We sure hope YOU can make it.