The farm has been a buzz the past week, not only because it is mid-May and there are plants and animals that want new spaces to grow.
We had a weekend packed full of on-farm experiences, providing hands-on (or mouths) activities to engage with and support our farm.
This farm aims to create a purposeful blend of values including high quality products, community enrichment, thriving farmers, well functioning natural systems and, yes, profitability. Meeting them all is really challenging. Our approach is to round out our food offerings with events, overnight farmstays, tours and workshops, allowing more robust engagement with more people.
This weekend, I would say we hit success.
After Thursdays spirited Farmstand Hours, with several new customers as well as our long-standing members, who are such foundational support for this farm, over 60 people joined us Friday for a farm supper and then the Scrag Mountain Music Concert, even little Heikki (briefly). Feeling the warmth and buzz of conversation as well as the amazing music always inspires us and refills our wells. Based on the smiles and comments we received it seems those attending experienced a similar beautiful moment.
Saturday morning, twenty parents and children from Head Start arrived at the farm for a tour and farm fresh snack as part of their programming. Mari had a blast with the kids (and parents) and some our the farm’s hard-boiled eggs were gobbled right up before Mari moved onto a family tour and celebration of her dad’s 96th birthday.
Sunday, 10 folks from near and far joined us to learn to make chevre, getting a hands-on walk through of all the steps and they all left ready to make cheese at home. It isalways such a treat to share the secret of how easy it is to make chevre.
Monday, we said goodbye to the two families from Ottawa that were checking out of a 3 day farmstay that had included the farm dinner, concert, a robust tour, frogwatch and of course lattes on the hoof. They packed a bit of the farm’s pork and chicken home with them and promised to send friends our way.
Over 125 people were on the farm over a four day period — yes it was hectic and exhausting, but also inspiring and deeply satisfying to feel that this complex farm we are building might actually work.
Our gratitude to all of you for investing and joining us on this ride as we seek to provide sustainable, delicious food while building community and creating a livelihood for our small team.